October has begun, which means Maria Montessori School is gearing up for our annual tradition called Historical Halloween. It’s one of my favorite MMS events because it brings our community together and gives us a chance to honor people who have made important contributions to the world.
If you’ve never attended Historical Halloween, you’re in for such a treat. All of the children line up beforehand in order of their historical person’s birthday. Then, they proceed into the amphitheater in one long “timeline” — which often spans thousands of years! Each child has been working hard on writing and memorizing a speech that tells why their person is important to our country’s history. One by one, each child comes up to the microphone to deliver his or her speech to a large audience of fellow students, parents, grandparents and friends. Visually, it’s quite entertaining as well, because all of the children are dressed as their historical person.
For the students of MMS, Historical Halloween is enriching in a number of ways. It gives them a chance to research and write about an aspect of history that is of interest to them. It creates an opportunity for them to memorize and practice public speaking skills. It also shows the importance of gratitude, and how we can be thankful for these amazing people and their influential work. Best of all, it brings students, family and friends together to recognize and appreciate our lasting connection to one another through the past, present and future days to come.
Historical Halloween will be held at the Harbor Town Amphitheater at The Maria Montessori School on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. We would love to see you there!