Written By: Helena Pierry

When the leaves change color and the world takes on a golden hue, we know autumn has arrived. With fall comes an abundance of traditions that bring communities together. Whether that be apple picking with your family and friends, watching Rye Country Day’s fall play, or participating in the school’s Halloween costume competition, fall never fails to pack up one’s schedule. 

Upper School Humanities teacher Ms. Green certainly does not miss out on all the fun autumn has to offer. She loves visiting Harvest Moon Orchard annually, where she enjoys apple picking; her favorite apple variety is Golden Delicious. Alongside apple picking, Ms. Green also enjoys drinking flavorful apple cider. Her fall traditions do not consist only of apple picking, as she also adores the Halloween parade at Rye Country Day. Despite always enjoying the parade, Ms. Green would love to add more traditions to the school, such as hosting a bake sale with fall-themed food. Her bake sale would include pumpkin bread, one of Ms. Green’s favorite fall foods.

As Halloween comes around, a vital part of fall, Ms. Green prepares for this holiday by carving pumpkins, cooking their seeds, and making pumpkin bread. It is safe to say that pumpkins are an important part of autumn for Ms. Green. When the actual day of Halloween comes around, she loves to dress up her dog. She says, “Last year, he was a dragon, but I have plans of making him either a lion or a pumpkin this year.” Her dog is not the only one who dresses up for Halloween; Ms. Green also enjoys putting on a costume that is typically  history-themed. Last year, she loved being the Statue of Liberty. Around Halloween time, Ms. Green loves to watch Hocus Pocus, but she does not like horror movies and much prefers mystery films. 

Another faculty member who enjoys autumn to its fullest is Film Teacher and 10th Grade Dean Ms. Hallen. Her personal favorite fall traditions include apple and pumpkin picking, going to the Renaissance Fair with her kids, and attending the New York Comic Con. Another seasonal tradition Ms. Hallen associates with fall is the show Gilmore Girls. Alongside all the annual festivities she loves to attend, Ms. Hallen looks forward to autumn as it gives her an excuse to use some of her favorite spices in her foods. She enjoys many autumn spices, such as pumpkin and gingerbread spices, both of which she loves to have in her drinks and desserts. One of Ms. Hallen’s favorite RCDS fall traditions is the Halloween Costume Competition we do during Community Meeting on Halloween. If Ms. Hallen could add another tradition to the school, she would want “everyone to bake for each other.” This would be a great way to bring the community together while enjoying the arrival of autumn and the start of a new school year.

On Halloween night, Ms. Hallen trick-or-treats with her kids and dresses up in a fun costume. Last year, she was Miss Frizzle, a popular character from The Magic School Bus, and this year she plans on making her own costume. Ms. Hallen aims to be a character from the video game It Takes Two; she will be making her own yarn wig for the costume. Most people associate Halloween with horror movies, but despite loving the idea of scary movies, Ms. Hallen is not the biggest fan and absolutely does not like psychological horror. 

Ms. Previtit, a new member of the Upper School English department, also looks forward to autumn every year and the festivities that come with it. She loves going apple picking with her husband, and she especially enjoys staying out as late as possible to feel the cold air and to really enjoy the crisp autumn nights. Alongside going apple picking every fall, Ms. Previti also watches the Great British Baking Show each year, as it always comes out during the fall, and for her acts as a reminder that fall has truly arrived. As fall arrives, it also gives Ms. Previti the opportunity to eat two of her favorite fall foods, pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake. As Ms. Previti gets to know Rye Country Day better, she is excited to learn more about our fall traditions. If she could add a new festivity, she would have a bonfire with s’mores, as she loves fires and especially their smells. When Halloween comes around, Ms. Previti does not dress up, but instead she loves to dress up her cats. She recalls, “Last year, one of my two cats was a lamb and the other was a tomato.” Just like Ms. Green and Ms. Hallen, Ms. Previti is also not a fan of horror movies.

As our academic schedules fill up, fall offers an opportunity to come together and enjoy the seasonal festivities. From pumpkin-flavored foods and Halloween traditions, our faculty members all seem to be taking advantage of autumn and everything it has to offer.