I was always aware of school spirit when I was a student and for me, it was usually defined through sports. Whether I was a spectator at a Wilfrid Laurier University homecoming football game (complete with facepaint, purple longjohns and a yellow cape) or a player in a Goderich District Collegiate Institute basketball game against one of the dreaded Stratford (big city) teams, I saw how these events would draw together all the various groups within a school.

Here at our school, we have many events that allow the students to be spectator and/or participants in spirit-building. Events like the upcoming holiday assemblies are a great example of this as students show off their drama and musical talents to their teachers, fellow students and parents but for school spirit, no other event can match the Inside Ride.

Even if you have viewed a YouTube video of a past Inside Ride, you cannot fully appreciate the “merry madness” of this event for our Grade 7 to 12 students. All the ingredients for school spirit are there (music, costumes, cheering, clapping, etc.) but the overall experience is even more satisfying because of the by-product of the spirit…the chance to help stop cancer. We are proud to be the top fundraising school in ALL OF CANADA so we encourage all the riders to each reach out to at least one more potential sponsor tonight to help us keep our reputation intact, to honour the memory of Jenna and get us closer to our goal. Let’s Kick Cancer’s Behind!

Chris Starkey
Administrative Principal
Mentor College / TEAM School