As we approach the end of October, the leaves are now falling from the trees and the pumpkins are all ready and carved; the cool mornings start to require a jacket!

Picture above is of one of our 3rd grade students standing next to the largest tree near our Lower School playground. What an amazing tree!

This also means that our Lower School is transformed for Fall Festival with fun decorations of spiders, wall decor pumpkins, and skeletons. This year the event is charmingly called, “Fall Festival and Costume Extravaganza.” Our Franklin Academy families are encouraged to invite their friends to come along, too. You can expect an evening of fun interactive games like the following activities: Witch Hat Toss, Bowling Pin Knockdown, Golf, Cupcake Spider Web, Franken Booger, Nerf Gun Knockout, Corn Hole, Face Painting, Photo Booth, Pet Adoption, Pie in the Face, and more!! This is FUNdraising for the 8th Grade England Trip and a long standing tradition at our school, as our oldest students in the school invest in creating a fun-filled night for our youngest students.

We also had a costume parade at our Lower School and our Middle School students will dress up next week on October 31st.

Ms. Dizon’s Early K class getting excited for the costume parade.
Mrs. Brewin with her 1st Grade class walking around in a circle for all the parents and families to see their costumes during the costume parade.
Mr. Shultz and Mrs. Holert showing off some Harry Potter moves at the costume parade.

The Middle School students carved pumpkins in their advisory organized by houses. Which carved pumpkin below is your favorite?

They were judged on the following categories: Most Creative/Original, Best Carving, and Scariest.
This is a wonderful pumpkin carving by one of our families of our beloved Dean of Students/Basketball Coach Trish Neary. The pumpkin has her trademark comment, “Give me your phone.”

Below is 1st Grader, Lucy G.’s, pointing to her haunted version of Bellingham’s iconic old City Hall, which is now a county museum. She made this in her art class with Specialist Mrs. King.

Photo Credit: Patrick McManus.

Did you know that in 1962, “an electrical fire nearly destroyed the building’s roof along with its iconic cupola and clock tower?” (historylink.org) Today, the old City Hall is part of the National Register of Historic Places and includes three nearby buildings.

We love when our students connect to their hometown and are able to enjoy celebrations.