Halloween Parade and Parties

Halloween is an exciting celebration for many students, and at Lincoln School we look forward to joining in the celebration with our annual parade and classroom parties on Tuesday, October 31. 

Schedule:

There will be an extended instructional morning.

Morning                 8:00 – 12:00         (4 hours)
Lunch                     12:00 – 12:55      (55 minutes)
Afternoon             12:55 – 2:55         (2 hours)

The parade will start at 1:15 p.m. and the classroom parties will take place after the parade.  All Lincoln parents and community members are invited to the Lincoln playground to watch the parade.  If the weather does not permit us to parade outside, we will cancel the parade. 

Food:

District 97 recognizes the increasing prevalence of severe food allergies, particularly to peanuts and nuts, amongst students and staff.  Every food-allergic reaction has the possibility of developing into a life-threatening reaction within minutes.  Some individuals may react to merely touching the substance, while for others, consumption of a tiny amount of that food can cause a reaction which could be fatal.  

All foods consumed in the classrooms must be nut safe.  This means no food containing nuts or peanuts, and no food items that are processed in a facility that shares equipment with peanut or nut products.  Please check the ingredient labels for all foods that will be brought to the classroom to assure they meet this requirement. Healthy food options such as fruits and vegetables are encouraged to promote student and staff wellness.  In order to avoid contamination with peanut/nut residue that may be present in student’s homes, we can only accept food items that are packaged from the store with labeling that meet nut safe requirements.  Otherwise, preparation of class party food items such as fruits and vegetables must be done in the classroom. Please be aware that there may be students in your child’s classroom who are allergic to other food items.  If a student in your child’s classroom is allergic to other food products, your child’s teacher will let you know of any additional food restrictions for their classroom.

For this reason, the only food allowed for classroom parties are foods coordinated between and pre-approved by the classroom teacher, school nurse and room parent.

Costumes:

Parents are asked to send students to school with a costume for the Halloween Parade.  Costumes should not be worn in the morning.  Lunchroom supervisors and teachers will help students dress during the lunch hour.  Students going home for lunch should return to school in the afternoon wearing their costumes.

We would like to take a moment to ask families to be thoughtful as well as creative as you consider your child’s Halloween costume.  Students are asked not to come dressed as violent characters and not to carry toy weapons.  Please be considerate if making the choice to dress up as someone from another culture, either with the intention of being humorous or without the intention of being disrespectful, as it can lead to inaccurate and hurtful portrayals of other people's cultures.

Volunteering in the classroom:

Volunteers for the Halloween parties need to be coordinated through the classroom teachers ahead of time.  If you are volunteering in your child’s classroom after the parade, please enter the building through the main office, sign in, and wear a visitor’s badge.

Please note:  We respect the wishes of parents who do not want their child to participate in the Halloween activities.  These students will be supervised in the media center by Lincoln staff members during the parade, and offered alternative activities during the class parties.