Halloween Is Lesson in Limits at Schools

Every Halloween, principals at Orange County schools have to balance the interests of students eager to dress up and celebrate against strict rules that generally ban masks and anything resembling a weapon, including plastic swords and squirt guns.

For preschoolers, Halloween observances are sometimes encouraged, sometimes not. Some, like the Kindercare in Costa Mesa, have pre-Halloween costume parties with treats and activities. At Laguna Presbyterian Preschool in Laguna Beach on Monday, children were allowed to bring a costume in a bag and put it on for a sing-along, when teachers handed out plastic spider rings and miniature pumpkins.

Elementary schools are generally more strict than high schools. But all administrators say they are aware of religious objections to Halloween celebrations and cautious of Halloween trickery, including students pushing the boundaries with gory costumes.

“People have a lot of fun on Halloween, and it’s certainly a favorite holiday for kids, but we have to remember the reason we’re here--which is to continue their education,” said Myron Okimoto, principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary in Anaheim.

Some schools--public, private and religious alike--don’t want to deal with the potential for trouble and have banned costumes.

For example, Panorama Elementary School in Orange doesn’t allow costumes because administrators say they have proved too distracting. Also, costumes themselves have been troublesome, occasionally causing visits to the school nurse when children trip over, say, long robes.

At St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School in Yorba Linda, teachers focus on skits and songs celebrating All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which also take place this week.

Students who donate $1 to charity are allowed to wear jeans they can pair with a Halloween-themed shirt, said Debbie Declues, principal of St. Francis, which allows Halloween treats in classrooms.

“We can laugh at the things that scare us,” said Declues, who wants her staff to focus on the theme of Halloween coming from the word “hallow,” which means “saint,” or holy person. “Ghosts and goblins can’t separate us from our lives with Jesus and the joy of the Resurrection.”

Some religious schools are cautious but still allow some costumes.

At Laguna Presbyterian Preschool, children usually bring simple costumes to change into and have their faces painted, said director Marilyn O’Keefe, adding that pressure to dress up more often has come from parents.

“In the past, we’ve discovered that many costumes scare the children,” O’Keefe said. “If costumes have masks, they can be really frightening. Plus, little ones can get injured in costumes or they can get them dirty.”

At Corona del Mar High School, officials don’t allow masks, spaghetti straps, bare midriffs or skates and skateboards as part of a costume. If students break the rules, they should expect to get sent home.

Administrators at the high school said Monday they’re expecting the usual Harry Potter-inspired wizard outfits with the younger children, but the older students are likely to be into more extreme looks, complete with wax wounds.

“This age goes more for the gore,” high school administrative assistant Linda McGuckin said. “They just love the fake blood.”