WEST JORDAN, Utah — Halloween doesn’t have to be spooky to be fun.
Students at South Valley School celebrated the holiday with costumes, games, and new connections as peer tutors from Herriman High School joined them for the festivities.
Watch: Halloween celebration brings students together at South Valley School
Among those visiting were Herriman High School students Dallin Dawes and Miley Christensen, who said the event is something they look forward to.
“This is our favorite thing to do every year,” Dawes said. “We love being here, supporting them. We love this school. It’s so much fun coming here.”
Christensen said serving other students is something she enjoys.
“I love doing service, it’s just something I love to do,” Christensen said. “And I’m just happy to help out.”
For one day, the peer tutors traded their notebooks for Halloween fun at South Valley School.
“South Valley School is a post high school,” Assistant Principal Katie Crandall said. “We serve students from 18 to 22 with varying levels of functioning and disability.”
Through the peer program, students from high schools in the Jordan School District are able to connect one-on-one with students at South Valley.
Crandall said those social connections are an important part of what the school teaches.
“Social skills are also a huge part of our curriculum because those are lifelong skills that students will need,” Crandall said. “We also do a lot for independent skills. So we want to make sure that every student that comes through South Valley is ready to be as independent as possible when they leave our school.”
For Halloween, that meant giving students a chance to have fun, dress up and celebrate together.
Dawes said spending time with the students and helping them feel included is what makes the experience meaningful.
“I love helping out these students,” Dawes said. “I love making them feel special, making them feel like they’re a part of something they should be a part of.”
The celebration offered a reminder that a typical school day can still be filled with plenty of fun, especially when students are encouraged to simply be themselves.