A themed science lab has turned ordinary science into spook-tacular fun for students at St. Mary’s Catholic School this month.

The lower school science lab was added this summer as a part of the school’s Extreme Makeover project. The lab was made possible by donations from St. Mary’s families who wanted to give teachers and students a place to explore, dissect, and experiment in their science studies.

For the month of October, the science lab has been transformed into a “potions lab” straight out of the Harry Potter series. On lab tables, colorful potions bubble away in beakers.

Black mice cut-outs adorn the walls, and owls and larger-than-life spiders in their webs perch in the corners overseeing classroom activities.

On the day the transformation was revealed, two St. Mary’s parents dressed as book characters Albus Dumbeldore and Professor McGonagall and performed science experiments for the students as they arrived at school.

Spooky experiments in the elementary school have ranged from dissecting owl pellets to making fake blood and slime.

Classes have created steaming jack-o-lanterns and glowing worms using dry ice, as well as “mortician’s bouquets,” studying how food coloring can change a flower’s appearance from the roots up.

The fourth grade class has studied the effects of bacteria and rot with an experiment involving increasingly grotesque bananas.

“We’re so excited to have a wonderful room designated for exploring science, and we wanted to celebrate that.” said Admissions Director Christa Jackson. “We chose this theme because it spans all the grade levels that will be using it. The students have really enjoyed making science even more exciting than usual this month.”