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Community, connection, and school spirit shine for WMU Homecoming
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WINFIELD — From preschoolers in pajamas to high school athletes under the Friday night lights, the Winfield-Mt. Union (WMU) community celebrated Homecoming 2025 with a week filled with spirit, service, and smiles.
“In a smaller district, every student, every family, and every tradition makes an impact,” WMU Superintendent and Elementary Principal Karinda Wahls said.
Homecoming spirit filled the gym Sunday, Sept. 14, during Boom Night, when junior royalty Javin Kellogg and Kallie Gaither crowned Bowen Thomson and Ella Kann as this year’s king and queen. The evening also featured volleyball, dance team performances, and the always spirited powderpuff football game—setting the tone for a week centered on school pride and community connection.
Festivities continued with themed dress-up days, a parade on Wednesday evening, and Friday’s pep assembly, football game, and dance.
But for WMU, Homecoming is about more than the events on the calendar—it’s about connection.
“High Five Friday was started in 2022 with the goal of creating a simple, positive way to bring students and staff together,” Wahls said. “At its heart, the idea was about connection—something as small as a high five can brighten someone’s day and help them feel seen.”
Since its beginning, High Five Friday has included a visit to Sunrise Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where residents greet students with joy and handmade goodie bags.
“Sunrise Terrace has continued to be an incredible partner ever since,” Wahls said. “Their commitment to supporting our students and promoting school spirit has been remarkable. The residents absolutely light up when the students arrive—it’s a highlight of their week, and it’s become just as meaningful for the students.”
That partnership—students giving high fives to residents and receiving hugs, smiles, and encouragement in return—embodies what WMU’s Homecoming stands for.
“It reminds students that they belong to a community that celebrates them and takes pride in each other,” Wahls said. “It’s a tradition that says, ‘We’re in this together,’ and that kind of unity is at the heart of school spirit.”
While Wahls says High Give Friday might seem simple, it sends a powerful message of belonging and being a part of something meaningful to each student, teacher, and community member participating.
Connecting with the community extended beyond Sunrise Terrace as several WMU students spent their open time cleaning up toilet papering from around town. While the school does not organize or participate in any TPing, these wolves showed a generous spirit that High School Principal Gaige Gill says he sees in many students at WMU.
“At WMU we give volunteering opportunities throughout the year during non instructional times or outside of school hours for students to give back to the community,” Gill said. “Some students add these hours up to get Silver Cords at graduation, others volunteer with a group, many volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts.”
For Wahls, Homecoming’s power lies in how it unites generations.
“Homecoming week is one of the most powerful times for connecting our younger and older students,” she said. “Spirit days, assemblies, and events like the parade give every age group the chance to participate and contribute.”
Connection continued back at the WMU school during homecoming week when older students made time to connect with younger classmates, strengthening the sense of one big school family that makes Homecoming special.
High school football player Nick Sparrow is one of many high school students that make an effort to bridge the gap between the oldest Wolves and the youngest.
For homecoming week, Sparrow joined elementary students for recess and didn’t hesitate to run, jump, and slide right alongside them. Sparrow’s connection with this younger generation extends even beyond homecoming as he regularly helps out in a first grade classroom throughout the year.
Additionally, fall sports players were the stars of High Five Friday at school. As Friday came to an end and the Wolves prepared for the big game, these athletes filed through rows of elementary students generously giving out high fives, hugs, and encouragement.
As the week wrapped up, WMU’s youngest students waved pom-poms, older students gave high fives, and residents at Sunrise Terrace smiled wide. For Wahls, that’s what it’s all about.
“These traditions create bonds across grade levels and between school and community,” Wahls said. “They’re the kind of moments that students remember long after graduation, and they build pride in our district that carries forward into adulthood. For a district our size, those traditions become part of our identity.”
Wahls said she feels most proud when she sees the entire town line the streets during the parade or cheer in the stands on Friday night.
“It shows the power of shared pride and connection,” she said. “Homecoming is a reminder that our schools are at the heart of the community, and when the community rallies around our kids, it strengthens everything we do inside the classroom.”
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
