Through the Tough Times
#WeAreWentzville trends during district-wide spirit week
The Wentzville School District R-IV will be closed until April 24. (All images provided by Liberty High School Student Council.)
On March 13, the Wentzville School District went home, as they would any other day. It was the end of the quarter, and students were ready to enjoy their Early Release. By the time Sunday night had rolled around, Dr. Cain had announced the closure of the district until April 3. Students and staff alike, realized that they’d had their last school day for a while.
There were cases of the virus within Missouri, and the district came to the decision “in consultation with all area superintendents and health officials and out of an abundance of caution for our families.”
The announcement explained, “While we may never know if these proactive measures were impactful in slowing the spread of COVID-19, we would be quite certain of the outcome if we didn’t close and there was an outbreak that spread through our schools affecting our community. We are also keenly aware that this emergency closure will have a significant impact on our families, presenting a hardship and childcare challenges for many, but we feel it is a necessary step to aid in the welfare of our community in this unprecedented situation.”
“I was scrolling through Facebook one morning during our first week out of school and came across a friend in another district who was doing a virtual spirit week,” Holmes said.
But during this time, a little bit of light was cast by the efforts of the Liberty, Timberland and Holt student councils. With the efforts of Liberty’s student council teacher, Ms. Holmes, a Google form to vote on ideas for a district-wide spirit week was sent out. Students, staff, and parents voted on their picks.
“I was scrolling through Facebook one morning during our first week out of school and came across a friend in another district who was doing a virtual spirit week,” Holmes said. “I thought it would be a fun idea and hopefully something that would lift people’s spirits a little.”
And to say the least, the hashtag “#WeAreWentzville” has taken off.
As of Saturday April 4, the hashtag has been used 1,000+ across social platforms. Students, clubs, staff, administrators and parents have taken part in the spirit week.
“Seeing the rest of the district participate has been really cool to see,” Holmes went on to say. “Week three of quarantine has been a challenging one and seeing everyone’s posts has been one of the highlights to my day. I hope that it’s been the same for other people too.”