Be Happy
Students with higher levels of school spirit are substantially more likely to
say that they often felt happy during the past school year than those
students with low school spirit (76% vs. 13%). Students who embody school
spirit take the time to “
promote positivity, compassion, responsibility and
empathy
,” one principal summarized.
Furthermore, students who have higher levels of school spirit are also more
inclined to say that they often felt fulfilled during the past school year
(44%) than students with low school spirit (5%).
Parents who say their child has a lot of school spirit are more than twice as
likely than other parents to say that during the past school year, their child
was
happy
(70% vs. 32%),
confident
(60% vs. 30%),
satisfied
(58% vs. 22%),
and
fulfilled
(34% vs. 9%). They are also
less likely
to say that their child
was stressed (28% vs. 58%), overwhelmed (16% vs. 35%), lonely (4% vs. 30%),
sad (6% vs. 25%), or angry (4% vs. 26%) when compared to those parents
who said their child did not have a lot of school spirit.
Foster Friendships
As one might expect, shared experiences go hand in hand with building
strong, long-lasting relationships. Perhaps that’s why students with high
levels of school spirit have a greater likelihood than students with low
school spirit to
have a close group of personal friends
(96% vs. 78%) and to
say they
feel satisfied
with their group of friends (96% vs. 78%).
Student suggestions of the meaning of school spirit varied from
“participating in band and drama [-] the arts” to “supporting my school
at events like athletics and music competitions” to “rooting for your
peers, even if they’re losing,” and another student response indicated
that school spirit “is all about the relationship with your school and
classmates.” One principal echoed, school spirit means “a sense of pride,
camaraderie and community
which pulls a group of people (students,
staff, parents, etc.)
together for a common purpose.
”
S u c c e s s T h ro u g h S a t i s f a c t i o n c o n t .
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