GES kindergarteners trick-or-treat Grafenwoehr Mayor

By Sidney SullivanOctober 22, 2021

Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners exchange Halloween candy with Grafenwoehr Mayor Edgar Knobloch, Oct. 21, 2021. All three kindergarten classes of GES attended this educational field trip.
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners exchange Halloween candy with Grafenwoehr Mayor Edgar Knobloch, Oct. 21, 2021. All three kindergarten classes of GES attended this educational field trip. (Photo Credit: Andreas Kreuzer) VIEW ORIGINAL
Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners visit the autumn festival farmers’ market, or Herbstfest, during a field trip to the Grafenwoehr Rathaus, Oct. 21, 2021.
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners visit the autumn festival farmers’ market, or Herbstfest, during a field trip to the Grafenwoehr Rathaus, Oct. 21, 2021. (Photo Credit: Sidney Sullivan) VIEW ORIGINAL
Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners donned costumes and visited the Grafenwoehr Rathaus and Mayor Edgar Knobloch, Oct. 21, 2021. All three kindergarten classes of GES attended this educational field trip.
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners donned costumes and visited the Grafenwoehr Rathaus and Mayor Edgar Knobloch, Oct. 21, 2021. All three kindergarten classes of GES attended this educational field trip. (Photo Credit: Julian Temblador) VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — In the spirit of Halloween, Grafenwoehr Elementary School kindergarteners donned costumes and visited the Grafenwoehr Rathaus and Mayor Edgar Knobloch on Thursday, Oct. 21. Per American tradition, the host nation mayor distributed trick-or-treat candy to the children, and in return, the children surprised him with sweets of their own.

According to Erica Finlay, a kindergarten teacher with GES, the school has a long-standing tradition of arranging class field trips to the city hall. However, the field trip was not held last year due to COVID-19.

“This is the first off-campus field trip of the year,” said Finlay. “Also, this is our first field trip since COVID-19 impacted the world.”

All three kindergarten classes of GES attended this educational outing. Together, they surprised the mayor by reciting a poem — in German — about autumn.

Before heading back to GES, the kindergarteners were given an opportunity to spend a few euros at the city center’s autumn festival, or Herbstfest. This farmers’ market celebrates the season’s harvest and the community as a whole.

“It helps the children learn more about the community around them, and it helps them learn about the person who runs the town,” Finlay said. “Plus, it’s nice for them to be out in the world and get out of the classroom.”

To view additional photos of the field trip, click here.

To watch a video of the children recite the poem, click here.