After last year’s in-person Spirit Week cancelled due to COVID-19, the five days of dressing up, fun lunch activities, and school rallies are back from Oct. 11 through 16. 

Spirit Week is a large part of the Paly culture but takes a lot of work to plan from the Associated Student Body and leaders, according to Senior Class President Mathew Signorello-Katz. Signorello-Katz said that he and the rest of ASB have spent more than a month planning and organizing the events.

“It’s been really stressful but I think the activities we’ve planned are going to be worth the work,  you’ll just have to wait and see,” Signorello-Katz said.

According to many teachers and students , there has also been controversy over the different dress-up themes, including the junior, Thousand Islands, Hawaiian dress-up day, now changed to Thousand Island, and the long-standing senior theme, camouflage. 

History teacher Mary Sano said that she feels some of the themes are inappropriate and insensitive for how students consider and dress up for the themes. 

“I think that the Senior Citizen theme is just disrespectful,” Sano said. “It’s like a mockery of old people.” 

Despite the controversy, many students are excited for the festivities to begin. Senior Cate Dyer said that last year’s Spirit Week was so unmemorable that she doesn’t even remember if it happened. 

“I think this year it [Spirit Week] will be extra fun and exciting,”  Dyer said. “Being a senior, I can’t wait to dress up and show as much spirit as I can.”

Especially for freshman and sophomores, many students are excited to experience Spirit Week for the first time.

“I’m looking forward to dressing up in Pajamas for Baby Day because I haven’t been able to dress up in a while or experience a high school Spirit Week,” freshman Romy Kiessling said. 

The Spirit Week themes for all classes can be found of their class Instagram pages as well as on the ASB website.