In the spirit of creating a positive and supportive community, a Student Council (StuCo) tradition has returned once again to encourage kindness. On Friday, February 14, each teacher will distribute ” Warm Fuzzies ” in the morning.
“Warm Fuzzies are little pom poms that we make out of yarn, and they are there to help spread kindness throughout the day,” Co-Adviser Brandon Lafountain said. “You wear it like a necklace, every student gets one, and there’s probably like 50-60 strands of yarn tied together. You say something nice, you give a person a warm gesture or comment, and you take one of your pieces of yarn and you tie it on the necklace of the other person, so it kind of boosts the gift of giving kind words.”
Lafountain hopes this tradition creates memories that students will take to heart after they’ve left the classroom.
“People might keep their actual warm fuzzy necklace for a year or two, and probably throw it away,” Lafountain said. “But when you look back on it, whether you’re an adult or a few years out of high school, you’ll think back, ‘Oh! I remember this activity!’ And you might even remember a few things that somebody you might have never talked to before said.”
StuCo members have expressed their goals and visions on how they hope “Warm Fuzzies” impacts the student community.
“I hope this event brings together new friendships and bonds that may have never developed without this project,” Sophomore Class President Mia Mendez said. “Students should take away all the kindness they received and teach themselves that a simple compliment can truly make someone’s entire day.”
To make this tradition possible, StuCo members are required to show their dedication and teamwork when creating warm fuzzies.
“To plan for the event, each person in StuCo was required to make 35 Warm Fuzzies each,” Student Body, Historian Gage Ruiz said. “They are made using yarn, a cup, and scissors, then after all of them are made, [we] count and sort them out into bins to be distributed.”
Despite the excitement for its return, the process wouldn’t be without its difficulties.
“Some challenges StuCo faced was the high amount of Warm Fuzzies we have to make for the entire school,” Sophomore Class Representative Danniel James Madamba said. “Last year, each council member had to make 12 due to the high [number] of council members, but with the reduction of members this year, that amount significantly increased to 35 Warm Fuzzies. That amount was quite difficult, especially for first-timers like me.”
Beyond the event itself, the message behind Warm Fuzzies extends much further than a single day of kindness.
“Students should take away the experience that, even if it’s not Valentine’s Day or time to comment that people like them, maybe take time to complement each other,” Senior Class Secretary Alexis Taing said. “You never know if it can make someone’s day. Even if it’s just your friends.”
