The annual Hackley Lower School Parade kicked off on Halloween Day, and lower school students brought the energy. From superheroes to Lakers legends, their creativity was demonstrated in their costumes. Lower school students enter through the Saperstein Arch and walk around Akin Common.
Since the lower schoolers frequently travel to the high school, interacting with the high school students brings excitement and joy. The upperclassmen cheer on and support the lower schoolers in their costumes. The parade brings together all grade levels, excitingly and positively, which highlights Hackley’s core values.
Before the parade, Mr. King announced the parade. He said that students watching the parade were not permitted to throw candy at the students, wear scary masks or costumes, or try to scare younger schoolers. All the upperclassmen abided by these rules to result in a successful and harmless parade.
The parade is structured so that each homeroom walks with their class. The classes walk with a caboose and a line leader, who are both the teachers in the homeroom. Oftentimes, teachers will walk side-by-side with their students or hold hands with their students, as a way to boost confidence.
To allow upper school students to watch the full parade, there was a change in the schedule. Lunch ended at 12:45 instead of 1:00 pm. Fourth period ended at 1:45 rather than 2:05 pm to allow students enough time to watch the parade. The last period began at the usual time of 2:10, meaning that students and faculty had fifteen minutes to watch the parade before returning to the usual schedule.
During the parade, lower schoolers begin their walk at the Saperstein Arch, go right, around Akin Common, and then circle back to The Arch. Kindergarten students walk first, then First Graders, Second Graders, Third Graders, and Fourth Graders. Their class teachers walk with them, guiding them through the parade.
The lower schoolers showcase their niche favorites in their costumes. Whether that be their favorite shows, foods, or characters from books, shows, movies, and sports, their interests are shown in their curated costumes. Popular costumes this year included KPop Demon Hunters, Alpheba and Glinda from Wicked, the Addams Family from Wednesday, and Superman.
The day of the parade was one of the chilliest days of the fall so far, even raining for a few minutes. Even though it was cold, the lower schoolers were unfazed, showing their looks even through the cold. Some students even wore short sleeves or shorts.
The lower schoolers don’t just walk alone, their teachers walk with them. Oftentimes, teachers are dressed up too, with creative outfits, often homemade. A popular costume that teachers showcased was the viral 6-7 joke, most commonly told between the younger Gen-Zs and Gen-Alphas.
All students, faculty, staff, and even parents are encouraged to watch the parade. Parents come and take pictures of their children and cheer them on, too. Once the parade is over, parents who watched the parade can find their child and take them home to begin the rest of the Halloween festivities.
