Golda Och Academy juniors celebrated “Juniority Week” by dressing up in themed outfits and transforming the junior hallway to celebrate being the oldest students in the school.
Junior Layla Sharret said, “Each day in the week had a new theme, which made the whole experience feel more special and gave everyone something to look forward to.”
Juniority week is an annual GOA tradition, the week following the seniors’ departure for their 3-month Neshama trip to Poland and Israel.
Each year, the juniors strive to bring maximum spirit, aiming to surpass the previous junior class’s themes and energy.
“Juniority Week” started with a “blackout” day, where juniors wore all black and made the halls darker, including covering the lights. The “blackout” day is the day for juniors to assert their dominance over the school and draw attention to their designated hallway.
Junior Jude Ornstein said, “I was walking up the stairs behind middle school students and heard their confusion when they entered the hall. That’s when I immediately knew that this week was going to be impactful for our grade.”
Wednesday’s theme was country vs. country club, and while some students were dressed as if they lived in the Wild West, others came into school looking like they were ready to play an 18-hole round of golf!
Junior Caleb Lebeau said, “I liked how different the outfits were because I could instantly tell who was on each side. It was also fun because I got to wear articles of clothing that I would never wear in school otherwise.”
The juniors had to bring “anything but a backpack” to school on Thursday to carry their supplies creatively.
Some juniors got especially creative this day: Noah Stoch carried his supplies in a wheelchair, while Kayla Brach brought a bike, showing just how far the junior class would go to embrace the theme.
Friday’s theme was beach day, with juniors wearing Hawaiian clothes and bringing beach chairs and games to bond as a grade.
Additionally, a group of juniors led Zman Kodesh, which brought the week to a close in a humorous and meaningful way.
Junior Kayla Brach said, “Leading Zman Kodesh was a really fun way to end the week because we were able to truly showcase our spirit and unity as a grade.”
Being the oldest grade in the school also means being the most responsible, but the junior class has shown that they can balance leadership with having a good time.
