Nov. 13, 2015 ~ The Olathe Northwest High School community has a strong focus on giving back, but this was only strengthened Nov. 9-13 as they launched a school-wide Raven Week of Giving.
Student groups led by the Student Council and Raven Service Club joined together to organize a week of gift and service for the entire Olathe Northwest community. The Johnson County Christmas Bureau will be a recipient of the school-wide effort to collect more than 3,000 canned goods. The school year began with the theme of "We're All in This Together" and continues with the Raven Week of Giving.
"As we approach the holiday season, I am asking our Raven Family to give back," Principal Gwen Poss said. "Give back to your friends, your family, your school and your community. By doing so, you will not only make ONW a great place for everyone inside these walls but also bring joy to your heart!"
The week kicked off with a celebratory assembly and included various activities throughout the week to encourage giving back and to encourage people to bring in canned goods. On Wednesday, the students honored veterans and that evening held a school activities night where more canned goods were collected and "can-tivities" were organized to get students excited about the canned food drive. On Friday, the school planned a blood drive to benefit the Community Blood Center.
Each day of the week, the school featured a video about a staff member and a video about a student who serves others and the community. Staff members handed out positive affirmation stickers to encourage the positive traits in everyone. From considerate to understanding to friendly to thoughtful, hundreds of positive affirmation stickers were distributed among students and staff.
But more than that, the school community came together for an incredibly positive week, showing the world just how strong the bond is between students and staff at Olathe Northwest.
Student Council President Brant Pitcairn helped organize the week and was thrilled with the student response and support.
"We wanted to give back to the community and impress on the students the importance of giving back and caring for others," he said. "Not everyone has the same passions, so we are encouraging everyone to give in the ways they are passionate. I am overwhelmed with joy with how the kids are hopping on board. It's exciting to see. I love being a Raven."
