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QE Grade 6 class making a difference

By Greg Nikkel The Grade 6 class at Queen Elizabeth School was issued a challenge to do something to help a community group or organization, and the students took the challenge seriously, organizing various activities and fundraisers to help out.
QE Grade 6 class

By Greg Nikkel
The Grade 6 class at Queen Elizabeth School was issued a challenge to do something to help a community group or organization, and the students took the challenge seriously, organizing various activities and fundraisers to help out.
The challenge was issued by their class mentor, paralympian Michelle Salt, as a part of the Classroom Champions program.
As one student explained in an interview with the class, Salt sent a video as part of her regular program of life lessons and challenged the students to undertake a community service project.
“It’s about kids making a change in the world,” explained teacher Dara Uhren, who noted her class is taking part in the “Global We” program. “We made a difference in the community doing these service projects.”
The class was divided up into small groups, and each one adopted a group or a cause of their choosing, and a spokesperson for each group gave brief descriptions of what their projects involved.
Hayden Pulfer, along with Donald Alexander, Hailey Baggs and one other student, raised money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) by organizing a raffle, and by collecting pledges for the JDRF walk that was held in November. The group did the project because Alexander has Type 1 diabetes, and he took part in the JDRF when it was held here at the City Centre Mall. The group also created a website to promote the cause.
A group that included Jenna Knupp, Addison Baigent, Tamara Kater and Delainy Knoll visited seniors at the Hill Top Manor, going to visit there every Wednesday for three consecutive weeks. Tamara said the students spent time with the seniors talking with them or doing crafts with them.
One group of students collected food and donations for the Salvation Army food bank, including Ryder Goertzen, Ryder Fellner, Aaron Mokelki, Trotter Drake, Max Crane, Jaxon Ward and Matthew Elmy.
They started their collection on Nov. 27, and will collect up until Thursday, Dec. 21, which is the day for the school’s Christmas concert. As of the day of the interview, the group had collected about 100 pounds of food and $35 in cash donations.
A group of five students held a fundraiser for the STARS air ambulance, and started collecting money on Nov. 30. This campaign will also wrap up on Dec. 21. As of the interview day, the group had raised $503.
As one of the group explained, their mentor, Michelle Salt, was touched by this project as she had been injured and rescued by a STARS helicopter.
Another group collected donations for the new Weyburn hospital.
Two groups helped out the Weyburn Humane Society, with one raising money by selling candy canes on Nov. 29 and 30, raising $317. Group member Brie Hallberg said, “We did it because we want to help the animals.”
The other group, Sawyer and Josh, went to the animal shelter to spend time with the cats, and they walked a dog named “Matata”.
“We just wanted to help them out and make the cats happier,” said Sawyer.
The last group held a bake sale to raise funds for the Family Place, and they brought in $417.
“This wasn’t the end for most of us,” said one student, and another added, “We want to help others.”
Hayden Pulfer, who was the first student to explain a project, said, “For me, this wasn’t for marks. This was for the other people that we’re helping.”