Like Mariah Carey once said, “It’s tiiiiiiime” to spread holiday cheer and show school spirit during the week before winter break. A holiday-themed spirit week is coming to students starting on Monday, December 16, hosted by the Student Council Association (SCA). Students can expect a jam-packed week filled with days to dress up, opportunities to earn spirit points for each class, and holiday-themed activities to participate in.
On Monday, students are encouraged to dress up in all white and turn Woodgrove into a walking winter wonderland. If students participate in the school-wide white-out, they are also encouraged to make snowflakes in the Auxiliary Gym during DenTime. The president of SCA, Samantha Mare, talked about the new activities, saying, “We always love innovating and leveling up the spirit week, and we wanted to see if the activities and getting out of DenTime is a motivator to dress up for students. We always go out of our way to try to support and encourage school spirit.”
You might see doppelgangers of Buddy the Elf or Kevin McAllister from “Home Alone” walking through the halls on Tuesday, because the day’s theme is to dress like your favorite holiday character. Get ready to hoedown during homeroom period, because the SCA is hosting line dancing and providing apple cider for all who dress up. “We picked the holiday movie character theme for people who are dedicated and want to go all out. We think line-dancing and apple cider will be a fun activity that can spark some spirit,” Mare explained.
On Wednesday, make sure to deck the halls with ugly holiday sweaters or other holiday spirit wear and participate in an awkward photo contest. The contest is inspired by the recent awkward photo shoot trend at JCPenneys around the world. Vice President of SCA Rory Schriver remarked, “I think that [the photo contest] is going to be so fun! We are going to have a backdrop, and Mrs. Harar is going to take photos.”
Grab your soft sweats and matching sets on Thursday, because it’s PJ day. “Half of Woodgrove already wears pajamas daily, so I think that one [pajama day] will get the most participation. It gives people an excuse to wear their cozy UGGs and Christmas pajamas, which most people already have and are just waiting for an excuse to wear!” Mare exclaimed. Bring your popcorn and hot-hot-hot chocolate, because a Polar Express movie night is coming to Dentime.
On Friday, SCA wants you to “channel your flannel.” Wear your favorite plaid shirts and darkest blue jeans, and get ready to enjoy Woodgrove’s annual holiday concert. The concert consists of performances by all music departments and is the perfect way to celebrate the last day before a long-awaited break. Scriver stated, “The week before a break can be such a drag, so we are looking for a way to get as many students involved in the school as possible. We are trying to come up with as many spirit point ideas as possible too. We thought it was a fun way to get a reward for dressing up.”
For Mare, Schriver, and many other seniors, this spirit week will be a way to celebrate their last December at Woodgrove High School. Schriver touched on the importance of spirit week, and its impact on the school-wide community. She remarked, “I think holiday cheer, specifically at Woodgrove, helps us reflect on the wonderful things that we already have, and how we can give back to the community. I think that’s important to do as a school.”