Home for the Holidays: Fun Ideas For Winter Break

December 17, 2021

Academics

GNS

As the Winter season approaches and the heavily anticipated Winter break draws closer, here is a short compilation of activities to do during the winter.

The Victoria Public Market is a popular place where locals go and enjoy locally produced food and crafts. Another popular place for locals and visitors alike is the Bay Centre in Downtown Victoria, where the 30th Annual Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for the BC Children’s Hospital, is hosted. Keeping with tradition, GNS students have decorated a tree for the Festival of Trees in the Bay Centre, with the theme of ‘home.’

Regardless of which holiday you celebrate, music is always an integral part of the winter season. In Victoria, there are plenty of celebrated music performances. Visit Destination Greater Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music for more information regarding music festivals.

These are only a few of the activities available during the Winter Holidays, visit 12 days, 12 ways to celebrate Christmas around the Capital | West Coast Traveller, for more activities and information.

These are just some ways GNS students and staff like to celebrate winter holidays. Mr. Morales Gil, Spanish 6 and Economics teacher, has a special mix of holiday traditions, both influenced by his time in Canada and Mexico.

“We exchange some gifts, have Christmas dinner together, we play some games, normally we play charades. In Mexico, we do similar things together, but we also break piñatas,” he said.

Caitlin Chen ’24, an international student, is especially excited for the holidays.

“Well, because I’m from Taiwan, we don’t really celebrate Christmas, but I think my host family has some traditions they can introduce to us international students,” she states.

For Grade 10s, the general consensus is that they will be working on their IB MYP Personal Project. Almost 95 per cent of the students surveyed immediately blurted out, “Personal Project,” accompanied by a furtive glance around the halls to make sure their supervisors weren’t eavesdropping.

Usually, the Grade 11s and 12s are quiet because they think they’re cool, but it seems as if they are now quiet because they are tired and ready for the break.

For teachers, it seems as if they are even more excited for the holidays than the students are, which doesn’t seem possible. With their warm drinks in hand, teachers seem to be checking their watches more frequently, as if they are counting the individual seconds until our break begins.

Just as a wrap up note regarding the Round Square Winter Market. Thus far, we have raised $348, but we are still waiting for the Teacher Raffle Basket, after which the grand total will be announced!

Have a wonderful, relaxing, and enjoyable winter break and, maybe, hope for a little snow.