Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
The students are easily identifiable with their bright orange and blue backpacks.
The backpacks are made specially sized to fit young children and were ordered from the Mountain Equipment Co-op in Edmonton, Alberta.
The packs are snazzy to look at, good for toting books and school supplies and have a special use.
School principal Cheryl Forbes says the students take home a special homework assignment in their backpacks every night.
The homework varies from night to night and helps to encourage interaction between parents and their children.
"Each day the kids bring their homework back to school, along with a little sheet of paper their parents sign," says Forbes.
"The parents write what they discovered from their child's homework assignment on the paper."
The Grade 1 students have really taken to the backpacks and rarely leave school without them.
And, backpacks are less likely to be taken off and left behind on the school playground.
Grade 1 teachers appreciate the parents' efforts in helping the kids with their homework.
Forbes says the back packs are really helping the young students develop stronger habits for working at home.
She says the experience could prove itself to be a lasting one.
"The students will be taking the backpacks with them when they advance to Grade 2.
"Hopefully, their back packs will encourage them to continue with the good homework habits they developed this year.
