Family and Friends at Fall Fest '10

Joseph Nagler was oblivious of the falling temperature and the cloudy skies. His eyes were all fixed on the minibilliards ball that was about to roll into the pocket.

The bespectacled fifth-grader from Highland School let out a chuckle and a bounce as he sealed the deal.  He collected his prize and dashed to the next amusement table.

It was Thursday afternoon and schoolchildren from District 68, encompassing Skokie and a small portion of Morton Grove, were gathered at Old Orchard Junior High School grounds for the annual Fall Fest.

District Superintendent Frances McTague, Jane Stenson school principal Susan O'Neil and board member David Beller were tirelessly churning out cotton candies for the students and parents alike.

"It's a wonderful celebration of community" McTague said. She said the event, now in its 11th year, is aimed at bringing families together to celebrate the opening of the school year. 

"It's simple family fun," added McTague, as she handed out the sugary treat to another student.

"It's just so nice to see all the families that come out," O'Neil said, as she stressed the diversity of district, which she says "is represented by 59 different languages.

"We just all come together tonight and enjoy each other's company, and it's just a wonderful community event," O'Neil said.

Many of the booths were administered by junior high students such as Jeanne Hontiveros and Ayesha Riaz, eighth-graders at Old Orchard. They were assigned to give out different prizes at the duck pond game. 

Meanwhile, Liron Friedman, another eighth-grader manned the Ball Bingo table as his schoolmate Danielle Kropveld tried her luck on the game. 

Nearby an inflatable bounce house were full of grade school children jumping to their hearts delight. The school's jungle gym was also teeming with giggling children gliding on the slide and dangling on the monkey bars.

Bruce Lorie, father of grade schooler Annabelle, praised the school district for organizing the event.

"I've always enjoyed the town itself," said Lorie, whose family moved to Skokie in 2004. "The parks are terrific, the neighborhoods are great and the school district is great.

"It's a whole package, he added. "Everything that's going on here is family oriented."