Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation.

1.Trick or treat? Framingham Public Schools are open today after a 4-day weekend due to Hurricane Sandy. The last day of school is now Thursday, June 20, 2013.

2. Kids will be trick or treating tonight. Framingham does not set trick or treat hours, so expect kids to ring your bell or knock on your door anytime after dusk. Earlier this week a Town Meeting member suggested moving Halloween to Saturday. While there was some support, the Town of Framingham thought it best to stick with tradition and hold Halloween on Oct. 31.

3. Framingham resident Samantha McGarry says she is the Grinch of Halloween. Click here to find out why.

4. Framingham Patch blogger Cheryl Tully Stoll says when asked "What am I going to be on Halloween?"  she answers "Hopefully the same weight I was when my husband bought eight pounds of Halloween candy four weeks ago!" She offers a few useful and humor-filled tips in her latest post. To read, click here.

5. Blogger Ingrid Peschke talks about masks this Halloween. "We all know that despite appearances, behind the Halloween mask is a real person. We can't be tricked! Isn’t it just as important to uncover the masks behind the issues of daily life?" To read more, click here.

BONUS: Thanks for Framingham Patch reader Susanne Olson for our 5 things column photo today. It is a photo of McCarthy Elementary School Principal Matt Hanlon dressed as Harry Potter famed Professor Dumbledore at the school's annual Monster Mash dance.