The Grade 6/7 class at Mezi Community School earned more than $800 in a recycling fundraiser the week of June 8. The group was Shakira Wetrade, left, Lynn Football, Anna Naedzo, Bertha Simpson, Darius Moosenose, Leona Nitsiza, Tina Nitsiza, Mike Danskin, Alyssa Bishop and Kyla Simpson. - photo courtesy of Mike Danskin |
Recycling nets big donation
Grade 6/7 class at Mezi Community School raises money for Centre for Northern Families
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Monday, June 22, 2015
WHATI/LAC LA MARTRE
Students in the Grade 6/7 class at Mezi Community School in Whati were hoping to earn between $100 and $300 to put toward their class leadership projects during a recycling fundraiser earlier this month, said teacher Mike Danskin.
Instead, they raised more than $800.
"It shows the generosity of the community to donate all those recyclables," he said.
"It was way more than we ever could have imagined."
Each student chose a leadership project to complete by the end of the school year, Danskin said.
Projects ranged from baking snacks to share with elders while listening to stories to reading to kindergarten students.
In order to make sure students had ingredients for snacks and other supplies, the class decided to ask Whati residents for their recyclables and bring them to the community's recycling depot for a refund.
On June 10, the class made posters advertising the initiative and put them up throughout the community. On June 12, students went door-to-door collecting recyclable items.
Danskin said though many students started out timidly knocking on doors, their self-assurance began to grow.
"It was really cool seeing them gathering confidence," he said. "At the start they were so shy. It was neat for me as a teacher to see that change in them."
Once the items were gathered, the real work began, said Grade 7 student Shakira Wetrade.
Everyone took turns helping to clean and sort each piece.
"I just volunteered to help them organize the cans and bottles," Wetrade said.
"We had to take all the bottle caps off."
When it was all clean and organized, the class took the recyclables to the community's recycling depot where they received $823.90.
Now that the class has exceeded its fundraising goal, Danskin said they are planning to use some of the remaining funds for a class party on June 24. As a thank you to the rest of the school, students are also donating money to each class to help with their end-of-year activities. They also plan on making a donation to the Centre for Northern Families in Yellowknife, Danskin said.
Because the money raised technically came from community residents, Danskin said the class made its decision on where to donate the money based on what they believed the community would want.
"It's been neat for the kids to just kind of think about others and where we can put the little bit of extra that we raised," he said.
