Students at Ecole Warman Elementary School are finding creative ways to deliver Christmas cheer to those who could really use a lift during a difficult time.
Many classes at the Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5 school made personalized Christmas cards and letters to individual seniors in Warman’s two long-term care homes.
Students have also collected food and warm clothing for needy families in the area.
In addition, all classes at the school created Christmas cards with messages of thanks to health care workers at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH) in Saskatoon.
About 600 Christmas cards made by students at the school will be delivered to doctors, nurses, nutritionists, housekeeping staff and other health care workers at the hospital.
“Our theme this month at the school is ‘Christmas is for kindness’,” said Ecole Warman Elementary School Vice-Principal Nicole Lacoursiere. “Our hope is that the kids think about ways that they can make society a better place and brighten someone’s day by being kind; not just at Christmas, but throughout the whole year.”
Lacoursiere said the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on traditional Christmas activities in the school and the community.
“We aren’t able to show acts of kindness in ways we’ve been able to in past years,” she said. “We can’t visit the care homes and deliver cards in person, but there are other ways the kids can brighten the day for seniors.
“The classes are thinking outside the box.”
Lacoursiere said the personalized Christmas cards to seniors at the Warman Mennonite Special Care Home and Diamond House Care Home in Warman will be quarantined before they are delivered to the residences. Each card is individually addressed to a resident of the home.
“We were able to connect with the directors of the homes, and privacy rights are respected,” said Lacoursiere. “We’ll have a big box of cards and letters going to each home.
“Several classes have ‘adopted’ seniors and have gone above and beyond to provide a bit of Christmas kindness to seniors who don’t have any extended family member that can support them at this time.”
She said the students are also recognizing the sacrifices and dedication of health care workers in general and the Children’s Hospital in particular.
“We’ll have a big box of cards and letters going to the JPCH,” said Lacoursiere. “It will also be quarantined, of course.
“It’s a way for the children to show they appreciate our health care workers and all they do for us, especially now during this pandemic,” she added. “Each student created a Christmas card with a ‘thank-you’ message to a health care worker.”
Lacoursiere said the project was given the go-ahead after one of the parents was able to put the school staff in touch with a director at the hospital.
She said she’s hopeful that the experience will help the children understand that even small acts of kindness can have a profound positive impact, not just on those who receive, but those who give as well.