There were many people and places in need of help this year and there was always one constant source of aid throughout the troubling time — École Secondaire Neelin High School. The students at Neelin are always ready to help out and it shows as this year Neelin has contributed to our community and others in so many different ways.
The Grade 9/10 Career Development class run by Shey Charles has volunteered at the Samaritan House, Dinsdale Personal Care Home and George Fitton Elementary School. These students helped the younger students with a variety of crafts, writing and reading. They helped the Samaritan House by organizing food and household items for those in need as well as raising money for the Christmas gift program. Students also spent time with the city’s cherished seniors through conversation and games.
The Grade 12 English students, under Tara Leach, worked together to organize a “Party with a Purpose” to celebrate various members of the community who are always taking it to the next level when it comes to helping out. Some of the members included those who organized and carried out the flood fight, firefighters, police and our mayor Shari Decter Hirst.
In addition to this, Grade 10 Accelerated English students, under both Tara Leach and Tiffany Smith, performed readers’ theatre and variety shows for residents in a couple of nursing homes in Brandon. This was a part of their CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service) requirements for the course where students look at the differences between classroom learning and experiential learning.
Further to these efforts, the Grade 11 and 12 Art class has a mentorship program where they present and discuss artwork with a group of 9-11 -year-old children.
A charity dance organized by the Grade 12 Global Issues class and Kerri Malazdrewicz raised $600 for the family of Dayanny Nunez-Bonilla. This class also made donations to Funds for Furry Friends, Samaritan House, $120 to Canadian Red Cross and a donation of toys to the Children’s Christmas charity.
Other contributions from the school include: the major production cast’s donation of $1800 to Compassion Canada through “Urinetown,” 60 volunteer Neelinites were runners to collect food in Brandon’s largest food drive for Samaritan House and Melissa Lausman (Neelin’s drama teacher) organized a fundraiser for a tragedy stricken family.
The year has been full of helping hands and caring souls as Neelin students recognize that their learning involves moving outside of the classroom. As this school year comes to an end, Neelin students will be ready to take on the challenge to assist more groups next year.
» Mahesh Shunmugam is a Grade 9 student at Neelin High School.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition June 11, 2012
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