Students at Keenooshayo took a proactive approach to stopping vandalism by making and delivering their own postcards this week.
The school’s playground was burned last summer and the school has addressed issues of vandalism throughout the year, according to Grade 6 teacher Brenda Smart.
“We talked about it when school started in the fall,” she said.
Parents, staff and some students rebuilt the playground earlier in the year, with replacement funds provided by insurance. The idea for the handmade postcards came from the Keenooshayo Parent Council.
The postcards, which were hand-coloured by students ask, “While we are away during the summer, please help us take care of our school.”
Teachers asked students to draw pictures of what the playground means to them and once completed, they went out with their classes to deliver them to houses neighbouring the playground.
The postcards list the Crime Stoppers number, 911 and a number for non-emergencies. It asks neighbours to report any crimes they witness but also to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour, including the presence of slow-moving vehicles.
The exercise was especially meaningful for Grade 6 students, who are about to graduate and move on to junior high school.
“The fire hurt our school and our children. It was hard to see the playground burned but it was also neat seeing it coming together again,” said Heather Heron, 12.
Reena Mandaher, also 12, reflected on how the playground had been standing on her last day of Grade 5 and the kids all played on it. But when she got back after summer holidays, it made her sad to see the burned structure.
“The year before it was standing and we were playing on it. That’s why I asked if I could help rebuild it,” she said, adding she felt better after she helped with construction of the fence.
“It meant a lot to me. A piece of me is in the park now,” she said.
