Lining up for the Pumpkin Relay, a spirited race requiring students to roll their pumpkins down the Locust School field and back. The annual Pumpkin Festival kicked off at Locust School this year with pumpkin relay races, followed by pumpkin experiments, a pumpkin weigh-in, and a host of other pumpkin-related activities. "If there is a concept that can be taught with pumpkins, our staff has thought of it," Locust School Principal Adam D. Winnick said. As the festival began, each student selected a pumpkin to use throughout the event. Festival lessons emphasized concepts such as buoyancy, circumference, and shapes. Pumpkin mania also let loose at Stratford School, where Patricia Lupo's second graders practiced their own version of squash art-pumpkins decorated by all manner of edibles.

Students at Locust School pose with visiting parents after picking the pumpkins they'll use for activities throughout the festival. Floating pumpkins in a container of water is a good way to learn about buoyancy. Students guess the weight of their pumpkins and then weigh them on a scale in the Locust School nurse's office. Two Locust School students recover after a particularly challenging handoff. Students get help labeling their pumpkins with their names. Using yarn to see which pumpkin has the greatest circumference. Drawing a pumpkin still life gets Locust School students thinking about shapes. Two Stratford School students pose with their creations. Second grade students at Stratford School decorate pumpkins with candy and marshmallows. Green was the preferred color for the pumpkins at this table. Smocks are essential at each of the festival's many pumpkin painting stations.