Flint, MI—Flint Schools kicked off their annual fall festivities with a Halloween Mustang Matinee at Freeman Elementary on Oct. 16. The spooky night featured trunk-or-treating, a pumpkin coloring contest and a drive-in showing of Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Freeman students with excellent virtual attendance received an invite to the event.
“We wanted to target students who were logging on at least 95% of the time or better…just to give more kids an incentive. We’re having a really tough time getting students to log on,” Jordan Munerlyn, community school director for Freeman, said.
Thirty-five kids and their families made the VIP list and came dressed in their Halloween best.
Keeping the event small also ensured proper social distancing as recommended by the CDC, Munerlyn said.
“We always do a family night. But due to COVID, we just had to try to come up with a creative way to get people to come together but safely,” he said.
Since Flint Schools started virtually on Aug. 5, daily attendance has ranged between 60% – 69%.
The online platform has been a good experience for some Flint families, like Nicole Lane and her two children who passed out candy at the Halloween Mustang Matinee.
“They love school. They’re up and ready in the morning, logged on and ready to go,” Lane said.
Flint Schools will host several more Halloween and fall-themed events over the next two weeks.