A Spook-Tacular Month
October was filled with spook-tacular events held by Grants Chesapeake Taekwondo and After School Center! 2020 has been filled with new challenges and obstacles for us to overcome together. However, despite these challenges, the staff at Grant’s have been working eagerly to ensure everyone is safe and COVID-19 guidelines are being met. This year has been supernatural, however, that has not stopped us from planning fun family events! Let us take a look at what October held for the students and family members…
KIHAP:
October was roundhouse-kicked into action with the Team Grant team tryouts. More than 60 students, ranging from white belts to third-degree black belts, tried out for their chance to have a place on the team or to keep their spot on the team. Each student was pushed out of their comfort zone, and challenged, in order for Instructor Grant and Master Grant to test each student’s endurance, agility, and grit. When asking the students who attended tryouts how they would describe their experience, most students used the same adjectives:
Sweaty, Challenging, REWARDING!
However, not only the students were tested! Parents were also being ‘tested’. For many parents, this was their first time seeing their child experience head-kicks, high-level sparring, and also extreme levels of exercise. The Team was not only looking for students who proved they were ready for a high level of competition, but they were also looking for parents who were ready for their child to be pushed both mentally and physically! Tryouts were all weekend, October 16th and 17th, and after two long days of hearing the students loudest kihaps, the team was decided! The staff at Grant’s are so pleased with the determination and hard work that each student showed. Throughout the weekend there was never a lack of energy, and each student truly gave it their all! Congratulations to all the new team members!!
LOCK-IN/PARENTS NIGHT-OUT:
The ghosts and ghouls at Grant’s also had the opportunity to attend our lock-in! The event was held on October 24, just in time for Halloween activities. The students had a pizza party, a costume contest, spooky cupcakes, a dance party, and the students even had the chance to beat Master Grant and Instructor Grant at dodgeball! The event was assisted by some of our a-MAIZE-ing After School Program staff members, who also participated in the costume contest and dodgeball tournament! 50 students participated in our October lock-in, which was an amazing turnout! Due to COVID-19, masks were required, however, many students took advantage of that by incorporating it into their costume! Many parents used this opportunity to go out to dinner, shop, prepare for Trunk-or-Treat, or even just relax in a quiet house! Needless to say, the students boo-gied their way through the fun-filled night!
Trunk-or-Treat:
Princesses, Pirates, and Pumpkins, OH MY! This year was the first-ever Grants Trunk-or-Treat, and it was a hit! Families went above and beyond to make this holiday memorable for all the students. Not only was there an abundance of candy, but there was an abundance of laughs and music! Everyone was able to enjoy the hamburger, hot dog, cotton candy, and popcorn stations!
The Grants Trunk-or-Treat held a trunk decoration competition, and also a costume contest. Congratulations to the Miranda family for winning the best family costume! Their family dressed head to toe as dinosaurs and they transformed their car into a prehistoric paradise! Also congratulations to the Mercantini family for winning the best trunk! Their family built a life-sized scene from the opera, musical, and movie ‘Hansel and Gretel.’ Not to mention all the other GOURD-eous costumes and trunks that we saw this Halloween day! From Hogwarts to Under the Sea, 70’s theme to the hit game ‘Among Us,’ the judges truly had their work cut out for them. Would you even believe that Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin showed up?!
The turnout of this first-ever event could not have been any better! However, none of this would have been possible without the outpouring of support and enthusiasm from all the families that attended. The Grants team is already planning on how to make next year’s Trunk-or-Treat bigger, better, and spookier!
October 2020 was filled with events for both families and students alike. From team tryouts to lock-ins to candy, this month had it all! The staff at Grant’s are always looking for new ways to build the community comradery! Despite the “new normal”, we are all living in, the students and families that we have at Grant’s are truly the best. Without the support from the families and students, none of these events would be possible. Thank you to all those who participated in our October events! Be-leaf us when we say that November will be another fun-filled month at Grants Chesapeake Taekwondo and After School Center!