This Halloween, Cardozo’s Guidance Department decided to show their spirit in a special way: instead of dressing up as vampires or witches, they chose to dress up as different emotions from the Pixar movie “Inside Out.”
Their goal was to spread a message of positivity and that every emotion matters, even if they’re often perceived as negative.
“Inside Out” is an animated film that shows how emotions work inside a person’s mind. It helps people understand that each emotion plays a significant role in shaping who we are and what we do. The Guidance Department used this idea to create a thoughtful Halloween activity that helped spread a good message. The counselors in the building work closely with students to help them navigate their own emotions, so the costume truly made sense for them.
To share their message, the guidance staff created a video and posted it to the school’s Instagram page. In this video, each guidance counselor was dressed as their emotion and also played the role.
View this post on Instagram
The staff also took a photo later, each member holding a sign explaining why their assigned emotion is helpful and important. Their goal was to show students that emotions are not something that should be avoided and hidden, but rather healthily expressed and dealt with. Emotions help us grow as people and live a meaningful life.
Mr. Balducci, dressed as “Anger,” held a sign that read: “Without anger, you may not be able to determine when enough is enough.” His message showed that anger is not always a negative feeling, and that sometimes, it helps us stand up for ourselves.
Ms. Brown dressed up as “Boredom.”Her sign read: “Without boredom, you may not try new things.” She explained that boredom can inspire creativity. When we don’t feel excited or fulfilled, we tend to pick up new hobbies and interests.
Other staff members joined in with their own emotions;
- Mrs. Allred, dressed as Disgust, an emotion that helps us protect ourselves from harmful situations.
- Mr. Hernandez, representing Embarrassment, a feeling that teaches us to reflect on our actions and grow from our experiences.
- Ms. Clark, who dressed up as Envy, reminded students that feeling jealous can motivate us to work harder and set new goals.
- Ms. Lauer, dressed as Fear, showed us that fear can keep us safe and help us think carefully before making decisions.
- Mrs. Glasel, who chose to represent Joy, showed the importance of appreciation, happiness, and remaining positive.
- Ms. DiAngelo, dressed as Anxiety, an emotion that alerts us when something feels wrong and prepares us for challenges or conflict.
- Mrs. Liu, representing Sadness, highlighting how sadness helps us process loss and be vulnerable.
- And finally, Mrs. O’Neil represented Nostalgia, a warm emotion that helps us remember and appreciate our memories.
By including a wide range of emotions, the Guidance Department showed that all feelings play a major role in our lives. Many people want to avoid experiencing negative emotions such as anger or fear, but the truth is, you wouldn’t be who you are without those emotions.
Through this project, staff spread a powerful message to the students. By embracing all of our emotions, we can become better people. This year’s Halloween theme showed that understanding our emotions is the key to living life to the fullest.
