The spark of holiday spirit is here this Winter Wonder Week, as teachers hand out the candy grams to students from their favorite friends with a note that makes them smile.
The week before winter break can be stressful with loads of projects and tests due. During the dark and cold winter months, little words of love and encouragement can pull students out of stress if only just for a moment. Candy grams are a free way to share love and sweets with friends and even teachers.
The candy grams have been a long-standing tradition at Skyline High School, happening every year on Wednesday of Winter Wonder Week. Students can come up to the stand in the ASB garage during lunch to write a kind message on a blank candy gram for their friends a week before Winter Wonder Week. They will then take those messages, attach them with Hershey’s Kisses or candy canes, and deliver them to teachers who will give them to the students.
Other schools have incorporated candy grams as a fundraiser by adding costs ranging from 1 to 2 dollars. At Skyline High School, ASB provides candy grams for free, encouraging the holiday spirit before winter break.
“They can do as many as they want, it’s completely free, it’s just a slip of paper,” Lyla Myhre, ASB member, said.
Myhre had the opportunity to give candy grams out last year, and she believes it’s not only one of her favorites but an essential part of Winter Wonder Week.
“It’s a really exciting experience to see, you know being able to go into a classroom, and explain that you have this gift for people,” Myhre said. “it’s really exciting to watch people get excited about that and exciting to be able to provide a part of winter wonder week.”
Although the deliveries were in the middle of teaching or a test, candy grams were always able to bring a smile to someone’s face. In other not-so-busy classrooms, teachers could give students a little break from work time to give out the messages their friends had written, making for a nice interaction between the teacher and students.
“From what I’ve seen it’s been well received,” Myhre said. “I had a bunch of people tell me last year like ‘Oh I got 5 candy grams’ and it’s so nice to feel appreciated by other students so I think it’s a really exciting part.”
