Halloween Door Decorating at PVS

Our Newest Addition to The Bird on Fire

The Bird on Fire introduces our very own weekly PSA (Public service announcement) as part of a series making our blog unique, outgoing, and service-minded. We plan to do this weekly as a way to inform our viewers on what is actually happening in our local community. As fellow blogger Mason Conway notes, “It’s nice to inform our readers on what is happening in our school.” Blogger Sarah Alnabelsi adds, “I find it . . . helpful.” Opinions are great, but sometimes we just need to know what’s going on.

–Blogger Sami Alnabelsi

Public Service Announcement by 8th-Grade Blogger Sarah Alnabelsi

And the winners of the 2025 PVS Halloween Door-Decorating Contest were . . .
Grand Prize: Ms. Bajaj’s Grade 4!
MUS Prize: Mr. Jowett’s Advisory 11!
LS Prize: Ms. Bianchi’s Grade 2!
PS Prize: Ms. Ristaino’s PK2s!

For many years at Palm Valley School, we have had an annual “Halloween Door Decorating Contest” among the entire school. Each advisory/class decorates a door using things like paper, drawings, crafts, and much more to best fit the Halloween theme. Each division–the Upper School, Middle School, and Lower School–competes against other classes in their division until they have a victorious winner. This year we celebrated yet again another Halloween Door Decorating contest, but there were some questions that needed answers. I went to MUS Division Head Mr. Koehler with my questions.

1. How were the doors judged? 

• “The doors are judged based on the originality, creativity, and execution of the door theme, its appearance and “Halloweenness” and the collaborative nature and level of student-teacher input in the door decorating process and finished product.”

2. What day was the actual contest on?

• “The Contest runs from October 16-October 30 with the judging taking place on Thursday, October 30 after school.”

3. Who were the judges?

• “The door judging is done by the administrative team.  They view each door and discuss its appearance and impact. They then judge each “Door” based on the specific criteria mentioned and how it compares to other doors in the particular division and school wide.”

4. What is the best advice you could give to future contestants regarding this contest?

• “The best advice I could give to contestants is be collaborative, have fun, be imaginative, and “creep it real,” Firebirds!”    

Hopefully these answers can help your class win next year’s contest!