As the last class of the day lets out, Middle and Upper Schoolers drift toward PAC. The echo of footsteps mingles with chatter, and the air seems charged with anticipation. As the clock creeps toward 2:40, teachers scan the crowd, making sure their advisees sit in their proper seats. Micaela R. ’26, the 2025-26 ASB president, steps up to the microphone and a ripple of applause sweeps through the audience. Across campus, in the gym, Lower Schoolers are just wrapping up their assembly: cheers ring out, voices buzz with surprise and joy, and the scent of school pride lingers. Over in PAC, silence falls. A breath is held. The video begins.

Every Westridge school year begins with a theme meant to set the tone of the coming months. For the 2025-26 academic school year, the Associated Student Body (ASB) chose the theme “Stronger When Woven Together,” hoping to inspire unity, collaboration, and support across all grade levels. But as with any guiding message, its impact depends on how it’s received, and whether it lasts beyond September.

The assembly kicked off with a 15-minute ASB-produced video, which featured a series of fake themes leading up to the real one. These fake themes included “The Summer I Chose Myself, Prioritize Yourself, Be Yourself,” a nod to The Summer I Turned Pretty; “Stay Golden: It’s Your Moment,” inspired by KPop Demon Hunters; “Protect the Jungle: Get Wild,” featuring a dance battle between the Westridge Tiger and students who wanted to deforest the school; and “6 7 Respect Your Upperclassmen,” based on a recent social media trend. 

At the Lower School assembly, students were laughing and cheering, some calling out guesses before each fake theme was revealed, and others fidgeted, impatient for the real theme to drop. These sentiments were mirrored at the Middle and Upper School assembly, in addition to drumrolls and clapping throughout the presentation. 

The video sparked a range of responses from students. Many praised its creativity, saying the fake themes added fun and anticipation to the reveal. Sixth grader Ziya D. said she preferred the fake themes to the real one because they felt more playful. Fiala P. ’27 added, “I think the video, for me, didn’t do enough fake-outs. I wanted them to have one more.” Tenth Grade Class President Katherine D. ‘28 said, “For the video, we were trying to cater to all age ranges,” explaining the media-heavy tone of the video. However, not everyone felt the same. “I felt like the humor was too pop culture-based,” said Rachel K. ’27.

Some students noted a pattern in the yearly themes, wondering whether the repetition was intentional. “It seems like the same thing every year, just a different variation,” said Olivia M. ’29. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.”

Even ASB members acknowledge the similarity. Micaela pointed to past themes like the 2023-24 theme, “Branch Out, Grow Together” and 2024-25 theme, “Look Around, Capture the Moment.” “We keep coming back to togetherness,” she said. “But I think that’s just us trying to reinforce this sort of message that always gets lost in translation during the school year. That’s why [the themes] just happen to be repetitive because towards the end of the year, no one remembers what the theme is.”

Micaela also noted that the main challenge is not choosing a theme, but in keeping the message alive from fall to spring. “I think it’s not only ASB’s responsibility, but also students’, to remember what our message is,” Micaela added, “and try to keep the energy going towards the end [of the year] so we don’t have to keep repeating the theme.”

Despite the mixed reactions, some students say the theme is making an impact. “It’s creating a community,” said Alia S. ’27. “And it’s supporting the arts [by] talking about beading and weaving.”

For younger students especially, the theme can be a source of inspiration. “I think it encourages a lot of people to have a great year,” said fifth grader Vivienne M.

In a school where every student’s experience is part of the bigger picture, “Stronger When Woven Together” is more than just a slogan. It’s a shared commitment and a chance to live out the theme, thread by thread, all year long.