Neuqua hosts virtual Haunted Homecoming week in celebration of the spooky season

Sachin Fong

Orchesis performs “Demons”, choreographed by Kylie Buedel and Jimmy Long.

Neuqua Valley High School will present a Haunted Homecoming during the week of Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 for the 2020-2021 school year. As a result of COVID-19, the school was unable to host their annual homecoming. In absence of the event, the school’s administration put together a week-long celebration for the Halloween season. Videos and activities from different clubs will be posted virtually on the student splash page for easy access.

Friday, Oct. 23 – The Marching Wildcats perform “Thriller” by Michael Jackson

They plan to kick-off the event with a performance from the Marching Wildcats to Michael Jackson’s throwback hit “Thriller.” Some members of the band will wear Halloween-themed clothing, and the drumline will be featured coordinating with masks. The band hopes to add to the festivity with a zombie dance. 

A preview of the upcoming week will also be provided to students on Friday. 

Monday, Oct. 26 – Performances from Neuqua’s dance and cheer teams

The official week will begin with performances from Neuqua’s dance and cheer teams. The dance team’s JV and Varsity dancers will be presenting a routine to “Calling all the Monsters” by China Anne McClain that the captains worked together to choreograph. The cheer team will be doing a routine showcasing some team tumbling skills, and they will also share a mini dance created by the seniors. 

Tuesday, Oct. 27 – Neuqua and teacher trivia on Instagram

Tuesday is an opportunity for students to share their knowledge about the school and its teachers. Questions will be shared with students through @neuquavalley’s Instagram story, and students can earn prizes for answering correctly. 

Wednesday, Oct. 28 – Review of fall sports and demonic performance from Orchesis

On Wednesday, the school will commemorate the Wildcats who have participated in fall sports and will highlight the boy’s golf team, girl’s golf team and girl’s tennis team for their success at conference. 

Sophomores Kylie Buedel and Jimmy Long choreographed a dance called “Demons” for Orchesis that will also be premiered. Members of the team went to school in small groups to record the video, and they look forward to sharing it. 

Thursday, Oct. 29 – Bake live with FACS

The Food and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Department’s Wildcat Kitchen will be hosting a live baking session via Zoom on Thursday. In honor of the fall season, they will be making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and homemade hot chocolate. A list of ingredients and utensils to prepare for the day is available on the student splash page.

Friday, Oct. 30 – “The Ghosts of Middle School Past – BUSTED!”

Administration will share a mystery mini-movie that includes music and some familiar faces on Friday. They hope it will be a fun way to end the week. 

Join the celebration throughout the week

While there have been activities coordinated for each day, there are many other options to participate as well. Student Council is hosting a virtual scavenger hunt using the GooseChase app that can be found on the App Store or Play Store. They will be posting the game code and password on the student splash page, and students can earn prizes for completing the Halloween-themed challenges. For students interested in art, the school is hosting a digital art challenge to give Neuqua Valley a spooky makeover. Finally, fans of history can carve a pumpkin with a historical figure or event, then upload a selfie of themselves with it to celebrate.

A blast to the past will be provided by the Production 3 and 4 class with an “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” inspired series titled “Haunted Homecoming”. There will be four stories told about suspenseful activity that takes place at the school. 

For more information, check out the official Haunted Homecoming website: http://www.neuquastudent.org/hc.html. Here at The Echo, we wish you a safe and happy Halloween!