On Monday, October 31st, Parker continued the Halloween tradition of the Halloween parade. The parade was right after school, starting at 3:30 p.m. and it ran until 4:30 p.m.. Any students in JK through fifth grade had the opportunity to be a part of the parade and then gather in the courtyard to enjoy cider, doughnuts, and a photo booth.

On a gloomy, scary Halloween day, the parade organizers decided to have the parade portion of the festivities mostly inside in case of rain. The Big Siblings of the younger grades helped guide them through the hallways and auditorium where they were cheered on by other students, faculty, and parents. Senior Big Sibling Charles Fardon said, “It’s a bit of stress given all of the things that these kids can throw around, but overall it’s a very fun time.” 

After the 15 minute parade, the kids went to their classrooms to get situated before meeting everyone out in the courtyard. Third grader Lila Sturges dressed as a fairy godmother and said, “I’m very excited for the parade because I haven’t done it in a long time. I’m not sure what’s going to happen, and I want to be surprised.”

There hasn’t been a parade since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is the first year that the parade was held after school and outside. Lower school Dean of Student Life Ashleigh St. Peters was one of the parade organizers. “Some of these events outside have been very successful,” St. Peters said. She said it’s a lot more convenient to have the parade after school because it was a tight, cramped window of time to have it during the day, and the students had to participate. With the parade after school, students can opt-out, which is very helpful for kids who are a little shyer.

This year is also different because the Lower School students do not wear their costumes to school. Their parents bring them to them after the school day. “Holding your lightsaber all day could be a little distracting,” St. Peters said. The senior Big Siblings will pitch in to organize everyone to ensure that the kids get ready for the parade quickly enough. That being said, students were excited about Halloween as soon as the day began, so there were lots of Halloween-themed activities throughout the day.

“I came to Parker in fourth grade and loved the parade because it brought the community together during such a fun day,” Senior Ryan Kershner said. St. Peters also encourages many students in the older grades to support the younger kids because it takes a lot of effort to get the courage to parade in front of everyone. “I was very excited to help the younger kids as a Big Sibling and support them during the parade,” Kershner said.

“During the pandemic, it was difficult to continue the traditions of wearing costumes,” St. Peters said. Halloween is a day that kids love, so putting a pause on the festivities was very difficult in the last couple of years. St. Peters is optimistic. “We’re hopeful that it was a community engaging event and that it was enough for a fun opportunity to connect with other people in the school,” she said.