2016: Community by 2G

The Community unit has to be my favorite of all the Classroom Champions program! This unit is so empowering and teaches children to look beyond themselves and help others in their community. Arianne Jones led the charge for my 2G Champions these last two months about getting involved helping those around us. After watching Arianne’s inspiring video, we brainstormed as a class what we wanted to do to help those around us. We decided we were going to focus our attentions on promoting Operation Christmas Child, raising money for the local food bank, making biscuits for the humane society and making cards and spreading Christmas cheer at the long term care at our local hospital.

My 2G Champions were eager to start this unit by helping out Principal, Mrs. McKale, get the student body motivated to put together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. 2G challenged each class to put together as many boxes as they could. My 2G families were incredibly generous by donating items and were able to put together six boxes for some boys and girls. The students loved packing the boxes and counting the boxes brought in by the rest of the school. Our school collected sixty-seven boxes and my class was so pleased to know they played a part in spreading happiness to other children.

The students then set their sights on raising money for the Lakeland Humane Society and the Cold Lake Food Bank. We then decided to make Christmas ornaments to sell at our school’s annual cookie walk. As a class, we decided to create pony bead icicles. My students quickly got to work and created multiple icicles each to sell. I then had several students, who were able to stay after school, stay and work a booth and circulate around the cookie walk to sell ornaments or bring potential customers to our table. It was amazing to see the little leaders that developed and surfaced through this experience, as several of these said students are incredibly shy. The students raised $211.00 that will be split evenly between the Cold Lake food bank and the local humane society.

The students were then rewarded for all of their hard work with their Classroom Champions swag and live chat with Arianne Jones! The kids were so excited! Before the live chat we prepared questions the kids wanted to ask Arianne. I was again amazed by the number of shy students in my class when it came to the live chat, as they were the ones coming up to my computer of ask Arianne questions. It was so amazing to see their faces as they actually were able to chat with Arianne. They couldn’t believe it! They continue to talk about this experience to this day!

With their Classroom Champions shirts of honor, my kids then proceeded to talk to the school about bringing items for our local food bank. They challenged the school to help our local Peace Officers in packing one of their patrol cars with food. We also challenged our fellow grade two classes to a contest, where whichever class brought in the most items for the food bank would get cookies and milk . Our friends in 2-O took the challenge head on, and brought in over a hundred items alone! Not only did we get to pack a patrol car, but we also had the opportunity to pack up the vehicle itself, follow it to the food bank and then help unpack the it and stock shelves at the food bank. My little 2G elves were incredible! There was zero behavior issues and all students went to work tirelessly. It was so incredible to see! Some were weighing the food, some were unpacking boxes of food, and others were stocking shelves but all went to work and with very little guidance as though they had done this before. Pastor Phil Crump, who is in charge to the Cold Lake Food Bank,  was so impressed! At the end of all their hard work, students learned they brought in over 440lbs of food and about who uses the food bank. Students were shocked and some teared up when they learned families with children as young as two months old  use the food bank and seniors as old as ninety one do so on a regular basis. This made the kids even prouder to hand over a cheque to Pastor Phil for a hundred and ten dollars from the money they made from selling their Christmas decorations. The rest of the day, the students kept talking about how happy they felt about “filling other people’s buckets” and were so sad that so many people, including helpless babies and great grandmas and grandpas have no food and need to use this service all the time. We have decided that we will do another food drive in the spring to help continue to make a small difference.

In the last week coming up, the spirit of giving and helping others continues with making doggy biscuits this Friday and myself delivering them to the humane society with the hundred and ten dollars raised by my class. Next Monday we are making cards for our beloved seniors and delivering them on Wednesday while singing Christmas carols to help further bring them into the Christmas spirit!

It has been an amazing two months! I can’t wait to see what January and the new year brings!

Books Read:

The Giving Tree by Shel Sylverstein

The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen

The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jim Lamarche

Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth

Outcomes Covered:

• I choose from a variety of texts to develop new understanding of various topics.
• I communicate my understanding of new ideas and information by making connections to what I know.
• I consider the ideas of others to enhance my understanding.

• 1.2.1   I can connect my ideas with those of others.

• I explore my understanding of new ideas and information by talking, writing and representing.

• I am an effective group member.
• I show respect, responsibility and caring in my interactions with others.
• I recognize my strengths and skills and use these to help others.