There may be an ocean between them, but Niverville Elementary School’s fourth graders aren’t letting that stop them as they organize a few fundraisers to support a school in Kenya.
The students, who are part of the student voice group called Team NOVA—which stands for Noticeable, Open-Minded, Voice, Action—are involved in a number of school events, according to the school’s principal, Tracy Beaudin. She notes that the group does sometimes look for opportunities to make a difference outside of the school.
“The group this year wanted to do such a thing, and they have often heard about poverty in Africa,” Beaudin says. “So the idea of helping students there came to be.”
Three years ago, Team NOVA held a bracelet fundraiser, where they collected cereal boxes and sent them to an international group that made them into bracelets which NES students sold.
This year, the student group held a movie night, where families were invited to watch a movie in the school gym for $5 per family. The event raised more than $1,500, prompting NES to hold another movie night on Thursday, May 9, screening Horton Hears a Who at 6:30 p.m.
“The Kenya school that we are supporting has purchased school supplies and school uniforms with the money we have raised so far,” Beaudin says of how the money is being used at Hope Gateway School in Nairobi. “They have sent us emails with thank you letters and also pictures of the students.”
Another NES student group, the News Club, has been getting involved with helping others in a different way, by covering stories in their school newspaper.
The News Club was formed early this year after a group of enthusiastic fourth graders approached NES Vice-Principal Marge Thiessen with the idea before Christmas. The club commenced in the New Year and is open to any fourth grader who wants to join.
“It’s a pretty fluid project, meaning that students come when they can. Most, however, have been very committed from the outset,” explains Thiessen. “It is based on an inquiry model, meaning that where we go is based on student input. They try out ideas and then reflect on what we need to move forward or improve.”
Thiessen, who previously taught a ninth-grade Media Arts class and worked on the yearbook at a different school, brings some experience to the News Club.
The club has written about a different school in Kenya, one that they found about through one of NES’s fourth grade teachers, Mrs. Pauls, whose relative recently visited Africa for a missions trip.
“The topics for the stories are all chosen by the students,” says Thiessen. “They were also very excited about the I Love to Read events and so wrote about those as well. They have already generated a list of ideas for their next paper and have some big plans!”