Students at Our Lady of Wisdom School took part in a Gym-A-Thon March 21-23 to raise funds for the school’s new learning commons.
“They all have a blast,” said fundraiser coordinator and School Council Vice-Chair Laurel Suignard.
This is the sixth annual Gym-A-Thon which see students get financial pledges from friends and family in support of their participation in the event.
“The kids collect their pledges…and then they come in for their half an hour of fun and fitness,” said Suignard.
The entire school population, in 30 minute intervals, cycles through the six activities set up in the gym over the course of the three-day fundraiser.
Using a Canada 150 theme which saw kids and staff dressing in red and sporting Canadian flags, some of the activities included in the event included a dance station, obstacle relay races, and a Frisbee toss.
“The dancing’s a big hit,” she said.
The school continues to run the Gym-A-Thon as a fundraiser because it works and makes the school stand-out from the many organizations in town selling something as a fundraiser.
“There’s so many teams in the city that are selling things that to find a fundraiser that’s a bit different is a challenge,” said Suignard.
This year the Gym-A-Thon has raised about $800 for the learning commons.
“The learning commons is the new…term that we use to describe what libraries have been re-imagined to,” said Principal Rosanna Laratta.
The move from traditional libraries to learning commons has been provincially mandated by Alberta Learning.
“The idea of a learning commons is that it becomes a central…hub for study, research, and for learning in a school,” she said, “it’s not necessarily just for signing books out.”
In past years, the school had been forced to use the library and common space as classrooms.
With the arrival of four new portable classrooms this past summer, the school is now in a position to start developing the new learning commons.
The learning commons will combine the library, computer lab and common space in a multi-phase project.
“So this is the year that we are putting a real action plan together and actually implementing the first phase,” said Laratta.
Phase one will see the school purchase materials for hands on learning activities, new furniture and some new technology and apps.
They plan to launch phase 1 on May 4 and will continue with future phases and fundraising plans after that.
