School Spirit Competition Connects Community At CMS

From LVJUSD: In the front office of Christensen Middle School (CMS), posted on the wall, is a small sign declaring an allegiance to House Hufflepuff, one of the four houses of Hogwarts castle in the Harry Potter book series.

It seems quirky – an office inside joke, perhaps – and one would not think twice about it until discovering colorful clues that the entire campus was engaged in a spirited competition to collect points for one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Christensen has not suddenly begun offering electives in Potions or Quidditch, but has been engaging its entire school community through the 5-Star program – a program in which students and staff earn points for participating in and contributing to overall school spirit.

“With activities like canned food drives or door decorating contests, even spirit days, we are seeing the excitement on campus driven by our staff,” said Shayna Danielsen, Leadership teacher at Christensen. “Parents are also getting into the spirit, cheering on their students’ houses and asking about who is in first. It has been a great thing for our CMS community!”

The 5-Star program was installed throughout the campus this year and gained the buy-in of its students, teachers, and families. Students and staff representing various grades and classes were distributed into the four houses for which they could earn points by participating in spirit days, school activities, special events, clubs, and positive behavior. Student and staff IDs are scanned to the system to track points, which has the added bonus of incentivizing adherence to the policy of wearing one’s ID throughout the day.

Thanks to the involvement of Christensen’s leadership group, the program has sparked some creative applications for the points; Leadership students can gain volunteer hours and points to host “cash-in” events, where students are able to exchange points for school gear, dances, and other events or items that continue to promote participation and inclusion in school activities. By engaging with the school, participating in school community events, and keeping the atmosphere positive, students and staff collect enough points to amplify that behavior.

“This program has been positively reinforcing connections between people all over our school,” said CMS Principal Pat Avilla. “Students are getting excited, so parents get excited, too. And teachers are really involved – making sure their houses are doing well and being represented.”

Although the school is symbolically divided into four houses, the 5-Star program is about bringing the school together. Everyone has an opportunity to express pride in their campus, classmates, and coworkers. Earning more points is as easy as joining one’s peers for a game or a dance, or simply reaching out to another student. With this intentional engagement, Christensen can foster deeper connections, instill character values, and enhance pride in its community.

Photo 1: Leadership class at Christensen Middle School

Photo 2: The four houses

Photo 3: Science teacher Arch Manganaan earning points for her house on Rock and Roll Spirit Day

Photo 4: Leadership students Lucy Patrick and Nithya Madineni volunteering at a cash-in event

Images courtesy of LVJUSD