School Spirit

• Almost every school has school spirit decorations up during the year, especially around homecoming. Football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, wrestling and other sports encourage school spirit decorations. Students participate in other kinds of competition and can show school spirit for activities beyond sports. Decorate the hall to cheer on your debate team or your chess team. List the team players in your Mock Trial Competition or headed to UIL band and choir competition on big team banners in the hall. Ensure everyone who represents your school in competition knows the entire student body is cheering them on through hall decorations.
  
  

Recognizing Achievement

• Take time each month to recognize those students and teachers who have made outstanding contributions to the school. Create a hall memorial for teacher, student and staff member of the month. Decorate the area with blue ribbons or award stickers and a picture of each winner. List ways to nominate candidates and ways to demonstrate excellence with visual art such as posters or hall murals. At report card time, list honor roll winners. Also include student recognition for those who have demonstrated the most academic improvement or who go above and beyond normal standards, such as those courted by Mensa, Who's Who or who win full college scholarships.
  
  

Get Involved

• High schools often have many clubs and extracurricular activities. Allow various groups to decorate a hall or portion of a hall with information about their organization and activities. Use the decorations to invite students to get involved. Encourage the groups to showcase various special events during the year. Award a prize to the most creative decorations, such as a pizza party or special notice in the school newspaper.
  
  

Make a Difference

• Invite high school artists to decorate a hall demonstrating how students can make a difference in the school community. Local youth and civic organizations can sponsor the artwork and provide ideas for the illustrations. Posters or flyers can provide information to students on how to get involved and the benefits of community involvement. Pictures of students in action could highlight past achievements.
  
  

Know Your History

• Encourage students to learn about their high school's history. If the school is named after someone, include a hall about their achievements and why the school honors them. List names of famous alumni. Illustrate prior school achievement with a mural of honors. Encourage students to make their own mark at school and find a place on the wall of honor.