The most exciting week of the year- Spirit Week, is a favorite for some but a dread to others. Many students enjoy dressing up for themes and participating in events. People find it fun to break out of their shell and have an exciting week. Although, there tends to be students who don’t participate during this week at all.

Many wonder what the reason for this is, so let’s look into some of the students at Ipswich High School’s thoughts. When Sophomore- Bella Bruno was asked, “How do you feel about people that don’t go all out for spirit week?” She responded with, “People that don’t dress up are no fun.” She further says, “It’s only one week of the year and they don’t take the opportunity to have fun the whole week.”

Studies claim that school spirit weeks boosts academic performance, but many doubt that. According to Mr. Sidmore, spirit week disrupts learning. He believes that since this week is placed at the end of the quarter it can be a detriment to many students’ success. With the end of the quarter being filled with many important assignments and tests, students have a hard time focusing on what is important and putting most of their energy into spirit week events. WIth all this being said, spirit week does have many benefits. Mr. Sidmore states, “Spirit week is the most fun time of year; it is important to enjoy it.”

Looking deeper into studies behind this joyful week, there are many benefits that have been found. Many studies have shown that it brings students closer together with one another, and overall raises their spirits. But, most importantly it has been found that it improves mental health in students. With this being said, many students question- why can’t there be more than one spirit week each year? If research shows the many benefits this week in the school year, what would be the harm in adding another one?