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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Halloween is not what it used to be at some Yellowknife schools.

Jenna Scarfe and son Ryan Scarfe, 3, share in some quality Halloween craft-making at the Students Against Drunk Driving Fun Day, held at St. Patrick's High School on Oct. 29, 2011. Two schools in the city celebrate Halloween differently from other schools. - NNSL file photo

Similar to other schools across North America in recent years, including in Seattle, Wash., where school officials banned Halloween festivities this year, citing too many distractions and their fear of offending other cultures, two schools with Yk Education District No. 1 are scaling back on costumes and trick-or-treat.

"We don't want to impact the academics of the students," said Randy Caines, assistant principal of N.J. McPherson, who said students come to school dressed in orange and black.

"Our focus is on academics. We can find reasons to celebrate all the time but our focus is on academics."

Caines noted that the school is hosting a Halloween dance tonight for students and parents where they can dress in costume.

"(The dance) is a way to recognize that it is a special event without (the school day) becoming a day of costumes and sweets," said Caines.

N.J. McPherson has been celebrating orange and black day for three years as a joint decision made by school administrators, teachers, and the parental advisory committee, according to Caines.

The other school not celebrating Halloween in a traditional way is Mildred Hall. Students at the school have been wearing orange and black during the holiday for at least four years.

"I think it probably worked well in the past for the school," said David Speakman, a teacher at the school.

Speakman couldn't say why the school started to wear orange and black for the holiday but added that students do play “dungeon dodgeball” during lunch with teachers.

"School is meant to be inclusive and to make sure that we're not excluding students if we can help it," said Shirley Zouboules, principal at NJ Macpherson, although she admitted no parents have complained about Yk1 schools celebrating Halloween with costumes and other fun day activities.

"Not only are we responding to a changing population, but when you have a big Halloween celebration students get excited. We want it to be a day to learn and have fun without an unnecessary level of excitement. Parents in the community have been very good at telling us what they want and we work together to do what is best for the kids," said Zouboules, noting that Yk1 has left it up to schools and parental advisory committees to decide how they want to celebrate the holiday.

As for the Yk1 school trustee board, they have no opinion on the matter.

"The board doesn't have a stance on it," said chair Allan Shortt.

"There is no set policy. That's an administrative decision. Since it's not policy the board doesn't have anything to do with it."

Zouboules said when a class has decided not to celebrate Halloween, the teacher will do a class unit that has a relation to the holiday, such as learning about spiders.

All the schools in the Catholic school board are celebrating Halloween traditionally with costumes, games, and activities.

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