Wednesday, October 25th saw the high school transformed into a fully decorated collection of rooms run by clubs and sports teams to entertain the community in the yearly Haunted High School. A beloved annual tradition for the district’s younger students, this year’s event continued to live up to past expectations. Followed by the Pumpkin Pops concerts of the middle and high school bands and orchestras, the night was filled with just the right amount of music, mystery, and Halloween magic.

The organization of the event is a feat in of itself; with 13 fully-operating, interactive rooms (run by 11 after-school clubs and the Cheerleading team) and another handful of clubs throughout to facilitate the activities taking place in the cafeteria, to say that the Haunted High School was a massive collaborative effort is an understatement. 

In total, the Haunted High School raised $1,200, with a total of just under 250 children in attendance and around 100 student volunteers. The Student Government officers and advisors deserve a large portion of the credit, as they updated the scheduling of room tours and activities to be more cohesive, one that was well received by many of the participants and student volunteers. 

The night continued with the Pumpkin Pops concert at seven, where the high school bands and orchestras performed with the eighth graders in an effort to introduce next year’s freshmen to the high school’s music department. The middle school orchestra played “Aliens in the Attic” by under the instruction of Mrs. Samantha Hecht. The two high school orchestras, concert and chamber, played “Uptown Funk” and “Beauty and the Beast,” respectively.

The band followed, with the middle school playing “Pirates of the Caribbean” under Ms. Katherine Filatov’s direction, and the high school band playing a medley from “The Lion King.” As per usual with Pumpkin Pops, students donned Halloween costumes while performing, a welcome change from the standard concert black. The best costumes were rewarded with festive gourds as prizes. 

Haunted High School continues its reputation as one of the most anticipated events the high school hosts in the fall, and the community was just as thrilled with the execution this year. The students and staff that worked for many hours over the behind-the-scenes planning certainly were able to pull off yet another well organized, successful Haunted High School.