Strategies that serve students. and your staff is what are the heart and soul behind the use of school themes. School themes are “ideas put in motion” to help you invest in the future of the students and the school. They’re the combination to find ways to promote school spirit.
School Themes are Ideas in Motion
Many teachers like to use themes in their instructional units. Themes can focus on a single topic of interest to students.
They can build on the natural interests of learners and become the core for group activities. Whether we’re writing, speaking, listening, reading or calculating, the content-related concepts can all be taught within the context of your school theme.
Themes can bring all related concepts under a single umbrella. Themes also attract and maintain student interest while providing continuity for a series of activities.
School themes are simply recurring elements in a literary or artistic work and together are designed to promote school spirit and unify staff and students.
What’s this “together” stuff you say ? Well…your school is unique.
We do the work of providing the school themes template describing benefits, features and examples of how to implement each school theme. All you have to do is add the special ingredients that make it YOURS.
Your staff, your colors, school logo, motto, academic achievements, sports accomplishments, special community relations and all those things that make your school different from every other school.
One theme at a time, each of you will add an extra twist here and there that makes it your personal achievement.
Teamwork Will Inspire Students and Teachers
A TWIST mural is painted on the wall where student success awards are displayed. The mural theme matches your theme shirt logo. Let’s remember we’re having fun as we promote school spirit – Pictures of juke boxes, hula hoops, couples in bobby sox and pony tails or flat tops, 50’s cars, soda jerks, Chubby Checker, etc.
The use of school themes help encourage, motivate and excite staff and students. This is exciting but please also be aware that a fair amount of creativity is needed as well.
Ideas have to begin somewhere. Those special individuals with creativity in their bones have to generate the plan that inspires, excites and motivates everyone around them. Not much happens without these creative souls. (twist theme)
Upstanding Students All-Around
One theme that we offer on this site is called “The USA theme”. The USA theme offers a great opportunity to emphasize citizenship and patriotism. It can be especially effective during the Olympics or Presidential election years.
Theme USA may also be utilized to improve character or introduce a character education program into your curriculum. Character building focus words are chosen: caring, respect, positive attitude, tolerance, responsibility, honesty, listening, cooperation, and manners are examples.
Inspired learning is exactly what school themes can help provide!
“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” Chinese Proverb
And inspired learning is exactly what school themes can help provide.
What are the benefits of school themes?
Our school themes are designed specifically to help you support your school spirit. Most likely, that’s one thing we can all use a little more of! No matter if we’re talking about pre-school themes, high school themes, or even music themes, our school themes help to keep the entire staff motivated and positive throughout the school year.
School themes can add brightness and fun to your school
If you are looking for some fun pops of color, why not consider a “Fiesta theme” for your school? Imagine the school filled with bright colors and pinatas hanging in the classroom. This theme easily sets the stage to explore different cultures and languages. Bulletin boards can be decorated with pictures of sombreros, cactus, hot peppers, Mexican food, guitars, donkeys, parrots, Mexican blankets, ponchos, pinatas, Mexican pottery, etc.
School themes develop positive attitudes and inspire students
These attitudes can actually start as early as kindergarten! Keep in mind that school themes provide opportunities for individual recognition. We all want our activities and actions to be noticed. Each of our school themes provides examples of how students can be recognized upon completion of theme related events.
Wow! What a Way to Manage Your School’s Spirit
School themes develop and foster healthy relationships among students. We all benefit from an early start in developing healthy relationships and of course, the use of our elementary school themes are not too early to start.
Students Having Opportunities for Excellence and Success
Have you ever wanted your students to see what it feels like to walk in the shoes of those that they are studying? The “Shoes Theme” can be used across the curriculum i.e. physical education, science, mathematics, social studies, communications, art, and other subject areas. Students “walk in the shoes” of the people in which they are studying, they walk through different math problems and display the steps along the way, and they get to see how history was paved with the fun use of the “Shoe theme”.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg!
School themes also aid in building character and generating excitement among students
Speaking of excitement…School years are usually the most exciting years of our lives. From your first coloring sheet to high school spirit week there is hardly a dull moment. Many treasurable memories come from our school days. The lifelong friends, the yearbooks, graduation ceremonies, the dances, the parties, sports activities, etc. Think about it… school days brought lots of fun.
What made school so exciting?
It was the daily activities! The teachers who cared, best friends, a positive and supportive learning environment, a good principal, cool bus rides, winning against our rival schools, lettering in sports, getting all my homework in on time, school jackets, Friday night hangouts, and a school showing spirit.
Whether we’re dealing with students in kindergarten, grade school, middle school, elementary school, junior high school or high school, we can all benefit from the many social and personal attributes school themes can address.
Have A Positive, Productive Year with School Themes
As with all good ideas, there is a “kick-off” session and each unique theme contains ideas related to that particular acronym. In this, let’s focus on our “Happy theme”. The HAPPY theme brings joy to your school. Imagine bright yellow happy faces decorating the halls and classrooms. Everywhere you look there is a smile. It promotes a positive climate for teaching and learning.
Creating Your School Theme
Most school themes are developed around a “play on words” and form an acronym. Take the word “HAPPY” for instance. With a little creativity, the word “HAPPY” can easily represent…Have A Positive Productive Year (H.A.P.P.Y) See how simple it can be to have a school theme for your upcoming year?
Why use acronyms to develop a school theme?
Because, acronyms are a “play” on words” the possibilities are endless. Here are some additional acronym word choices you may find useful in developing your own school themes:
Teamwork, Trust, Freedom, Choices, Money, Hope, Loyalty, Safety, Peace
The “possibilities” list is as long or short as your imagination.We’ve also prepared a short acronym tutorial for your review.
As you create your school theme always remember their purpose!
School themes are intended to inspire heightened school spirit, motivate staff and students and help teachers administer in a positive learning environment.
