Written by Ashley Fortin, Student Journalist
The winter season comes with its pitfalls and challenges, especially with the weather. Snow days are at the top of mind of teachers, parents, and students alike. Questions are asked like, ‘How many will we have this year?’ ‘What can you do with all this snow?’ ‘Why does it keep falling?’ and ‘When will it stop!?’
There is a bright side to this never ending winter wonderland though: outdoor activities in the snow. Some people enjoy snowmobiling, some love to ski, while yet others would rather avoid the weather altogether and prefer to watch winter sports from the couch! However, there’s one question that is sure to lure children and those young at heart outside during this time every year: do you want to build a snowman? Making snowmen, an age old pastime, is sure to brighten everyone’s day regardless of how cloudy or grey it may be outside.
At St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School (DOM) in Bracebridge, the students of the Tanzania mission team not only built an army of snowmen but began their team-building journey through a friendly snowman building competition on February 15th, 2019. These students are busy preparing for their trip to Tanzania in May 2019, with team-building activities, educating themselves about the culture, and the traditional ways of those who live in the African country.
The concept began as a way to strengthen the bond of this team prior to their trip, which is through Me to We. While brainstorming, the students thought of many ideas for team building activities, but one, in particular, stood out to them: a snowman building competition. The team set the date and students came to school bundled in their winter gear and ready to team up and build the best snowmen (and women) that the school has ever seen.
The teams trekked outside dressed in hats, gloves, and coats to begin the competition in the sports field. For the snowmen, teams used rocks, sticks, and other scavenged items to complete their masterpieces. Sarah M., a member of the Tanzania Team, said “The activity was amazing. We rushed up the snow hill to get and make snowballs, slipping and falling throughout the afternoon. We found pebbles to make a face and other things to make the snowman unique.”
After the rush to the finish, teams proudly displayed their unique snowmen to their classmates. Despite the friendly competition, building these snowmen succeeded in bringing members of the Tanzania team closer together. “Although I have known these people since Grade 10, I feel as though this experience strengthened our team, which will benefit us when we go to Tanzania in May.”
Although no winner was officially declared, the team learned much more than just how to win a competition or build amazing snowmen. The team united and worked together, made the best of the winter season and made some new friends along the way.