The students at Spruce Ridge have been working hard to make a difference in the world. Their efforts have been done in relation to We Day, a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities.
Students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 have been working on a series of projects since September, all to make a positive mark on, and develop awareness of, the world around them, said Jody Copeland, a learning-support teacher at Spruce Ridge.
"The whole idea was we have to come up with a community initiative and a global initiative, as a club,” said Copeland. "From there, the kids figure out what they're going to do to raise money or build awareness."
Participating students came up with a different initiative for every month they participated in the program. In October, students collected canned non-perishable food for the food bank. In November, students carried out Operation Christmas Child, a program carried out by Samaritan’s Purse of Canada that entailed filling two shoe boxes with gifts, hygiene items, school supplies and toys to send to children in need in various countries. In December, students raised enough funds to buy four Christmas Hampers for families in Estevan.
"We went to two nursing homes and played bingo and sang Christmas carols four times in December. Their December project was about spreading the love, because people might not have loved ones around at that time of the year," said Copeland. “We took January off because it was a busy month at our school."
Last month, students continued to help others feel the love. They brought home a class list and made a Valentine card for every single one of their fellow 433 students enrolled at Spruce Ridge.
The activities, fundraising and good deeds the Grade 6s, 7s, and 8s did paid off in an exciting way when they attended the We Day celebration, at SaskTel Centre, in Saskatoon, on March 2. The event was the culmination of their efforts, serving as a reminder of the purpose behind their work all year, and a reward for a job well done.
The event featured motivational talks by retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, actor Henry Winkler, known for his role as The Fonz in Happy Days, singer-songwriter Scott Helman, former president of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda, Paralympian activist Rick Hansen, Juno nominee Tyler Shaw and Pakistani Olympian Shazia Hidayat.
"They basically come on and try to inspire the kids as to how to make the world a better place, and how one little change can have an enormous impact. Like, for example, if you were to stand up for a kid who was being bulled.” said Copeland. “It was a lot of inspiration and pretty cool entertainment, as well.”
Copeland said one of the most important aspects of We Day activities is the necessity of teaching students about the world around them, helping them to cultivate empathy and initiative.
“We had a bit of a realization when we were talking with the kids. You don’t get a lot of time to sit down and have a worldly conversation with them, because we’re so busy teaching our curriculum,” said Copeland. “We got to talk with the kids on the bus ride to the conference and talked about world issues. Some students didn’t even know what poverty is. If we start in Grade 6, we can develop their awareness and help them learn the skills to be leaders in the world.”
Copeland said the students who participated this year want to share their knowledge with students in earlier grades, through an assembly that showcases what happens at the We Day conference.
“The younger kids don’t necessarily know what our club is, what we’re about or why we’re raising money or why they got Valentines from the We Day group. The kids want to plan an assembly to let them know,” said Copeland.
Next year’s initiative is still in the planning stage. Copeland noted that students have already hit the ground running with an idea for an international cause to support.
“Right now, the kids have decided that their initiative is to focus on education in Africa. They have to somehow raise $1,000 next year in order to build a school house over there,” said Copeland.
On the local level, Copeland noted she is looking into a possible partnership with Habitat For Humanity and the local affordable housing projects it has planned for Estevan.
