SAILOR Program Hosts Ossining, Lakeland at a Halloween Celebration

There was food and there were sweets, not to mention games, arts and crafts galore. The students were outfitted in colorful and creative costumes, and they spent the morning sharing laughs and socializing among their peers.

“There was something here for everyone,” SAILOR teacher Lauren Belles said.

The first Halloween party hosted by the Hendrick Hudson SAILOR program was a smashing success at the Cortlandt Youth & Recreation Center on Thursday. The Hendrick Hudson students and staff members welcomed peers from Ossining and Lakeland High Schools for a fun event designed to bring the students together.

“They were really interacting with students from other schools,” Ms. Belles said proudly. “An event like this really helps to expand their social circles.”

Throughout the morning, students from different schools played foosball, board games and video games, watched videos, and batted balloons to one another — and were often seen snacking together at tables that consisted of students from all three schools.

The party was capped by a costume contest, which allowed each student a moment to shine.

All told, there were approximately 60 students in attendance. Food and sweets were generously supplied and served by En Fuego Catering.

Ms. Belles said the gathering was inspired by the students’ participation in Unified sports and a desire to replicate the atmosphere generated during those activities.

“We’ve seen them have an opportunity to interact in Unified sports and thought we could use this as a chance to continue to build that kind of community with our SAILOR students and their peers,” she said.