The staff of Ponoka Elementary School has proved that a little bit truly can go a long way.
On the last Friday of every month for the last six years, staff members have been paying $2 while getting to wear their jeans to work in return. The traditional “Jean’s Day” allows staff members to dress comfortably while providing the opportunity to raise money used to help the community.
Previously, the staff has donated the money they collected to the Ponoka Literacy Project, which offers workshops for parents to encourage them to value reading and writing development at home and to train them in specific helping strategies for their children. Dorothy Houghton is the certified coordinator and works with the parents and children throughout the school year. Money raised in the past has also gone to the Palliative Care Unit at the Ponoka General Hospital.
“Suggestions from the staff are collected and the decision is made by staff consensus,” said program coordinator Althea Lewis. “We want to keep our projects community minded. This year’s project took a bit longer than one year because the amount needed was substantial,” she said.
For the last three years, members of the staff have been saving money that they decided to donate to the hospital’s Acute Care Centre. They managed to raise $2,559.24 and the hospital was able to purchase a Bair Hugger machine.
“We really appreciate Ponoka Elementary School’s support. This machine is a great addition to the unit,” said Sue Mackenzie, Site Leader for the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre before explaining how the machine functions. The machine controls the temperature of a special plastic quilted blanket that is filled with warm air and placed over the patient’s entire body to control the temperature of those who have been exposed to the cold and suffer from hypothermia.
What project will the staff start saving for next?
“Suggestions will be collected at the next staff meeting and then we will discuss and decide,” said Lewis.
Great job Ponoka Elementary School. Keep up the excellent work.