TCPS students in grades 6-8 participate in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). In accordance with the IB philosophy, this program is meant to create life-long holistic learners who take ownership of and demonstrate pride in their educational learning process.
Service learning is an integral part of the MYP at TCPS and is a mandatory requirement for students to complete. It starts in the classroom and extends beyond it, requiring students to take an active part within the communities in which they live. This is achieved through a process of discovery of self and community and reflections inside as well as outside the classroom. Students may volunteer within the school, locally, nationally or internationally.
Service-learning activities are not only a way for students to give back to their local and global communities but are also an opportunity for students to identify and support causes they are passionate about, while honing fundamental skills and gaining valuable life-long experiences.
The benefits of service learning include, developing community awareness and concern, learning to balance social, academic, and recreational avenues in life while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, becoming independent and developing the skills needed to make an effective contribution to society including personal reflection, resilience and working collaboratively.
For their MYP Community Project, the grade 8 students selected many important local and global issues to focus on and several of our Grade 8 students have decided to include fundraising as part of their action plan. These students hosted a Winter Market on February 13th. Setting up their own market booth, the students sold a variety of baked goods, candies, treats, handmake arts and crafts. A grand total of $2,143.73 was raised and the amount raised by each booth will go to the non-profit charity they had chosen. It was a great success and the students were pleased to be able to help support the following charities:
Canadian Cancer Society
Canadian Council for Refugees
Daily Bread Food Bank
Flash Forest
International Bipolar Foundation
Hope and Me
Markham Food Bank
Ontario SPCA
Nature Conservancy and Phages for Global Health
Rescue Angels
Sick Kids Hospital
SOS Children’s Villages Canada
Team Seas
Toronto Animal Services
Thank you for all your support throughout the Winter Market. We would not be able to make it without the help from all of you.