As the fall season comes into full swing, RM students and staff are getting into the Halloween spirit. Teachers decorated their classrooms with pumpkins and ghouls, and in the days leading up, the hallways buzzed with plans for what to dress up as this Halloween. For many teachers, wearing Halloween costumes to school is a fun way to express their creativity. “In college, we did a big group thing where we all were different Harry Potter Quidditch characters. And I was the snitch, so I just had to run around while they tried to catch me,” anatomy and biology teacher Allison Adams said. “That was fun, that was probably my favorite.” For many teachers, Halloween costumes offer a chance to reconnect with their inner child and enjoy a holiday truly meant for all ages.
An annual tradition among staff is for different departments to coordinate their costumes. This year, the science department voted on dressing up as animals, so chemistry and biology teachers Stuart and Bessy Albaugh dressed up as bears. The tradition of voting for a theme to follow is something that many different departments have maintained throughout the years. Other teachers may try to organize their costumes around the subject that they teach—Ms. Adams, dressed as a skeleton to match her anatomy lessons, English teacher Miranda McLain, in past years, dressed up as various literary characters like The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and history teacher Lisa MacFarlane, who dressed this year as Rosie the Riveter.
More than just an opportunity for creativity, Halloween costumes are a great way for teachers to create a welcoming environment for their students. “I think that [dressing up] reminds us that kids don’t really have to take themselves too seriously, it’s fun to be childlike,” English and theatre teacher Sara Liles said. “I feel like that’s a lot of what Halloween is about—you’re dressing up and it’s just fun. I think that we need to stay in touch with that.”
