As students returned to school after a three-day weekend, prepared for their last full week of the semester, many were unaware or confused to see their teachers decked in athletic wear, different shades of one color, and bright patterns, like stripes and plaid, and drinking out of items that were anything but a cup.
However, for the faculty, this was not just strange behavior.
Coordinated by German teacher Herr Alex Paul and French teachers Mrs. Traci Dubs and Ms. Suzanne Stadnicki, the teachers were having their own spirit week, but in secret, hoping to boost school spirit, have fun, and catch student reactions.
“I thought it was really cute and really silly,” junior Pearl Tweedy said. “I also liked hearing kids in the hallway, where they were also trying to figure out what was going on, where they hadn’t put it together quite yet, but they’re like, ‘Something’s definitely up.’”
Preparation for the underground spirit week began months ago when Paul, Dubs, and Stadnicki saw different TikToks and Instagram reels about a secret spirit week and were inspired. Paul was instrumental in coordinating the spirit week for the entire staff.
“We picked the ones we thought would be fun to wear, things that are fun to do, and things that would draw your attention,” Dubs said.
The theme days were: Monochromatic (Tuesday), Anything But a Cup (Wednesday), Patterns (Thursday), and Workout Gear (Friday).
For many teachers, including chemistry teacher Mrs. Danielle Ciamaichelo, bringing in “anything but a cup” was memorable because it stirred many student reactions. Teachers drank water from Tupperware, teapots, jars, and other unusual vessels.
“The kids were so confused because I have them first block and they had no idea what was going on,” Ciamaichelo, who drank from a popcorn container, said. “And they’re giggling at me and asking questions like ‘What, this is all I had to drink from today. What’s wrong?’ because I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to tell or if it was a secret, but it was fun. It got the class engaged.”
Some students, like sophomore Missy Rich, quickly caught onto the spirit week and enjoyed what the teachers were up to.
“I first realized there was a spirit week in my second block on Wednesday when my teacher was drinking out of a diffuser. My friends also said their teachers were using weird cups, too,” Rich said. “I thought it was funny and kind of a nice distraction before finals.”
Because the spirit week was underground, several teachers tried to deter students about theme days occurring, while others giggled and feigned innocence.
“Some of the teachers were really sneaky about it, like Ms. Everly on Friday for athletic wear, was like, ‘No, I’m just wearing these clothes because I’m pregnant and I want to be comfy.’ But, some of them, like I asked Ms. Neeson about it, was all giggly about it, and she’s like, ‘Oh, you caught me,’” Tweedy said.
For many of the teachers, messing with the students was one of their favorite parts of the underground spirit week.
“Making it seem like it was totally normal to be drinking out of a pot or to be wearing athletic shorts over leggings with a headband because I never wear those, was probably the best part,” math teacher Mrs. Whitney Wiltsie said.
Teachers also had the opportunity to engage and connect with one another as they prepared and planned outfits for the next day.
“I appreciated the group text when we started sharing, ‘What are we going to wear? And who has this? Does anybody have this item because I could really use it for tomorrow,’” Wiltsie said.
With the first semester ending, the spirit week also served as a way to have school spirit and de-stress even amidst learning final material and upcoming finals.
“It was really fun seeing all of us come together and do something that was fun for the teachers but also fun for the students, especially coming back from break and right before finals,” business teacher Ms. Gianna Harris said. “It was a great way to bring a lot of school spirit to the building and get teachers and students involved.”
There is a possibility of another underground spirit week in the future, but not anytime soon.
“I’d like to keep students guessing about when it could be [next],” Stadnicki said. “I feel like [you’re] onto us now, so we can’t do it too soon. We have to step up our game.”
