School Spirit, the sense of identity and community shared by students, families, teachers, other school staff, and the local community, has always been strong at West Springfield High School. The following are some long-standing and former school spirit traditions. 

Donkey Basketball

Donkey Basketball was literally like it sounds... it consisted of students and teachers riding donkeys on the basketball court while attempting to get a basketball in the hoop. The game was used to raise money for student clubs and school activities like dances and sports. It brought a great crowd in from the community, but the clean-up afterward left something to be desired. [1970s]

Homecoming

Bonfire

The infamous West Springfield bonfire was set ablaze on the practice field behind the baseball field one night in the fall leading up to Homecoming. The fact that FCPS condoned this activity is baffling, but it happened and students seemed to have a fun time with it. [1970s-1980s]

Parade

The annual Homecoming Parade was much anticipated by the West Springfield community and our school put a lot of effort into making it a fun time for all spectators. The parade began at 4:00 p.m at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church and continued to the West Springfield parking lot. The community got a glimpse of all the class floats, plus all the class officers and Homecoming Court all the while the band marched literally to the beat of their own drums. The Spartanettes, Majorettes, Spartan Silks, and cheerleaders all performed routines in the parade. [1970s-present day]

Mr. Spartan

Mr. Spartan was a very popular assembly and also an after school community fundraiser where male students would dress up and perform an act or show off a talent. It served as an opportunity for students to cheer on their peers, and also resulted in students learning new things about each other. The name, Mr. Spartan, was actually not affiliated with West Springfield’s mascot. It is a very popular event held nationwide that many schools use for fundraising purposes. [1980-2013]

Springfield Stars

A talent show where students could show off their talent to one another up on stage. Teachers were the judges and it could get quite competitive. [1980s-1990s]