Irma Lemus
MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- Whether it was dancing to the "Monster Mash"
or taking a picture with Count Dracula, George Washington Elementary
School students had lots of spooky fun at the first Halloween Festival.
The entire student body of 700 took part in Tuesday's Halloween
festival and morning assemblies, Washington Principal Joan Baca said. The
highlight of the assembly was the "Miss Frankenstein" contest, where
students vied for the title during a mock beauty pageant.
"It was really a lot fun. One of the questions given to a contestant
asked what she thought was one of the most pressing issues for ghosts,"
Baca said, who also got into the Halloween spirit by dressing up as the
Statue of Liberty.
"Of course the student came up with a clever answer -- housing," she
said.
At the festival, booths offered Halloween face painting, pictures with
Count Dracula and carnival-type games. For one of the games, children had
to guess how many Halloween candies where in a giant jar. At another
booth, students fished for prizes. Dancing and a Halloween parade were
also part of the festivities.
The school's mystery guest was Kathy Johnson, team captain for the
1980 and 1984 U.S. gymnastics team that won silver and bronze medals.
Johnson greeted children and signed autographs.
Proceeds from the fair will go toward the Outdoor Science School trip
for the fifth-grade class, Baca said.
"We've always had a Halloween parade, but this year we wanted to have
a fair. We wanted to do something special," she said.
