Happy Halloween

Halloween is very popular in Akiuk. It's a holiday everyone seems to enjoy. Plus, it is a welcome diversion during freeze-up. Our Halloween activities began on Friday during the day. Our younger students made masks and wore them with their kaspeqs. The masks were laminated and looked so nice.


Then in the evening they returned at 5:30 to get ready for the parade and carnival. The students all met in Fannie's room and received their number. Right at 6, we went to the gym for the parade. The community sat in the bleachers while the students walked around the gym. The judges certainly had a tough time picking the winners. Here are some of the competitors:











It's family affair! Anyone can dress up and be in the parade of costumes. Here's Fannie, her son , and her daughter (a school board member), and her grandchildren.




The parade begins!





A dance was performed by the younger students while we counted the votes for the best costumes.



The winners are announced! Here's one. Paul was dressed like a little old lady who liked to move and dance a bit. He was a real hit!


After the winners were announced, the Carnival began! Here we have a child under two on her father's back holding a cup of water. Make it to the finish line and you're the winner! In the second game, we blindfolded the adults and threw candy on the floor. The one who found the most candy won a prize. In the last photo Curtis is holding his daughter. She must decide: Do I want the candy or the money? The candy almost always won!




The games continued until 10 PM. When the games began, I opened the student store. We were swamped! It was a late night, but everyone seemed to have a lot of fun.

The next day was Halloween and Haunted School House! Ah, yes, the dreaded Haunted School! We spent the morning decorating. At 1 in the afternoon, the trick or treating began. I hurried home for that and then returned to school at 4 for more decorating! Here are some photos of the day!



The little ones get tired going through the entire village, so a sled works just fine for them! All in
all, I had eighty trick or treaters and all of them said, "Quyana!" (thank you)

Here are a few of the kids at my house:







Now I must point out in this last picture that the girl is wearing her Carhartt bibs over her down jacket and still looks good! This is the way your bibs are worn here- especially if they are Carhartt.

Once 4 o'clock came, it was time to go back to school and get ready for the Haunted School House. We decorated five classrooms, the library, and the hallway. There were also games in the gym for the community. We opened the Haunted School from 7:30 to 9:30. My room was the haunted pre-school. I have a separate little room in my classroom where the preschoolers have class. We had lights leading into the room, but it was empty. We either snuck up behind people or scared them as they walked out the door of the preschool.


It was pretty funny watching the adults walk through the haunted school. Many of the women just held on to each other. What grandmothers won't do for their grandchildren! Anyway, at the end of the night, we opened the haunted school up to the little ones and we took them through as one big group with the lights are on. We were told to keep everything else the same, so I did. (Okay, I should have known better.)


My room was the first room visited. I used my lovely witch voice and told them to "Come on in. Don't be afraid. No one is in the preschool room." I kept saying "Oh. . . don't be afraid. . .no one is in the room." And, they all stood at the door and wouldn't go in. So, I finally said, "Look up at the door" and I did my witch cackle. I had a student with a wolf face peering over the door. So, I thought I would lead them in a scream. Well, they did scream. Then, they all took off running and two started crying. They kept screaming something about a witch. Oh well, we gathered them up again, removed the crying ones, and took the brave ones through the rest of the haunted school.


The next day at clean up one of my boys asked me to do the witch voice again. So, I did. And, he wanted to hear it again. So, I did it again and again. Finally, he looked at me quite puzzled and asked, Why do you keep talking about a dog? (I'll get you my pretty . . . and, your little dog, too!) So. . . here's the Haunted School House!

Carla, the librarian. The boys who were my helpers. And, Paul walking down the hallway.

The last photo shows Carla going into my infamous haunted preschool!






It was a successful weekend. We all have good memories of a good time.