CHS cultivating culture of kindness
Student organizations giving back through drives, appreciation
During seventh period, Coppell High School seniors Amanda Lasky and Kaitlyn Sork make Christmas trees for the centerpiece of the teacher luncheon. The Student Council teacher luncheon will be held on December 20 at 1:15pm in the Large Commons.
December 6, 2018
As students walk through the hallways of Coppell High School, there is increasing indication of the school and its students and faculty preparing for the holiday season: teachers’ doors display wreaths, classrooms are filled with gingerbread scents and students can be seen wearing knit sweaters. Among these preparations, however, include evidence of a fundamental theme at CHS: kindness.
Organizations such as Student Council, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and more perform acts of kindness for the school and the community to give back, while teachers host activities for their students to show their kindness to one another.
AP Chemistry teacher Amy Snyder, who is active on Twitter (@SnySciCHS), asked her students to tweet kind things they have done for other people or compliments for their peers with the hashtag #SnyceStuff2018.
The results? Almost 600 tweets, with a potential reach of almost 9,000 individual users. Most tweets were posted on the day before Thanksgiving.
Students tweeted things such as, “Tutored two different students in math,” or “Thankful for the family that raised me and cared for me”.
Snyder also posted on her Twitter along with a picture of thank you notes spread out on her table, “A few [CHS] teachers had their kids write thank you notes, and these were in my mailbox. I’m not [crying]…yes, yes I am. I am definitely crying at their sweet words.”
#snycestuff2018 a few @CoppellHigh teachers had their kids write thank you notes, and these were in my mailbox. I’m not cry….yes, yes I am. I am definitely crying at their sweet words. #grateful #mywhy #cowboysunite pic.twitter.com/ve8ncAp3ch
— Amy Snyder (@SnySciCHS) November 5, 2018
During October, Red Jackets also hosted Teacher Appreciation Week, where each week there was something different for the teachers. On Halloween, for example, teachers were able to make their own floats using different ice creams and sodas available.
“It’s important that we, as adults, spread kindness to kids in hopes that kids will do the same with their peers,” Red Jackets sponsor Aylor Rix said. “As Red Jackets, it’s important they are examples to the rest of the building.”
Rix also thinks the implementation of Cowboy Camp, which started the year with activities about integrity, has helped promote kindness and core values important to the faculty and students based on the purpose statement.
Spearheaded by English IV teacher Courtney Orloff, the English Department collected socks and trash bags from students and teachers to make over 75 bundles. Orloff then drove to East Lancaster Avenue, the neglected, homeless part of the Metroplex, and passed them out.
“[The bundles] went in probably five minutes,” Orloff said. “And they were very greatly received, [there were] many blessings to us for doing that.”
According to Orloff, the residents of Lancaster Avenue said that socks, trash bags and undergarments are some of the things they needed most because people do not think to donate them as much as they do food, toys and other clothing items.
“It is super important to cultivate kindness [and giving back], because we take a lot of things for granted. And I think that especially during the holiday season, that sense of urgency for gifts…I think when we give it just puts things in perspective and what’s really important and how we have so much even though we’re still wanting all of the time,” Orloff said.
According to Orloff, having a tighter-knit community with only three grade levels has helped to promote kindness culture at CHS, providing a more intimate connection between students.
Student Council has been preparing a holiday party for all the teachers and has hosted peer drives partnered with the Lion Club. For the teachers, they have sponsored a relax week, where they passed out air fresheners, bath salts, bath bombs and a thank you card.
“It creates and establishes the community we’re hoping to work towards where the kids are supporting each other,” Student Council sponsor Jonathan Denton said. “It helps them establish relationships they can pull on later in life.”
