Helping Students Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder
by Julie Hersum
How to Develop School Spirit in Online School
byKristina Cappetta
5 min to read
School spirit allows students to feel connected to their school and be a proud part of their school community. Students do not need to be physically in a school building to make this connection. As a learning coach, there are many things you can do to help your student develop school spirit and feel connected to their school and peers while attending online school.
How Students Benefit from Having School Spirit
When people talk about school spirit, they are usually referring to a sense of pride, identity, and community that members of a specific educational group share. Associating with other students and their school community is especially important for kids who may have felt isolated or had negative social experiences in their previous learning environments. Having school spirit can benefit students physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Academic benefits
A 2014 study found that students who have a greater sense of school spirit are more likely to have higher GPAs, be leaders, and feel more confident. Research also shows that students with more school spirit feel more connected to students in their school compared to those lacking school spirit.
Health benefits
Having school spirit can help students stay healthy and safe. Research shows that students who feel connected to their school are less likely to experience violence and substance use.
Emotional benefits
Students who have a greater amount of school spirit are happier and have higher self-esteem. School spirit helps online students feel less isolated, which can contribute to fewer mental health problems.
There is also evidence that shows students with greater school spirit are generally happier and have higher self-esteem compared with their peers who have less school spirit.
How Online School Students Can Build School Spirit
There are several ways online students can build school spirit even though they are not physically in a classroom setting with their peers.
Visit the online school store.
Many online schools have an online school store where they sell merchandise with the school’s name or logo. Students can buy clothing and other items to show their school pride.
Join extracurricular activities online.
Online students can still join extracurricular activities to bolster school spirit. Encourage your student to join an online club to foster socialization. Clubs are an excellent way to not only increase school spirit but also help develop important teambuilding and communication skills. If your student is on the younger side, you may need to play more of an active role helping them organize these activities.
Celebrate achievements.
Achievements may feel as though they go unnoticed because students are not physically in a classroom. You can still celebrate them online through virtual award ceremonies, recognition in a newsletter, or even a daily shout-out group message. This not only allows the individual student to have pride in their accomplishments but also feel proud to be a part of a community that recognizes their hard work.
Attend an in-person meet & greets and events.
Keep an eye on the school’s event calendar for any in-person meet and greets or events. Many virtual schools offer prom, sports, field trips, and other activities for students who live in a common area. Whether it’s at a picnic, a casual dinner, or a potluck dinner, this can be a way to help online students feel connected to their school community and socialize with one another.
Participate in school spirit week.
Many in-person schools host spirit weeks throughout the year to boost morale and get students excited about their environment and learning and to bond. As a Learning Coach, you can do the same for your student by encouraging them to join in on an online spirit week.
Typical school spirit week activities include:
Crazy hat day
Wear a certain color day
Decade day (dress like people from a certain decade — the ’70s, ’80s, etc.)
Sports jersey day
Disney day
Learn More About School Spirit and Online Learning
By exploring the different ways your student can develop school spirit in an online school, you are helping them connect to their community and their peers. Through a variety of activities, they can learn that having school spirit extends well beyond classroom walls.
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