Westminster Weekly – November 1

School News

Westminster’s Halloween Parade: A Spooktacular School Tradition!

Friday’s annual Halloween Parade brought plenty of excitement to Westminster as students from preschool through eighth grade arrived in an amazing array of costumes! The hallways were filled with witches, skeletons, dinosaurs, K-pop idols, and many more creative characters. Our teachers and administrators joined in the fun, dressing up as referees, musicians, Pokémon, insects, and even Taco Bell hot sauces!

The students then made their way through a Spooky Walk, where familiar spots in the theater had been transformed into a delightfully frightening haunted house. The festivities continued on our spectacular new field with a special performance by the eighth grade, who arrived dressed as Vikings under the leadership of none other than Mrs. Schuler! Their ship had washed ashore in a strange new land: Annandale! With encouragement from their younger schoolmates, the Vikings celebrated their discovery of a new home with an energetic dance choreographed by Ms. Glazier. The younger students then took their turn parading their costumes around the field.

The Westminster Halloween Parade is a wonderful tradition that showcases the creativity of our entire school community. Thank you to all the parents who joined us for such a fun-filled morning! A special thank-you to Mr. Dasek and Mr. Candanoza, Jr., for their incredible ingenuity and tireless work in setting up the Spooky Walk, building the Viking ship from scratch, and decorating the theater for the dance. Thank you also to Mrs. Ahn for putting the finishing touches on the ship. Finally, thank you to our teachers and administrators for helping to make this our best Halloween yet!

Preschoolers Bring Halloween Delight to Renaissance of Annandale

After the costume parade, the Westminster preschoolers brought a bit of Halloween magic to Renaissance of Annandale, a local memory care community! Dressed in their Halloween costumes, the children visited with the residents and shared a special musical performance, singing songs that brought smiles to everyone. It was a lovely opportunity for our youngest Griffins to connect with members of the community and brighten their day. A special thank-you to the Griffin Academy teachers for their care and guidance, and to Mrs. Lee for organizing this wonderful event!

Griffins Take the Floor at the Annual Fall Ball

The Halloween festivities continued as our 7th and 8th graders gathered in the Ellis Glover Theater for the annual Fall Ball! The theater was transformed with eye-catching Halloween decorations, creating a festive backdrop for an evening of music and dancing. The students showed off the steps they have been learning in dance class, including the jitterbug and the waltz, then bopped along to pop favorites by Shakira and Maroon 5. At Westminster, everyone is encouraged to join in the fun, and the Fall Ball was a wonderful opportunity for students to put their dance skills into practice and enjoy an evening of togetherness and celebration!

A big thank-you to our parent volunteers for providing the food and decorations, Mr. Crook for managing the sound and video booth, and our teachers for chaperoning the evening. Special thanks to Ms. Glazier for inspiring another generation of Griffins to love dance and to Mrs. Schuler for serving as the D. J. and organizing such a wonderful celebration!

The Griffin Academy Flies High at Discovery Theater

Earlier in the week, the preschoolers took a trip to Discovery Theater for an exciting adventure into the science of flight! They joined the wacky citizen-scientist Professor Wingnut and his friend Seymour Seagull as the duo explored how birds and airplanes take to the skies. Through songs, science, and an energetic flight-themed dance party, our young learners discovered the wonders of flight in an entertaining and interactive performance. What a fun way to bring science to life! Thank you, Griffin Academy teachers, for planning this field trip.

Seek Inspiration – Spark Growth

Throughout October, our school-wide theme, Seek Inspiration – Spark Growth, celebrated the power of literature and the many ways books can inspire us. One of the month’s highlights was our school-wide Mystery Book Swap! The Ellis Glover Theater was transformed into a cozy reading nook, setting the scene for this special literary exchange. Students brought in a favorite book wrapped in brown paper, keeping its title and author a secret. Instead, they wrote clues to give their classmates a hint about the story hidden inside. Students exchanged their wrapped books and headed home with a new literary adventure to enjoy. Even our teachers joined in the fun! A special thank-you to Dr. Foster and the English Department for organizing this wonderful celebration and for encouraging our students to discover inspiration in unexpected places.

Reminders from the Builders Club

Please join the Builders Club in supporting the ACCA Food Pantry here in Annandale! Since opening in 2020, this wonderful community resource has served 7,703 families, and that number continues to grow. The pantry provides nutritious food and essential items to individuals and families in need throughout the Annandale community. Your donations will help ACCA continue this important work and make a difference for our neighbors. Please leave all donations at Mrs. Lee’s office with your full name written down so you can be recognized as a donor.

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the Official 2026 White House Christmas Ornament! This beautiful collectible honors our nation’s heritage. The front features the text of the Declaration of Independence, elegantly framed in 24-karat gold, while the back showcases an intricately etched White House alongside historic and modern American flags. Proceeds from ornament sales help the Builders Club fund its many community service projects. Thank you for supporting our students and their efforts to make a difference in our community! Order forms are available from your child’s homeroom teacher.

Food for Thought

In Defense of Reading the Classics, Imperfectly

In this article from Writers.com, Elle LaMarca encourages readers to approach literary classics with curiosity rather than trepidation. Even challenging books like Moby-Dick can offer valuable insights into language, storytelling, and the world around us. LaMarca’s perspective reminds us that literature offers many opportunities for self-discovery, so why not dive in? Read more here!