On Monday morning at Notre Dame School Nicole Rogers and Susan Swanson were getting the showcase set up for the Pennies from Heaven Project that will run for the month of November. The School Council and Parent Fundraising Committee are supporting the service project in the school and the goal this year is to fill one or two of the five gallon water jugs with pennies or Canadian Tire money. The school wide project is a fundraiser for the Morinville Knights of Columbus Christmas Hamper Program and Midstream Support Society. – Lucie Roy Photo
By Lucie Roy
Morinville – Notre Dame and Primeau students are challenging everyone to check their change and their cupboards. Both schools are looking for donations of pennies and Primeau is in search of 600 coffee mugs.
The School Council and Parent Fundraising Committee at Notre Dame are supporting a service project in the school to fill at least one five gallon water jugs with pennies. They will then roll the coins and use the money collected to buy toys for the Morinville Knights of Columbus Christmas Hamper Program. They also accept Canadian Tire money. Teacher Susan Swanson said last year they collected more than $500 along with $70 in Canadian Tire money that was matched dollar for dollar from Canadian Tire in St Albert.
Georges H. Primeau students are participating in the Free The Children’s Water Initiative to provide permanent access to clean water for 100,000 people. Free the Children are launching the largest penny drive in Canadian history and this project is the one the WE students at Primeau have taken on. Teacher Dianne Hutton has been providing the students with fun facts and sayings about the penny.
“It is a very fun and interesting project to help kids around the world for their life and being able to do the things we do for them,” said student Renae Whitfield. Student Hunter is also looking forward to the project. “It is a really good experience to help do something this big and to change lives,” she said.
Students began creating their posters and ideas with inspiration from the Free The Children poster and information kit provided to the school. The kit comes with a penny bag from RBC that holds exactly $25 in pennies, the amount needed to provide one person with clean water for life.
Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner working both domestically and internationally to empower and enable youths to be the change. The initiative is a continuation of We Day, an international event attended recently by some of the students from Primeau School. It is the movement that is bringing together a generation of youth to be engaged in changing the world through yearlong educational initiatives.
Primeau Grade 5 students are also in need of 600 coffee mugs. They have been asked to help out with the goodies to be handed out during the Light Up the Night parade Nov. 24 and they want to make up mugs with cocoa and candy canes. They also want to hand out Snowman Soup, cow seeds and other treats to the crowd during the festival parade and will also be collecting pennies as they do so.
The mugs are required at Primeau by Nov.16 and pennies can be dropped off at either school during operating hours.
Above: Primeau student Justyn Sicord was busy working on his Penny project at the school on Monday morning. – Lucie Roy Photo
