Newsman Debate Column: Which Spirit Week Theme is the Best?
Spirit Week is a yearly tradition defined by ever-changing themes. Some enjoy the opportunity for creativity while others choose not to participate. So we asked the school, which themes made the cut?
The community spoke. The overbearing winner was… Pajama Day! One student commented that this was because it was “Fun and easy to do”, with many sharing this same sentiment. Some people added that this was the only theme they chose to participate in since it was much easier to plan. Another student added the plus of being able to “Roll out of bed”.
Others however, appreciated having a bit more creative liberty and enjoyed more of the activities where they are able to plan with others. One student appreciated Rhyme without Reason, commenting “It was fun to brainstorm ideas to rhyme with my friend and it's fun to have people guess what you are and then tell them.” Most of the same points were shared with twin days and rhyme without reason. The point being, “It's a fun way to connect with friends.”
Some, also, enjoyed Teacher/Student Swap the most! A staff member wrote, “It's fun to see teachers participate and try to mimic students!”. Another pro of this theme was that many liked the opportunity to connect with teachers in general. One person wrote, “I saw Mr. Goldsberry rhyming like a king” Unfortunately, Adam Sandler Day which seemed like a fan favorite last year and returned this year, saw the least amount of connection with only 2 responses.
Colors not represented: Dark red - Costume dress-up, Dark blue (smaller) - “Dress as your type”, Lighter purple - “Dress like your type or school/house colors”
When asked for favorite themes in general, students showed support for many familiar choices, such as pajama day, twin day, student/teacher swap, and rhyme without reason. The next most popular choice was costume dress up day, which this year was separate from the normal spirit week. Some called for their own themes. Valerie Dubé , French teacher at Newman suggested “We could go monochrome for one day!”.
However, when asked if the school population participates in spirit week, the majority at 45.9% said sometimes, similarly when asked if they liked the week, 47.1% of people responded with “Sometimes”. Some explained that “Most of the themes don’t really make sense” and “The themes were practically the same the past two years”.
Some suggestions for the future involved more students in the themes as well as more variety. Sarai Garcia Santos, Spanish teacher at Newman wrote several good suggestions and faults including, “ More commitment from students…(Plus students often look exactly like they do on an everyday basis), [and] more specific days like last year [that] feel more particular/peculiar” as well as students offering up options for prizes.
Overall, many enjoy field day and the portal it opens for creativity. One student commented, “When your joy and sanity is being drained by the IB, you take every chance you get to spice things up and keep a spark of hope in your life”. Thank you for all your responses, Newman!