Grade 7 and 8 PCHS students partner with The Books4Kids Jamaica Foundation to bring a book to every child in Jamaica One Book at a Time Books for Jamaica As another school year ends, and the last of our boxes are carefully sealed, my students exchange smiles followed by a long sigh of satisfaction, they had done it again! Last year, students empowered by their love for books and their global consciousness, discovered the power of making change. Their very successful campaign yielded over 6000 books for children in Jamaica. This year began with trepidation, as they soon realized that their own bookshelves were now bare. With no books of their own to spare, how could they possibly continue to share their love for reading with others? The challenge was on! Their entrepreneurial spirit took hold and they quickly took action. They bombarded their communities, flyers in hand, knocking on doors, walking into schools, with a simple request…would they join us? There were so many delightful moments, but my favorite is one of four grade seven boys, on a beautiful weekend, strolling down streets, in their neighbourhoods, dragging a little red wagon filled with donated books. That weekend, they were, with their little wagon, and their passionate plea, on a quest to change the world! JUNE 2014 And this act grew and grew. Doors that had been knocked on, quickly joined the fold. Countless students were now part of the movement, we thank them all, we are now united and committed…we will bring a book to every child! The last part of the puzzle… We can put our worries aside, our books will quickly find their way into the hands of young Jamaican students, as Air Canada Cargo continues to embrace and support our project by generously donating the shipping of our cargo. And this is how we went from a little red wagon to a big shiny plane with a red maple leaf on it! And the question is, how well did we do? How about 10000 books!!!! Lilliane Bastien Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School
Transcript
Grade 7 and 8 PCHS students partner with The Books4Kids Jamaica Foundation to bring a book to every child in Jamaica
One Book at a Time Books for Jamaica
As another school year ends, and the last of our boxes are carefully sealed, my students exchange smiles followed by a long sigh of satisfaction, they had done it again! Last year, students empowered by their love for books and their global consciousness, discovered the power of making change. Their very successful campaign yielded over 6000 books for children in Jamaica. This year began with trepidation, as they soon realized that their own bookshelves were now bare. With no books of their own to spare, how could they possibly continue to share their love for reading with others? The challenge was on! Their entrepreneurial spirit took hold and they quickly took action. They bombarded their communities, flyers in hand, knocking on doors, walking into schools, with a simple request…would they join us? There were so many delightful moments, but my favorite is one of four grade seven boys, on a beautiful weekend, strolling down streets, in their neighbourhoods, dragging a little red wagon filled with donated books. That weekend, they were, with their little wagon, and their passionate plea, on a quest to change the world!
J U N E 2 0 1 4
And this act grew and grew. Doors that had been knocked on, quickly joined the fold. Countless students were now part of the movement, we thank them all, we are now united and committed…we will bring a book to every child! The last part of the puzzle… We can put our worries aside, our books will quickly find their way into the hands of young Jamaican students, as Air Canada Cargo continues to embrace and support our project by generously donating the shipping of our cargo. And this is how we went from a little red wagon to a big shiny plane with a red maple leaf on it!
And the question is, how well did we do? How about 10000 books!!!!
Lilliane Bastien Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
2
Students share their thoughts… …I can’t even explain how proud I feel to make a difference in a child’s life, whether this child is right next door or around the world. We had an incredible team on this journey, friends from many schools. Together, we collected over 10000 books for Jamaica. All I can say is…that I can’t wait to do it all over again!
Annika Belair, PCHS grade 7 student
…The first day of this project, I spent all evening in a frenzy looking through our bookshelves and closets for books for Jamaica. Every time I put a book in my bag I was overcome with satisfaction knowing that I was bringing greater knowledge to a child. That saying, “One book can change the world” I believe is true. Every morning I would wake up content and prepared to do my part in changing the world all over again.
Paris, PCHS grade 7 student
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
3
“I am amazed at the things we have achieved through this project. I can only hope that the amount of pleasure we have felt is a fraction of what we will bring to the children in Jamaica.
For two years now we have scoured our houses and our neighborhoods. We’ve searched every nook and cranny in the hopes that we may find one more, just one more book.
We couldn’t have achieved our success without the help of our friends from Kuper Academy, Summit School and many more.
Air Canada, who kindly assisted us in our mission to transport our books through their last part of the journey, we are grateful.
To me, a book is much more than printed pages, binded together to form a story. It’s a passage, a road that leads to newly learnt words and newfound wisdom. Books teach you that no matter how difficult life may sometimes become, there is always a way to solve a problem. Through this project, we have found ways to solving needs in one of the most fantastic ways I can imagine.”
Sarah Mongeau, PCHS grade 8 student
“…Open a book and it will lead you to a place of imagination filled with adventure, action and mystery. With the aid of our dear friends at Kuper Academy, Summit School and Air Canada Cargo, 10 000 books will now have a new home, unlocking the gateway to a world of imagination for a young child in Jamaica.”
Michael Haddad, PCHS grade 8 student
“One book is all it takes to brighten a child’s heart. The fact that we have collected 10 000 books is astonishing, and I am more than proud of what we have accomplished. The power of words, it is truly magical. There is nothing comparable to losing oneself and yielding to the wonders of a beloved story. Maira Malhi, PCHS grade 8 student
Grade 8 students
Special Thanks to the all LBPSB feeder school students who joined us in our project. We loved having you on our team!!!
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
4
Grade 7 students
“…In my eyes, a book is like a treasure chest. Once opened incredible things will cross your mind: mystical dragons, voyages to other dimensions, time-travelling machines and so much more! I too wanted to share these experiences with the children in Jamaica so that they could find themselves traveling great oceans, climbing to the top of the tallest volcanoes and so much more. To be part of such an experience, to share with other children our gifts of a book, is an honor.”
Elie Dominguez, PCHS grade 7 student
“…our generation is often all caught up with electronics. But to be honest, I cannot fall asleep without first, reading a book. Action, mystery, comedy or romance, books have it all. You can transport yourself from your dull bedroom to a scene where you are fighting crime or even swimming in the cool waters of the Caribbean. We often take for granted what we have, I was like that…until the first day of this project. Scavenging through every closet, every bookshelf I could find, desperate to fill my bag of books. I felt a great sense of fulfillment knowing that my books could enrich a child’s life.”
Genna Gaudio, PCHS grade 7 student
“…This project changed me. It gave me strength, confidence and the realization that I could change lives. As a team, we were unstoppable and we could make a difference in the world!”
Veronica Scotto, PCHS grade 7 student
“…I cannot explain how proud I am! When I was first introduced to this project I knew already that I was going to make a change, one book at a time! Knowing all well we did, knowing that our books will bring smiles to the faces of the children, I feel like I am on top of the world!”
Nicolas Forlini, PCHS grade 7 student
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
5
Grade 7 students A book.
It's a powerful object.
It has told magnificent tales of enjoyment, wonder, sadness, and exhilaration.
It has provided knowledge beyond imagination and sparked an imaginative spirit in us all.
A simple book has the power to give you hope, a shimmer of light in the dark.
Book by book, one book at a time, we will light up with the gift of knowledge.
-James Amend, PCHS grade 7 student
…Reading is one of the things I love doing. Books are the gateway to another world, another dimension, another life. You can become a totally different person, live in exciting times, and I think that is amazing! I could not imagine what it would be like not to have words in front of your eyes, life would be blank. I hope that our gift of a book will enable the children in Jamaica to let their imagination run wild. Books not only let you explore, but they help you understand. They help you understand how you can solve just about anything, and in doing so, you can create for yourself an incredible life.
Kevin Wickramasinghe, PCHS grade 7 student
…Caring and helping is everything. When you put your heart, mind and soul into something you are passionate about, every path you take will lead to success.
Zoya Malhi, PCHS grade 7 student
…As a child, all I ever wanted to do was read. I would stay up way past my bedtime until I would fall asleep with a book in my hands. That’s why I was so excited to help out in this project. I wanted every child to experience what I had as a child…
Dylan Stanley, PCHS grade 7 student
…Throughout this project, I have been inspired. Inspired to love, think and to help. For months all I could think about was those incredible kids in Jamaica. Although I did not personally know them, I felt connected. I knew that my gift of a book could bring a child laughter.
George Pavlopoulos, PCHS grade 7 student
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
6
Grade 7 students
“…Passion is an incredible sensation. You may be passionate for a sport or passionate about a book you are reading, but here at our school, we are passionate about helping others. Have you ever done something good for someone and then felt like you were on top of the world for a week or so? Well, imagine doing something amazing for someone and feeling great about it for the rest of your life.
Well, I have been part of an incredible journey…and now somewhere halfway across the world, there will be a child with a book in their hands, and a huge smile on their faces.
In a big world like ours, people can often feel overlooked and like they have no voice, but I know that our books will spark a light. For me, this has been magical.
Change starts with us, and I am proud to say that our actions will touch lives.”
Emily Pereira, PCHS grade 7 student
“…I cannot go to sleep at night without a book in my hands; a book is an amazing gift. I can still remember how I felt when I received my very first one. I would love to see the joy on the faces of the children when they receive our gifts of a book…”
Tori Cabral, PCHS grade 7 student
“…When my teacher told us about our project, I soon realized it would fun. Once I started bringing books in, I began imagining the look on the children’s faces, the tiny sparkling eyes focusing on their brand new books…”
Daniel Page, PCHS grade 7 student
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
The Gift of a Book is the
Gift of a Friend
With love from your fellow book lovers at
Pierrefonds Comprehensive
High School
Open a Book and Unleash
your Imagination
A big thank you to Air Canada Cargo for their amazing support!
PIERREFONDS COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 2014
Special thanks to Frank Perolli and the Books4Kids Jamaica
