March Madness

I have a particular fondness for all things Indiana Jones,

even cheesy posters featuring our school mascot, Buzz the Yellow Jacket.

This week (March 3-6) is March Madness Spirit Week at Blue Ridge High School, where I teach.The week will culminate in a formal dance on Saturday, called Morp. In case you didn't notice, it's Prom spelled backwards. Girls ask guys. 

I think Student Council did an incredible job decorating the campus. These particular pictures were taken in my building, East Campus. (I didn't get a chance to have a look at how they dressed up the main campus.) I especially adore the monkeys playing overhead in the halls!

Wild animals roamed the tall grasses of the savanna along the walls, while monkeys played among the vines on the display cases.

Trees, vines, and huge leaves sprouted everywhere, seemingly spontaneously. I can't even imagine the hours spent cutting out all these items! 

 I love many things about teaching high school, especially my students. Working with teens is a never-a-dull-moment, never-watch-the-clock profession. And spirit weeks are another huge favorite. That's when the creativity of high schoolers seems to reach its pinnacle.

We'll enjoy dress-up days all week. Today was "Twins Day" (wear matching clothes with a friend or two), tomorrow will be ""Wild Animals Day" (dress like African animals, don't act like them!), Wednesday will be "Safari day" (wear khakis and a pith helmet, or whatever), and Thursday will be "Natural Habitat Day" (wear our school colors, purple and gold). We have no school on Fridays, so that's the end of the school week.

There will also be crazy lunchtime activities every day, like pie eating contests and other competitive games. Tomorrow between 3rd and 4th periods will be "Stuff'd," where the students get an extended break between classes so they can enjoy student council-provided sweet treats. It all culminates with a pep assembly on Thursday, and then the big dance on Saturday night.

I think it would be fair to say that I enjoy high school more today than I did when I was a high school student, oh, so many years ago!