West Hartford’s Conard High School is holding ‘Do Something Week’ for the second year in a row, and groups of students and staff from throughout the school will engage in a wide variety of activities.

Submitted by Kim Davis, Student Activities Coordinator, Conard High School

A sampling of the many activities at Conard High School during ‘Do Something Week,’ Feb. 2-6, 2015. Submitted

Conard High School students will host a variety of activities during “Do Something Week,” Feb. 2 – 6, when there will be numerous opportunities to help others. The idea is for different groups (clubs, class boards, sports teams) to sponsor activities that encourage the entire Conard community’s participation.

Conard Athletics is encouraging its spectators to help restock the shelves of West Hartford’s Food Pantry. Hunger exists all year long, but at this time of year supplies start to dwindle. In order to meet the pantry’s needs, Conard’s varsity home basketball games, wrestling matches, and a hockey game at the VMSR will be free with your donation of a food pantry item. The items most requested in town are spaghetti, cereal, canned tuna, rice, spaghetti o’s/ravioli, and baked beans; but one can also consider donating “luxury” items like cooking oils, coffee, tea, and condiments. Betty Remigino-Knapp, athletic director for WHPS, is committed to having as many of Conard’s teams involved as possible, from collecting donations during the lunch waves, practices and games, to hand-delivering the supplies to Town Hall.

The Business Club and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) will be collecting personal care items for distribution at different locations. The Business Club’s chosen charity is The Veterans Hospital in Newington, CT. The club is asking for books, DVDs, and playing cards, as well as razors, deodorant, shaving cream, and other drug store items. GSA will be taking donations and assembling care packages for LGBTQ youth, including items such as travel-size shampoo, lotion, and deodorant; lip balm, chewing gum, mints, and chocolate. The packages will be sent to the Hartford chapter of True Colors, a non-profit organization which helps to meet the needs of youth in the sexual and gender minority.

Unified Theater kicks off its season in February with the #LOVEinclusion hashtag project. Ideas for acts of inclusion range from sitting with someone new at lunch, to smiling at someone you don’t know in the hallway, to standing up for someone else. Students are encouraged to share their acts of inclusion on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the tags @unified theater and #LOVEinclusion.

The Astronomy, Computers, and Engineering (ACE) club works all year long to meet the needs of Conard students without technology at home. The club takes donated computer components, refurbishes them, and then donates a complete computer bundle to a student in need. Tony Truss, Engineering teacher and ACE and TSA advisor, says, “It’s completely anonymous. We don’t know where the computers are going; administration takes care of that part. So far this year we have helped out seven different students.” Donations can be dropped off in the main office or taken to room 197.

Other groups are sponsoring activities as well. Please see the schedule and poster for details.

Monday, Feb. 2 – Friday, Feb. 6

10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the cafeteria unless otherwise indicated

• Create Valentines for area elementary school children; sponsored by Unified Theater.

• Make a statement about inclusion on heart shaped cards, then share on social media with #LOVEinclusion; sponsored by Unified Theater. (Activity in main hallway)

• Wear your crazy socks and roll up your cuffs! Donate warm socks for the homeless; sponsored by Environmental Club and the Tribe.

• Donate new or gently used children’s books to be distributed to Bridges Family Center; sponsored by the Library Book Club. (Collection area outside library doors)

• Donate personal care items, decks of cards, DVDs, and books to the Veterans Hospital in Newington, CT; sponsored by the Business Club.

• Donate warm clothing to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters; sponsored by NHS.

• Donate and help to assemble personal care items to be distributed to LGBTQ youth at Hartford’s True Colors shelter; sponsored by Gay-Straight Alliance.

• Pledge to donate blood during the American Red Cross Blood Drive, to be held at Conard on Friday, February 13; sponsored by Allied Health class and Individual and Family Development class.

• Enter to win an awesome 700+ piece origami dragon. All money collected will go to eating disorder programs; sponsored by Origami Club.

• Purchase a handmade snowflake ornament for yourself or a friend. All profits will go to a local animal welfare organization; sponsored by CARE – Conard for Animal Respect and Equality. (period 5 only)

• Donate food pantry items to stock the West Hartford Food Pantry; sponsored by Conard Athletics.

• See the movie Girl Rising, an inspirational documentary about the global need for all girls to have access to education; sponsored by BRAVE. (Showing in Room 169)

• Help send 3 girls in developing countries to school by filling your favorite teacher’s jar with coins. The teacher with the most coins will wear a cape and crown for the entire school day on February 11; sponsored by BRAVE. (Jars located in Room 169)

• Register to vote! sponsored by Student Council. (Date TBA)

Tuesday, Feb. 3

8:22-10:06 a.m. in the Auditorium

• Assembly featuring Frank Waln of the Lakota tribe. Waln will perform with dancers Sammi and Lumhe Sampson and will speak about his experience living on a reservation, the history of the relationship between the US Government and Native nations west of the Mississippi, and the continuing economic and political issues that confront Native People today.

7 p.m. in the Auditorium

• The annual Mr. Conard pageant helps to defray the cost of senior class activities. In keeping with tradition, the senior class board will offer $1.00 off the $5.00 admission when you donate a food item to the West Hartford Food Pantry.

Free admission (with your food pantry donation) to the following athletic contests:

• Monday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. in the Gym, Girls Varsity Basketball against New Britain

• Thursday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m. in the Gym, Boys Varsity Basketball against Northwest Catholic

• Saturday, Feb. 7, 10 a.m. in the Gym, Wrestling against East Hartford

• Saturday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, Boys Ice Hockey against South Windsor