Fall into Fall

While the hot summer days are coming to a close, a new, colder, season filled with pumpkins, pies, and candy is just beginning. As October begins, students of Jefferson Academy will be soaking up the autumn vibe with a thrilling movie or night out with friends.

“I enjoy the air getting cooler and crisper,” Mrs. Stadler noted. “I enjoy the leaves changing.”

 Fall doesn’t just bring new weather and a special change in scenery; it also brings traditional holidays that are always fun to celebrate with your friends and family.

“I love the spooky season,” Mrs. Wiarda declared. “[My husband and I] like to dress up. Last year we only had 10 trick-or-treaters so we might try to put our firepit outside to make others feel welcome and come get candy.”

From mashed potatoes to haunted houses, each way students at JA choose to celebrate their Halloween sparks tradition and memories that make autumn special.

“In sixth grade, I went to Anderson Farms with my friends,” Naomi Seiffertt shared. “I hope to go again this year or do something like that again this year.”

While some have many favorite memories of spending time with their closest friends, others found the season most meaningful and familiar when spent with family.

“[I went to] hang out with my family and go to the mountains to look at the leaves,” Grace Pham explained.

Family trips capture the meaningful, peaceful side of October, but the smallest moments can be what matter the most. From afar, it may seem like nothing, but for some, Halloween shines in the smallest details with friends, like anticipating the first knock at the door before heading out into the night.

“My favorite Halloween memory was when we were waiting for our friends to get here to go trick or treating while the sun was setting,” Elise Otte shared.

While Halloween day can bring excitement and anticipation for the adventures to come, night gives way to spooky stories to be enjoyed. A haunted house can spook even the bravest teenager, yet some stories go beyond staged scares. For certain families, the chills don’t stop once October ends; they linger on through stories of the supernatural.

“My dad said that his first ever apartment was haunted by a ghost,” Austin Hand explained. “He said how he befriended it in some way and that it would turn on the faucet for the tub all the time on its own.”

This spooky season isn’t just about getting scared yourself, but in some instances scaring passersby with creepy and horrifying decorations.

“My brother and my dad decorate our whole house for Halloween,” declared Arthur Whitmyer. “We make our own Halloween decorations.” 

For Olivia Williams, fall marks that amazing time of the year when she can go hunting with her dad up in the mountains and stay cozy and warm indoors watching her favorite show. 

“I’m most looking forward to Homecoming and watching Gilmore Girls,” Williams said. “My dad and I hunt big game and pheasants.”

From huge potlucks to small family gatherings, many memories are made from spending special time with the people closest to you. Thanksgiving is a holiday dedicated to doing just that.

“I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving break, when I can hang out with my family. We make turkey, and the other year we made lasagna,” Whitmyer explained.

While autumn has some fun traditions and activities to be done, it also comes with delicious seasonal and special snacks, foods, and beverages. 

“We make pumpkin cider, which I really like,” Eloise Knudsen stated. “We also have a dirt cake every year for my dad’s birthday. I don’t think that's fall food, but we still have it every year.”

While family traditions and events are the most memorable and very important, it’s often the tiny moments people share like watching the leaves change color or breathing in that cool air that makes fall such a special time of year.

“My husband and I usually get pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks,” recalled Mrs. Wiarda. “Then we go for a drive up to the mountains to just watch the leaves change.”