PTA advocacy chair Audrey Wright was surprised to learn about Welby Elementary’s school song.

“I didn’t even know we had one until our PTA president posted a video from an assembly of the kids singing it,” she said. “I’ve been involved for several years and had no idea that it was even a thing.”

Her third-grade daughter, Elliana, taught her the tune, and Wright introduced it at a PTA meeting so others could learn it too.

“Music brings us together and creates a community. We’re here for the kids, we’re here for the school, and this song makes us connected,” Wright said.

Now, Wright and her children — including second grader Adam, kindergartner Elise and preschooler JP — sing it regularly. Wright even set the “Welby Wildcat Song” as her phone alarm.

“I love our school. I have so much school spirit, and this song feeds my soul. I love it. It’s upbeat. It only takes 60 seconds to sing it,” she said. “Our school was built in 1979, but apparently this has been the song the whole time so our music teacher is bringing this song back to life.”

There is some mystery involving the Welby Wildcat song. 

Despite its long history, the origins of the song remain unclear. There’s no official credit for the lyrics or music. 

Beverley Taylor Sorenson music specialist Karissa Evensen, who found the song in a folder last year, began teaching it without knowing it had fallen out of use.

“I assumed they’d been singing it all along and taught it to all my classes,” she said. “We sang it at a couple of assemblies, then teachers came up to me, saying, ‘It’s great we’re doing the school song again.’ I didn’t know it had stopped.”

Teacher Linda Woolf, however, never stopped teaching it.

“It used to be something all the kindergarten teachers taught,” she said. “We did it to help the students get a sense of belonging to the school, to build school spirit.”

Fifth-grade teacher Aleesha Naylor hadn’t heard the song in about a decade until Evensen reintroduced it.

But when was it written? And by whom?

Former principal Kirk Denison said the song began with the school’s founding. 

“They started using it the first year through the six years that he (founding principal Clell McMullin) was principal, and it continued through when I was principal for six years,” he said. “It has a peppy tune, and the words really fit for Welby. The students got excited as they were singing.”

Fourth-grade teacher Rachelle Peterson, a former student in the school’s early years, only remembered the song after
returning to teach. She also recalled different school colors.

Retired teacher Janie Lauritzen said the original colors were brown and gold but later changed to red and black after a student vote; those colors are now included in the lyrics. 

After contacting other former colleagues, Lauritzen concluded former kindergarten teacher Holly Newton was the writer of the song with former first-grade teacher Mitzi Bray as the accompanist. 

“Holly had music talent and was sharp. Mitzi also was talented musically and she wrote it down and added the pause and clapping to it,” Lauritzen said.

It also is believed a former choir teacher, Margo Munson, updated the ending with a faster tempo. 

Despite debate over its authorship — and even where to clap — the lyrics endure:

A Welby Wildcat I will be

When I work for victory

I’ll wear the colors red and black

To show that I’m a Wildcat!

Being afraid is not for me

Confidence is what I need 

To get that winning spirit through

Don’t give up! 

Do your best! 

Now just see what a Welby Wildcat 

See what a Welby Wildcat 

See what a Welby Wildcat can do!!

Now, under Principal Aaron Ichimura, in his sixth year, Welby plays the song at the start and end of each day.

“We don’t want to lose our school
song again,” he said. “Singing it together is a treasure.”λ