Written By: Lindsay Hutt
Homecoming Week is one of the most exciting times of the year, and the excitement could be felt all throughout the halls. Each year, the football games, out of uniform days, and the Homecoming Dance at the end of the week are all highlights of Homecoming. However, this year, new additions have brought even more eagerness throughout the school.
This year, each day of the week was given a special theme, such as Community, Mission, Culture, Partnership, and Service. These themes help students remember the true meaning of the week as a time to grow school spirit and strengthen community. The week started off with a focus on community, and students wore their blue or gold community shirts to represent their Houses.
Pre-k and Kindergarten jump for joy at their own Pep Fest, which included a visit from Lenny the Lion.
On Tuesday, students were reminded of Providence’s Catholic mission with an all Upper School Mass to start the day. Students were also able to participate in “Anything But a Backpack Day” which, as the name suggests, meant they could leave their backpacks at home and carry their supplies around school in anything except a backpack. From birdcages to guitar cases, students had lots of fun getting creative.
“I thought it was a blast and the creativity was so fun to see. It was a fun concept and the students did a great job,” Upper School Administrative Assistant Mrs. Gregg said.
Wednesday was centered around the culture of PA. Students celebrated their strong Upper School culture of positive moral qualities which they practice daily. To build culture, students wore their class colors such as pink, green, red, and light blue. Wednesday also held the annual Powderpuff Football Game for Junior and Senior girls. To no one’s surprise, the seniors continued their winning streak, beating the juniors 35-0. However, new this year, the 8th grade class was able to come out to the field to support the teams and get a taste for Upper School spirit.
Middle School girls in their M&M themed outfits for “Character Day.”
Thursday brought a focus on partnership and the importance of working together. To highlight this, students were granted a full out of uniform day, for which the theme was “Twin Day”. They coordinated outfits with other classmates to come to school as twins for the day. Full out of uniform days are always a highlight of the Homecoming Week and classmates had lots of fun coordinating creative outfits.
“I liked getting the opportunity to dress up with my best friends and have a special day to twin and get even closer with them,” Brigitta Nelson, ‘27, said.
On Friday, the theme of service was spotlighted, and the Upper School community showcased their leadership and service. House leaders organized the annual Homecoming Pep Fest for all ages. From the kindergarten class to the senior class, everyone had a great time watching relay races, hula hoop contests, and so much more. This helped the students get excited and spread school spirit prior to the Homecoming Football game. This year, Pre-K and Kindergarten had their own Pep Fest where the played lots of games and Lenny the Lion even taught them how to roar!
“This year we tried to incorporate new games that we haven’t played before. I think it was really fun to switch things up and include all grades. There was a lot of time and planning that went into the pep fest, and it went very well,” Healy, ‘26 said.
The Homecoming Football game is one of the most anticipated aspects of Homecoming week, and the Lions were able to bring home a win over DeLaSalle with a score of 40-0. Although the team co-ops with three additional schools—Maranatha, Heritage Academy, and West Lutheran— they were able to come together as one team. This was evident in how they played, showing their strong team bonds and chemistry.
“It was a great team win and it was nice to get everyone involved and win as a team. It helped bond us and we had a great time celebrating the win,” Quarterback JJ Rooney, ‘27, said.
The week capped off with the annual Homecoming Dance, which is always a fun way to end the week. Students gathered in the Great Room and had lots of fun dancing, taking pictures at the photo booth, and seeing their friends.
“Everyone had such a great time and had lots of fun at the dance!” Gregg said.
Overall, Homecoming Week started off the 2025-2026 school year on a great note and left students excited for what is yet to come.
“It was a great week and there were a lot of offerings. All the kids seemed to have a really nice time,” Gregg said.