The parade day schedule built in time for group photos of each kindergarten and first grade class. Annual Halloween festivities abounded at schools across the Garden City School District on Tuesday, October 31. The Garden City police blocked off roads near Hemlock, Homestead, and Locust schools so that princesses, fairies, pirates, and a host of other characters could parade through nearby neighborhoods. At Stratford Avenue School, more than 700 students paraded around the back field accompanied by the Stratford School Band lead by music teacher Karyn Glickman.

Stewart School turned the spotlight on second graders at its traditional Halloween assembly. "It takes a great deal of courage to walk across a stage in costume and read a poem that you've written," Stewart School Principal Marie Braccia said. "That's just what our second graders have done." The Stewart School Band, fifth graders who began playing together last year in fourth grade, performed the Marine Hymn and accompanied the second graders in rousing renditions of favorite Halloween tunes.

The puppet at center marched in the Homestead parade with Lori Palladino's kindergarten class.

Several weeks ago, each of Stewart School's second graders chose a character to learn about in time for Halloween. The Stratford Avenue School Band kept time for marchers in the Homestead parade and then rushed back to Stratford to play for their schoolmates in the Stratford parade. Each of Stewart's second graders wrote a poem about a character and read it in costume at the Halloween assembly. Hemlock School Principal Linda Norton with her two special parade-day helpers. Mother Goose (aka Principal Suzanne Viscovich) leads the way at the Homestead parade. Ready to go. Pose for a picture. All smiles here.