How do we recognize the people in the community who make a positive difference? BICS students set out to answer that question with cards, and plants and in-person Thank-Yous, and the Community School Association seeks to recognize community members with the annual Community Spirit Awards.
Giving back and taking time to thank people is important. Students created lists of people who help them and then created cards, grew plants, wrote speeches and then went out and delivered them through the community. Teacher Kim Hicks was very proud of her students and observed: “It was such an impactful day! Not only for our students, but also the recipients we met with. There were many happy tears and full hearts!”
After a very full day of leading two classes through a well-organized line-up of presentations to community members that Grade 1 and Grade 4-5 students chose to recognize, teachers and students were aglow with joy. The two classes are ‘Buddy classes,’ which means that younger students and older students work together throughout the school year on a variety of projects and activities.
As a way of building community connections and to think about services, and supporting the community, Little and Big Buddies were asked to thoughtfully reflect on recognizing people in the community who help others and then to brainstorm different ways to recognize how people give back to and serve our community.
To recognize the people who serve our community, students planted and cared for seedlings of sunflowers and marigolds (to represent the big and little buddies) and then potted them up into larger pots. Students collaborated on songs, wrote speeches, letters, and crafted cards… and then went out into the community to deliver their thoughtful gifts of appreciation.
First responders, the public library, pharmacy, the people who make and sell food for us to eat, local government, doctors, bus drivers, and more were on the list. After a day of delivering their recognition gifts and presentations, students were abuzz with the excitement of meeting people and making a tangible difference.
“The project was to say thanks to people in the community, I especially liked meeting the people at the Public Library in person.” - Oona
“I felt a lot of joy and it felt good to give back to the people who serve our community.”- Gemma
Students hope that if they take the time to say thank you to all the service people of Bowen Island that those people will feel appreciated and respected, and that their small gestures and sincere gratitude will help make the island a more positive place.
Students are also looking forward to the year end assemblies which recognize student service activities, as well as community activities. One way to introduce more people in the community who are making the island a better place in many big and small ways, is through the annual Community Spirit Awards (formerly known as the ACEbc Awards).
The Community School Association and ACEbc annually recognize people in the community through these awards and are asking you for your nominations for the 2022 Community Spirit Awards. Is there someone in the community who has made it a better place that you would like to be recognized?
The categories are: Bowen Island Community School Volunteer(s) of the Year Award, Youth Leadership Award, Community Resident, Agency, Organization or Individual Community Spirit Award, and the Educator Award, presented to an individual or team of teachers, or educators, of a school or organization who have rendered exemplary service, support, and leadership in the development of community education at the school, centre or neighbourhood level.
Please email the names of your nominees, and 1-2 sentences sharing why you are nominating them, to [email protected] by June 12. Thank you.
