November Event- Grade 9 Day- After School Event

November 27, 2024

Event participation:

For Grade 9 Day, I was originally assigned the role of a floater but was later added to the after school event as they needed more people. To start, during ESS on November 13, I volunteered to put up posters for the ice cream and the trivia events. I worked with a teammate to carefully place the posters in high-traffic areas around the school, making sure they were evenly spaced to catch the attention of Grade 9 students.

Since I was switched to the Grade 9 Day event at the last minute, I couldn’t attend the earlier planning meetings.However, I quickly caught up by asking questions to clarify anything I wasn’t sure about. During our leadership meeting after school on Wednesday, November 20, I actively participated in brainstorming ideas for the event. I suggested popular ice cream flavours and toppings to ensure the options would appeal to everyone. I also helped create a supply list, including essentials like ice cream scoops, napkins, and utensils. We also discussed the idea of showing a movie, but we ultimately decided to play music instead, which I think worked better as it allowed the Grade 9s to socialize and play games, helping them build connections.

In addition, I volunteered to sell tickets for the ice cream at lunch on Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26. I arrived 10–15 minutes early to help set up and stay organized. I worked with two other volunteers, managing cash and recording ticket sales. While selling tickets, I also informed the Grade 9s about other activities happening that week, such as the trivia event and the Q&A panel. After ticket sales, I offered to help clean up and put away the tables.

On the day of the event, I took on several responsibilities to ensure everything ran smoothly. At lunchtime, even though it wasn’t my assigned task, I encouraged Grade 9s in the hallways to attend the trivia and Q&A sessions. For the after-school ice cream event, I arrived early to help set up the ice cream station. I was in charge of scooping ice cream. After the first round, when all the volunteers got their ice cream, I noticed that one teammate couldn’t eat hers because she was too busy serving toppings. Therefore, I offered to take over her role so she could enjoy her ice cream.Once the serving was done, I helped clean the tables and throw away trash. I also walked around, encouraging Grade 9s to join in the games. I noticed two students who seemed shy and hesitant to participate, so I invited them to play Jenga with me and a few other leadership students.

After the event, I stayed to help clean up by stacking chairs, putting the tables back in their original places, and taking down the posters. Overall, I think the event was a success. It encouraged the Grade 9s to build connections and talk to one another. However, we faced some challenges, such as raising awareness about the after-school event. On the first day of ticket sales, we only sold two tickets, but by the end, we had sold 42 tickets. This was a big achievement, especially since it was our first time hosting this kind of event.

Curricular Competency:

Theme 5: Project Planning- Identify and develop various roles and responsibilities within a group

Alignment with course goals:

Public Speaking: My goal was to get more comfortable with public speaking. Selling tickets, explaining event details to Grade 9 students, and encouraging participation in activities helped me practice and build skills in communicating confidently and clearly.

Collaboration Skills: Another one of my goals is to improve my ability to work effectively within a team. Working with my teammates to put up posters, plan activities, and brainstorm ideas taught me how to listen to others perspectives, and contribute positively to group discussions.

Leadership: I want to step into leadership roles and be more active in organizing and managing tasks. Volunteering to take on additional responsibilities like managing cash, setting up tables, and putting up posters allowed me to lead by example and supporting my team.

Teamwork and Inclusivity: One of my goals was to create an environment where everyone felt valued. Encouraging shy or hesitant students to participate in games and making sure all Grade 9 students felt included and aligned with this goal, helped me create a welcoming and supportive environment.

Adaptability: I wanted to improve my ability to adapt to new situations. Being added to the team two weeks before the event required me to quickly adjust to the environment and take on new tasks. This also helped me become more flexible and comfortable with change.

Actions Taken:

Before: Before the event, I helped with putting up posters, which required planning and clear communication. I worked with a teammate to make sure they were spaced out evenly and easy to notice. I also joined the planning team later in the process but quickly caught up by asking questions and contributing ideas, such as suggesting ice cream flavours and creating a list of supplies needed for the event. This shows my ability to take on roles, think ahead and address potential needs. I also volunteered to sell tickets, arriving early to set up and staying late to clean up. I worked with two other volunteers and completed my roles and responsibilities of managing cash, recording sales, and promoting the event.

During: During the event, I managed the ice cream scooping station and stepped in to help when I noticed a teammate couldn’t take a break. I identified the need for support and took over the responsibilities. I also noticed some students were hesitant to join the games, so I invited them to play Jenga, creating a welcoming environment and encouraging participation. By completing and identifying various roles, I ensured the event ran smoothly and was enjoyable for everyone.

After: After the event, I helped clean up by stacking chairs, returning tables, and removing posters. This demonstrated my commitment to the event by making sure the area was cleaned and returned to normal. My ability to stay after and take on additional tasks contributed to the event’s overall success and demonstrated my ability to take on roles where needed.

Overall, by taking part in and completing various roles I was able to identify and develop responsibilities that contributed to the success of the event. I also adapted as needed to ensure everything went smoothly. My actions showed my ability to recognize the needs of the team and contribute positively. Through this event, I strengthened my skills in identifying and developing roles within a group.

Evidence

Evidence 1: Before

Example: I volunteered to put up posters for the ice cream event and trivia event. Working with a teammate, we found high-traffic areas such as hallways, near the cafeteria, and outside classrooms. We evenly spaced out the posters to make sure they were visually appealing and easy to notice.
Explanation: I worked with my teammate to divide the work she did upper a and b and I did lower a and b and the cafeteria, this helped us work more efficiently and demonstrated my ability to identify, divide and take on certain roles within a group.

Evidence 2 (before):

Example: On November 25 and 26, I volunteered to sell tickets during lunch. I arrived early to help set up and stayed afterward to clean up. During ticket sales, I managed cash transactions, recorded sales, and worked with two other teammates.
Explanation: We divided the roles and each identified the part we were going to do I was responsible for managing cash transactions and recording sales. I also took on the role of arriving early to set up and staying late to clean up, this demonstrates my commitment to the success of the event beyond just selling the ticket. This experience also shows my ability to take on different responsibilities and contribute to the team’s success.

Evidence 3 (during):

Example: During the event, I managed the ice cream scooping station. I also helped a teammate and took over her role while she was eating.
Explanation: During the event, I identified and completed my responsibility of scooping ice cream. I also identified a need within the team and adapted my role to help, When I saw that a teammate couldn’t take a break, I stepped in to take over her role. This shows that I can identify areas where help is needed and develop my role to support my teammates and the overall success of the event.

Evidence 4 (after):

Example: After the event, I stayed to help stack chairs, return tables to their original places, and take down promotional posters.
Explanation: This task demonstrated my commitment to the project’s success beyond the event itself. By contributing to the cleanup, I helped the team ensure the space was clean, showing that I understood the importance of completing all aspects of the event. My willingness to stay after shows my ability to identify and complete tasks and responsibilities that need to be done.

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