This year’s YBS Halloween theme was “YBS Multiverse — Your power is that you can be anything.”
Around 400 people came together for the celebration, with children from babies under one year old to middle school students sharing in the fun. Our familiar school spaces became extraordinary worlds, brought to life by the children’s artwork, ideas, and imagination.
Each classroom offered its own booths and activities, inviting children to step away from everyday life and explore something unexpected. Some worlds were playful, some thrilling, and others a little spooky. Discovering what waited behind the next door was all part of the adventure.
The children’s creations helped visitors feel immersed in these worlds. Their ideas became part of someone else’s experience, giving them the joy of seeing others engage with and enjoy what they had made.
One particularly memorable creation was the Haunted House, designed and brought to life by our middle school students.
How could they turn their ideas into reality? What did they want visitors to experience? The passion they brought to these questions made us pause and wonder whether we had ever seen them quite so absorbed in a project.
Their desire to create something of their own gave purpose and energy to their work. The Haunted House became a creative work in its own right, filled with their ideas, ingenuity, and willingness to take on a challenge.
There was also a delightful, unplanned moment as everyone gathered.
People arrived earlier than the scheduled gathering time, and the teachers were doing their best to keep everyone entertained while they waited. Then our young performers stepped in and filled the room with smiles.
Dressed in their wonderful costumes, the children naturally began gathering on stage, singing their favourite songs and dancing freely. This was no rehearsed performance. It was a spontaneous expression of “I want to sing!” and “I want to dance!”
They stepped in front of a large audience and simply enjoyed being themselves. Their joy spread through the crowd.
Having the freedom to express what you love—and being warmly welcomed by those around you—is something we value deeply at YBS. This unexpected little performance captured that beautifully.
At the heart of the celebration was the opportunity for children of different ages to share the same time and space.
“This is fun!” “This is exciting!” “This is a little scary!” Even within the same experience, each child feels something different. What delights one child may take courage for another. Sharing these moments gives children opportunities to notice those differences and begin to understand how someone else feels.
Even our youngest children, who cannot yet fully express themselves in words, take part through the faces, voices, and atmosphere around them. Sharing joy, excitement, and a little fear can help build connections across ages.
Behind these experiences was the dedication of our staff.
Right up until the event began, they continued exchanging ideas and working through the details, considering what would be safest and how best to run an event for such a wide range of ages. They kept adapting and refining their plans so that the children’s creativity and enthusiasm could become experiences everyone could safely enjoy.
The YBS Multiverse came to life through the children’s imagination and the care of the adults supporting them.
And even after the event, our Halloween spirit lives on.
The joy of imagining, bringing an idea to life, and sharing excitement with others continues beyond Halloween, into our everyday learning and new challenges.
“Your power is that you can be anything.”
We look forward to continuing to explore those possibilities together.