More than 50 teachers and families got in costume and decorated their cars to join in on the event. Principal Erin Beaulac said she was happy to see so many people turn out and be excited to participate. 

 

"We wanted to have all of our families, students and staff get together for a fun family event, so we chose trucker treat," Beaulac said. "And as you can see, it's very well attended, and the kids and the families everyone is just having a great time."

 

Lisa Lesser, assistant principal, said it is great to host events that promote involvement from the community.

 

"I think it's just nice for the teachers and the kids to have other experiences outside of the classroom to bring everybody closer together," Lesser said. 

 

Beaulac and Lesser are both in their first year as administrators at Hoosac Valley Elementary School. They said that, while they've coordinated similar events in the past, they think the enthusiasm this time was notably high. 

 

"I think it's everyone was really looking forward to this event because it's our first really big family event in a couple of years at this point because of the COVID protocols," Beaulac said. "And as you can see, people wanted to participate. They're excited to be together to be here with all of us."

 

Beaulac said she was surprised by how much variety there was from each of the cars. 

 

"I am blown away," she said. "We have a Corvette decorated as the Batmobile. We have a haunted house and a trailer. There was one car that just had a cardboard box that said 'dangerous animals,' and the kids had to put their hands in it. It was just stuffed animals, but people really thought outside the box to provide a really unique experience for our kids." 

 

Lesser said she hopes the excitement from trunk-or-treat will carry over into future events. 

 

"I think it's the start," she said. "It is the start of us building our culture here as a school, with us both being new, and bringing our staff, bringing our family, bringing the community together."