Traditions
Class IV Shakespeare Play: Every year the entire eighth grade helps produce the Shakespeare play. In recent years they have changed this from producing one play to producing scenes from several plays which all contain the same theme, such as Aspects of Love or Power. The theme is chosen the year before by the English and Theatre departments collaboratively. The students read and analyze a single play, usually, A Midsummer Night's Dream, in their English courses, and they audition for roles during scheduled "Shakespeare blocks". The students construct the sets in Art classes, and learn the musical score in Music class. The play is performed in the Winter by the entire grade without exception.
Class rings: Each Winsor Junior who chooses to purchase a ring is presented with her class ring by a voluntary member of the Senior class. There's a small ceremony organized by the Senior class, usually involving baked goods and singing. Students can choose to purchase either a silver, gold, or white gold class ring, all of which are engraved with the Lamp of Learning. Additionally, a student can have her initials and year of graduation engraved inside the ring.
Banner: The Sophomore class sews and designs a banner to celebrate the Senior class. The banner is revealed at a ceremony, with parents and faculty in attendance, in which a photo slideshow, class T-shirts, and a song chosen and sung by the Sophomore class is presented. The theme of the banner is a well-kept secret, and only the Sophomore class knows the theme until the banner is presented.
Spirit Week: A week in October, which gives students and teachers alike an opportunity to dress up in various themed outfits (i.e. Wild West Day, Superhero Day, Inanimate Object Day). The final day of the week is always Red Day, a day in which everything from red facepaint to red hairdye is used.
Under the Lights: An event which concludes spirit week on a Friday. The Soccer and Field Hockey teams play a rival school; this event is often revered as the school's "homecoming."
Senior Prank: The Seniors pull a harmless, fun prank. It is now generally in April as this is the last month of classes for the seniors. In previous years the prank has included covering the stairs with cupcakes and setting up a moonbounce in the cafeteria.
Teacher Talent Show: A bi-yearly tradition where the teachers put on a humorous talent show. Much beloved by students and teachers alike, it is often one of the highlights of the year.
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Famous quotes containing the word traditions:
“Napoleon never wished to be justified. He killed his enemy according to Corsican traditions [le droit corse] and if he sometimes regretted his mistake, he never understood that it had been a crime.”
—Guillaume-Prosper, Baron De Barante (1782–1866)
“... the more we recruit from immigrants who bring no personal traditions with them, the more America is going to ignore the things of the spirit. No one whose consuming desire is either for food or for motor-cars is going to care about culture, or even know what it is.”
—Katharine Fullerton Gerould (1879–1944)
“But generally speaking philistinism presupposes a certain advanced state of civilization where throughout the ages certain traditions have accumulated in a heap and have started to stink.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)