Spruce Ridge School hosted a haunted house fundraiser earlier this week, drawing the community in for a night of chills and thrills while raising funds for its Grade 8 ski trip.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Haberstock, the school’s principal. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our graduates to show leadership and have a lot of fun at the same time.”
Each room of the school was transformed with its own eerie theme, designed and executed by Grade 8 students and their teachers. “We had Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a murder house, a haunted motel, a torture chamber, Club Death, a restaurant, and a carnival,” explained Haberstock. “Every area had a different theme, with characters telling scary stories.”
While the students aimed to frighten attendees, the night’s purpose was also to raise money for the upcoming Grade 8 ski trip to Asessippi Ski Resort in Manitoba. “Our Grade 8s go skiing at Asessippi, and it’s quite expensive because it’s out of province,” she said. “We have to charter a bus, and they stay overnight. The haunted house fundraiser, along with other efforts, helps bring down the cost for families.”
Haberstock said she was impressed with her students’ dedication. “I am ridiculously proud of the Grade 8s,” she said. “We have a great group of kids. They started decorating at 2:30 p.m. and worked right through until 10 p.m. before we could leave the school. Many of them had no voice the next day from all the screaming, but they had a blast.”
The community turnout was high, with some of the younger children in particular getting quite a fright. “Lots of little kids were very, very scared. We had one child so frightened that he threw up—which we thought was a badge of honour,” Haberstock noted. “Everyone was raving about what a great job our students did.”
The event was a highlight not only for the Grade 8s but also for younger students. “The students who ran it last year, now former Grade 8s, came to watch, and some of the Grade 7s and 6s were saying, ‘I can't wait till I get to do this.’”
Haberstock said the haunted house will likely continue as a tradition at Spruce Ridge.
The students raised over $2,000 from the event. “I just want to give a shout-out to all the Spruce Ridge staff and parents who helped with planning, setup, and cleanup,” said Haberstock. “We have the best staff and parents.”
