SHAPE Spartans are coming home!
With fall upon us, traditional activities have slowly started to come back to life. One important tradition at SHAPE American High School (SAHS) in Belgium is Homecoming. This annual U.S. tradition combines sports, school spirit and a dance into a weeklong celebration aimed at uniting the community and fostering school pride.
At SHAPE American High School, Homecoming, which started Sept. 29, is especially unique because many non-American students experience it for the first time.
The celebration began with the theme “A Trip Around the World.” Students from each grade level, 9th through 12th, worked together to decorate a designated pod in the school according to their theme. The sophomores were declared victorious on Monday morning.
From Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, the school’s Spirit Week was in full swing. Each day, students dressed according to that day’s theme, and teachers kept track of who participated. Spirit Week concluded with an all-school pep rally on Oct. 4. During the rally, each class competed for the Spirit Stick by playing American-style games, including a three-legged race and musical chairs. The seniors won the Spirit Stick. After the pep rally, the Spartans paraded from the high school to the base gym to kick off the Homecoming sports games. Volleyball teams played throughout the afternoon, with the Lady Spartans starting things off. Competitions in cross country, tennis and football followed on Oct. 5.
The Homecoming Dance was held the evening of Oct. 5 in the middle and elementary American school multipurpose room. Staff and volunteers decorated the space and provided snacks and beverages. Music was played by SHAPE American High School student DJ Tudor Varvari. About an hour before the dance ended, Homecoming royalty for each grade level was announced by Principal Shawn Rodman: freshmen Owen Aquino and Ada Varvari, sophomores Panos Vagenas and Africa Montilla Lores, juniors Olimpia Palmero and Franky Gonzalez, and seniors Evan Aquino and Giulia De Girolamo.
De Girolamo said, “At Homecoming, I enjoyed having the chance to spend a night dancing with my friends.”
Homecoming Week is a long-standing American tradition brought to life each year at SHAPE. It's a busy week, but the work of grade-level sponsors and Laura Arias, who mentors the student council and executive board members, showcases the strong Spartan spirit and pride of this small but united community.
