Michael McLaughlin’s Haunted School

Spooky things were happening the week of October 26th at The Urban Skills Center. The walls mysteriously became draped in black shroud, mist and fog filled the hallways, goblins, ghouls and zombies began attending school and then on Friday, the 30th the ghost of Michael McLaughlin arrived! Mr McLaughlin was a beloved teacher at the Urban Skills Center for many years. He passed away unexpectedly back in 2004.

One of the many fun and wonderful things Mr McLaughlin is remembered for are the wonderful Haunted Houses he created each year in the basement of the Cook Education Center. This year, the students at the Urban Skills Center decided to honor his memory by turning our school into Mr McLaughlin’s Haunted School. The entire project was conceived, designed an executed by our students with the assistance of our staff members. Students from the Cook Education Center’s Foundations and Secondary Programs were invited to tour through our school, which included zombies playing cards, bodies being dragged away by ghouls, spiders crawling across the floor, ghosts jumping out and saying “Boo,” and Mr. Johnson’s Mad Laboratory. After the tour, students from the Cook Education Center’s Secondary Program were invited to join the Urban Skills Center students in a school dance complete with ‘finger food’ refreshments (yes, we were eating fingers). A good time was had by all (including the many zombies)!