ALTON - The Wizard of Oz is the theme of this year's Spirit Week, which has taken both schools and businesses in the Alton School District by storm - a certain Kansas tornado to be exact.
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To celebrate all the schools in the district now being Red Birds, Alton Drama Instructor and Student Council Representative Kristi Doering organized a spirit week with a Wizard of Oz theme. Most of the district's schools and as many as 32 businesses with in the district participated in the theme and "painted the town red" with Alton's homecoming spirit. Doering also said there was a contest for the best decorated schools and businesses.
Of the 32 businesses participating, Doering said the top three have been Joe K's Family Restaurant, Nicky G's Italian eatery and Mister Donut. Of those, Doering said Nicky G's and Mister Donut are going head to head as the final two. The winning business receives a free float in the upcoming Alton Homecoming Parade.
Jennifer Herring, a teacher at East Elementary School said she hoped her school would win the spirit week contest.
The building has been divided into four separate parts, each with a Wizard of Oz theme. Upstairs, the Emerald City and Haunted Forest are connected by a Yellow Brick Road. In the Haunted Forest, Herring illustrated stuffed tigers being taken by flying monkeys dangling from the ceiling.
"We're playing the (Edwardsville) Tigers next week, and this is how we're showing our spirit," she said. "A lot of teachers have stayed late many evenings here working on decorating."
In the case of the black paper and daunting trees of the Haunted Forest, Herring said it has been in the process of decoration for longer than a month, yet none of the students have damaged the scenery, whether on purpose or by accident. The paper yellow brick road throughout the main area of the school was only placed there Wednesday, but Herring was optimistic it had yet to rip.
Doering walked into East Elementary School around 12:30 p.m. Thursday to look over the decorations. She was dressed with the day's theme of "heroes and villains" in mind, donning a pink cape and fun headband.
When asked which school was looking to win the district-wide spirit contest, Doering refused to answer, adding all the winners would be announced Friday before the big homecoming game.
Herring said she felt as if her school's chances were pretty good.
"We did a lot of good work for a building this size," she said.
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