Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 14, 2007

REPULSE BAY - Hundreds of people flocked to the annual Halloween activity day at Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay this past month.

The event featured numerous activities for kids of all ages.

Principal Leonie Aissaoui said Halloween bingo is always a popular attraction at the event.

Kindergarten students bob for apples during Halloween activities at Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay this past month. - photo courtesy of Robin Katokra

She said the cards are filled with Halloween images, rather than traditional numbers.

"We have pictures of things like black cats, ghosts and pumpkins in each column," said Aissaoui.

"Bingo is so popular in Repulse that people are always lined up waiting to play our Halloween version.

"In fact, we often have to remind them to go out and rejoin the line if they want to play again."

The school's science lab is turned into a haunted house every year for the Halloween gathering, with classes reassigned to other parts of the school for the day.

Staff members tracked down spooky black material to use for partitions inside the house.

Aissaoui said the house is then filled with all sorts of "yucky stuff," such as a coffin and body made in the school's shop class.

She said the haunted house is always popular among all age groups.

"We have arrows on the floor to show people which way to go and music is playing while they're inside.

"They go screaming in one door and out the other.

"Many people go through it a number of times, but the one time I went through it was enough for me."

The school also hosts a costume contest on Halloween day.

The kids come to afternoon classes in their costumes and parade in front of the judges to Halloween music.

The contest is also open to younger kids in the community who don't yet attend school. Aissaoui said the kids compete for fruit, fluorescent tattoos and a tiny bit of candy in different categories.

"The teachers have been dressing up for their students for the past few years, so, this year, we also had them parade in the gym.

"A lot of people said this year's haunted house was the best one yet.

"The students would like it moved to the gym next year so we can make it even bigger and better.

"That would be a lot of work, but we're going to look at it because it's such a popular day in the community."