Tiverton Public School - Bluewater District School Board - Who Is NOBODY?

What does it take to turn a nobody in to a somebody? These are the questions Kincardine Township Tiverton Public School students are asking themselves as they embark on their Who Is Nobody project again this year.

According to students Marlee Kirk, Hannah Gratto and Dana Craig who are in Mr. McLeod and Mrs. Allen’s Grade 3/4 class, turning nobody in to somebody is about caring and teaching the nobody how to be a caring person.

“We pin stuff all over the nobody so we can show we learned, when we finish and it’s a somebody, we give him back,” said Gratto.

Who Is NOBODY? - Kincardine Township Tiverton PS - Bluewater District School BoardWho Is Nobody is a flexible and literacy based character education program for Grade 1 -12 in all settings, inner-city to rural. It teaches students everybody can make a difference and impact their world.

The Nobody starts off as a denim figure with no interests, abilities, age, gender, name, ethnicity, cultural identity, friends or family. By the end of the project it will be covered in representations of the charitable and community- based initiatives the students have involved themselves in.

“When we finish and it’s somebody the class gets to vote and we give him or her a name,” said Kirk.

Turning nobody in to somebody is about being a caring person

Marlee Kirk adopted two tigers at a conservation area for her project.

“Tigers are my favourite animal but they are becoming extinct,” she said. Kirk earned $50 for completing household chores which she used to adopt the tigers. A little plush tiger now hangs off of Nobody.

Dana Craig, who also participated in the project last year, donated hats to an orphanage in Haiti.

“We gave the hats to people who don’t have money,” said Craig who donated to Haiti last year as well.

All of the students in the Grade 3/4 class were excited to share their Who Is Nobody project

“Last year me and my family went to visit Haiti and we took pencils, elastics, books and school supplies,” she said.

Hannah Gratto’s project was all about giving clothes to people in need.

“We have lots of clothes at home that don’t fit us because I have three little sisters,” she said.

Gratto filled up three boxes full of clothing, which was donated to Goodwill. She put a sweater on Nobody because her and her sisters had so many extra sweaters.

All of the students in the Grade 3/4 class were excited to share their Who Is Nobody project. The class will present the project to the school during an assembly after the students have finished making presentations and Nobody has become Somebody.

For more information about Who Is Nobody visit www.whoisnobody.com

This article was published in the Kincardine News on June 28th 2011