Upcoming Round Square Initiatives

In true Round Square tradition, our committee has been busy organizing initiatives in support of ongoing social issues and in preparation for the holidays. Currently, there are two ongoing initiatives that you can support, in addition to two upcoming campaigns in December. 

The GNS Climate Action Now (CAN) club works in partnership with GNS Round Square, with the aim of improving the school’s carbon footprint and impact on the environment. 

Their current focus is tackling fast fashion, which is the quick turnover of fashion trends and the global shift towards cheap, mass produced clothing. Companies that are perpetrators of fast fashion include H&M, ZARA and Shein. Canada alone contributes 500,000 tonnes of waste to the global total of 1 million tonnes. 

To address this issue, GNS CAN has been collecting lightly used garments for the upcoming clothing swap occurring on Wednesday, November 27. Senior School students can head to the Gudewill Learning Commons from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. to thrift through the clothing. Any remaining items will be donated to Our Place to help support the community. 

The second initiative is a card-writing campaign called Sending Sunshine. Sending Sunshine is a national organization that sends cards to seniors. Students and teachers are encouraged to head to the Gudewill Learning Commons during lunch to help make cards between November 18 and November 29.

Upcoming initiatives in December are the Winter Hygiene Drive and the Winter Market. 

From December 2 to 6, Round Square will run the annual Winter Hygiene Drive in support of Our Place. We will collect new hygiene items including shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, towels, baby wipes, mouthwash and dental floss. Please ensure your donations are new, clean and the packaging is clean. Donations can be dropped off in lower Gudewill outside the Dining Hall. 

The Winter Market takes place on Wednesday, December 4 at lunch in the Gudewill Learning Commons and is in support of the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH). The Winter Market features multiple mini stands offering baked goods, arts and crafts and more! Make sure to bring cash or a credit card, as a card reader will be available. More information will be posted in the coming weeks. 

Please help support our Round Square initiatives and community by bringing in donations and sharing some of your time. Winter Market organizers are looking for more volunteers to help bake and sell treats. If you are interested, feel free to contact Emmett Anctil (25anctie@gnsmail.ca) and Theo Serowka (25serowt@gnsmail.ca).