Costume, Candy, and Controversy.

By Rin Conley

Free candy, scary masks, bearing the elements to be out late into the night…it can only mean one thing: Halloween. Ask any kid their favorite holidays and Halloween will undoubtedly be in his top three. How can an 11 year old not love a sugar high and fake blood?

But despite the seemingly harmless, though spooky, fun Halloween provides, there is some minor controversy about acknowledging it in schools. Here in Hopkinton, we have two elementary schools where children can celebrate the holiday: Harold Martin and Maple Street. And both have developed very different customs for such celebrations.

When you walk into Maple Street School the Friday before Halloween, you can immediately feel the holiday in the air. Children are buzzing around in their costumes, eagerly awaiting the annual Halloween parade. Although the principal, Mr. Bassette, says they “try to maintain a pretty calm and normal day,” it’s easy to see the kids are excited. After all, they’re just kids. To them this is nothing more than costumes and treats. But as Bassette points out, “Halloween can be a trick holiday in schools, because many of the costumes and things that are associated with the "normal" expression of the holiday can be inappropriate or offensive in school settings.” And he makes a very valid point: a costume worn by one child could scare another, or perhaps offend a teacher. He and other teachers also struggle with the idea of promoting the consumption of large amounts of sugar. Bassette says he, along with parents, try to promote the idea of “all things in moderation.” They convey that it’s okay for the kids to eat “a cupcake or sweet,” but they should also know it’s okay to eat something healthy if given the option! It seems the Maple Street has taken a good stance on tackling this delicate choice.

And on a lighter not, the Halloween parade is tons of fun. This reporter attended it when she went to Maple Street six plus years ago, and the spirit is still well alive today. Some favorite costumes were a roll of Charmin toilet paper, a wallet (complete with a driver’s license that had a hole cut out providing room for a child’s face), a roll of “duck” tape, and two giant iPod headphones. The Maple Street student council holds a costume contest, and the winners get gift cards to Beech Hill Farm or the student council store.

However, on the other end of the celebration spectrum is Harold Martin School. There is no costume contest, no parade, and few costumes. The Harold Martin sponsored parade is held the Saturday before Halloween. It does have a costume contest, treats, and games. But despite the differences in in-school celebrations between HMS and MSS, there is still some excitement during school hours. Their principal, Mr. Carozza, explains that “[the school feels] that the Halloween Parade event that we held last Saturday is sufficient. We also hold harvest parties in many classrooms,” so Halloween does not go completely unnoticed. He says that the second grade also makes scarecrows, so there are “plenty of opportunities…to celebrate, not to mention the regular town event.” Carozza also mentioned that he had no problem with Maple Street’s celebration, but that just wasn’t right for Harold Martin.

Holiday celebrations in schools can be tough. It’s a touchy subject, trying to accommodate for every holiday and every belief. But despite the difficulties, both schools have established great ways to get the kids in the Halloween spirit. Now if only the high school could provide some more Halloween fun…