As the world slowly regains a sense of normalcy, Wayne Hills High School will have a completely normal Spirit Week this year, given the unique circumstances of the last year. The last time Wayne Hills had a Spirit Week was in November of 2019, right before schools nationwide shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Spirit Week will be during the week of April 4. From Monday to Friday, each day will have a designated theme. The more the students in each grade dress according to the theme, the more points each grade can earn.

Here are the themes for each day of the week:

• Monday: Pajama Day
• Tuesday: Groufit
  • Wear all gray!
• Wednesday: College Apparel
• Thursday: Hat Day
• Friday: Class Color
  • Freshmen: Pink
  • Sophomores: Green
  • Juniors: Purple
  • Seniors: Orange

Each class also has a designated theme:

• Freshmen Flash (The Flash)
• Sophomore Supers (Superheroes)
• Junior Jokers (The Joker)
• Senior Story (Toy Story)

Aside from the thematic days, the Student Council is also hosting a food drive and the infamous Penny Wars. If this year was a non-COVID year, Spirit Week would have been the week right before Thanksgiving break, a fitting time to donate food items during the holiday season. However, after the holidays, food banks and soup kitchens slowly see their shelves scarce. This is why this food drive is now more important than ever. It will go to those in our community during a time they need it the most.

The Student Council will be collecting items from Tuesday to Thursday on the stage in the auditorium. If you wish to donate, please make sure not to bring in any GLASS items. Here are the items they will be collecting:

• Pasta Products (1 lb.)
• Soups (10 oz.)
• Canned Fruits & Vegetables (8 oz.)
  • Corn, peas, carrots, and beans
• Rice (8 oz.)
• Tomato SAUCE (16 oz.)
• Tuna (3 oz.)
• Salad Dressing (8 oz.)
• Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo (8 oz.)

All the collected food items will be donated to Eva’s Kitchen in Paterson, New Jersey, and the Wayne Council of PTO’s Food Bank located right at Wayne Hills High School.

Aside from the food drive, another philanthropic initiative hosted by the Student Council is the infamous Penny Wars. Every day of Spirit Week, there will be eight water jugs in front of the Commons in the morning, during lunch, and after school. Each grade

has a positive jug and a negative jug. Whichever grade has the most amount of money at the end of Spirit Week, will win the event. All the collected money usually goes towards a nonprofit organization or to a cause in Wayne. This year the Student Council plans on donating the proceeds to an organization that benefits Ukrainian refugees in light of the current devastating war.

The week will finally come to a close on Friday, the day of the Spirit Rally. Held in the Gifford Gym, all four grades will gather together to take part in competitive events, such as Dizzy Bat, Balloon Pop, Tug of War, Dizzy Bat, and Pie Eating. The gym will be decorated with posters according to each grade’s themes.

The Student Council of each class was also responsible for designing shirts to be worn at the spirit rally. This is a great way to showcase each grade’s creativity and themes. The Spirit Rally is also a way for each class to win points in several different categories, such as the Best Mascot, Best Song, Loudest Cheer, and so on.

Jiwon Song, the Senior Class President, shared her excitement for the upcoming week. “I don’t think I can fully express how excited I am for the upcoming spirit week! It is so great to have a spirit rally after not having one for the past few years. I am heavily excited about the fervent school spirit of Wayne Hills and the booming sounds of students shouting during the rally.” 

Jiwon also made note of the importance of helping those in our community during Spirit Week. “Between all the fun and chaos, the importance of spirit week is simply helping those in need! Throughout spirit week, the Penny Wars and the Food Drive are activities that help nonprofit organizations and those in need in our very own community of Wayne!” Jiwon explained. “Therefore, setting aside the fun and exciting events of spirit week, we must always remember the primary purpose of spirit week: to help those in need! So let’s make sure to remember that spirit week is meant for not only dressing up for the daily themes but also for the spirit of giving!”

The whole Wayne Hills community looks forward to this year’s Spirit Week! Make sure to dress up each day according to the theme to earn your grade points!