Pattonville High School’s prom is approaching, and to raise school spirit, a spirit week has been organized for the week leading up to the dance. Spirit days will run from April 27 to May 1, the day prom is scheduled to take place.
Monday: Meme Day
The week kicks off with “Meme Day,” where students are invited to dress as their favorite viral sensations. Expect to see celebrity memes, characters like Shrek or SpongeBob, and other classic internet references.
Tuesday: 2026 is the New 2016
On Tuesday, the school travels 10 years into the past. Students will dress as their 2016 selves or embrace the “2016 aesthetic,” characterized by blocky eyebrows and messy buns.
Wednesday: Blend In vs. Blend Out
Students can choose to wear camouflage to “blend in” or animal prints to “blend out.”
Thursday: Dress for the Wrong Occasion
Participants will dress as if they are heading anywhere but school. This may include work uniforms, formal attire, or even pajamas.
Friday: Dress vs. Unimpress
The week concludes on the day of prom. On this day, teachers will dress in formal prom attire—dresses and suits—while students are encouraged to dress down in pajamas and sleepwear.
Student Perspectives
Students expressed excitement about the lineup, noting that the themes feel fresh.
“I like the prom spirit week options. I feel like in the past the options haven’t been the best and kind of unoriginal,” sophomore Gabriela Garcia said. “There is only so much you can do that’s school-appropriate, but I feel like these have potential to be really cute.”
The new themes are designed to encourage higher participation across all grade levels.
“Honestly, it’s way better than what the themes used to be like. It definitely fits our generation and the stuff we find fun,” junior Marissa Henderson said. “It would be really fun if everyone actually tried to participate this time.”
While some students typically avoid spirit days to avoid embarrassment, many feel this year’s themes are more accessible.
“I think spirit week is a great way to keep everyone entertained in the last stretch of school,” senior Taylor Grover said. “‘Meme Day’ is a fun start, and ‘2026/2016’ is a really cute day considering everyone is saying 2026 is the new 2016. ‘Dress for the wrong occasion’ is a great callback to an older trend, and ‘dress vs. unimpress’ is a great way to end the week.”
