Halloween at Fontenebro – A celebration of learning!
Children love Halloween. They get to dress up as a witch or maybe a zombie and look as spooky as they can as they play. Some may go trick or treating in the evening or put a carved pumpkin outside their house. There is something about Halloween that undeniably engages the mind and imagination of children. For this reason it is such a good opportunity to use Halloween as a context for learning. At Fontenebro we go big at Halloween and this year, as with others before it, we held a huge Halloween event to bring the education community together to not only showcase and celebrate the amazing learning but to reinforce and promote an open and welcoming atmosphere.
Our ‘Halloweenies’ give a fright to the Primary students
During the morning of Halloween, our pupils from Early Years spooked each of the class groups in Primary. Before entering the class of the unsuspecting Primary pupils they knocked on the door in a menacing way and once in the classroom they would recite a spooky poem, each one in their Halloween costume. It’s a wonderful sight to see the different education stages interact in this fun and engaging way and, of course, our youngest pupils are practising their communication skills in both English and Spanish.
Halloween shows for families in Primary
In Primary, Halloween is a festival in the English language and therefore provides our school with a great vehicle to show how our pupils are developing their English skills through a whole host of experiences that the pupils were able to present to their families. This year our Year 1s presented their Halloween recipes. Year 2s told Halloween-themed riddles and jokes as well as reciting a poem with actions. Families were treated to a monster fashion show from Year 3 where connections were made with Natural Science vocabulary. Year 4s performed a Halloween talent show where they proved they really do have the X factor! Families of Year 5 pupils entered the Halloween science laboratory where pupils (in white coats, of course) explained the science behind a number of experiments that look like magic. Finally, Year 6 students were able to show off their film-making skills, from script-writing and acting through to editing by hosting a scary cinema experience for their families.
A party with workshops and the tunnel of fright!
After the Primary presentations and performances, the families, many of whom got into the spirit of the event and wore Halloween costumes themselves, were invited to the sports hall for a party. Secondary students provided families and primary pupils entertainment in the form of fun workshops showing concepts from the fields of Science and Maths, such as invisible ink, making fake snow and even fake blood! The most popular attraction was the tunnel of fright – a scary experience where students would try and frighten the ‘victims’ once inside.
Coming together
Fontenebro International School has different education stages under one roof and it is fantastic to see how they come together to provide such a motivating and enriching learning experience during Halloween and importantly, one that we can share and celebrate with our families through such a popular event for all.
Mike West
Head of Learning
