D’Arcy McGee Initiatives:

1. Cleaning Up Our Boucher Forest

Recently, in the community of Aylmer, Québec, a considerable amount of attention has been surrounding the problems and conservation efforts made towards the Boucher Forest, the last great natural refuge for wildlife that is being endangered by residential developments as well as other harmful influences. As a result of the deterioration of this important landmark, it is no surprise that the students of D’Arcy McGee’s Advisory Mentorship Program (AMP) are jumping at the opportunity to aid and contribute to the preservation of a forest close to our school and our hearts. Learn more about the Boucher Forest at http://www.fondationforetboucher.ca/en/map.html.

With the help of our District Councilor Alain Riel, our initiative to kick off our upcoming year of leadership training and team development, we will be cleaning up the forest and adding our efforts to reverse the horrible pollution that has gone on in the habitats of many species. All this will be happening on Wednesday, MAY 27th. We also hope to prove our concern for the well-being of the community and the environment to other students and citizens of Aylmer. In keeping with the website’s name impossible2possible, the AMP students are looking to start our leadership endeavors by making this seemingly huge and impossible task, possible. As we progress as a group, our plan is to extend our leadership and our outreach to the environment more globally. This year’s project will set the foundation for the upcoming year and other worthy projects.

           

2. Plant a Seed and Grow!

200 students….2000 TREES!

D'Arcy McGee’s Grade 11 Advisory Mentorship Program students (AMPs) were at it again! Leadership is growing as our AMPs continued their efforts from last spring where they cleaned up a part of the Boucher Forest, a big conservation area in Aylmer, Quebec as part of their “Extraordinary Acts” initiative. You can check out the forest website at www.fondationforetboucher.ca . Our AMP initiative continued on September 23rd when we lead 200 grade nine D’Arcy students into the Boucher Forest to plant 2000 trees! We were thrilled to have Ray Zahab and Tamara Banks join the group to plant. As it turns out, this event happened on Maple Leaf Day! Kudos D’Arcy McGee!

Sir Guy Carleton S.S. Initiative

Students Raise Money for Ryan's Well

The idea for the Ryan's Well fundraising initiative started in Miss Midwood's grade 10 English classroom. The students decided they would like to start a fundraiser for the school to bring in a "Hot 89.9 video dance party". The next day, one student, Sammi Grant Gray arrived in class with a new idea! She explained to the class that "we should not fundraise for ourselves,but instead we should pool our efforts for an organization like Ryan's Well and raise money for people who really need it."

It was Sammi's New Year's resolution to help make a difference for those who are less fortunate! Sammi helped get the rest of the class, as well as others in the school, on board. They spent one day brainstorming fundraising ideas and so far, after a Guitar Hero fundraiser, an Easter "guess the eggs" fundraiser, lunch time "busking" sing-a-longs in the main hallway, and collecting donations after Ray Zahab's visit, the group has collected close to $200 towards their goal of $500.

Many students have jumped on board the fundraising train and there is now a 'life size' well-o-meter on a wall in the main hallway. As the group raises more money, the level of water in the well rises, until their final goal is met. The group of 11 students from the class, as well as other members of the school have teamed up with the school's 'Respect Club' to plan more fundraising events before the end of the school year. On this journey so far, all of these students have demonstrated initiative, kindness and cooperation to achieve their goals. The drive behind the Ryan's Well fundraiser is organized by the students and they are working hard everyday to reach their goal, making the once impossible seem possible.

J.H. Putmam Middle School Initiative:

Change 4 Change

Change 4 Change is a student club at J.H. Putmam Public School committed to making a difference for people around the world living in extreme poverty. Over the last two years, J. H. Putmam students have raised funds for two wells in Kenya and $5,000 worth of mosquito nets to protect children in Liberia and Rwanda from malaria. Though we are a small middle school (grades 6 to 8), we are constantly amazed by how much our school’s students accomplish when they work together with the support of our community.

This year Change 4 Change has decided to raise $11,000 to renovate a health clinic, dig a well, and provide opportunities for marginalized children to get back into school in rural Western Kenya. We are also supporting a micro-finance project in Cambodia.

For a complete description of our project and to find out how you can help please click here.

Visit J.H. Putmam Middle School Website.

           

Boca Raton High School, Dylan Polacek Initiative:

Carbon Neutrality in Antarctica

Climate change is an apparent issue today, and many efforts are being made to benefit the environment. The idea of carbon neutrality is becoming more common as countries such as Costa Rica and the Maldives are issuing voluntary carbon taxes, which offset emissions by discouraging carbon use and ultimately using money towards environmental projects. Because the poles play such an important role in sustainablility, I believe carbon neutrality in Antarctica would be a major step in the battle of climate change.

Along with three other Students On Ice members and alumni, I have began preparing a proposal for IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) to begin carbon offsetting through the taxing of Antarctic tour ships. Per passenger, the tax will not be much compared to what they are originally paying, but it will instigate awareness as well as create funding to eventually eliminate the carbon itself. If IAATO accepts the proposal, we may be able to bring it to an Antarctic Treaty Meeting.

McGregor Eason Public School Initiative:

An Apple a Day Can Keep Thirst Away

McGregor Eason students in grade 5 and 6 are raising funds for the water crisis in Africa. The students developed their own campaign entitled “An Apple a Day Can Keep Thirst Away” and the students have been selling apples and apple muffins to schoolmates. The 23 students also raised funds and awareness on the evening of their production of “We Are All Born Free”, a performance dedicated to human rights and freedoms. The students have raised close to $200 and will continue their until the end of the school year. Their hope is they have started a tradition that will through to next year. The students will donate the funds to the Ryan’s Well Foundation.

Bethlehem Catholic High School:

2008-2009 Extraordinary Acts

In their first year at Bethlehem (2007-2008), staff and students organized and participated in many “social justice” or “extraordinary acts”. The culminating point was their “run” with Ray (Ray Day ‘08), as part of his cross-Canada trek. As a result of this event, they have declared themselves to be a “running school”, although their activities are wide-ranging. Click here to read a few highlights from the 2008-2009 list.