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Health & Fitness

Friday Night Halloween Fun

Read about all the fun around the borough on the last Friday before Halloween

Friday, October 28, 2011 was a big night for Halloween in Naugatuck. I managed to visit many of the events in order to take photos of citizens enjoying local fall festivities.

Maple Hill School’s Fall Festival has been a family favorite since the school opened.  The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) always manages to offer something for everyone at their annual event. This year PTO president Melissa Teator, and all of her board members, pulled off a very well-attended event.

Students were able to purchase a wristband that allowed for unlimited activities in the schools gym and cafeteria between the hours of six and eight o'clock. The longest line was for Animaland where students who had preordered were able to watch as an animal shell was stuffed before their eyes and transformed into a wide variety of stuffed toys, some complete with outfits. 

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Other games in the gym included a bounce house and games of skill where children could win a prize. Over in the cafeteria, Pamela Fickel coordinated the teachers who sold pizza slices and soft drinks, while parents offered baked goods. Other teachers volunteered to supervise games and the Animaland. Activities in the cafeteria included a wide range of crafts that kids could assemble with their parents, a pumpkin decorating contest, and a huge raffle table where tickets could be placed into the bag matching the prize students and parents found most appealing.

Christine Maquire once again did an amazing job of securing all the donations for this popular table. Mrs. Teator acknowledged that the PTO could never host such a huge event without the help of numerous parents volunteering to make it a success. Lead teachers Jodi Ruccio and MaryEllen Marques supervised the evening perfectly. The faces in the photos show what a great time the students of Maple Hill had this year.

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Hop Brook School's PSA hosted the annual Fall Festival for their students and families from 6-8 p.m. Hop Brook students and many of their parents were able to don their Halloween costumes and return to school for lots of wonderful activities. Many costumed students joined a parade through the school hallways for judging. “You can’t win if you don’t play” was heard as the students lined up.

The gym was filled with various games of skill, as well as face painters decorating happy faces. In the cafeteria, teacher Rebecca Sciacca hosted the Cake Walk with a hand-held microphone, while families enjoyed free snacks donated by parents at the cafeteria tables. The raffle tables overflowed into the hallways and were laden with great prizes.

There was a pumpkin decorating contest and teachers volunteered to run the games and sell tickets. Principal Brian Hendrickson told me that he could not take any credit for the successful event and gave all the praise to Phil Zembruski, Board of Education member Deb Brackett and one other parent. Judging by the happy children I saw in the hallways, a wonderful time was had by all.

On a side note, the primary grade students at both Maple Hill and Hop Brook will be participating in the the time-honored tradition of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Students will carry the familiar orange boxes with them while they trick-or-treat collecting money to provide food, water, medicine and school materials for needy children around the world. Maple Hill kindergarten, first and second grade students have set a goal of $500 and the Hop Brook class that collects the most will earn special recess with the principal.

At the Neary Building, adults arrived in costume to the third annual sponsored by town attorneys Fitzpatrick, Mariano & Santos, PC; Morrissey, Morrissey & Mooney, PC, and Diversified Financial Solutions, PC.

The donation was $25 per person and all proceeds went to benefit the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls. The Halloween decorations began outside the doors, continued up the stairs and took over the entire second floor. The ballroom was beautifully decorated and party-goers seemed to be having a great time. Early in the evening I saw an excellent (movie-version) Wicked Witch of the West and Scarecrow enjoying the refreshments in the ballroom. This event went on until well into the night.

Meanwhile, at City Hill Middle School, the Student Council hosted a Halloween Dance for seventh and eighth graders in the school cafeteria from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets had been sold to 150 students from each class. Decorations lined the walls and a DJ played dance tunes for the students complete with a light-up wall.

All of the middle-school students arrived in costume and there was a contest for some “bests.” The dance was very well-attended and teachers volunteered to supervise during the two-hour event. Art teacher Christina Rinaldi was a sight to see in her purple wig. The excited teens I saw exiting the dance had obviously had a wonderful time.

Many thanks to everyone who volunteered their time and talent to make these events fun for all who attended. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

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