Epic is a good word for Halloween at O’Neal. Creative juices flow with one-of-a-kind costumes, events and activities for all ages. There hasn’t been a time that O’Neal hasn’t celebrated Halloween, even the past two pandemic years.
Since the Key Club has existed at O’Neal, a Halloween Carnival or haunted house has been held primarily for the lower school students but has grown over the years in serving the middle school students as well. The event is very much a tradition at O’Neal. The option of donating canned food is available and proceeds go to a charity.
Another tradition is the Lower School Parade. Students in the Lower School dress in their Halloween costumes and are often joined by their parents and younger siblings to parade the campus. Middle and upper schools enjoy their own unique costume contests with parties and activities, like pie-eating contests, to follow.
For many years, the upper school physics class would host its annual Pumpkin Chunkin with homemade catapults and similar machines to “chunk” pumpkins. Presently this is scheduled a little later when the Halloween pumpkins have had a chance to soften and rot and create wonderous explosions. Nevertheless, the memory is still fresh when Mr. Dave Wood, dressed as a Gorilla, runs the field to measure the distance.
It’s a special, memorable time at O’Neal.
Falcons Fly to 50
O’Neal is excited to share its history with readers as it quickly nears its 50th year in educating and cultivating youth in becoming successful, effective contributors to communities large and small. The official celebration starts school year 2021/2022. This weekly blog will focus on different aspects of the School as it grew through the years. With every entry, there is just as much more information to gather than what is already written. Readers who have been a part of the O’Neal community are encouraged to reach out and share their O’Neal memories. It is with great hope that the efforts of many in contributing information and photography can be published into a book for reflection and reference as the School continues to prosper for the next 50 years.
Please send your memoirs and photos to:
The O’Neal School
c/o Kathy Taylor, Director of Communications
P.O. Box 290
Southern Pines, NC 28388
Email: ktaylor@onealschool.org