What’s Good in the Hood?

Countless Campus Events on Tap for the School Year

Sarah Dávila, MenorNewsTV Director • October 1, 2023

Courtesy Photo

Students during last year’s edition of Coreografias.

School is the foundation of education, but school life has many aspects.

School’s charm goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. Students discover not only education but also a sense of belonging, creativity, and enjoyment in the broad and diverse cultural network of school events and activities.

Choreographies, Balcones, and Spirit Week stand out among these aspects of school life each year at Colegio Menor. Even though these activities appear to be rather different, they all aim to make enduring memories, foster a strong feeling of community, and keep the school alive.

Here’s a quick peek at some of the biggest events of the year in which students let their Menor pride soar!

Spirit Week: A Burst of Color and Enthusiasm

This year’s seniors during Spirit Week, Oct. 23-27.

October 23-27, 2023

Another fun aspect of school life is Spirit Weeks, when faculty and students get together to celebrate the character and spirit of their institution.

These five-day celebrations are distinguished by a number of themed dress-up days, competitive competitions, and a strong sense of community. The themes range from “Superhero Day” to “Decades Day” to “Pajama Day.” The objective is to foster a strong sense of school pride while encouraging creativity and enthusiasm.

From Oct. 23-27, we got to see the school hallways come to life during Spirit Week thanks to the bright and colorful clothing.

“We always get excited to see people get out of their comfort zone and have fun, even if it’s something simple like wearing pajamas,” commented Rebecca Davila, ClassCo member. These are occasions for students to creatively and playfully express themselves. They can express their originality, humor, and uniqueness while embracing the school’s collective spirit.

Stay tuned for more details about all upcoming events at Colegio Menor.

Balcones: Our pride of Quito

Early December

Props from last year’s edition of Balcones.

We are all incredibly proud to be from Quito, Ecuador. Quito, which is a city renowned for its natural beauty and cultural diversity. A daily reminder of the breathtaking beauty that surrounds us is the sight of approaching, snow-capped volcanoes against a background of clear blue skies.

A unique celebration dedicated to preserving our pride for the culture of Ecuador will take place in early December, when each high school class will compete at choreographing the best performance dedicated to a particular aspect of Ecuador. This year’s theme is …

While this year’s junior class is the defending title holder of the Balcones competition, the word on the street is that there’s more than one class with a few tricks up their sleeves for this year’s edition.

StuGov advisor Isabella Green confirmed that the competition will go down according to the rules, judged by a panel with the appropriate tools.

“All events (like Balcones) are rubric-based decisions,” said Green.

With Balcones, at the beginning of December, we are able to show our divine culture in creative ways, while making people laugh.

Choreographies: The Art of Rhythmic Expression

May 2024

Get ready, because the month of March is the craziest of them all!

Students perform during last year’s edition of Coreografias.

Four grades compete with each other to demonstrate their talents. Choreographies are more than just dance performances; they are a reflection of the student’s imagination, focus, and responsibility.

These activities provide kids a chance to express their creative side while remaining physically active. Students frequently use choreographies as a platform to demonstrate their talent and to express themselves in interesting and fascinating ways. In both participants and viewers, they generate excitement and enthusiasm.

Everyone’s dying question these days remains to be: “What are the THEMES?!?”

“We have already chosen the Coreografias themes,” said StuGov president Alegria Davila. “But everyone will have to wait until we announce those themes to find out.”

The commitment and effort that kids put into their school choreographies is one of their most noticeable features. Students from various backgrounds and with various talents and abilities work together in a collaborative process to produce something genuinely unique. Through this process, they learn the value of teamwork as well as the value of discipline, time management, and practice in accomplishing a shared objective.

The result of all of this work is a performance that not only makes the students laugh but also makes them feel proud of themselves. The audience’s presence and the feeling of accomplishment have a long-lasting effect on the performers. They learn an important lesson that goes beyond the stage that with determination and teamwork, they can accomplish amazing things.

About the Contributor

Sarah Dávila, MenorNewsTV Director

Sarah is a senior at Colegio Menor, and her favorite subject is English since it has shown her to use her creativity in ways other subjects couldn’t show her. She has been in MUN class, and after school, she is in ONU. With these classes she found her passion for social sciences and how the world works, even so that after she finishes high school she is going to study International Relations in England. She has also taken AP World History and AP Human Geography throughout these years, which has given her the knowledge to become an impactful person. She considers herself a leader and a very flexible person, who, with commitment and responsibility can do anything. She was part of a community service called Beyond Lagartochocha for two years and was the leader for one year, which consisted of going to the borders of Peru and Ecuador to help kids in need and give them the education that they deserve. This year, Sarah decided to join this Journalism class because of the amount of knowledge one can take from this class. She thought it would be a great opportunity to represent Colegio Menor, in her last year in this school. “I want to finish this year, knowing that I was a part of this class and got the best out of it, hopefully, more kids know it’s a great class,” said Sarah. She wants to be involved in school, especially if it's these types of classes that involve a lot of participation and dedication from everyone. It’s a great chance to bond as not only friends, and classmates but also Colegio Menor members. She is exited for this year, and what comes next.

El Ojo del Oso