Ways to Cultivate School Spirit & Culture

‘When students feel a sense of efficacy, they tend to be more involved, more in tune with the great opportunities which exist on their campus. If students they are not doing well in school, they are also not likely to be involved in athletics or many of the activities.

Additionally, students who do not feel a sense of efficacy, they do not take personal responsibility for not doing well and tend to blame the school or other factors. They will state ‘they don’t care.’ Students who are achieving strongly tend to be involved in all of the aspects of high school. They start and join clubs, they start clubs, they participate in different events, activities and athletics on site. In summary these students They get THE FULL HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. ’’   
- Survey Taken from Varsity Brands

What Is School Spirit? 

Simply put it can be identified as the ‘vibe’ of the school. It is the ‘pulse’ of the school. It is palpable, not tangible.  It is critical in strengthening school identity and sense of community. It creates a sense of belonging and connection. All stakeholders, be it students, teachers, parents and administrators will benefit from a positive school climate and it can be a valuable vehicle to drive the mission and vision of the school.

What Drives School Spirit? 

Schools can take different approaches to drive spirit among their students. Activities that bring students, teachers and other community members together to collaborate as a team will promote school spirit and give a sense of togetherness. 

School practices that recognize achievement and promote positive reinforcement are also intrinsic in developing a positive school climate.

These practices and activities include:

• Awarding students for academic performance: Honor Roll, Merit Roll
• Award ceremonies that recognize non-academic performances
• Service-learning
• Engaging faculty, administrators and staff
• Promoting clubs and organizations
• Holding social events 
• Promoting graduation events (Senior Walkthrough)
• Yearbook events
• House events
• Spirit weeks
• Celebrating the school’s birthday
• Door decorating contests
• School mascot

 

School Spirit and Academic Achievement

The concept of school spirit being correlated with high academic achievement is the subject of much debate. However, the fact is, it’s true! Successful students tend to take more pride in their school. They also engage themselves in many different aspects of the school, from clubs and organizations to service learning to after school activities. They tend to be the ones who will seek leadership positions and have a positive influence. 

Unsuccessful students tend to not take responsibility for their actions. They are quick to criticize and tend to blame the school and the teachers for their underperformance. They surround themselves with students who are similarly negative and tend to ‘feed off’ each other creating an unhealthy environment.

Survey Shows Students With School Spirit Are Top Achievers

In addition to showing support for their school, high school students with “school spirit” perform better academically, are more engaged in social and civic matters, and are happier in general than their less-spirited peers.

For more information, Read More
 

“The more school spirit a student has, the more likely the students are to stay on campus after school for tutoring, the higher their attendance is, and there is a feeling that they want the best for the school and therefore try their best on state assessments.”  

 - Survey Taken from Varsity Brands

School Spirit and Covid-19

During Lockdown most schools proved that out of adversity comes opportunity. The school communities proved to be amazingly resilient. Students, teachers and administrators found innovative ways of promoting school spirit. One could never argue that these will ever match face to face activities but engaging in fun online events can still help to maintain a support system.

Such events/ activities include:

1. School Spirit Week on Facebook and Instagram.
2. Host a Virtual Graduation Ceremony.
3. Host a drive-through event (Graduation, Halloween etc)
4. Teacher & Student Talent Showcase.
5. Virtual themed spirit days/ weeks.
6. Virtual after school activities.
7. Story Time (teachers/ staff reading to students in pre-recorded sessions)

One cannot underestimate the value of a team approach in the development of school spirit. All stakeholders in the school community must play a part, each adding diversity to the mix. Modelling strategies that inspire students to become better problem-solvers and more inclusive of diversity should be used by teachers and administrators. The result will be the development of a strong and dynamic sense of school spirit and the subsequent success of the students.

Related Articles

Discipline and School Spirit 

Educational Platform for Strengthening School Identity 

Keeping (School) Spirits High During Social Distancing 

Keeping the School Spirit Alive During Covid-19 

 

Maeve O'Donovan
modonovan@isps.edu.tt
Assistant Principal