This past week marked the second annual CW SMILES week – a week designed to celebrate positivity and happiness.
#CWSMILES is an initiative dedicated to raising spirits, building connections and celebrating the Collingwood community through fun events. Every day, there were fun and interactive activities, organized by the CW SMILES committee, aiming to celebrate this fantastic week!
Monday kicked off the week by encouraging students to embrace happiness and positivity. Every House participated in the CW SMILES community building activity by finding a partner during assembly, writing three common things about themselves on their smile sheet, and then snapping a selfie together. Over 200 photos were sent in, and were displayed on the school photo monitors throughout the week. As Grade ten student Sol Lee expressed, “The assembly activity was a great and engaging way to build Collingwood community. It was fun learning about the unique things you share in common with your fellow peers. I think a lot of people enjoyed it!”
The CW SMILES initiative continued on Tuesday, promoting random acts of kindness. With upbeat music blasting and CW Smiles committee members waving pom-poms, students were thrust into to Tuesday’s theme. A highlight of the day included the “muggings”. These were not actual muggings; the CW SMILES “Muggings” involved students being awarded mugs filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows and other nice treats for noted acts of kindness. Recipients were then asked to refill the mug, and pass it on to someone else later in the week. Contrary to the connotations of the term, the CW SMILES’s “muggings” was a great way to thank Collingwood community members for their thoughtfulness, and pass on the giving spirit.
Later in the week, students were encouraged to sport pink shirts and accessories, on Wednesday for Anti-bullying Day. Dedicated CW SMILES members handed out anti-bullying bracelets as a memento for the day. Collingwood is a supportive environment, and by wearing pink students showed their support in eradicating bullying. To further underscore Collingwood’s commitment to kindness, CW SMILES placed a community board placed near the front doors where students were able to leave post-it notes for others- thanking them for acts of kindness. With over 350 comments, the board was a gleaming success.
Thursday’s marquee event was the re-launch of the ALLY Club. Allies is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ community, and ensuring a safe and accepting environment for all students. To support this group, many students took the ALLY pledge (promising to be inclusive of all people and to stand by ALLY’s ideals). In the spirit of ALLY’s characteristic the rainbow colors, Collingwood students were able to enjoy rainbow tattoos and colorful treats.
CW SMILES week ended on Friday, leaving students time to reflect on what a positive week they had. In Advisor, a short video commemorating the week highlighted the community building activities and acts of kindness. As expressed by grade ten student Eva Cai, “CW SMILES was a great success. It really helped foster a positive energy amongst the community and allowed students to connect with one another. It’s a great initiative, I’m looking forward to it next year.”
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