Traditions

Whitefield Academy Traditions

One of the most unique aspects of student life at Whitefield Academy is the interaction that students of all ages have with each other. From performing on the stage to competing on the field, our students are highly engaged in a variety of activities and traditions that create a rhythm of student life at Whitefield. Some of these traditions include the following:

Houses

Upper school students are divided into four houses named for great writers: Dante, Homer, Milton, and Virgil.  The house system is designed to provide leadership opportunities for the older students and mentoring for the younger students.  A little competition between the houses adds a lot of fun to our campus! Click here to read what upper school teacher Mr. Metcalf has to say about the house system.

Buddy Classes

Student classes in the Lower and Upper Schools are paired up 1st and 7th graders all the way through 6th with 12th graders.  This allows the students to grow up together during their Whitefield years. Older students mentor the younger and the younger, in turn, look up to the older. Whether it is Games Day, reading aloud, or participating in a service project, individuals in Buddy Classes benefit and learn from one another.

Games Day

Twice a year, the buddy classes (upper and lower school classes who are paired together) meet to play games, promoting camaraderie and interaction among students. Outdoor games in the fall and board games in the spring are planned and hosted by the older students. 

Here are a few more of our many traditions: 

Spirit Week

Sponsored by our Student Council, upper school students celebrate Spirit Weeks in the Fall and Spring. During these weeks, students have fun decorating hallways, dressing up according to different themes each day, holding pep rallies and attending sporting events.

Spelling Bee

Grades 4-8 compete in December for the winner to participate in the county spelling bee. Students start working in October and compete in front of the supportive cheers of the student body.

Spring Art Show and Shakespeare Play

Two separate traditions are melded with one big Fine Arts Event usually held in April. The Art Show has at least one work on display from each lower school student and upper school artist.  During this weekend, upper school students perform an unabridged Shakespeare play, taking full responsibility for the set, costumes, and acting. The annual Shakespeare play has included Much Ado about Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night.

Grandparents’ Day

Lower school students get to show off their classrooms and the result of hard work to their most special guests. At Grandparents’ Day, Classes perform recitations, musical selections and memorized poetry.

Serve Day

Serve Day is an annual fundraising tradition for the entire student body. On one day in October, classes depart to work with local ministries in the Kansas City area. Carpentry work, painting, yard clean-up, food sorting, and landscaping are the order of the day.

Christmastime

Students carol in the foyer together around the large Christmas tree. Upper school students hold a Classroom Door Decoration Contest with lower school students as judges. Many classes participate in Secret Santa. The entire student body works together to provide gifts or services to people in need.