School Spirit. I wanted to throw it out there today. More heads are SO MUCH better than one . . . especially when we are talkin’ about teachers 🙂
My principal and a group of teachers at our school are meeting tomorrow to discuss ways to increase school spirit and, in turn, improve attendance.
Here’s what we have cookin’ in the spirit department thus far . . .
DRESS UP DAYS
Once a month (on a Friday), we want to have a fun dress up day. Do you do this at your school? If yes, what are some of your favorites or more popular ones? Our list is growing, but we would love to add more to it. These are a few of the ones on our radar thus far.
- School Colors
- Crazy Hair, Sock, or Hat Day
- Career Day
- Western Day
- Sports Day
- Character Day
- College Day
- Aloha Day
- PJ Day
- Pirate Day
- Rock Star Day
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| Sports Day last year was a hit! |
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| We have a great staff . . . the teachers are so involved when we do have a dress up day or event! |
ASSEMBLIES
Do you all have regular assemblies? Tell me more! We never really have at our school until now, but we are looking to add a few more to the mix. This year we had Dr. Noise come and the kids were drooling all over themselves. We also always have the end of the year Talent Show, but we need more. We are hoping to add more student-driven get togethers to the mix (i.e. awards assemblies). I am thinking it would be cool to take photos throughout the months and put together little videos to show kids in action for the at quarterly assemblies. Also, it would be neat to showcase kiddos’ academic and character building accomplishments. Thoughts on this?
ATTENDANCE AWARDS
Our school started handing out monthly attendance awards this year – just a certificate and a little treat (eraser, pencil, or sticker). However, we are looking to do more. Ideas? Thanks to Jennifer over at First Grade Blue Skies and her recent contest (oh yeah . . . I was her winner), I learned about the wonderful power of Brag Tags. We are throwing these into the mix this year as a special trimester attendance award. The team also will be coming up with a BIG year long attendance award. Mmmmmm . . . the wheels are turning.
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| It just so happens Jennifer is having a BIG bloggy b-day contest. Click her button to check it out. |
On a whole different note, June seems to be turning into a very sentimental month. I came “clean” in regards to my special Intelli-Tunes’ Daddy (read more) on Sunday and today is my two year wedding anniversary. So bear with me bloggy friends . . . I’ve got another quick heartfelt shout out to work in 🙂
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| We’re always laughing and dinking around! |
It’s been a crazy two years filled with great times and scary times, but it’s been a darn good ride thus far. It’s so mushy-gushy, but he’s my main squeeze, my favorite time of day, my whole life. I love you babe.
What an evening it was . . .
Alright . . . no more pictures I promise. It seems I just couldn’t stop myself once I started walkin’ down memory lane. Thanks for stickin’ it out friends. I’ll be back tomorrow with a little somethin’ somethin’ for ya 🙂
For attendance, we throw all the kids names that have Perfect Attendance for the grading period into a bowl and pick one to win a bike courtesy of our local exchange club and helmet courtesy of the local police department. The bike is presented to the child at the awards program for that grading period. This is definitely an incentive to be present every day for students in First thru Third grade.
This is a fantastic idea . . . thank you so much for sharing. I am definitely bringing this up at the meeting tomorrow.
The principal at the beginning of the school year would set a goal….I think it was 1000 books to be read by the end of the year. The class in each grade that achieved this goal got to….. throw a pie in the principals face…..or another year…she kissed a pig…..or another year…she rode a horse…Something fun! At each months assembly they would build excitement by having the person in charge of the contest tease the principal by telling her how close the kids where to the goal….the principal would respond with jeers saying that they were not even close….ya, ya , ya…..you get the picture….I think that the whole thing was not to let the kids know just how close they were until the end of the school year (May)….they would say things like…Mrs. Smith's class is winning in the third grade…but Mrs. Jones class is closing in….stuff like that….The kids just ate it up!
Great idea! Going to bring this up too 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to share.
I wish we had a fun dress up day once a month! Twice a year our student council puts on a Spirit Week and we get to do fun dress themes on this days. I love dressing up — possibly why Halloween is my favorite Holiday. You look beautiful in your wedding pictures. My hubs and I just celebrated our one year and I did a mushy blog post too so no worries 🙂 Happy Anniversary!!
❤-Stephanie
Falling Into First
Halloween is my favorite holiday too! Thanks for the sweet post 🙂
What a beautiful wedding day 🙂
For attendance, we let the kids with perfect attendance go on the morning announcements with the big bad principal! The kids LOVE doing this! Our principal also announces classes with perfect attendance each day on the announcements. I'm not going to lie, that gets VERY old. Otherwise, we are pretty boring in the awards department "sigh…"
Chelsey♥
This would be pretty cool if it only happened once in a while. I like this and I think the kiddos would dig it. We do have an all-call system. Another great idea. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Love the pics! (thanks for the shout out!!)
Hugs,
Jennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
I love your blog! You have a fun school! I am a new follower! 🙂
Cheryl
Crayons and Curls
We have "All-Star" Assembly after each nine week period. Students are recognized for All A'S, A'S and B'S. All E's in conduct, perfect attendance for the 9 weeks and each homeroom teacher selects a most improved student (starting the second 9 weeks) to be honored at the assembly. Each time the child's name is called for an award they also get a little certificate and something else (pencil, free kids meal at a local restaurant) We also have brag tags and necklaces award for perfect attendance. Each 9 weeks one is earned, it gets added to their chain. Our counselor highlights a character trait each month and talks about what it means on the announcements. Every time we see a student showing that trait, we submit their name and their picture goes in the showcase and is announced at the next award assembly. This year, the class with the highest attendance percentage got a trophy to keep in their room. I also think the teachers can go a long way. When a students returns from an absence, ask them why they were gone, give them a hug and let them know they were missed. If students are absent for more than 2 days, I call home to ask about them. I think it helps the kids and the students know I really do care about them and their learning. As far as dress up days, we dress up each day for Red Ribbon Week, we do a character dress up for halloween (dress like a character from your favorite book) and we do a vocabulary parade where everyone dresses like a vocabulary word! We have "spirit" day every friday where kids are encouraged to wear school colors or the school T-shirt (sold at cost at meet the teacher) and the teachers can wear jeans if they wear the school colors! Hope this helps! Sorry I took up a whole page!!!
Heather
Kickin' it in Kinder
This post was fantastic. I am GLAD you wrote a lot 🙂
We do spirit days once a month. Actually we have a spirit week but it is only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Two of those days are the same for every month- class color day and school spirit day. The other day changes every month. Favorites: pajama day, fitness day, sports gear day, crazy hair day, read a shirt day (for March is reading month), and beach day.
Jessica
Apples and Papers
Fantastic ideas . . . thank you so much for sharing ladies!!! These are going to help us a ton 🙂
Your title makes me want to cartwheel!! Our school has dress up days once a month too! The kids love them… I however am horrible… I always forget about the day or remember when its too late and I don't have anything to wear! I will be better next year!
We have a lot of the same days you do.. we also had nerd day, twins day, and Dr. Suess day!
Susan
T.G.I.F. (Thank God it's First Grade!)
I love the Friday dress up day idea!
Michelle @ Smitten With First
Yay two years!!! 🙂 We have wacky hair day, crazy sock day, wear green day…. that's about it. I love your ideas!
❤Teri
A Cupcake for the Teacher
Your wedding pictures are so pretty! You looked so lovely!! Congratulations! 🙂
Another special dress day we have is Dress to Impress Day. The kids get all fancied up and come in their little vests and dresses. I do have to say that the kids actually hate this day because it's not comfortable for them, but I think it is super cute, haha.
Marvelous Multiagers!
Dress to impress rocks my socks. Great idea . . . the kids will get over it 😉 Thanks so much for commenting on this. All of the ideas have been such a help.
We do dress up days every now and then, when we do they are mostly pj day, favorite sports team, school colors, crazy days, hat day, the usual. One of my Favorite assemblies I've done is a TCAP or standardized testing peprally. We did a Rock the Test theme and wrapped "We will rock this test" the teachers dressed up like rock stars equipped with Xbox Rockband instruments. The principal gave a big rally speech and the local high school cheerleaders and band came and preformed. The kids loved it! The younger grades that do not test, made signs cheering on the older grades. IT was a great day!
Jodi
Southern Sweetie in Second
So writing this down to bring up today. I loved that you all got the local high school involved too. Thanks so much for sharing.
Happy [late] two-year anniversary! 🙂 My hubs and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary last week — looks like June is a good month for all. 🙂
The "dressing up each month" is a cute idea. Although, I have to say that, as a teacher, I would want as much warning about those dress-up days as possible — I gotta have time to hunt for some goods! 😉 My high school did something similar, but it just lasted for the week of homecoming ("spirit week"), and the entire school participated. Our student council thought up 5 different things for us to dress up as, and everyone took a vote on "most spirited" at the end of the week. Some other things we did were "backwards day," "camo day" (this was in Oklahoma, what can I say?), "nerd day," "black out day" (wear all black to "black out" your opponent? I'm not really sure. I just know we had a lot of participation in that because everyone has black clothing!), and "celeb day" (dress as a famous person). If I think of more, I'll get back to you!
At the district where I currently work in Texas, every student grades 5-12 has the opportunity to sign up to check out a yearbook camera for a day. They can take pictures of whatever they want for that day, and then they turn in the camera before the last bell rings. We all do announcements every morning, and the 5-12 grades do video announcements (student-led). Throughout the week, the students compile the best shots from the yearbook cameras and turn them into a short movie that they show on Fridays. The kids LOVE it, and I love that it's on Fridays because kids are so anxious to maybe get a glimpse of themselves "on TV" that they WILL NOT be absent on Fridays for nearly anything!
~Mrs. K. from The Teacher Garden Blog
Our middle school teachers will be attending this meeting as well and that camera/video idea is a gem I tell ya! Thanks oh so much for sharing. And . . . we live in the sticks . . . camo day would be perfecto!!! Thanks Mrs. K!!!
How did I miss these gorgeous wedding pictures!?! I love them!
Why thank you Ms. Katie . . . it was an evening indeed 🙂
Another great post (as always). Thanks for putting this topic out there, I'm pinning you so I can remember all of these great ideas. I use to be one of the sunshine team leaders at my school and we always planned spirit days around the holidays. We had pj day, reindeer antlers day, silly socks day, and santa hat day. The kids loved it.
Side note – I LOVE your wedding pictures. You both look so incredibly happy. Congratulations on your anniversary.
✰ Stacy
Simpson Superstars
Nice Post.
Valuable and interesting information is here.
Thanks for sharing with us.
School assembly ideas