Unleashing the Spirit: Fueling the Fire of School Pride

School spirit is a tradition, often bringing students together. Some classes are known for their loud enthusiasm at pep rallies, chants during football games, and active participation in other school events, such as basketball, volleyball, and others. So what exactly is school spirit, and why is it so important?

Kingwood Pep Rally – 2024, Senior Class Officer – Tommy Avery (Grayden Vincent)

School spirit is students’ collective pride, loyalty, and passion for their school. It goes beyond academics and usually shows up in support of athletic teams, engagement in extracurricular activities, and participation in school-wide events. It creates a shared identity among students, making Kingwood a community for all. Additionally, schools with a strong sense of spirit often have a positive culture, influencing student behavior and interactions and making the school more unified.

For instance, a recent study by Varsity Brands was conducted in 2014, where these groups were asked about school pride, academics, self-esteem, their community, and more. The survey showed children whose parents say they have a lot of school spirit are more likely to perform above average in school academically compared to other students (61% vs. 31%) whose parents state that their child does not have much school spirit. Principals state that 75% of students with higher levels of school spirit perform above average in terms of academics and athletics.

Now, what does this all mean for KHS and our Mustang community? Our overall spirit is down when looking at our current attendance at Pep Rallies and games. I remember attending a pep rally for my older sister in middle school. It was amazing to see the stands packed with students dressed up according to the theme everywhere, screaming, shouting, and cheering their class on to win the spirit award. This image still sticks in my mind and is why I get excited about being a class officer for 2026. It was also one of the main reasons I looked forward to high school at Kingwood. We are known for our fun and engaging pep rallies and the spirit we brought. The themes extended beyond the pep rally to dress up weeks and nights that KHS Stucco and Corner of Chaos organized for athletic events. Both groups are still organizing some impressive pep rallies and spirit days, but students are unfortunately taking the option to sit in the cafeteria and miss out. High school only happens once, and there are no pep rallies in college, so why not make the most of our time at KHS? Let’s take advantage of the opportunities the rest of the year to bring that KHS spirit to each pep rally and encourage our friends to come, dress up, cheer in the stands, and be a part of things. High school is not just about academics and pep rallies are a great break in the day to cut loose, engage your community and join something bigger than yourself.

KHS Corner of Chaos leading the cheers – William Jolley and Jake Boatright – January 2024 (Grayden Vincent)

What does school spirit mean to you?

“School spirit can mean many things, but to me I like to think it is the core of enjoying high school. There is nothing else in your life like high school and I don’t wanna drag through it like a chore. I want to enjoy it and live the funnest, hardest, most exiting life I can while I can. That’s what school spirit means to me.”- Jake Boatright (11), KHS Corner of Chaos