FSHS students show imaginative ideas for celebrating Homecoming Week

Students and faculty at Fort Scott High School have been "Up with Tiger Pride" this past week.

According to FSHS Student Council Co-sponsor Debbie West, this past week has been packed with Fort Scott High School Homecoming activities that have helped to increase school spirit among students, faculty and staff.

The spirit week began on Monday with students, staff and faculty dressing up in camouflage. Also, on Monday, FSHS students were encouraged to show up at the freshman volleyball game to cheer their team on, West said.

Tuesday, Cowboy Day, ended with a powder puff football game at 7 p.m. FSHS art teacher Ellen Kendrick was in charge of getting the teams together, West said. Kendrick displayed a sign-up sheet for students interested in playing.

According to West, each girl who signed up was placed on one of three teams. Each team played the other teams for fifteen minutes, West said.

The boys who signed up served as coaches for the teams, West said.

The student council provided hot dogs for the event, and the Booster Club parents provided drinks and grilled the hot dogs. According to West, about 250 hot dogs were served on Tuesday night.

West said that parental support for the powder puff game was high. West said that as the evening sun began to fade, it became hard for the powder puff players to see the ball. Several event attendees moved their vehicles and shined their lights on the field so that the girls could see.

After the powder puff game, students participated in a bonfire. At the bonfire, FSHS football coach Don Epps relayed a few encouraging words to the students. West said the students had an enjoyable time at the bonfire.

Fake an Injury Day found a large number of students and staff pretending to have broken legs and lacerations on Wednesday.

The high school hallways were speckled with red and white on Thursday in honor of Tiger Spirit Day, West said. Also, the varsity volleyball team played for their fans on Thursday night at 5 p.m.

During Homecoming Week, hallways at the high school were decorated with different game themes, West said. The freshmen dotted the hallway outside of the gymnasium with colored circles to resemble the game Twister. The sophomores decorated the front entry way of the school like a "Tiger Opoly" game, which was inspired by the original Monopoly game.

According to FSHS science teacher Karen Curran, sometimes the students enjoy a game of Tiger Opoly during the noon hour. The juniors decorated their hallway with a chess theme, and the seniors' hallway was bedecked in Candyland attire, West said.

On Friday morning, the FSHS students took part in a pep assembly to get the Tiger Spirit going, West said. Also at the rally, the best decorated hallway was announced, West said.

West said that school spirit was higher during this Homecoming Week then usual. She said that she thinks a contributing factor to the excitement and willingness to participate was that each day, a winner from each group of dress up participants was announced. There was one winner for each grade, West said.

Concluding Homecoming Week will be the football game Friday night at Frary Field at 7 p.m. with a dance that will follow the game.

Curran said that the students have done a nice job of participating and showing their school spirit this past week.

"This has been one of the most participated Homecoming weeks in a while," she said. "There was a lot of positive spirit here, " Curran said.