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Speak Up

Campbellton - At the Campbellton Middle School, when the instructional day is over, most students stay for activities run by the teachers. These activities can be sports, crafts, cooking, computer, games. One of those activities organized by teacher Joanne Currie is "Seven Steps to Change the World", an idea she borrowed from Canadian Living Magazine.

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Courtesy of Joanne Currie

Students from the Campbellton Middle School worked on their powerpoint presentation which they made to other schools successfully persuading other students to join them in their campaign to help the local SPCA.

Trevor McNally/ Tribune

Four students from the Campbellton Middle School accompanied Kathy Vautour to the Lord Beaverbrook School to talk to students about the SPCA's role. In back is CMS teacher Joanne Currie.

"The 24 students in my activity spent some time researching different charities and different needs and each student chose one that he or she wanted the whole group to help. They had to pitch their choices to the group and then we voted on the one that we would support."

She said the overwhelming majority chose the Restigouche County SPCA.

"We invited the SPCA to come and talk to us to let us know how we could help. The students were amazed at how much work the SPCA does with so little money."

She said it was decided that the first project would be a Canadian Tire money drive. The SPCA uses the money to buy food, litter and supplies.

"The need is great and they wanted to raise a $1,000 worth of Canadian Tire money. They quickly realized that they would need a lot of help. They made presentations to students at Tide Head School, Lord Beaverbrook School and Sugarloaf Senior High School to see if students there would be interested."

They were very persuasive and the result was the theme " Supporting the SPCA". In the first 4 days of the campaign, they had raised $346 in Canadian Tire money. The campaign ends on Friday, May 16th. Anyone wanting to help the students to meet their goal can donate Canadian Tire money at the offices of any of the schools listed. Donations of real money can be made at Campbellton Middle School where a receipt for income tax purposes can be issued.

" need to know that they can make a positive difference in their world," said Currie. "They have approached this project with enthusiasm and caring and have put their talents together in a creative way. The SPCA has been amazingly supportive, joining the students with a visiting dog at each of their presentations."

On May 1, Kathy Vautour visited the Lord Beaverbrook School with her basset hound Cooper, along with Currie and some of the students under her charge, to speak to students about how they can help.

"It's wonderful to see these students wanting to help out the SPCA," said Vautour. "We have a limited budget so every little bit helps."