TJ encourages groups, clubs, and departments to show off their accomplishments while decorating the building.
Artwork by Rebecca Holt
For the first time ever at TJ The Student Board of Education and the Core Team are proudly sponsoring the first annual school spirit competition, “Adopt a Hallway.” Students and faculty from all sports, clubs and departments get the chance to decorate a portion of a hallway anyway they please. All clubs, sports and departments were given their hallway assignments on Tuesday May 4th and they have until May 13th to make their “adopted” hallway display about their sport or club for the judging that will be held on the 14th.
Jen Segal, who is a Vista Volunteer from office of Intentional School Cultural, came up with the beautification competition and put the whole thing together. “She deserves all the credit for the new school spirit competition; she put in a lot of hard work to make this happen,” said Nick Dawkins, an administrative intern who also helped put the Adopt a Hallway competition together.
At the beginning of the school year The Student Board of Education started an action research problem about the concerns at TJ. After collecting the data, the Student Board found that the beauty of TJ is a key factor in culture and mood of the school. As the school year comes to an end, TJ is going to make sure next year when students start school again that they enter an environment with welcoming posters, decorated walls, visuals, and much more.
Decorating supplies became available in the copy room on the second floor on May 4th, but materials are first come first serve. “There are all kinds of supplies in the copy room. There is tape, markers, letters, stencils, and much more,” said Dawkins. “There things in there that make you feel good to be anyone who is creative.” The group decorating their assigned hall can provide any other materials that are needed.
The requirements the displays must have are: the club/activity name, pictures that can be drawings, photos, paintings or web printouts. They must have a description of what the club, sport, or department has accomplished.
All sports and clubs must include the listing of the students in the group and when and where they meet. Sports must also mention what month they have their tryouts each year.
Groups can also use large posters, banners, and 3-D accessories. Judges are encouraging organizations to utilize all wall space and to get creative! They can only use the space in the boundaries of the blue duct tape on the designated areas of the walls.
Judges will be scoring each group by how they display their name, the pictures and visuals they use, the description about their sport or club, their creativity, and the effort they put into decorating their assigned hallway. The scoring is a total of ten points, so each category is worth two points.
TJ has asked alumni, parents, and the Board of Education to come in and help with the judging. On the judging day the winning hallway will receive a gift card, press release, and photo on the DPS site.
