Grade 9 students from Big Island Lake give back to their community
- EFN Staff | February 04, 2020
Shoveling snow might be an idea for those to earn an extra buck but for these kids, it meant so much more.
“I felt happy knowing we were doing something for our elders and community,” said Grade 9 student and participant Grace Sandfly. “By helping them shovel their steps when they are unable to.”
After being cooped up in school and at home during some of Saskatchewan’s latest coldest days of -35 temperatures, a Grade 9 teacher at Chief Napew Memorial School in Big Island Lake, SK wanted to give her students a change to get out to enjoy the milder temperatures and to also give back to their community.
“The students were also surprised that a simple act of kindness could mean so much,” said Tanis LaChance. “We chose to help out our elders by clearing off their doorsteps of snow and ice,” she said. “The students have shown a lot of pride in doing an excellent job at each yard we went to.”
The deed started on January 21, 2020 where they spent the afternoons clearing the snow. Altogether, they cleared over 20 homes in their home community.
“A few times we had elders peek out and smile and say ‘thank you’,” she added. “One gentleman came out and watched as we cleared his driveway and walking paths…[he] expressed his gratitude and gave us a big ‘thanks kids’. It overjoyed the students to be appreciated by our elders.”
LaChance has been posting updates on her social media and has been tracking the overwhelming amount of comments from people who have been keeping up with their act of kindness in the community.
“[The students] track the Facebook views daily of our original posting and loved reading the comments,” she said.
LaChance and her students will continue the snow shoveling deed especially after a major snowstorm rolls through their community.
“I think it’s powerful to reinforce the importance of our elders with the students,” said LaChance. “Our elders are so important, the keepers of our past, our lessons and stories, our connection to family gone before us. It’s nice that we can give something back to them.”
Big Island Lake is located 360 kms northwest of Prince Albert.