Some Grade 6 students at Grande Prairie Christian School got into the spirit of giving this Christmas season, raising $3,700 for the local Mustard Seed.
According to the division, while the money raised represents a significant donation for the Mustard Seed’s clientele, students also got the chance to participate and learn about “active citizenship,” a unit in the Grade 6 Social Studies curriculum.
“Our class discussed ideas and researched organizations we could become active with at Christmas, and they chose the local Mustard Seed,” Grade 6 teacher Julianna Davidson says.
Officials at the Mustard Seed say they are “blown away” by the students’ generosity, which will allow the organization to supply each of its 50 residents with a personalized gift bag, complete with a handwritten card, hygiene items, socks, gloves, and more.
The students also collected several extra items that will be added to the Seed’s on-site Christmas Market, which allows its residents to “shop” for free, so they can give gifts to their friends and families too.
One student, Chiamaka Dennar says they “never really thought” about giving instead of receiving during the Christmas season, so the project “impacted them a lot.”
“It’s more blessed to give than to receive,” they said referring to a bible verse. “I never really thought about giving instead of receiving this Christmas, I hope these packages will bring joy to whoever receives them.”Â
GPPSD officials say they saw “genuine joy” in the students while they shopped and planned for others, and the hope is the memories of the project impact the students “far beyond” just this year.
