The class cup competition is a student incentive where grade levels compete to achieve a multitude of awards. The competition was created by the Mill Valley staff and administration to help build school pride within students.

“At the time school spirit was one of our top weaknesses,” said communication arts teacher Ashley Agre. “We were trying to figure out a way to increase school spirit and that’s how the class cup came to be.”

Students compete against each other by earning points. Points can be earned by attending school sporting events and keeping the commons and locker banks clean.

The class with the most points at the end of the year is rewarded. Past rewards have included a trip to the zoo, going to the Legends and a movie and a tour of Kauffman Stadium.

Additionally there is a class cup competition for staff members called staff cup. The staff cup is there to achieve a similar goal to that of the class cup, to bring teachers closer together and compete for their teams. Teachers earn points by attending at least one school event per quarter.

“It’s kind of the same idea of getting teachers to go to different events…” Agre said. “We thought trying to encourage teachers to come to one event per quarter would help give them an incentive to go.”

The class of 2016 currently holds the record for class cup winning both their junior and senior years. Class cup was successful in raising school pride within this class.

“ … As incoming freshman, our participation was horrendous, so much so, that they had to have a meeting with us to tell us to participate, I don’t know what happened sophomore year, but I think we realized it was so much more fun,” said Camille Gatapia, a 2016 Mill Valley Graduate.

Gatapia loved the class cup competition and its impact on students and the school.

“It’s always such a great bonding time between everyone and it brings our whole school together,” Gatapia said.

Overall, class cup has had a tremendous impact on the way students take pride in their school.

“When I first started here at Mill Valley the school spirit was sub par,” Agre said. “In the eleven years I’ve been here, It’s so much fun to see how much it’s grown and how much pride the kids have in this school and how much they want to show their love for Mill Valley.”