Graniteville trunk or treat a spooktacular time

There’s a special slogan at the Graniteville School that reads, “Where playing is learning and learning is fun.”

Sunday, those words were perhaps understated during Graniteville’s 2nd Annual Halloween Trunk of Treat.

For starters, students were invited to wear costumes to trick or treat while viewing decorated cars located in the school’s back parking lot that was nothing less than a spectacular show of creativity by young and old alike.

Yet another valued learning lesson resulted from the pumpkin decorating contest that highlighted, as Graniteville’s popular Principal Maria Petronio-McAfee said, “lots of creativity from all our students.”

In all, Petronio-McAfee announced to a large crowd outside the red-brick school, nine classrooms submitted individually decorated pumpkins and the children as well as their families were able to vote for their favorite pumpkin.

In keeping with the tradition of Halloween, many children and even some of their proud parents were decked out in colorfully creative garb.

Sandra Rhodes and her daughter Bianca Rhodes dressed as the “Beast” and “Belle” respectively and enjoyed participating in a costume parade. The parade sent children and families from the school’s back parking lot to the Johnston Fire Department substation next to Graniteville School and back to the lot to view the unique and colorful creations of 15 automobile trunks.

Once the parade concluded, Petronio-McAfee went to a long table where children could get bottled water, snacks, temporary tattoos and even listened to music while playing games and trick or treating and picked up a beautiful trophy.

“Could I have your attention?” Petronio-McAfee asked while moving to the center of the parking lot. “We’re going to announce the winner of our Trunk Decorating Contest. Are you ready?”

Once the huge roared that surfaced from young and old alike, Petronio-McAfee announced that the Achilli family – Jason, Toni-Marie, Anthony, Lucia and Christian – were awarded the trophy for their winning trunk decoration that was entitled “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” that just so happen to be number 13 on the list of entries.

Almost as soon as the Achilli family was declared the Trunk Decorating Contest winner, which may have been difficult to select given the classic creations several people viewing the entry said, “Well now, the number 13 isn’t so unlucky, after all.”