Barrhaven PS - Ottawa-Carleton District School board - Who Is NOBODY?

Grade 5 students at Barrhaven Public School are doing whatever they can to turn nobodies into somebodies.

Led by French immersion teacher Michelle Casimir, the students started a campaign through the Nobody Project to raise money in support of Abbie Jarvis, a special needs student who died last November

โ€œI suggested to the class, โ€˜Why donโ€™t we have a coin drive for the Down Syndrome Association?โ€™โ€ Casimir said. “Thatโ€™s what the kids did. They had announcements and then we did the coin drive for about a week. Then collected all the coins, counted all the coins, and donated $918.16 to the Down Syndrome Association.โ€

The kids have really taken off with this project, I think itโ€™s fantastic for them to get involved with the community and do things for othersโ€” Michelle Casimir, teacher

A cheque was presented to association board member Jay Innes along with Abbieโ€™s mother Kelly in attendance on Jan 19.

In addition, each child was given the opportunity to carry out a unique individual fundraising project.

Children picked an organization that was relevant to them or family and raised money through bottle drives or by going door-to-door. Charitable organizations included the Cardiac Institute, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Humane Society.

โ€œThe kids have really taken off with this project,โ€ Casimir said. โ€œI think itโ€™s fantastic for them to get involved with the community and do things for others.โ€

Barrhaven PS - Ottawa-Carleton District School board - Who Is NOBODY?

Nobody Project creates lasting impression with students. Barrhaven Public School Grade 5 student Alex Bhend shows off the Nobody doll that the children take home while completing their individual fundraising venture. In addition, Alex and the rest of his classmates raised $918.16 for the Down Syndrome Association

More information about the Nobody Project can be found at www.whoisnobody.com.

This article was published in the Nepean This Week Newspaper on March 10th 2010