A week of competitions, traditions, and activities for the whole Upper School, Homecoming promotes school spirit and community. Originally scheduled for mid-October, Homecoming was postponed this year after the passing of Middle School Director Jeff Mercer to allow time for the community to mourn and heal together. This year, Chadwick’s annual Homecoming will take place from Dec. 1-5 and will kick off a series of year-end festivities.
“[Postponing Homecoming] felt like… the right thing to do, and making sure that the week held the right energy that we wanted,” says All Student Body (ASB) President Lucy Cushman ’26. “We also wanted to make sure it was at a time that had minimal tests for a lot of students. The first week that worked was that first week of December.”
ASB Social Chair Araya Tekeste ’26 highlighted how this year’s Homecoming will showcase winter sports, with Chadwick’s basketball and soccer teams playing a game every day of the week.
“It’s a big opportunity for winter sports to shine in ways that they [usually] aren’t able to, seeing as the spring sports are what’s starting during formal and then the fall sports are what takes over Homecoming,” says Tekeste.
“It’s also a great opportunity to test out how [Homecoming] looks with winter sports,” Tekeste adds, pointing out that home football games aren’t held at nighttime. “For basketball games, it’s different; it’s indoors; it’s also a confined environment. So there’s more intimacy; there’s more engagement, and I think we can really make something crazy [with] that.”
This year’s theme, Once Upon A Wick, features fantasy and magic-related games, such as a Candyland-themed rock-paper-scissors tournament, fairytale relay race legs, and “Dungeons and Dodgeball.”
Several students also look forward to long-standing traditions such as the Lip Sync Competition and Tug o’ War on Class Colors Day. “[Preparations are] definitely stressful, but when it comes together, it’s really nice,” says Cushman.
Each year introduces new traditions as well. At the start of the year, each grade got together to create their own class motto, chant, and flag that each student signed. “It’s a fun bonding activity and a morale booster,” says Sophomore Social Chair Paige Leshney ’28. “Seeing the flag and [thinking], what if you won Homecoming and you brought down the other grades’ flags?”
Student Council also hopes to introduce new changes and upgrades: “We made a lot of fun changes to the relay race that I’m super excited about,” says Cushman. “We’re adding a wheel to So You Think You Can Do Something Cool, and we’re trying to get it done in Laverty.”
So You Think You Can Do Something Cool is a competition where students from each grade compete to see who can perform a special talent the best. An added spinner wheel will have possible challenges and activities and will be spun each turn to encourage participation and enthusiasm.
“Homecoming is really the moment that unifies the grade,” says Junior Social Chair Aaron Kim ’27. “I hope that… we can keep this beautiful collaboration between grades up and keep working hard to make Homecoming better each year.”
“There’s a lot of community that goes into Homecoming and I think that’s the biggest takeaway with it,” adds Tekeste. “I think that’s my favorite part… the fact that we’re able to highlight [community] in such a broad way in Homecoming Week.”
Although Homecoming will be a bit different this year, Leshney believes that the spirit will remain strong. “Maybe people will be wearing sweaters, but I think it’s basically the same. Maybe an ugly sweater contest?”
