Unexpected heaps of cobwebs and caution tape greeted Garneau’s students on Halloween morning, reminding them of the spooky spirit week that had just begun.

Not that reminders were needed; the ghost-filled flyers and Instagram posts from the Student Activity Council (SAC) had been popping up well before Halloween, encouraging students to don costumes and pack spare change for treat bags.

Preparation began well before spirit week as SAC broke down treat bag costs and brainstormed events for each school day. On 31 October, the school was wrapped in orange and black to greet students as they entered for their first period. The SAC room door, cafeteria, stage, pillars, and main office were covered in spiders and rats.

At lunch in the cafeteria, students in costume were invited to take photos for SAC’s Instagram page and earn spirit points for their grades. Pictures were mostly taken in front of the decorated SAC room; students and teachers alike had transformed into cats, clowns, celebrities, Dr. Seuss characters, hot dogs, untouched university applications, matrices, and more. “Most [costumes] were pretty creative and some were very witty,” Grade 10 student Eileen Kuang commented. “I dressed up as something very loosely inspired by gossip girl, but I’ve seen some Harley Quinn costumes, anime-inspired ones, all the like.”

Treat bags containing an assortment of candies were also sold for three dollars each. This further amassed crowds to the point where supplies had almost completely depleted on Monday. When asked about candy bag logistics, SAC Senior Social Convenor Zahra Ahmed said, “The spirit week definitely took some preparation, especially with selling candy bags. We needed to raise money to host a school dance, so our goal was to sell as many as we could. Happy to say they’re all sold out!”

When asked about how the day went, SAC President Paromita Roy replied, “I think today went amazing! It’s thanks to everyone who participated, as well as the members in our council who’ve been putting in so much hard work—whether that be through giving out pamphlets, selling trick bags, or going around school to take pictures of students. I especially want to shout out my new junior council members. They’ve all been sacrificing their lunch periods as well as coming in early or staying late to decorate and prepare for this week, so I hope you enjoy the fruits of their hard work, because I couldn’t be prouder.”

On top of the spirit week festivities, clubs were hyping up Halloween celebrations as well. For example, MGCI Key Club hosted their annual philanthropic Trick or Treat for UNICEF project by collecting donations with its signature orange cardboard boxes.

Even after Halloween, the spirit week was far from over. On “Type Tuesday,” students were encouraged to dress up as their romantic type. Wednesday was dubbed “Grade Colour Day,” where each grade could dress in a specific colour to gain spirit points—red for Grade 9, yellow for Grade 10, blue for Grade 11, and green for Grade 12. “Twin Thursday” followed, closing off yet another successful annual spirit week at MGCI.