A great way to increase school pride would be to learn the school song and if your school doesn’t have a school song than create one. Music has a way of bringing us together, teaching us ideas and concepts. Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is intrinsic to all cultures and has surprising benefits not only for learning language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development. School songs bridge diversity gaps and establish a sense of one community. I would recommend starting the day off with the school song or chant for several reasons:
• The school mission is emphasized daily
• Everyone is included in knowing and singing or chanting
• Get the entire brain working at the start of day
An example of a great school pride song:
Rockcreek Pride
Written by Nancy Kirshman, Carmella Musillami, and Vince Laine
verse:
Oh yes we’re Rockcreek Bulldogs strong and proud,
We let our spirit show by cheering loud.
We’re gonna raise our colors gold and black,
Our pride will always lead the
Bull - Dog - Pack!
You’ll always see our courage shining bright,
We make the effort and we have the might.
Oh yes we're Rockcreek Bulldogs ‘til the end.
Go, fight, win!
cheer break:
We're here, responsible, respectful, and safe.
Rockcreek Bulldogs, together all the way!
repeat verse
"Rockcreek Pride" is build upon our Lifelong Guidelines and Lifeskills. The cheer break is based upon our "Be Line" expectations. When we sing "Rockcreek Pride" we pledge to support our educational goals and to always do our personal best.
We are Rockcreek Bulldogs strong and proud!
http://www.bcsc.k12.in.us/domain/1002
Oh yes we’re Rockcreek Bulldogs strong and proud,
We let our spirit show by cheering loud.
We’re gonna raise our colors gold and black,
Our pride will always lead the
Bull - Dog - Pack!
You’ll always see our courage shining bright,
We make the effort and we have the might.
Oh yes we're Rockcreek Bulldogs ‘til the end.
Go, fight, win!
cheer break:
We're here, responsible, respectful, and safe.
Rockcreek Bulldogs, together all the way!
repeat verse
"Rockcreek Pride" is build upon our Lifelong Guidelines and Lifeskills. The cheer break is based upon our "Be Line" expectations. When we sing "Rockcreek Pride" we pledge to support our educational goals and to always do our personal best.
We are Rockcreek Bulldogs strong and proud!
http://www.bcsc.k12.in.us/domain/1002
Incite school spirit among the students at your school. Develop a school song that incorporates the students' favorite school elements and events. Creating a school song inspires teamwork and school spirit. Teachers can also integrate lessons in music, language arts and literature with the song creating process. Learn to create a basic school song that encompasses the nature of the school to play at assemblies and sporting events.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6883143_do-create-school-song_.html
- Ask staff members and students for ideas and events unique to the school. Encourage ideas like grade specific field trips, awards and annual events such as a bake sale or talent show. Each idea will form the base of the verses for the song.
- Create the chorus of the song by using words and items characteristic of the school. Include such things as the school mascot's name, school name, school colors or location of the school. Add words and sounds to make each line rhyme and keep pace with the next.
- Enlist the help of the school choir and music teachers to form the tune of the song. Encourage the students to participate by creating a contest with the best tune creator winning a prize in addition to the tune used for the school song. Share what you've put together so far in order to give everyone an idea of the pacing and song format you've been working with.
- Organize the ideas and events from the brainstorming sessions into a rhythmic pattern according to the tune of the song. For example, if one student mentioned the annual senior bake sale a line might be, "Find a cure for what ails at one of our senior bake sales."
- Arrange the verses by grade level from the feedback you've gotten and follow each with the chorus to complete the song. Alternatively, you can arrange the verses according to the time of year the events occur, from Autumn through Spring.
