School teaches students the value of giving back
As the school year winds down, kids are gearing up for lazy, hazy days of summer.
But before classes end, students at Lambton-Kingsway Junior Middle School have made sure less-fortunate children have an unforgettable vacation, too, donating $605 to the Fresh Air Fund.
The money was raised by students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 who are members of the school’s Secord House.
It’s one of seven teams of students that plan monthly events bringing students together for special activities, such as charity drives, to raise awareness about social justice issues or for some sports competition.
Each house — named after a different famous Canadian — collects points and the one with the most at the end of the year gets bragging rights and plenty of kudos.
“There’s a big focus on philanthropy here,” vice-principal Kimm Norton said, noting that although Lambton-Kingsway is in an affluent Etobicoke neighbourhood and is known for academics and sports, reaching out to the community is just as important and part of “creating well-balanced citizens and leaders.”
Members of Secord House introduced students to the Fresh Air Fund with a talk about the charity, followed by a video about camp and how donations benefit poor and special-needs children.
“Their eyes needed to be opened,” Secord House captain Ronni Prince said of her schoolmates, many of whom weren’t aware of the fund.
Students were asked to make a donation to the charity and, for their generosity, Secord House organized fun events including a scavenger hunt in the schoolyard, a dance and a bistro where kids cooled off with refreshments.
The effect of such initiatives reverberates far beyond the classroom, according to teachers and Secord House staff advisers Tania Shklar and Suzanne Taylor.
“Our students have shown amazing leadership skills for their age,” Shklar said, adding they took charge of the event “and did it on their own.”
Students also learned about teamwork and the importance of working to make the community better, Taylor said.
After the event, the young philanthropists talked about camp and what they gained from the fundraising experience. “Camp is important because kids branch out, they break out of their comfort zone and make friends for life,” Ronni, 13, said.
“At camp, kids make a fresh start and experience all kinds of things they wouldn’t anywhere else.”
Amber Buttigieg,13, knows that without help from the Fresh Air Fund, some children might not go to camp, and that would be a shame.
“Kids learn so much at camp, like new sports and survival skills,” she said. “It’s great to learn something new.”
Nadine Nazer, 14, is proud that she helped make a difference in the lives of others “and that our little event with students at our small school will have an impact and that we can change the world.”