I am sure that the majority of you had a ‘surprise’ Monday-night visit from a ragtag collection of Halloween creatures. Whether it was ghosts, ghouls, witches, wizards, and vampires – I hope you all opened the door, confronted the fearful sight and dished-out a handful of sweets.
My Assembly this week had a Halloween theme. We explored the history of Halloween from its origins as the eve of the New Year, when people celebrated Harvest Festival. I then explained that the tradition of dressing up as scary creatures stemmed from ancient Britons belief in returning spirits and how dressing up was now used to make fun of things that might have previously scared us. Simply put, if we play the part of a reanimated skeleton, then skeletons are not that frightening anymore!
To demonstrate my point, I invited Mr Lloyd and Mr Kenyon to attempt my fearful apple bobbing challenge, I think the photographs demonstrate that, after the initial trepidation, they have happily faced their fears and were happier although wetter for it! Of course, I should mention that Rahul and Oliver made a much better attempt at the challenge before the teachers.
The serious point to our assembly is that often something that is worrying, difficult or a little bit scary can be softened significantly with a cheerful approach. If we tackle tricky situations with a smile and a positive attitude, they can – just like ghouls and ghosties – become rather fun.
