As a junior at New Trier High School, I have noticed many of the things New Trier tries to value. Specifically, last week was homecoming week, and New Trier tried to integrate school spirit into the school week.
My gym teacher had a conversation with the class on Friday before the pep rally. She was asking us why most people at New Trier didn’t take school spirit seriously. This made me realize that I didn’t see very many people dressing up for any of the days during spirit week. I also heard many negative things about the pep rally, and that many people didn’t want to go. Even at the rally, most people just sat there. There was an ocasional cheer or dancing, but most people were not very excited.
School spirit is very important for many reasons, and I think that New Trier students should participate and value it more. According to Theclassroom.com, “When people take pride in something, they tend to work harder and feel more invested than they would without that sense of pride. For better or worse, school spirit is contagious. Students and staff who show enthusiasm for being a part of the school are likely to encourage their peers to follow suit, which yields greater participation in school activities and boosts both morale and performance.” At New Trier, we can use school spirit to bring people together in a common cause and use it to take a break from the stressful school environment.
New Trier students participate in certain school spirit things, but they need to participate in more. School spirit needs to be more of a priority for students because it helps build community and common values.
Do you think school spirit is important enough to make it a higher priority?
My gym teacher had a conversation with the class on Friday before the pep rally. She was asking us why most people at New Trier didn’t take school spirit seriously. This made me realize that I didn’t see very many people dressing up for any of the days during spirit week. I also heard many negative things about the pep rally, and that many people didn’t want to go. Even at the rally, most people just sat there. There was an ocasional cheer or dancing, but most people were not very excited.
School spirit is very important for many reasons, and I think that New Trier students should participate and value it more. According to Theclassroom.com, “When people take pride in something, they tend to work harder and feel more invested than they would without that sense of pride. For better or worse, school spirit is contagious. Students and staff who show enthusiasm for being a part of the school are likely to encourage their peers to follow suit, which yields greater participation in school activities and boosts both morale and performance.” At New Trier, we can use school spirit to bring people together in a common cause and use it to take a break from the stressful school environment.
New Trier students participate in certain school spirit things, but they need to participate in more. School spirit needs to be more of a priority for students because it helps build community and common values.
Do you think school spirit is important enough to make it a higher priority?
Hello, Sophie! My name is Ms. Blair and I have been observing your classroom for the past few weeks. I will also be student teaching in your class this winter. I look forward to getting to know you and your classmates throughout this school year!
ReplyDeleteYour post illustrates a scenario in which certain values-- in this case, school spirit and a sense of community-- are largely absent. If we want students to realize the benefits of school spirit, how can we instill these values? What impact might an increase in school spirit have on the New Trier community?