2009 - Media / Médias
St. Andrew’s donor reaching out to schools
If St. Andrew’s brand new soccer field is any indication, schools in the region looking for a leg-up can get it through the S’cool Life Fund.
The Miramichi school built a brand new soccer field over what used to be a brick-ridden safety hazard for the Kindergarten to Grade 5 students.
Soccer games were an impossibility on the site, which about a century ago laid home to a sulphite mill.
Following the building of the school, hundreds of bricks remained in the former mill site, causing possibility for injury for the students playing outdoors.
S’cool Life Fund donated $39,800 to the school for the field.
In an interview by phone, founding board member Catherine McCauley reminisced about the application sent by St. Andrew’s, which featured photos of what the soccer field used to look like.
The school had nowhere to play some athletics, specifically soccer, she said.
“We make selections based on the uniqueness of the application, the need, how compelling they are in sending the application to us. And this seemed like a pretty good case for sure.”
Every year the S’cool Life Funds receive applications from schools throughout the country. The variety of needs for the schools comes from essentially all aspects of the public school system: academic, athletic, music, art and any other education program.
Schools apply for anything that may advance the education process for their students.
The need for funding beyond the classroom is an important aspect of education, McCauley said.
“We think for sure curriculum-based learning and testing and all those things school boards think are important definitely are, and we support that, but there are lots of things in the school day for kids to enrich that curriculum that happen on a stage or in a choir or on a field.”
These activities teach children about cooperation and leadership, among many other important aspects of education, she explained.
“Not every kid is turned on by learning the math. Some kids are really turned on by what happens on the field. And we really like the idea of supporting those kinds of applications.”
Since first being established in 2005, the fund has helped 418 schools.
The fund is supported by Prizm Income Fund, which owns and operates over 400 restaurants.
“It’s literally coming a loonie and a toonie at a time across the counter from the customers at those stores,” McCauley said.
Schools interested in applying through the S’cool Life Fund or want more information can do so by going to www.scoollifefund.ca
Above photos - John Bitove being presented a commemorative brick from St.Andrew’s Principal and Vice-Principal
Children playing with parachute on their new field at the official ribbon cutting ceremony
