VOTING FOR DOLLARS
In Wednesday's Class Notes, I mentioned Britannia secondary's Homework Club made the semi-finals to potentially win between $100,000 and $150,000 through an Aviva Insurance contest. The latest round of voting to qualify for the finals started Dec. 5 and ends Dec. 16.
But I omitted two other Vancouver schools that are also in the semi-finals-Sir James Douglas elementary hopes to win between $50,000 and $100,000 in the medium budget category for new playgrounds, while Admiral Seymour elementary (under the name Every Child Deserves Support) hopes to secure between $50,000 to $100,000, also in the medium budget category, to set up a therapeutic art room where an Expressive Art Therapist (EXAT) can counsel emotionally fragile students. (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association's Feline Trap, Neuter, Return Program made the semifinals in the up to $50,000 category.)
Submissions from across Canada-30 in each of the budget categories-small, medium and large, made the semi-finals. Ten from each category will make the finals, after which an independent panel will select winners.
A total of $1 million is up for grabs this year. Eleven entries won last year. For information about voting and complete details about all the submissions, see avivacommunityfund.org.
Douglas elementary, at 7550 Victoria Dr., is a century-old school that's slated to be torn down. In January 2013, students hope to move into a replacement school located adjacent to the old school. But the old playground is too decrepit to be moved.
Its contest submission reads in part: "Our school is the heart of our community and the playground is a key component of our new school (the kids would argue the most important feature). The parents are working to raise the funds to ensure that the new school will have a playground for the children to enjoy but we need some extra help. The landscape plan for the new school includes spaces for three playground areas: a primary playground, an intermediate playground and an all-age sloped playground." The three playgrounds are expected to a cost just over $100,000. Installation is extra.
Seymour elementary, at 1130 Keefer St., explains that Expressive Art Therapists are trained in child-centred therapy through the use of drawing, painting, music, dance/ movement, storytelling, journaling, sculpting, play and drama.
Its submission states in part: "We would use the funding to successfully create an inviting, resource filled therapeutic art room. Any remaining money would be used to top up our art therapist's time so that we would have a full-time therapist from January 2012 until June 2013.
"This support blitz would hugely impact our students and help them to learn how to deal with their emotions in positive ways. Our students' need for more support is urgent and extreme. They will be deeply impacted by receiving this support in a safe, caring environment so much so that it could alter the course of their futures and impact them for the rest of their lives."
