During periods 3 and 4 on December 9, 2025, IBT Grade 9 and 12 students gathered in the cafeteria with their mentorship groups and participated in a gingerbread decorating contest. This highly competitive event showcased the creativity of our students when they were given a limited set of supplies and rules. From brainstorming ideas and spying on other groups to eating the cookies at the end, the competition showed the importance of mentor relationships and teamwork.
After lunch, students went to their period 3 class for attendance before heading downstairs to the cafeteria at around 12:30 PM for the event. The grade 12 mentors arrived first, found their group’s table, and held up their signs for their mentees to find the rest of their respective groups. Once the grade 9s arrived, Ms. Fiocco began the event by asking which mentors had made contact with their mentees since the last IBT mentorship event in October. It sounded like crickets in the cafeteria, with the exception of three grade 9 students who claimed that their mentors had, in fact, made contact with them.
“Honestly, I think checking in once in a while would make the whole mentorship thing better,” said Yash Patel, a grade 12 mentor.
After this moment, groups were given a few icebreaker questions to discuss. Three questions were answered within every group, ensuring that everyone got a chance to answer each of the following: What’s the best thing happening in your life right now? If you could start a charity organization, what would it be for? And what’s an interesting fact that you know?
These questions sparked lively conversations. Afterward, Ms. Fiocco invited students to share their facts to earn special IBT pens, adding energy and reward to the event.
Now it was finally time for what everyone was waiting for: the gingerbread decorating. On each group’s table was a Christmas bag that contained seven gingerbread cookies, a plastic knife, and a bag of Christmas-themed candies. Each group was also provided with a plate of green, red, and white icing to decorate their cookies. Being told that only the top three groups would win a prize sparked creativity among students, encouraging them to think outside the box.
A competitive nature took over the students as they thought hard about what could be a winning idea with the limited supplies they were given. Soon enough, students were walking around and inspecting the creations of other groups, scouting out their competition. An array of ideas could be seen, carefully crafted by these grade 9s and 12s working together as a team. From luxury cars and dogs to extravagant scenes straight from the North Pole, their creativity was put on full display.
“Our ideas kept getting better the more we talked. It really brought the group together, and it felt like real teamwork,” said Ishaan Sooch, a grade 12 IBT mentor.
As time ran out, IBT executives inspected each group’s gingerbread cookies, adding pressure to the event. While some entries stood out as clear winners, others disappointed. The judges ultimately selected four winning groups, one more than planned, due to the impressive array of themes. After reminders to stay connected, grade 9 and 12 IBT students returned to their period 4 class.
Overall, through fun and competition, this event really highlighted the importance of mentor relationships and how teamwork and cooperation are essential to success.
THE NORTH STAR 