The week of April 27 to May 1 was designated OLCS’s Week of Generosity, with the theme of Celebrating Human Rights, Diversity and Community.
This year, we kicked off the week with a special field trip for middle years students to visit the brand new Canadian Museum for Human Rights. While our bus trip to Winnipeg madefor a long day, we considered ourselves fortunate that we are able to access this museum, as most Canadian students wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit on a day trip.
After a school-wide assembly at which we reviewed the importance of generosity and giving towards others, we held the Paul Winters Walk for Diabetes. This is Paul’s final year at OLCS and we are
proud to share that students raised $118 in Paul’s name for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The weather cooperated for the walk, and afterwards, Paul’s family donated ice cream treats for everyone in the school.
An assortment of other activities were also planned for students in Kindergarten through grade 8. The grade 4/5 students visited the Legion Hall/Seniors Centre where they learned how to
play shuffl eboard. Local seniors and grandparents also visited our school and read with the kindergarten to grade 2 students.
We also welcomed Raymond Brown Sr. to our school, and he shared with students in grades 2-8 the Dakota story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, a legend that reflects generosity and respect. On Friday, all students participated in our annual town-wide clean up, with assistance from the local Lions service club.
The Lions also provided a delicious hot dog lunch to middle years students. Every year on April 22, Earth Day is observed around the world. The fi rst Earth Day was held in 1970; 45 years ago. Communities around the world celebrate Earth Day by planting trees, picking up litter, hosting recycling drives, planting vegetable gardens, and conserving energy. At OLCS, we observed
Earth Day with a litterless lunch challenge, and the class that created the smallest amount of trash packaging in their lunches
was the grade 2/3 class!
Way to go! We also hosted a cookie sale in support of Earth Day Canada, and raised $81 for this charitable organization. Students and staff were invited to sign our Earth Day flag, which will be sewn into the 2015 Earth Day Flag. Anne MacDiarmid, Sustainable Development Consultant for Manitoba Education, was able to stop by our school on Earth Day and see all of the ESD initiatives that we
have in our school. OLCS appreciates the efforts that all students make towards making Earth Day every day in our school.
The grade 2/3 class is participating in an Aboriginal Education buddy project with a grade 1/2 class in Richmond, BC. In character education lessons, they are learning about Dakota culture represented in southwest Manitoba. Through a blog, they are sharing with their buddies in Richmond, who are also learning aboutthe Salish culture represented in their area. Books, lessons, and guest speakers have provided for many rich learning opportunities.
Recently, both classes made bannock, and shared with each other their experience! Students will be visiting the white buffalo at Sioux Valley later this month, and sharing their experience with their
new West Coast friends! Recently, Mrs Penner’s music classes participated in the Virden Music & Arts Festival. All of the students performed exceptionally well and were highly praised
by the adjudicators. Dylan Gompf, Erika Friesen and Mikayla Cox also received special awards for their participation in the Festival.
The grade 7/8 class recently walked to the Oak Lake Cemetery and helped the Cemetery Board with its annual spring clean up project. Along the way, students picked up trash from the side of the road, and observed that there was much less garbage this spring than in previous years! At the cemetery, students raked pinecones from under the evergreen trees, and helped tidy up the
cemetery grounds. Mr Clare Couling helped supervise this project, and students each signed the guest book before leaving.
