CK students are eager to revamp and improve our Christmas traditions. Service Week was introduced last year to be included in the same week as the Winter Pep Assembly. Service Week is a way for students to contribute and donate items to the community.  

“It’s a great way to let the school give back to the community,” said junior Brittani Smith. Every day is designated for donating a specific item, like clothes and toiletry items. Also, in the past, teachers volunteered to be pied during the Winter Pep Assembly if the daily goal for donations is reached. “If it was all in the name of good fun and if it encourages students to participate in Service Week then I think it’s a great idea. But I don’t think I would ever be pied,” said English teacher Debbi Duane.

This year, instead or pies it was silly string.

Some people would like to see decorations and more Christmas spirit around the school. Other students have experienced door decorating contests and wish CK would do the same. “It stopped after elementary school,” said Cogar. Duane added, “If we did it again, through tutorial, I think it would be a neat idea.”

In previous years, the Winter Pep Assembly has consisted of three relays back and forth on the gym floor. In one relay, students run down, dress in a Santa suit and reindeer ears and run back. In another, students wheelbarrow down the gym, drink eggnog and eat cookies and wheelbarrow back. In the last one, students do head spins on a bat, run down and stack cups and run back. However, the executive ASB believes that these games are due for a change. This year’s games consisted of snowball bouncing, a small scavenger hunt and a class caroling competition during the Winter Pep Assembly. Sadly, or gleefully for some students, the Friday of Service Week which included the Pep Assembly was snowed-out, therefore school was canceled. But the assembly was rescheduled for the following Friday, the 16th.

The junior ASB is excited for the Christmas season. They are planning a Christmas fundraiser where students have to throw a present in a box painted as a chimney. If they miss, they get put on the naughty list and get chocolate coal. If they make it in, they get put on the nice list and get a candy cane. The fundraiser is ongoing from the 12th to the 14th of December to get the students more excited for the Christmas holiday and the grams will be delivered on the 15th during tutorial.

But wait, there’s more. The choir is pretty enthusiastic for the Christmas holiday as juniors Trieste Cogar and Brittani Smith demand: “More decorations.” They also want to “bring back door decorations.” Cogar added, “Jazz does caroling but we might this year.” Smith said, “It’s mainly based on availability of students. I would like to, but it’s one of the busiest seasons of the year.” The choir’s spectacular Christmas concert was on December 13th in CK’s theater. Senior Lyndsey Richmond added, “There’s the holiday wishes. It’s really uplifting. It makes me feel happy and supportive.” The holiday wishes are like Christmas notes and letters with supportive messages that students involved with choir give to each other.

Even band and orchestra are participating in the Christmas spirit as junior viola player Ericka McDonald stated, “We are doing one Christmas song this year but it’s not really Christmassy because Mr. Woods doesn’t really like Christmas songs.” When asked about the concert, junior violin player Emma Skinner said, “Heck yeah we are.” Their amazing concert was on the 6th of December; but due to the heavy warnings for winter storm Caly, their concert on the 8th was canceled then rescheduled for the 9th.

Even though winter storm Caly caused the concert and school to be canceled, many students got to enjoy the few inches of snow that dropped over Thursday night and parts of Friday morning. Students got to build snowmen, have snowball fights and go sledding which really helped boost their morals for Christmas and Winter Break.