Halloween isn’t what it used to be.
High school students who attended Shaker elementary schools remember Halloween. Donning costumes for class, marching around the building in parades, watching Halloween movies. Sugar.
Those activities no longer occur, replaced by weekend fall festivals during October.
Shaker shifted away from Halloween-themed celebrations in 2020 in anticipation of the return to in-person learning during the Covid era, according to Assistant Director of Communications Kristen Miller. In-school instruction did not resume until November 2020, however. “The Halloween guidance was then published in building newsletters again in October 2021, which would have been the first year it was in effect due to being remote the year before,” she said.
Sophomore Emily Karfeld said that she remembers the Mercer Elementary School parade. “We all gathered in the gym. Everyone was in their costumes. We paraded around, and parents came. Then we went back to the classrooms and had parties there,” she said.
Flag Corps coach Paige Campbell (’18) said she remembers having schoolwide Halloween celebrations throughout her years at Mercer, Woodbury, the middle school and high school. “I don’t ever remember them cancelling Halloween events when I was a student,” she said. “In elementary school, we always had a costume parade, and as we grew up we were allowed to wear our costumes to school even in high school.”
Former elementary school physical education teacher and Raiderette coach Sally Davros said that during October, the elementary schools would host fall-themed obstacle courses around the time of Halloween. “The level of excitement, physical activity and creativity exhibited by our students was amazing,” she said.Davros said that the PTO sponsored Halloween-themed parties for each classroom. “Students danced, played games and ate treats,” she said. Families could opt their children out of Halloween events, and those students would watch a movie and play games in the library.
After Covid, the district took opportunities to schedule professional development or parent-teacher conference days on Halloween. “When I started back in July 2023, I was told by then-principal Mr. [Eric] Juli that Halloween became a professional day after Covid,” said Will Warren, diversity, equity and inclusion programs coordinator. “I’m not sure why that shift was made; he never shared the reasoning behind it with me.”
Five years after the district ended Halloween observations during the pandemic, other reasons have emerged. “They say that not enough people have the money, and that some people don’t celebrate Halloween,” Onaway Elementary student Frances “Frankie” Erman said. Onaway now hosts a Dress as Your Favorite Book Character Day close to Halloween.
“We were told that because not all children and families celebrated the holiday, and because IB supports the learner profile and taking action, that students would instead participate in creating something for people in need,” Davros said.
The IB Learner Profile states that the organization “aims to develop learners who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective.”
Walter Slovikovski, math teacher and parent of two alumni, recalled the Onaway Halloween parade that his children attended. “They had a whole school parade where each class got to parade in front of the other classes and show off their costumes,” he said.
Slovikovski said that school Halloween celebrations aren’t inherently good or bad.“I believe that each child should be respected and valued. It is difficult to feel excluded or different during such a joyous celebration,” Slovikovski said. He said that “religious reasons as well as economic reasons might hinder a student from participating.”
“Anytime you have a holiday that isn’t celebrated by the entire student body, some students will be excluded,” Davros said. “Hopefully there are enough outlets within Shaker and the surrounding area for students to celebrate Halloween outside of school.”
