Students crowded at each classroom door, eyes fixed on the clocks glowing on their phones. The seconds ticked down, and then the bell rang, signaling the end of another school week. But as students rushed to exit the building, a familiar song began to play from the intercom: “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. Some turned to each other with confused looks, while others started to sing along. Ever since, students have entered the weekend soundtracked to a different song each week.
The inspiration behind this all started during one teacher’s lunch duty.
“I have lunch duty with Mrs. [Brenda] Rieck and Mrs. [Carrie] Smith, and one day we were talking about ways we could brighten up the school and create a fun, positive culture,” physical education teacher Hope Skrobecki said.
From that discussion, the idea for a schoolwide tradition began to take shape.
“Ms. Skrobecki gets the credit for brainstorming fun spirit activities to try at East,” Rieck said. “Then I casually mentioned we used to do ‘Music Fridays’ at my old school.”
With their newly formed idea, the three teachers pitched it to Assistant Principal Michael Tomjack, who approved it. Once the plan was in motion, they had to figure out the logistics of playing songs over the intercom. Skrobecki talked to technology coordinator Dave Stastny, who programmed the songs chosen for that week, and then the office staff played them over the intercom once the bell rang.
“There were a lot of people who helped make this happen,” Skrobecki said.
The system now in place, Skrobecki had to decide which songs would actually be played.
“It started with choosing songs that both students and staff would recognize,” she said. “I try to keep the songs lighthearted, fun and school-appropriate. The Friday Song can also tie into a holiday or upcoming school event.”
Most recently, Tomjack sent out a Google Form with four song options: “Diamonds” by Rihanna, “Africa” by Toto, “Forever” by Chris Brown and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, allowing seniors to vote on which one they want played.
It didn’t take long for students, including those on the Wingspan staff, to catch on to the tradition. They weren’t just listening to the songs but anticipating which one would play next.
“We [the Wingspan staff] started betting on what song it was going to be, and eventually it became a real game,” Wingspan Editor-in-Chief, senior Madeline Petrick, said. “Everyone writes a Friday Song idea on the whiteboard throughout the week, and then we keep track of points for who guesses it correctly. It was a shot in the dark when we didn’t have the Google Form, but now it’s a bit more predictable.”
Now, as the final bell rings each Friday, students pause for a moment before heading out, waiting to see what song will kick off the weekend.
