School & District Management Download

Shhhh!!! It’s Underground Spirit Week, Don’t Tell the Students

By Lesli A. Maxwell & Francis Sheehan — November 21, 2024 1 min read
Illustration of shushing emoji.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

OFFICIAL MEMORANDUM

To: Principals, teachers, and school-based staff

From: The EdWeek Fun Committee (yes, it's a real thing)

Subject: School Spirit Week


Dear principals, teachers, and school-based staff:

We are writing to inform you about a new (OK, maybe not that new) and lively twist on the tired old tradition of School Spirit Week. Sorry, no disrespect, but it's a tradition in need of a reform, reboot, refresh—a re-something.

That's why we are writing to you with a call to action for this school year that's now officially hit the blah phase: Host an #UndergroundSpiritWeek. What the heck is that, you ask?

It's the spirit week we all wish we had when we were students. It's one that only the grown-ups are in on at first. One that will confuse, delight, and energize the kids as they try to figure out what the heck is going on.

And it's easy to pull off. No PD required! Just a tiny bit of planning and coordination—no robocalls, text messages to parents, anything extra. Plan it on a Friday, launch it the next Monday.

To inspire you, we have curated some of our favorite #undergroundspiritweek posts from social media. We also spun up a handy dandy downloadable guide you can follow and/or adapt for your schools. (scroll to bottom of the memo!)

Oh, but there is one preferred option from the EdWeek Fun Committee: Include the theme of "Anything But a Cup Day." (You'll see why in these posts.)

Have fun and tag us @educationweek in any of your #undergroundspiritweek social posts!

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Related Tags:

Edér Del Prado, Social Media Producer contributed to this article.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Beyond Teacher Tools: Exploring AI for Student Success
Teacher AI tools only show assigned work. See how TrekAi's student-facing approach reveals authentic learning needs and drives real success.
Content provided by TrekAi
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Building for the Future: Igniting Middle Schoolers’ Interest in Skilled Trades & Future-Ready Skills
Ignite middle schoolers’ interest in skilled trades with hands-on learning and real-world projects that build future-ready skills.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Video Meet the 2026 Superintendent of the Year
A Texas schools chief says his leadership is inspired by his own difficulties in school.
Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens speaks after being announced as AASA National Superintendent of the Year in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026.
Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens speaks after being announced as AASA National Superintendent of the Year in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management Simulations Aim to Prepare Superintendents to Handle Political Controversies
The exercises, delivered virtually or in-person, can help district leaders role-play volatile discussions.
3 min read
021926 AASA NCE KD BS 1
Superintendents and attendees get ready for the start of the AASA National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 11, 2026. A team of highlighted new scenario-based role-playing tools that district leaders can use to prep for tough conversations with school board members and other constituencies.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management What School Leaders Should Do When Parents Are Detained (DOWNLOADABLE)
School leaders are increasingly in need of guidance due to heightened immigration enforcement.
1 min read
Valley View Elementary School principal Jason Kuhlman delivers food donations to families from the school Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn.
Valley View Elementary School Principal Jason Kuhlman delivers food donations to school families on Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn. School leaders in the Twin Cities have been trying to assuage the fears of over immigration enforcement.
Liam James Doyle/AP
School & District Management Opinion Why Bad Bunny’s Half-Time Performance Was a Case Study for School Leadership
The megastar’s show was an invitation in a challenging moment. Did you catch it?
3 min read
Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.
Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.
Charlie Riedel/AP