Halloween Celebrations at French International

The rain held off just long enough for the parade, and the excitement was high as students, teachers, and parent volunteers dressed in their best costumes for this year’s Halloween celebrations.

The day started with a French International tradition, the Halloween parade. Maternelle students lined up in the pavilion, and the rest of the school lined the sidewalks to cheer. Music teacher Dave led the students through campus, waving and high-fiving the cheering onlookers. Last year, Lower School students also jumped into the parade after the Maternelle students were done. This year, we made that official. After the Maternelle students finished their turn, Lower School had a chance to walk, wave, dance, and receive cheers from the audience.

The rest of Halloween included lots of activities and fun as well. Maternelle teachers put together activities in the gym. Parent volunteers ran each station for a fun morning of games, crafts, books, and fun. Each Maternelle grade spent 45 minutes at the Halloween festivities.

Throughout the day, teachers incorporated Halloween crafts and activities into their lesson plans. For example, Thierry’s fourth graders had to do a choose-your-own-adventure math activity to try and escape an oncoming zombie. Students wrote stories and sentences about the day in their English and French classes, and some painted pumpkins as an art activity. Parent volunteers set up a harvest-themed photo booth in front of the main administration building, and classes took pictures there throughout the day.

The Middle School hosted a Halloween costume contest. There were five categories – group, DIY, funny, miscellaneous, and teacher – and there will be one winner per grade level. The winners will be announced on November 1. Middle School teachers and some administrative staff dressed in a Wizard of Oz/Wicked group costume, which included witches, tinmen, a Dorothy, a Scarecrow, and even a couple members of the Lollipop Guild.

Overall, it was an exciting day at French International. Thank you to the parent volunteers, teachers, and staff who made it a memorable experience for students.