Not one, but everyone of the students at Tatla Lake Elementary and Junior Secondary shared a gold star!
Through the efforts of the entire student body the school was recently given the Legion Golden Star Award.
Principal Kimberly Ikebuchi said the Golden Star program is for schools that provide programs where students interact with seniors and or veterans in international projects.
“Following COVID our school made an intentional effort to open our doors once again to the community and so we’ve been providing once a month a community connections event.” Ikebuchi said, “ It’s where we invite the community to come in to the school, have coffee, have tea, play games with the kids, sit and chat, read a book. These once a month events have been well received by both the staff, the students, and our community members. These community connections events are one way that our school is fostering interaction between students and senior.”
Ikebuchi said out of these events they have also built relationships with individuals in the community and made connections with them which has allowed further learning to take place in the school.
“Seniors have come in and shared their knowledge and wisdom with our students teaching them weaving, teaching them Ukrainian egg dying, even done some tracking in the snow. People have just come in and taught the students their skills and our kids have gained from those experiences.”
One of the requirements to receive the Legion Golden Star Award Ikebuchi said is that the students had to demonstrate patriotism and are involved in programs that feature Remembrance Day.
“We did have a fabulous Remembrance Day assembly here last year inviting Retired Lieutenant Patrice Gordon to come and speak to our kids about her experience. We also participated in the postcards for peace and the Valentines for Veterans program.”
Ikebuchi said the students demonstrated their patriotism doing volunteer work in the community.
“We went out an installed Mountain Bluebird boxes at the field station, went to the Gymkhana grounds in June prior to the rodeo and pulled weeds and picked up rocks, created centerpieces for the community Christmas Eve service. We also peeled potatoes and carrots and made pies for that, even wrote letters to Interior Health advocating for a new health clinic here, all service learning activities fostering that feeling of social connection and social responsibility in our students.”
Tatla Lake Elementary and Jr Secondary educate 26 students in grades K to 10.
Along with the award comes a monetary award of $1500 which Ikebuchi said will go to supporting further programs and workshops with community members.