Watertown High gets ready for Spirit Week 2018
Annual two-week event starts with Groutfit Day on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and ends with all-school Pep Rally Wednesday, Nov. 21
Raider Times photo / Winter Mahon
The banner outside the Watertown High School main office announces this year’s schedule of events.
November 9, 2018
As the school year edges closer to Thanksgiving break, one of the most anticipated events at Watertown High School is on its way, Spirit Week! Every year, students at WHS show their spirit for the school by dressing up according to different themes. This year, some of the days feature Camo Day, Vine/Meme Day, and Aloha Day.
The idea behind Spirit Week is to bring the school together, united over the theme of the day. Also, it’s to get students excited for the coming Thanksgiving Day football game against Belmont.
According to Brian Brewer, WHS dean of students, Spirit Week has been around since at least 1994. Math teacher Karen Trenholm said, “When I first got here [in 1986] and for many years after that, they didn’t have a dedicated Spirit Week. Students and staff were asked to dress in school colors for the rally day.”
Adam Joyce is a WHS gym teacher, assistant football coach, and one of the advisers of the WHS Pride Committee, which organizes Spirit Week. Spirit Week is Mr. Joyce’s self-proclaimed passion. He says that the idea behind Spirit Week is that it is “another event that brings the school together, gets people excited about each day. Each individual day is to get people united at the end of the day, and the last day is about the [Pep Rally] and getting excited for Thanksgiving and football.”
Students in the Pride Committee throws out ideas for themes for days from past years, as well as new ones. Then they take a vote and Spirit Week is ready to go.
The themes are simple, and everyone can participate. It’s a great way to build up school spirit and have everyone excited.
Although Spirit Week may seem silly with goofy ideas to dress up for every day, Mr. Joyce describes the beauty of it.
“The best part of Spirit Week is to see everybody kind of come together and really look like one unit. Everyone’s on the same page, everyone’s together, everyone’s excited about something,” he said.
Spirit Week 2018 kicks off with Groutfit Day on Tuesday, Nov. 13. On this day, make sure you’re wearing a whole outfit of grey.
Mr. Joyce recalled one of funniest things he has experienced from a past Groutfit Day. “We had a Pride Committee meeting that morning and it was funny walking into the gym with all of these students dressed in all grey,” he said. “Fifty students dressed up in grey on a bench, it looked like a prison!”
On Wednesday, Nov. 14, is Camo Day, so wear hats, pants, shoes, anything camo. Thursday is Vine/Meme Day, so dress up as your favorite character from any vine or meme. The last day of the first week is Aloha Friday, which means it’s time to hit the beach! Bathing suits, Hawaiian shirts, and flip-flops are all encouraged on this day.
“I like Aloha Day,” said Mr. Joyce. “I’m always excited to see what Hawaiian shirt Mr. Brewer is going to wear.”
On the Monday, Nov. 19, show off your patriotism for ’Merica Monday, so dress up the most patriotic you can. The next day is school favorite Pajama Day. Get cozy by wearing a onesie or any kind of pajamas you have. Wednesday, a half-day, is the last day of Spirit Week, which means it’s Pep Rally time. Seniors wear black, juniors wear white, sophomores wear red, and freshman wear grey, a fourth color that varies from year to year.
Every day for the two-week period, students are encouraged to dress according to the theme of the day, and be judged on their outfit. Students will have to go to Ms. Hoffman, Ms. Trenholm, Ms. Piscatelli, and Mr. Bridge, who are judging this year.
You may ask, “What is the point in dressing up for the themes?” Well, each grade has a chance to collect points for their grade which go toward the points for rally day games. Pride selected teachers to be judges from different grades and different parts of the school to give students a wide range.
To get points, students who dressed up for that day can go see one of those teachers to hopefully be selected as the best dressed for that day.
Mr. Joyce explained: “Each teacher is going to email me at the end of the day. They are going to tell me their top three most spirited outfits to go with the theme of the day, and each grade tallies up those points and those go with the points for rally day games.”
It is all done in an attempt to get everyone doing the same thing and have a fun event leading up to the Pep Rally, an annual event full of competitions to get the school ready for Thanksgiving and the football game.
There is a section of the bleachers where each grade will sit, united in their color, with a student-made banner hanging above, determining the class. At the beginning of the Pep Rally, all the sports teams will come out, the national anthem will be sung, and then the games will begin!
During the Pep Rally you can find relay races, eating contests, tug of war, and more. While some people pack up their things and head home after the Pep Rally, there is the annual Powderpuff game, which takes place between the juniors and seniors after school ends.
Spirit Week is a collaborative effort that is easy to participate in and can get students excited about their school. There’s a lot that goes into it every year from the students and staff to make sure it is fun and inclusive for everyone.
If you are a student at Watertown High, be sure to dress up each day and visit a teacher to try and earn points for your class! Remember, even though it’s a fun event, notice the unity that you feel with not only your class, but the entire school. The most important part … have fun and be creative with it! So get ready for a week of spirited competition!
(Story written and reported by Liam Connolly, Nicole Delgado, Joseph Ignacio, Anthony Lampasona, Kevin O’Neil, Gleb Partensky, Winter Mahon, and Ella Pastore of the Raider Times staff.)
–Nov. 9, 2018–
