Learn to share show you care

Our Learn to Share program is school wide and runs all year long. The goal of the program is to encourage our students and families to make positive contributions to their community that make a difference in lives of others. We do things locally (at the school level), for our city, and for the world. This year we plan to:
• Collect Halloween candy from our students during the week after Halloween and donate it to a charity (to be determined). This allows the students to reach into their bag of goodies and share with others.
• Collect non-perishable food items to create hampers to be delivered to families in our school neighbourhood. The staff at the school will also purchase gifts for each of the family members receiving the hampers.
• In February all students will create a hand- made Valentine. These Valentines will be delivered by a group of students to the personal care home in the neighbourhood. This will allow our students the opportunity to think of and show care to an elder in our community.
• After attending “WE DAY” our students will decide how we will support a community outside of Canada. Once a year we pick an organization to devote a month to raising money and awareness. In the past we have done “Pennies for Patients”, raised money and awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, as well as for our local community centre. We will look at the needs of the community and assess where students would like to put their efforts.

Update (March 3, 2014)

This year out school decided to donate candy to those who may not have had the opportunity to go out for Halloween. The idea is to have children reach into their own "stash" when they are "rich in resources" (candy) and give to others. Some children chose to share their most precious favorites, while others gave candy that they thought others might enjoy. Each day for a week after Halloween selected students took the initiative to go to each classroom to collect the candy. Another group of students bagged all the candy, and a third group delivered the goods to the Siloam Mission and Chili from the Heart. Students were honoured to have a tour of the mission and learned many things about homeless people while reflecting on the fortunate circumstances in which they live.
This program involved the entire student body as well as giving leadership roles to many students throughout the week.

Update (March 3, 2014)

This winter has been the coldest in over 100 years for Winnipeg. We have had countless days under -27 C and with the windchill have reached as low as -50 C. Our students cannot be allowed outside for recess when it is -27 or colder as unprotected skin can freeze in a very short time. These facts got us to wonder about how homeless people survive. After all , if our own students aren't allowed out for 15 minutes, how do the people without warm homes to go manage in this climate. Therefore , we decided to create a project called "Sock it to Me" where students and staff donated adult socks during a 2 week period. The outpouring was heart-warming (as well as feet-warming!). We were delighted to work with the good people of Chili from the Heart who ensured all the socks were delivered to feet that really needed them.

Update (March 3, 2014)

During the week before Valentines Day students of Kent Road School began to talk about elders in our community. They explored the importance of the older people in their lives, and how many cultures look to the elders for advice and wisdom. Students then decided that it made sense to honour these people by sending them some love in the form of Valentines. Each student made a Valentine with care and thought. Then, on February 13, six students were taken to the care home to hand deliver the Valentines. The students went into the rooms of the elders and were able to spend time talking with them about their families, interests, and lives. They were very impressed to have met a woman who was 106 years old. One student commented that the lady was "100 years older than she was!" This was a springboard for discussing what changes this woman must have seen in the world over her 106 years. The afternoon ended with a tea party hosted by the care home for our staff and students. What a caring way for all to share their respect for one another.

Update (March 3, 2014)

Holiday hampers is a project where our staff and students donated non-perishable food items and gifts that were made into six very full hampers. Students went around collecting from classes each day. "Food Friday" was an incentive for students where each item they brought in afforded them a ticket in a draw for a prize. The results were two very full bins of food.
A group of students organized and separated all the food, and another group made up all the hampers. We were also grateful to Sobeys who provided re-usable grocery bags to deliver the hampers in. Finally, another group of students delivered the hampers to the homes in our community. The result was having many students involved in the project and some taking good leadership. We were overwhelmed by the reaction of the families who received the hampers. This project was an excellent example for our students to learn that they can, and do, make a difference in people's lives.