UNION — The Union County High School Homecoming Committee is working to revive the traditional excitement and participation that comes with Spirit Week.
Over the summer, the PBIS (Positive Behavior, Interventions and Support) Team at UCHS discussed ways to improve the school’s culture. The team formed a campaign known as Jacket POWER, an anagram for Performance, Ownership, World Awareness, Effective Behaviors and Respect.
“These are qualities we expect our students to exemplify in and out of school,” said PBIS team leader and UCHS faculty member Sonya Glenn.
Glenn called the campaign a schoolwide rewards-based program to create a better culture in regard to both academics and behavior. Students earn rewards such as T-shirts, free game passes and pizza parties when they are “caught doing something good.”
Six “Jacket POWER” banners are displayed throughout UCHS, and one banner was given to Buffalo Elementary School, allowing BES students to learn about Jacket POWER by way of the Reading with the Jackets program.
UCHS Principal Floyd Lyles said the Jacket POWER campaign reflects the school’s mission to create the best quality education for all students.
“From last year to this year, the respect level on our campus is different, especially among our tenth-, eleventh- and twelfth-graders,” Lyles said, explaining that the campaign applies to adults as well as students. “The way we handle situations also has an effect. You model what you expect. If you want respect from the students, you show them that same respect.”
As part of the campaign to improve school culture, Lyles, the PBIS team and the homecoming committee are looking to revive the spirit of homecoming week as it was in years past.
Lyles said that over the last four to five years, homecoming week had turned into a time of partying and vandalism for students.
“Why not take that same energy and do something positive,” Lyles said.
There are two of major changes taking effect during UCHS Homecoming Spirit Week 2012 (Oct. 15 to Oct. 19).
First, the UCHS Powder Puff game will be moved back into homecoming week rather than taking place at the end of the school year.
Also, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, students, faculty, parents and Yellow Jacket supporters will gather on Main Street for the 2012 Homecoming Parade. This will be the first homecoming parade to take place in Union in more than 15 years. The parade will feature football players, cheerleaders, the marching band and several UCHS student clubs and organizations.
Glenn said the committee looks forward to giving students something to look forward to rather than them having to find something to get into, which could lead to negative activity.
Students are encouraged to wear costumes to school during Spirit Week. A theme will be featured each day during Spirit Week, and students are encouraged to wear costumes to school. Appropriate hats will be allowed with costumes, but UCHS dress code will still be enforced, and no pajama pants or bedroom slippers/shoes will be allowed on any day. The theme schedule is as follows:
Monday — Retro Day — Students may dress up from any decade in the past (Examples: hippie, 50s, rock ‘n roll, 80s).
Tuesday — Twin Day — Dress like a friend.
Wednesday — Farmer/Cowboy Day — Cowboy hats and overalls are encouraged, however, farm animals, tractors and ATVs are prohibited. The 2012 Homecoming Parade will take place at 6 p.m. on Main St.
Thursday — Black/Gold Day — Students are encouraged to show school spirit dressed in black and gold. Only UCHS hats will be allowed.
Friday — No school — Homecoming game.
Nominations were accepted for homecoming queen, homecoming king and princesses this year. Voting for 2012 Homecoming King has already been tabulated, and the winner will be announced at the homecoming game. Candidates for homecoming queen and court are as follows:
2012 Union County High School Homecoming Candidates
Homecoming Queen
- Abby Allen
- Kiana Brown
- Jayla Crocker
- Jasma Hill
- Elizabeth Lawson
- Morgan Morris
- Kinsleigh Wade
11th Grade Princess
- Rebecka Bishop
- Hydia Green
- Haley Palmer
- Haley Stein
- Chakira Worthy
10th Grade Princess
- Tia Gilliam
- Jasmine Goode
- Hannah Morris
- Angela Sanchez
- Briana Spencer
9th Grade Princess
- Caroline Bailey
- Alycia Fleming
- Abigail Kingsmore
- Hannah Sailors
- Maya Whitener
Staff Writer Derik Vanderford can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 29, or by email at dvanderford@heartlandpublications.com.
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