When my children\u2019s school shuttered in March, the President and Vice President of our Parent Volunteer Association were adamant about maintaining a sense of community among students and families while social distancing. They came up with a virtual Spirit Week that they hosted on the PVA Facebook page, encouraging families to post pictures of their children participating in the different activities comprising Spirit Week. The idea was fantastic, and it got me thinking about other ways to boost school spirit virtually.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0this blog, you\u2019ll learn more about:<\/p>\n
Encourage each student\u2019s family to challenge the rest of the school families to give their teacher(s) a shout-out or thank you over the school\u2019s social channels. We started this challenge at Booster. Check out\u00a0BoostEducatorsChallenge.com<\/a>\u00a0for details.<\/p>\n Host a daily fun activity for students or families to do from home and post their work on the school\u2019s Facebook or Instagram page. One of the easiest ways to boost school spirit is to incentivize kids to play along is by selecting one participant at random to receive a special prize.<\/p>\n It feels good to do things for others, so why not launch a card or letter writing project where students write letters or make cards to send to frontline and essential workers like doctors and nurses? You can select the group that\u2019s done the most for your community during the pandemic. This will boost school spirit and give back to your community.<\/p>\n You might consider an online pop-up shop for Kindergarten or 5th graders to purchase items to remember this milestone year. If you want to make it a fundraiser, funds raised might be used for school needs like e-learning initiatives, food for students in need, or perhaps a local food bank or other charity. Check out\u00a0Booster Spirit Wear<\/a>\u00a0for some milestone celebration ideas and more ways to boost school spirit.<\/p>\n This could be an invitation-only event hosted on Zoom or another provider so school families can watch graduation live. You might also consider creating\u00a0yard signs<\/a>\u00a0for newly-graduated students if it feels right for your school community.\u00a0Here<\/a>\u00a0are a few fun yard sign design ideas!<\/p>\n You probably have some super talented teachers and students at your school. Why not host a talent show night using Zoom or another provider that will allow many people to watch and cheer participants on? If you want to make it interesting, allow the audience members to vote for their favorite acts! This is sure to boost school spirit.<\/p>\n Consider a school-wide art project. Assign each class a special theme to celebrate in art. Consider donating the student artwork to a local nursing home or senior living facility near the school. This will \u201cwow\u201d the residents and allow your students to have their artwork on display. Check out this\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0about seniors receiving similar special gifts.<\/p>\n If your school wants to join together on an initiative that will boost school spirit and raise funds that can be used for essential school community needs (i.e. Chromebooks, internet access, food for families, e-learning platforms, etc.) or even a local charity, the new, fully virtual (but still super fun!)\u00a0Boosterthon At Home<\/a>\u00a0program might be an option for your school.<\/p>\n This could be done by class or by the school, or both. What a great opportunity to have students learn about different job functions! This is one of our favorite ways to boost school spirit by showcasing folks who\u2019re making a difference in the community. You likely have many parents at your school you can honor.<\/p>\n2. School Spirit Week on Facebook and Instagram<\/h3>\n
3. \u201cFive Days of Gratitude\u201d Project<\/h3>\n
4. Commemorative Online Pop-up Shop<\/h3>\n
5.\u00a0Host a Virtual Graduation Ceremony<\/h3>\n
6. Teacher & Student Talent Showcase<\/h3>\n
7. \u201cArt Smiles\u201d Project<\/h3>\n
8. A Give Back Spirit Event<\/h3>\n
9. Virtual Career Day<\/h3>\n
10. Virtual Family Trivia Competition<\/h3>\n