Spirited Spartans

Walk along the Colonnade, watch our athletes, musicians, and artists in action, or listen to the cheering erupt when Sparty shows up at an event, and you can feel it: Spartan pride. Thanks to a community of Spirit Committee volunteers, the School calendar is packed with blue-and-gold events that encourage Spartans to express their spirit and make lasting memories. 

A favorite spirit tradition is the Blue and Gold competition. Every family is assigned to either the Blue or Gold team when their first child starts at Steward, and student spirit T-shirts indicate a family’s team color. On designated days, students, faculty, and staff wear their spirit shirts to school or after-school events, and “sparticipation” points are tallied for each team. 

After taking a break during the pandemic, Steward has brought back this friendly competition, and on September 9, Spartans gathered in the gym for the Blue and Gold Team Reveal. Amid cheers, foot stomping, and pom-pom waving, the Blue and Gold Team Spirit shirts were revealed. The shirt, designed by Nick Preston '32, includes the slogan, “Half a century old, still brave and bold!’, which was submitted by Catherine Graves ’98.

Spartans will have lots of opportunities to earn points throughout the school year for their teams: 

Sparticipation Points: At many special events, a QR code will be available to scan and check in for spirit points. Students who “go the extra mile” by helping with the event will be rewarded extra points from the Spirit Committee. 

 

Donation Points: When Spartans make donations to Spirit Week causes, they earn points for their team. This is a great way to help the community and support your team! Students can find donation boxes in each division office.

 

Pop Quiz! Spirit Shirt Edition: Teachers will visit classes randomly on Spirit Shirt days and tally the classroom’s blue-and-gold sparticipation points.

Check the spirit page dashboard to see updates on which team is leading this fierce-but-friendly competition!  

A hearty Sparty thank you to the Spirit Committee, a dedicated group of parent volunteers, students, faculty, and administrators who lead pep rallies and parades, coordinate spirit T-shirts and on-the-fence messages, decorate lockers for athletes and performers, and shower students with surprises throughout the year. Carley Hamilton (mother of Richmond ’30 and Phillip ’32) and Colleen Carpinelli (mother of Anna ’25) co-chair the Committee.

Ms. Hamilton and Ms. Carpinelli also initiated and mentor a group of student volunteers known as the Spirit Squad.  The Squad (50 members and growing!) meets monthly to brainstorm about spirited topics: blue/gold point rewards, student spirit activities and opportunities, mascot recruitment, custom squad apparel, and classroom ideas to present to teachers. 

“The Squad is encouraged to think of ways to bring their magical spirit to School events,” said Ms. Hamilton. “During the Blue and Gold Team Reveal, 27 students donned colorful facepaint, ‘Squad’ sunglasses, and spirited outfits to welcome each of Steward’s 99 new students in grades 1-12 to their team color. One Squad member even donned the Sparty mascot costume for the first time.” Ms. Hamilton noted that the Squad was encouraged to celebrate each new Spartan's team color and remain neutral to their own color.

Amid cheers of excitement, emcees Cole Tyler '23 and Zamiah Burton '23 called out the name of each new student, and Squad members ran goodie bags over to them. Ms. Hamilton noted that her son, who was initially reluctant to join the fifth-grade Lower School Spirit leaders (led by Grade 5 Teacher Emily Oliff), signed up recently. "As a mother and staff member who is helping to champion spirit within the School, seeing my son take a spirited leap is all I can ask for!” she said. 

View the Steward Snaps from the Blue and Gold Team Reveal.