Many faces of Halloween

halloween072: Many Faces of Halloween When it came to celebrating Halloween, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office found it was a great way to treat deserving children, raise money for programs and even provide curriculum for at risk students.

Getting the early jump on everyone else was the California Living Museum (CALM), which opened its gates for free on Oct. 27 for children ages 3-12 who were dressed in costume. The annual event called Boo at the Zoo, drew approximately 1,600 children and parents who ventured out despite a little rain to enjoy a day of seeing CALM's 200 resident animals and a wildlife presentation, plus games, crafts and the always anticipated treats. CALM even brought the Central California Children's Railroad out from the roundhouse so families could have a pleasurable bonding experience on a scenic trip around the zoo's perimeter for only a dollar. It was doubly exciting for CALM which was able to provide families with a fun and inexpensive outing and at the same time raise funds for its nonprofit operation.

Jumping the gun was also the goal of the Kern County Museum, which opened its gates to children and parents on Oct. 30 and then came right back the next night to do it again. The event, Safe Halloween, was hardly a surprise to local residents, since the nonprofit Kern County Museum Foundation has been operating it for 24 years. It is such a popular event that the foundation has to extend it over two days just to accommodate the numbers of families that want to attend. This year more than 4,500 visitors came through the gates each night. Children, ages 3-12, who had to be accompanied by adults, had the pleasure of collecting free goodies from 35 Treat Stations operated by local businesses and agencies. There was also a school-like carnival, costume contest, cake walk and reasonably priced food and beverages. Since it is the foundation's biggest fund raiser of the year, it was delighted by the turnout.

When Halloween morning rolled around, Community Connection for Child Care (CCCC) on 24th Street swung open its doors for the sixth year to approximately 250 preschool children and their local day care providers. It was sort of a treasure hunt trick-or-treat experience, as the children started their quest for goodies in CCCC's Resource and Referral Library and then followed a pirate's map to locate where other treats -- edible and educational -- were located throughout the building. At each stop, CCCC staff were dressed in Halloween costumes, as pirates, witches, cats, nurses and even Snow White, to dispense the sought after loot with friendly smiles. "It's a fun way-- not associated with the business of the office -- to interact with the providers who use our library and agency and gives us a chance to see the children we are helping with our services," said event organizer and program facilitator Rheanna Hilton.

STAR Academy, which educates students in juvenile court programs, transformed two classrooms at its Ridge Road campus into a Haunted House for the 11th year. During the day on Oct. 31, staff invited at risk students enrolled in Court and Community Schools, operated by the Superintendent of Schools, to a fun-scarey tour of the house. Around each dark corner, students, wearing 3D glasses, never knew who or what they might run into including a witch, the Devil, Frankenstein and his wife, Dracula, Chucky, Freddie Krueger, Leather Face, Michael Myers, a psycho butcher and chef or worse. Approximately 300 braved the adventure and came out laughing and praising the experience. STAR teachers April Scoles and Sixto Urzua and instructional aide Fred Olague masterminded the construction of the sets, picked students to play roles, found the costumes and masks and even played parts themselves. Scoles, dressed as a convincing witch, took time away from stirring a pot of questionable ingredients to explain the event was really an educational experience. "Approximately 40 students took part in the project which began this summer with the creation of props," Scoles said. "It is an excellent exercise in learning about 3D coloring, color blending, perspective, sound coordination with themes, plaster Paris techniques, etc. But more importantly, it created team building among students who may not regularly hang out with one another. Students from different neighborhoods learn to become a team to get the job done. In the 11 years I have participated, I've seen friendships evolve that are quite surprising. Students learn about work ethic and leadership through a fun project that is hard but enduring and well worth the results."


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