Happy Halloween from Colegio Alkor! Hi everyone! My name is Anna, and I have the pleasure of working at Alkor this year as an English Language Assistant in Secondary! This past month at Alkor has been nothing short of exciting – full of new faces, new friends and lots of learning (for both myself and the students!).
Differences between Spain and United States
While each week has been its own unique adventure, perhaps my favorite day at Alkor was our Halloween celebration this past Wednesday! For the two weeks prior, I had been working with my students in class to discuss differences between Halloween in Spain and the United States, learn about the history of the holiday, and even work together to read and create ghost stories! After all this preparation, we were quite excited for the day to finally arrive.
Although Halloween is widely celebrated in the United States amongst families, friends, and neighborhoods, the Halloween celebrations we have in schools cannot even begin to compare to that of Colegio Alkor! Throughout the week, the school transformed into a spooky, Halloween wonderland.
«The Halloween celebrations we have in schools cannot even begin to compare to that of Colegio Alkor!»
The smell of pumpkin filled the halls as students carved Jack O Lanterns – some scary, some funny, some downright kooky! Classrooms were adorned with spiderwebs, converted into haunted graveyards or even Area 51. Teachers, auxiliares, and principals alike were featured in an ornate Dia de los Muertos display at the front of the school.
Happy Halloween at Colegio Alkor
When I passed through the Alkor gates on Wednesday morning, I was immediately ambushed by, for example, zombies, clowns, and thieves from La Casa de Papel! Only a few moments later, my fellow auxiliares and I were dragged down into a Haunted House (who knew my 1st ESO students could be so terrifying?!). Later that day, I stepped out on to the patio when I heard music and saw parents gathering – only to stumble upon a full-length dance/theatre performance by the 6th Primaria students! I was so impressed by all aspects of the performance – from costumes, to dance moves. Looking around, the entire audience couldn´t help but dance, cheer, and clap for the students. Their Halloween spirit was contagious!
Finally, the day wrapped up with twoours of games and activities on the patio. I was in charge of the facepainting station. During it, students got to express their artistry on each other and even on my own face (see photo). Other activities included bobbing for apples, witch pitch, scavenger hunting, and readings of scary stories. Groups ran frantically from one station to the next – desperate to play each game before school was over!
A
t 5:15pm, the school bell rang, decorations were taken down, last minute candies were eaten, and students filed out of Alkor to enjoy the rest of their Halloween and puente. My fellow auxiliares always remark about how lucky we are to be at Alkor. But on this day we left feeling extra welcomed by the amazing community which the school provides.
Now, between Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year and Saint Patrick´s day, it´s time to start gearing up for our next big celebration!
Best,
Anna