“Pajama Day.” “Rhyme Without Reason.” “Wild West vs. West Coast.” “Throwback Thursday.” “First Letter Friday.”
This was the theme lineup for this year’s Spirit Week, which featured both new and old activities and themes.
Spirit Week took place from Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22. Students participated in events in the courtyard and wore free dress to match each day’s theme.
As the third quarter of the school year concluded, many students completed major assessments over the course of Spirit Week. Junior Sophia Calne took a two-part Advanced Study Calculus AB assessment, completed an Advanced Study Biology quiz, turned in a history policy paper and submitted an Advanced Study Rhetoric essay.
“It was a little bit stressful for me to be able to manage my time, in terms of going to spirit events but also managing my work,” Calne said. “But after the spirit dance, we’ll have spring break, which is nice.”
Sixth grader Kira Pansing said she enjoyed participating in the daily courtyard events. She said she especially enjoyed the “Guess the Smoothie” activity, during which participants had to blindly taste test and identify different smoothie flavors.
“We didn’t have a Spirit Week at my elementary school,” Pansing said. “It feels a little bit more welcoming. I’ve really enjoyed participating this year because in kindergarten, at my old school, we didn’t do anything like this.”
Calne said she enjoyed the “Wild West vs. West Coast” theme because of the courtyard events she engaged in that day. She participated in the Pilates class, as well as Director of Middle School Reed Farley’s line-dancing activity. However, Calne said she hopes, next year, the Student Council Executive Board brings back an old theme.
“I really liked in ninth grade, when we had ‘Anything but a Backpack Day,’” Calne said. “People came up with the most creative ideas. I thought that it was really fun, and I would love to bring that back.”
The Spirit Week dances are an annual tradition where each grade performs their own dance. Students choreograph the dances, and each one typically features a mashup of popular songs. The dances took place Friday, March 22, in the courtyard, during lunch. The senior class placed first, the sophmores placed second and the eighth graders placed third.
Sixth grader Blaine Williams performed in her grade’s dance and said she practiced the dance for the two weeks leading up to the performance.
“Ariela [Abugova] and Francis [Rozenfeld] choreographed it. They did a really great job,” Williams said. ” We have been practicing it every lunch. It’s really fun. I am very nervous for the performance but also excited.”
Sophomore Winter Perrineau said Spirit Week has allowed her to take her mind off her workload. She said she sees the value of coming together as a school to celebrate everyone’s unique personalities and accomplishments.
“Spirit Week is so important because it’s a fun outlet during a stressful time,” Perrineau said. “Everyone gets to come together and have fun in the courtyard for activities.”
