Laconia High School bonds and re-ignites Sachem spirit

LACONIA — On the Friday before spring break, a shifting population of 500 teens and teachers were reveling in Field Day, the final outdoor event of Springapalooza – Laconia High School’s antidote to student disconnection and disaffection in the wake of COVID-19.

Outside on the athletic field behind the high school, squads of kids and staff members were laughing, and competing at cornhole, frisbee and tug-of-war while others watched or waited their turn, or gobbled down cheeseburgers hot off a grill.  

New this year, Springapolooza was inspired by the ice-breaking and spirit-restoring success of Winter Carnival in February, according to LHS officials. It also served as a springboard to April vacation, a bond-building reminder that students and teachers are back as one.

“The design module is we’re all here together, re-establishing that after a year,” said LHS Principal Jim McCollum, as he surveyed the Field Day landscape. Behind the high school, teachers and students comprised a bobbing sea of red jackets, shirts and sweatshirts worn for Sachem Red Day.

The lineup of activities between April 18 and 22 was infectious. Springapalooza included lip synch contests between different grades and teachers and students – events which raised $350 in donations for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Participants filled boxes with toiletries for a homeless shelter.

Theme dress-ups changed daily. On Country or Country Club Day, students and teachers wore cowboy hats and boots, or tennis or golf attire. Dress to Impress Day involved showing up for school as if for a job interview. On another day, kids and adults dressed as twins or iconic duos.

“Administrators and guidance counselors all recognized that these are one of the pathways back to the culture we all had, and our Sachem spirit,” said McCollum. “They’re getting the opportunity to normalize socialization, and compete in a safe environment with their peers and teachers” and re-establish the joviality and familiarity that defines quality of life at school.

“It makes me feel like we’re here together and like one big family,” said Natalie Johnson, a senior. During the remote and hybrid formats of 2020 and 2021, “I missed seeing everyone and getting to hang out with friends.”

“I think this boosts morale before vacation so we’re ready to come back,” said Adam Paiva, a senior. During COVID’s stint of classes by teleconference, when teachers and classmates appeared in squares on a computer screen, “We weren’t sure how other people felt” and not everyone was comfortable speaking, Paiva said.“I think a lot of people lost self-confidence over quarantine because you just weren’t seeing everybody.”

“Our school is like a town family,” said Angel Ross, a senior. “It’s a great idea to connect people since COVID hit and it’s starting to get people together.” During remote school, Ross said she felt cut off from kids she knew. “In person, you have a better connection. You can feel their emotion. You can’t always feel emotion through words” on screen.

“Coming back, it felt kind of refreshing to have everything back the way it’s supposed to be,” said Colby Salway, a junior. “It’s a nice break after all the things they push you with before break. You have a project due Thursday and then come out here Friday and it’s pretty sweet!”