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Calvert Country gets into Halloween spirit
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL
Calvert Country School assistant Tracy Nicholson and student Taylor Wilson of Lusby make like a leopard Friday at the school's Halloween celebration.
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While many Calvert County public schools chose not to acknowledge Halloween during the school day, Calvert Country School in Prince Frederick did just the opposite.
The special education school started the day on Friday with a classroom-to-classroom "trick-or-treat," in which some Calvert County public school central office personnel stopped by to participate.
After the trick-or-treat activity was complete, the students showed off their costumes in a schoolwide parade.
"It gives them the opportunity to celebrate … a lot of them wouldn't get the opportunity to go out into the community and this brings the community to them. And they worked hard for it," said Calvert Country School Vice Principal Mandy Blackman, who said that leading up to Friday's festivities, several classes decorated the classroom doors "with serious competition."
" … There was parent involvement in that and student involvement and also support from [the central office] across the street," Blackman said.
She explained that while the school stuck pretty close to the concept of trick-or-treating, the actual product given out differed from the standard candy.
"It's healthy treats … but mostly tangible items to meet the needs of our students," she said, continuing that containers of bubbles were one of the tangible items given out, while cookies and pretzels were given to students allowed to eat such products.
Costumes, as long as they weren't violent, had fewer restrictions, Blackman said.
"We have a variety that's Minnie Mouse to cowboys to the big Whoopie cushion," she laughed.
Special Education Data Manager for the school system Kara Muffley said that while costumes were not allowed at most other schools, Calvert Country School was a worthwhile exception.
"I think it's because they work so much on life skills," Muffley said as to why costume rules could be bent for Calvert Country School.
"And these kids need the experience of being able to dress up and be with peers more than other kids do … [because] these kids may not be able to trick-or-treat at all, whereas other kids get those experiences," she said.
Calvert Country School Principal Debbie Soper said that while not every student might understand the concept of Halloween, "I think they understand dressing up.
"They know it's special, so if we can give them a special day [and] a little fun, it's all good," Soper said.
