By Nuvneet Desai
Irvington High School seniors returned to Dows Lane Elementary School on Friday, October 30th, for an annual Halloween Book Read and Parade. The event gave seniors an opportunity to revisit familiar classrooms and hallways, read Halloween books to elementary school students, and participate in a Halloween parade.
The celebration began at Irvington High School, where seniors were invited to attend a breakfast from 7:50 to 8:30 a.m. Following the breakfast, participating seniors gathered in the atrium to receive their classroom assignments before traveling by bus to Dows Lane.
Once at the elementary school, seniors were grouped together to read books to classrooms and participate in the Halloween parade alongside younger students. Seniors were also encouraged to dress in Halloween costumes.
For many seniors, the visit was more than just a Halloween celebration. Returning to Dows Lane brought back memories of their elementary school years while allowing them to interact with the next generation of Irvington students.
Senior Navin Vasudev said, “The thing I enjoyed most was walking through the familiar halls with the kids and talking to them about what school will be like,” Vasudev said. “It felt very sentimental and almost symbolic that they were nervous about leaving Dows Lane and going to MSS, while we are leaving highschool.”
Vasudev also explained that the younger students were especially excited to meet the visiting seniors. Although he initially expected them to be shy, he was surprised by how quickly they began interacting with him. “As soon as I stepped into the room, they started yelling my costume name (Stich),” Vasudev said. “They kept asking questions about high school and Halloween.”
While the book reading was one of the main activities, Vasudev recalled that his favorite moments came from the conversations that followed. After finishing the reading, he spent time sitting with the younger students, answering questions about reflecting on his own experiences at Dows Lane. “It stood out because it wasn’t an organized activity however, it was where we got to really reminisce and where the kids had the most energy,” Vasudev said.
Senior Abigail Choi shared a similar perspective, describing the visit as an emotional experience that brought students together at different stages of their education. “Participating in this event today was extremely sentimental,” Choi said. “It was surreal to see my friends that I made in kindergarten to recent friends all be in the hallway together.”
For Choi, one of the most enjoyable moments was walking alongside the younger students during the celebration. “It was so enjoyable to hold the kindergarteners’ hands and walk with them,” Choi said.
Beyond the Halloween festivity, the event also provided an opportunity for seniors to serve as role models for the younger students. “It’s really sweet to connect with the younger students and see how we can be role models for them, just like how we had role models ourselves,” Choi said.
Choi also highlighted how experiences like the Halloween celebration can strengthen the relationship between students across different grade levels.”The connections are created and become stronger through these experiences, and I am so excited to see how they continue the cycle.” said Choi.
After participating in the book reading and parade, the seniors returned to IHS at approximately 10 a.m.
For the graduating class, the Halloween celebration offered an opportunity to revisit where their educational journeys began while creating memories with younger students who will one day follow in their footsteps.
