SCHOOL-SPIRITED FUN WITH A PURPOSE
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t’s a picture the DSHA school community sees at the end of almost every all-school assembly; the three Penny Dashers ask the most anticipated question; the one seniors wait three years to hear: “Seniors, seniors, what’s your number??!!??” And the answer comes in soundwaves so loud it will leave your ears ringing: “2-0, 2-0, 2-2-2-0!!!” It’s no doubt the DSHA Class of 2020 has been robbed of — or are stuck waiting for — many end of the year milestones, like shouting this cheer as a group. But one tradition of school spirit they did not lose out on: becoming Empress Crown champions.
FR IEN D L Y C O M PE T I T I O N Sponsored by the DSHA Student Council, Empress Crown — named in part to represent the female version of the Emperor Penguin — is a whole-school, year-long competition between classes. The goal of the competition is to foster a spirit of community; to celebrate class and school pride, encouraging participation from everyone in all-school
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DSHA has several aspects that set its high school experience apart from other schools: its all-girls environment; the special relationships between students, faculty, and staff; and its Catholic mission rooted in the goodness and kindness of Jesus Christ. But, there are other things that build the Dasher community that may not be as well known to our wider audience — aspects that are the essence of fun with the purpose of creating community. While COVID-19 and social distancing tested the tight-knit community at DSHA, Dashers maintained a sense of school spirit and unity thanks in part to the Empress Crown competition, a school-wide engagement opportunity which allowed students to stay connected while apart, and the DSHA Class of 2020 to shine even while missing some of the coveted end-of-high-school milestones.
events and activities, Student Council-sponsored or otherwise.
whole school year, both during busy months and the “doldrum” days.
Classes are awarded points based on the percentage of participation in certain events that span the width of the DSHA whole-person experience. Events might be for-fun-only like dressing up on special theme days; or they may have a greater purpose such as raising the most money in the Penny Wars that support the Lenten or Advent project; bringing in the most food during collections days; attending Dasher Dialogues, and so on. 100 points are granted to the class that has the highest percentage of participation; 75 to the class with the second highest percentage of participation; 50 for the third, and 25 for the last.
“School spirit is not just for grand assemblies,” he said. “Spirit can be shown in small ways as well. A Tuesday in January can have as much spirit as the Friday before homecoming.” And it all serves a purpose of creating the extra special sisterhood that is created amidst the walls of DSHA.
As for the class that collects the most Empress Crown points by the end of the school year, they receive their own spirit week, often times complete with something extra special, like a bounce house, pizza party, or an ice cream sundae bar — just for them.
S C HO OL PRID E IN CONS T ANT A N D C RIS IS According to School Counselor and Student Council Advisor Dave Lynch, the Empress Crown competition promotes school spirit throughout the
Although the Empress Crown competition started in-person throughout the first semester, it continued with tweaks as DSHA transitioned to online learning in mid-March. Lynch encouraged participation through daily themes on Microsoft Teams, the online platform DSHA has utilized to facilitate student and teacher connection. Students were asked to post pictures or GIFs based on the theme of the day, such as crazy sock day, favorite memory from the school year, or wear your uniform day. This action allows them to see their classmates, and interact with one another’s posts. “Empress Crown unifies classes around a common goal and helps make ‘we’re all on the same team!’ more concrete,” said Academic Dean Heather Mansfield.
