Students at the University of Mississippi School of Education are hosting the Guyton Hall Fall Festival on campus with educational and Halloween-themed activities for local families on Monday, Oct. 30 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

The free festival will be in Guyton Hall and is coordinated by Teachers of Tomorrow (TOT), a student group comprised of education majors.

“Teachers of Tomorrow hosts the Fall Festival as an outreach to the community,” said Kelsey Massey, TOT president. “We put it on for families and students since we are a service organization. We just want let families know that there is a group at Ole Miss that really cares about their students.”

The event will feature bouncy houses, face painting, a bowling lane, a photo booth and several game booths such as a “witch hat toss.” There will also be snacks including popcorn and cotton candy machines.

Students in TOT ask attendees to bring new or used books to donate to the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library’s Little Free Library Program, which supports multiple pedestal-mounted houses or “little libraries,” filled with books in select areas in the community. The libraries run on a a “take one leave one” model and encourage reading among families with young children.

“The festival is a good time and a chance to bring the community together,” said UM Assistant Professor Alicia Stapp, faculty adviser for the event. “Our pre-service teachers will have the chance to work with community members, while having fun at the same time.”

In addition, the UM Museum is sponsoring arts and crafts events for children and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education is setting up a science experiment for children.

“It’s going to be a great time and we hope to see lots of smiling faces Monday night,” Massey said.

By Kathleen Murphy