One school’s fundraiser covers budget for the year

Times Reporter

 

Once a year, at the beginning of the year, Sacred Heart Academy, SHA, holds their annual Spell ‘A’ Thon fundraiser. It is the one big fundraiser held each year to raise money to help with things the school board doesn’t cover. 

“The money that the students raise goes towards the field trips, and the bussing for the field trips, and we bring performing groups to the school and any faith development. So anything the school board doesn’t pay for that we can do extra, we use the money for that,” said Jane Grill, mother of two SHA children and a member of the parent council. All of the members of the board have students in the school.

“It’s our way of helping out, of giving back and making it a great school,” said Grill.  

Each year students are awarded prizes for their contribution and the parents try to mix up how they are distributed to the kids. The assembly to see how the school had done this year was held on Oct. 22. This was the first year where two big prizes were given out. Prizes were awarded to the top two students in each class. Joshua Brown’s name was picked out of a hat for students with 100 per cent on their spelling. Daniel Manderville raised the most money for the school this year when he raised $850. Both Manderville and Brown won a Nintendo DSI XL. 

Money donated to the school from local businesses goes towards buying the prizes for the students. The money raised by the students goes directly towards the school fund. 

Students are given a list of words to practice at the beginning of the year and depending on the grade and the words, the teachers will help them practice different tricks to help them remember. Many of the students would go door to door asking their neighbours for help raising funds. 

The 4W class raised $1,798, the most in the school with their pizza party sponsored by Domino’s pizza. 

Last year just over $14,000 was raised with the Spell ‘A’ Thon and this year students beat that number by raising $16,516. The parent council is always on a kind of pay-it-forward situation, so the money raised this year is for the budget next year. They always try to make sure what they raise this year they can suspend it or budget for it.