'Everyday Super Heroes' Theme for EPCHS Snowball Retreat
EVERGREEN PARK, IL – Evergreen Park Community High School hosted its 18th annual Snowball retreat over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, an event themed “Not All Superheroes Wear Capes” in 2022.
Students and teachers involved in Snowball dressed in superhero costumes, decorated the school and made signs of encouragement for the two-day retreat on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the teen-centered international event held by many schools around the world locally took place inside EPCHS this year rather than at Camp Manitoqua in Frankfort, where the retreat is usually held for Evergreen Park students.
“Snowball this year centered around the idea that all of our students can become someone’s everyday superheroes,” Libby McArthur, an EPCHS art teacher who serves on the Snowball leadership team, said. “It can be done through their actions and words, and they are responsible for trying to make a difference in anyone’s life.”
McArthur was joined by Katie Hyland, Tom Minarik, Matt Kovacs and Tom Fitzer on the Snowball faculty leadership team that works with student directors to create a positive impact.
“This year, Snowball looked a little different, but still had a lot of the good vibes that come with it,” Hyland said, noting that several EPCHS teachers wrote letters and shared videos encouraging students to attend.
The weekend provided an opportunity for teens to build confidence, help them be a positive influence on each other, and learn skills that they can use in everyday life to make healthy life choices.”
Student directors for the retreat were Grace Murphy, Kelly Scanlon, April Kirts and Caroline Duffy.
“Snowball weekend was a breath of fresh air during such a stressful time,” Duffy said. “Being a senior and having a whole lot of uncertainty about my future is difficult, but being able to have a similar Snowball experience to its usual state was simply amazing.”
This article originally appeared on the Evergreen Park Patch
