In Search of the Great ............Costume!

We’re fast approaching that time of year again — the arrival of the Great Pumpkin! Now that the preschoolers and kindergartners have trekked to Aloun Farms in search of their pumpkins, the lunch talk in the dining room during lunch has shifted to costumes. I’m still contemplating what or who I’ll be! So many possibilities.

As promised last week, I have the details for Spooktivity.  For families new to MPI, we celebrate All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) on October 31, wearing costumes or donning masks. It’s always great fun for me to stand in the autoline the morning of Spooktivity and see the children emerge from the cars in their Halloween regalia.


If you’re planning to attend Spooktivity, please park by the gym in the gravel lot closest to the football field.  Security will direct you to the area. (Please don’t park in the faculty/staff/students’ stalls by the gym.) A good time to start arriving is 12:15pm on the 31st.  

Costumes should be flame retardant, comfortable and safe to wear.  Generally, blood-and-gore costumes are not permitted, nor are toy weapons, swords, etc.  Masks are fine, but should be worn only during the Spooktivity event.  Non-toxic make-up and color hairspray can add an interesting effect. Or your child may change into his/her costume at 12:30pm, prior to Spooktivity. Most students wear their costumes to school.

On Wednesday, October 31, the preschoolers’ costume parade begins at 9:00am.  They’ll walk from their classroom past the elementary classrooms where they’ll be greeted and cheered on by the students.  Eventually, we’ll wend our way to the courtyard lawn, gather in a large circle and dance the Hokey-Pokey.  Then they’ll pick up treats at Spooktivity Town, the house fronts painted by a group of parents from the M 1-2 classes and the MPI Holomua students (honors students who provide service to the school).  

The Kindergarten through Fifth Grade costume parade begins at 12:45pm.  We’ll assemble at the main gate with the Kindergartners leading the way. Our route will be along the road to the Hartley Complex, past the Middle School, and onto the enclosed grassy area where we’ll also perform the Hokey-Pokey (now a 12-year tradition!). We’ll return to the elementary campus and gather on the lawn for entertainment by the MPI band and Holomua students.  Treats will be available at Spooktivity Town.  

Thank you, parents, for your donations to fill the students’ treat bags with healthy or useful items (e.g., packaged fruit roll-ups, crackers, pencils, erasers, stickers, etc.).  Many thanks to co-chairs Tracy McConnell and Monique Todebush for organizing Spooktivity and to the committee of parents who painted Spooktivity Town and decorated the dining room, and are preparing the treat bags.

Around this time each year, students are invited to participate in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, which is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. All monies are used to provide food, medicines, and water to the most needy children around the world. If you see some children with orange UNICEF boxes or nets, know that they’re collecting currency for a very good cause!

Our October assembly was full of talent and surprise! Some of the preschoolers took center stage with percussion instruments, while others swayed and used hand motions as they performed original hula. Multiage 3-4 students from Ms. Lorenzana’s class shared their multi-sensory learning of vocabulary by using visual and dramatic effects to demonstrate understanding (I can still remember a few words from their presentation: controversial, cathedral, extraterrestial, miscellaneous, hollow, mutant, astronomer, and superstitious!).

Another group of multiage 3-4 students from Ms. Holzman’s class reminded students about the recycling program, a direct outcome of the entire multiage 3-4 inquiry on energy and conservation.  *Clarification: the green bins on the elementary campus are for plastic bottles and white paper generated on this campus. You may bring recyclable materials from home (e.g., plastic or glass bottles, aluminum cans) for the MPI Band every Thursday during the morning autoline at the the turnaround. Rinse out bottles and toss caps.

A group of Fifth Graders reported on the amount of food donated during the month of October for the Project Sharing efforts — 455 pounds.  The next drop-off date is November 15.

Sarah Field, multiage 1-2 teacher, shared one of her talents as a former dolphin trainer at the Marine Institute at Kewalo.  She showed us a short video of herself training a dolphin and explained the different visual commands used to train them. Sarah explained that dolphins also have “time-outs” when they don’t heed a trainer’s signal, and dolphins need encouragement and praise when they’ve performed well.  She had every person in the audience riveted on the video.

As you’re checking the MPI preschool and elementary website, be sure to also stop by the Character Education weblog. Ms. Rivera has posted a three-part series on how to raise caring children in today’s sometimes less-than-caring world.

Where are the Visitor lanyards? Please remember to return the green lanyards before leaving the campus.

Preschool through grade 12 Admission Open House this Saturday, 8:00am – 2:00pm. Although this open house is for new applicants to MPI, I encourage you to visit the Weinberg Technology Plaza and facilities for the Middle School, High School, and School of the Arts. Faculty and students will be on hand to explain these programs.

And don’t forget November 6, the next Parents-as-Partners session featuring Kathy Bentley on Setting Limits and Appropriate Consequences. 5:30-7:00pm, in the Dining Room. Child care and a light dinner will be provided, but you must return the bottom portion of the flyer to the office so that the `Ohana can prepare accordingly.

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey
Principal

Posted on October 25, 2007 1:40 PM | Permalink