Spencerville – A blue denim doll has given Grade 5 students at Centennial ’67 Public School a lesson in humility.
Throughout this school year, the 25 children in teacher Louise Marcil-Irving’s class have taken part in a project called “Who Is Nobody?” Marcil-Irving got the idea for the program after attending an Upper Canada District School Board Workshop early in the school year. She decided it would be a good fit for the class because of the program’s focus on developing character.
It made them aware of global issues— Louise Marcil-Irving, teacher
After deciding to take part in the program, the class received a small blue denim doll with no features. As each student completed his or her project, they added a piece of clothing or accessory to the doll which illustrated something about their individual project.
The first Who Is Nobody? activity was done by the entire class. “We had two volunteers from Child Haven,” an organization which buys books for Nepalese children, said Marcil-Irving. “We put penny jars in the community.”
She added the class raised $575 by the end of 2007.
Students then embarked on individual activities. Students had to choose something which would help the environment, people or animals, and donate time, materials or money.
The children also discovered they can still have an impact on the world around them even though they are young— Louise Marcil-Irving, teacher
“One of our students did a snowsuit drive for Family and Children’s Services in Brockville,” the teacher related. Another pupil collected 25 rolls of paper towels for the Leeds and Grenville Humane Society. Other activities students undertook included shoveling snow or walking dogs for elderly people in the community as well as holding special events to raise funds.
Click to Enlarge
Steven Cucman, a student in Marcil-Irving’s class, raised $126 by selling “Hearts for Hannah” pins at the Edwardsburgh Community Centre and donated the money to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “Hannah Walker used to be on my soccer team,” Cucman related. He added that was one of the reasons he decided to sell the pins for the Prescott girl who passed away in February.
I found Who Is Nobody? really fun. It inspired me to do more work to help other people— Steven Cucman, grade 5 student
“I found Who Is Nobody? really fun,” said Cucman. “It inspired me to do more work to help other people.”
Marcil-Irving noted her students learned several important lessons from the project. “It made them aware of global issues,” she stated.
She added the children also discovered they can still have an impact on the world around them even though they are young.
For more information on this program, visit www.whoisnobody.com
This article was published in the Prescott Journal on June 11th 2008
Leave A Comment