From nervous freshmen dressing up for their very first Spirit Week to seniors feeling that sense of sorrow and nostalgia as they celebrate their last, the halls of Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS) are filled with school spirit and a sense of community.
For some, this is a brand-new experience bonded together by excitement and curiosity. For others, it’s their last chance to make lasting memories before they enter the real world. Regardless of the grade, Spirit Week has always been a celebration that brings everyone together.
Spirit Week at PPCHS is always alive with energy, filled with students eager to dress up and show their school pride. For freshmen, this week marks their very first time they truly get to experience what high school spirit is all about. Between fun themes, Pep Rally, the Homecoming football game, Homecoming itself, and class competitions, every moment feels new and exciting. It’s a week that opens the door for those who are new to this experience, building new and deeper memories.
Freshmen Alani Cifuentes and Athena Carrillo give their insight into how their first Spirit Week went. “I think that Spirit Week was very fun. It brings a lot of enthusiasm for our school spirit,” says Cifuentes. Carrillo adds, “The themes we’ve had this week were actually pretty funny, and I really enjoyed them.”
Other freshmen shared their relatively similar feelings regarding their experience during Spirit Week. Freshmen Annalise Llinas and Jade Brown share their excitement about joining in on PPCHS’s annual Spirit Week. “Experiencing our first Spirit Week was definitely fun; we love the energy, especially because in our middle school, no one participated. It’s fun to see everyone partaking in high school,” they say.
Coming from a middle school environment where many students were often nervous to express themselves through fun outfits or share laughs over the themes, stepping into PPCHS as a freshman felt like walking through a new door, one that opened to a whole new level of school spirit. Spirit Week introduced a whole new side of PPCHS, a side where everyone is bursting with enthusiasm and creating what could’ve been a regular week into something memorable.
Just a few years ago, the Class of 2026 was in those very same shoes: nervous freshmen trying to find their place while discovering what high school spirit was all about. Over time, they grew into leaders, being an example to those around them. Now, as they walk through the halls for their final Spirit Week, the excitement feels different.
They’re not just participating; every theme, laugh, and photo holds a little more meaning behind it. It’s a bittersweet reminder that while their time at PPCHS is nearing its ending, they are hoping to simply cherish the time they have together.
“I feel like we have to make the last one the best one because this is one of our last chances to do something like this in high school,” says senior Aiden Oscar.
Kaylee Suyama, a friend of Oscar and a fellow senior, notes, “I feel like this year it gave us more of the pressure to really dress up more and put more effort, especially because it is our last time.”
Once the week ended, many seniors found themselves caught between feeling sorrow and exhilaration simultaneously. While the seniors feel ready to move on with their lives, there is a nostalgic feeling that comes with having to leave this last Spirit Week’s memories in the past.
Senior Isabella Abohasen exclaims, “It has not hit me yet as a senior, mainly because I know we also have senior spirit week at the end of the year, but prep rally is going to get me. I would definitely say I’ll miss our spirit week themes, with my favorite having to be ‘Rhyme Without Reason.’ [Tina and I] dressed up as Rich and Stitch, and it was so much fun.”
For many seniors, this week marks a week that reminds them of how much they have grown since their first day at PPCHS. Each event that is held feels a little more meaningful, and each little moment is cherished and adored with the knowledge that it is one of the last times they’ll experience the energy that once felt endless throughout their years in high school. As the seniors look out into their future, they carry with them lessons, love, laughter, and school spirit that will eventually shape their path.
From the freshmen just beginning their journey into high school, truly starting to experience that school spirit, to the seniors who are cherishing every last second together. Spirit Week at PPCHS represents more than just fun themes and friendly competitions; it is an annual tradition that unites the school. It reminds students that even though high school can pass by quickly, you will always have everlasting memories to carry on throughout your life. As one class begins its journey, another prepares to say its final goodbyes.
