Hands are for Helping

More Than a Motto At Kelsey Community School

As a community school in The Pas, Manitoba, we strive to instill in our students that everyone can contribute to their community in a multitude of ways. Classroom representatives for grades 3-5 are chosen by their teachers and classmates. The committee is student driven and deals with issues brought forward by students in all grades. This year they lobbied for playground equipment, school board budget money, and changes to playground rules.

Throughout the 2007/2008 school year Kelsey Community School showcased Hands are for Helping with the following activities:

• We supported the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a school project. Fundraising activities were held and the students were educated about the disease. A group of grade five students took this project to heart and initiated their own fundraising activities.
  
  
• The Terry Fox Loonie Parade is the school’s annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. Students are encouraged to donate a loonie, class contributions are tracked outside the gymnasium.
  
  
• In October our entire school participated in the nationwide Guinness World Record Walking Challenge. For a set time period everyone in the nation walked and successfully broke the record for number of participants!
  
  
• A Community Feast was organized and hosted by the Grade 3 students and teachers in the school gymnasium. Over 300 community members attended and were served by volunteers from the local high school.
  
  
• The “Christmas Store” concept was introduced to staff and developed into a very successful project. Students, staff, community members, and local businesses donated items which were sold for 25¢ to students and community members. Students from the local middle school volunteered their time to wrap gifts. The smiles on student’s faces showed the pride they felt in being able to put a gift under their tree for someone special!
  
  
• The Phys. Ed. Department once again organized the Jump Rope for Heart activities for students. All the money raised was donated to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
  
  
• Grade 3 & 4 students participated in the Kelsey Conservation District Community Garden Project. In the spring the Grade 3 students help plant the garden and in the fall the Grade 4 students harvest the crop to feed their families.

KELSEY KIDS TALK, our student driven newspaper, reported on all activities and important issues in our school community showcasing that at Kelsey Community School HANDS ARE FOR HELPING!