The hallways of Wantagh High School were a little spookier on the evening of Oct. 26, as children of all ages came out for the second annual Wantagh Community Spooktacular. The event was a partnership between the district, the 6-12 Association and SEPTA.
Halloween activities were coordinated by high school and middle school students and teachers. Darlene Thompson, who organized the event, said that every club was asked to run a station and come up with a Halloween-themed concept, as well as hand out candy.
A trio of science clubs came together to run a slime-making station in the cafeteria that was hit with both children and teens. The National English Honor Society organized Halloween cornhole, the General Organization gave students temporary tattoos and business clubs had a “Guess the Gore” game. Band students played from behind a curtain, and students earned candy by guessing the correct instrument. From the middle school, the Ambassadors Club had a ping pong toss into pumpkin buckets and the Class of 2029 ran a scavenger hunt. These were just some of the dozens of activities that filled the first floor of the school.
Parents could snap pictures of their children in costume at a photo station with a balloon arch and hay bales. The courtyard was transformed into a pumpkin patch filled with 350 pumpkins that children could take home. Admission to the Spooktacular was free, but all guests were asked to bring nonperishable food items to donate to Island Harvest.
Ms. Thompson said that the Spooktacular committee met since the first week of school to plan the event and ensure that it would be a success. This year, they added a sensory-friendly session a half hour before the Spooktacular opened, for students who would benefit from a quieter experience.
“Everybody had the same goal in mind which was to make this a successful community event,” Ms. Thompson said. “It’s a safe place where children can trick or treat and participate in fun Halloween activities.”
The committee received several donations including pumpkins and hay bales from the Pagano family, the Balloon arch from parent Khadine McMillan and her business, Milan Event Experience, and decorations from the DellaCroce Family. Head custodian Rob Lovergine and the custodial staff played an integral part in preparing the building on the day of the event. The 6-12 Association and SEPTA also raffled off gift baskets.
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