Spirit week promotes school spirit
If you see a bunch of students wearing crazy hats out or Hawaiian shirts in the middle of winter, you may be witnessing the school celebration of Spirit Week. High school homecoming week is a popular time for Spirit Week, but it can be held any time throughout the year. The celebration works with all ages, from elementary through high school, as long as you keep the themes simple for the younger kids.
If you see a bunch of students wearing crazy hats out or Hawaiian shirts in the middle of winter, you may be witnessing the school celebration of Spirit Week. High school homecoming week is a popular time for Spirit Week, but it can be held any time throughout the year. The celebration works with all ages, from elementary through high school, as long as you keep the themes simple for the younger kids.
What would high school be without the weekly pep rally where the student body is assembled in the gym with the goal or pumping up school spirit? Often these weeks come with various games and contests intended to get students to have more pride in their school.
- Air-Band Competition
Something that always seems to work well with the students is an air-band competition that can be held at lunch all throughout the week. An air band consists of several students who put together a lip-synced routine to a popular song. Start on Monday and have only Freshmen entrants. On Tuesday, have sophomores perform, followed by the Juniors on Wednesday and the Seniors on Thursday. At the pep assembly on Friday, have the winners of each class perform for the whole school and have them vote on a winner by applause. The winning band can be presented with some award and perhaps get free admission to the football or basketball game that evening.
Art Contest
- Spirit art contest
At the pep assembly, you can have a “Spirit Art Contest.” Each class has to put forth a team of five. Teams will be supplied with a pack of markers and a giant sheet of paper hanging on one of the gym’s walls. The team gets 5 to 7 minutes to create a piece of art that has something to do with school spirit. Again, the whole school gets to vote on the art project they like the best, with the winning artists getting a prize. Also, the class that won the art contest gets bragging rights for the rest of the day.
- Beat Your Rival
For homecoming week, have the players wear their jerseys and cheerleaders wear their uniforms on game day. Give one cheerleader and one football player a prize with instructions to give them out at a certain time. In the morning, announce to the student body that one player and cheerleader has a prize which they will be giving out at some point in the day, but only to a student who tells them to “Beat (rival school)” (For example, if your school was playing North High in the homecoming game, students would have to tell them to “Beat North.”) At Homecoming that night, announce who had the prize, who won the prize, and what the prize was. This way, you have students boosting the morale of the players all day which helps to foster a feeling of school spirit.
- Spirit Contests
Spirit contests allow the students to show off their best school attitude, and get others around them excited about the game. You can have students compete in a face or body painting game, allowing them to compete for the best design. You can also have them come up with cheers for the game or participate in banner-painting contests. Have them show their spirit in the most inventive way possible, and award the winners with simple prizes.
- Team Competitions
Bring out a group of juniors and a group of seniors at your spirit assembly. Set them through a number of fun or silly competitions. You can use events like a tug-of-war rope pull, a water balloon tossing contest, an egg carrying contest or a simple obstacle course. Have the students wear blindfolds and force them to complete tasks, or have a quiz or school trivia show.
Bring out a group of juniors and a group of seniors at your spirit assembly. Set them through a number of fun or silly competitions. You can use events like a tug-of-war rope pull, a water balloon tossing contest, an egg carrying contest or a simple obstacle course. Have the students wear blindfolds and force them to complete tasks, or have a quiz or school trivia show.
- Spirit Court
Like homecoming or prom court, spirit court allows you to have a competition for students of both genders and at every grade level. Have the student body vote before the assembly on the student court. Call out the group of winning students at the assembly. Then let the remaining student body cheer for the winners on the floor of the assembly. Have the court show off their spirit in the best way possible.
Like homecoming or prom court, spirit court allows you to have a competition for students of both genders and at every grade level. Have the student body vote before the assembly on the student court. Call out the group of winning students at the assembly. Then let the remaining student body cheer for the winners on the floor of the assembly. Have the court show off their spirit in the best way possible.
- Spirit Week
Instead of just having a few hours of games at a spirit assembly, some schools incorporate spirit weeks. These feature five days full of events and often culminate at a week-end assembly before the big game. During spirit weeks you can have each class level dress in different school colors one day, the next day you can have a karaoke contest in the commons during lunch, and the next you can have a fun sumo wrestling contest with fake costumes and fat suits. Award a winning class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) for each event and award prizes at the assembly.
Ryn Gargulinski is a writer, artist and performer whose journalism career began in 1991. Credits include two illustrated books, "Bony Yoga" and "Rats Incredible"; fitness, animal, crime, general news and features for various publications; and several awards. She holds a Master of Arts in English literature and folklore and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing with a French minor from Brooklyn College. By Ryn Gargulinski, eHow Contributor.
Instead of just having a few hours of games at a spirit assembly, some schools incorporate spirit weeks. These feature five days full of events and often culminate at a week-end assembly before the big game. During spirit weeks you can have each class level dress in different school colors one day, the next day you can have a karaoke contest in the commons during lunch, and the next you can have a fun sumo wrestling contest with fake costumes and fat suits. Award a winning class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) for each event and award prizes at the assembly.
Ryn Gargulinski is a writer, artist and performer whose journalism career began in 1991. Credits include two illustrated books, "Bony Yoga" and "Rats Incredible"; fitness, animal, crime, general news and features for various publications; and several awards. She holds a Master of Arts in English literature and folklore and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing with a French minor from Brooklyn College. By Ryn Gargulinski, eHow Contributor.
R.L. Cultrona is a San Diego native and a graduate of San Diego State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater, television and film with a minor in communications and political science. She began writing online instructional articles in June 2009. By R.L. Cultrona, eHow Contributor, last updated July 14, 2012
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