As students enter high school and become busier, they begin to dress up less for Halloween. Teachers, however, come to school each Halloween donning witch hats, dyed hair and silly costumes.
Since 2014, the Admissions Office department has coordinated Halloween costumes, with their first theme being Tour Guild.
Admission Administrative Assistant Jennifer Bowen participates in these group costumes. This year, Tahra Peterson came up with the theme Toy Story.
“I went as Mrs. Potato Head. My costume was interactive because I could exchange parts, and it even had a pouch in the back to store the extra pieces,” Bowen said.
Past themes include Dress like SJS Students, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney Princesses and a Frog, League of their own, Old McDonald Had a Farm and Barbie.
“My favorite was the year I went as a SJS football player.
I went to the football coach and got everything from a helmet to shoulder pads. I even walked onto the field and talked to the footballer players,” Bowen said.
To come up with the themes, the Admissions Office collaborates and brainstorms together.
“We all throw out ideas throughout the year,” Bowen said.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the department took a break from dressing up as a group. Additionally, the next year, Halloween was set right during parent-teacher conferences, so they decided not to dress up since students would not attend school.
“It’s fun for people who are coming to visit St. John’s. It shows how fun we are so I try to stay in my costume all day long,” Bowen said.
The Halloween excitement seems to have spread to other faculty members, as the College Counseling team has also joined the trend of dressing up over the past two years.
