A digital billboard designed by Rendell Park’s grade six has not only lit up Highway 16, but has been singled out for the Student Citizenship Award from the Public Schools of Saskatchewan.
The kindness reminder was voted on by the over 70 grade sixers at the Lloydminster public school and teachers noted that the students put forward some solid choices.
The provincial citizenship award comes with a $1000 prize.
Grade six student, Norah Hurd says the kindness virtue is spilling over in the school from the little kindness card that they designed.
“All the grade six classes got to decide on a kindness wins thing. And we had to do a kind thing, so we decided to make a billboard and then we all made little cards with kind sayings, and we put it up. So, that when everyone was driving by, they could see it.”
SHINE coach Mira McLennan who leads the mental health capacity building sessions for the grade sixers says she applied to Beyond Borders Circle of Change for a grant to get the kindness venture rolling with the end result of the students’ design making it onto the electronic billboard on Highway 16.
“They really wanted to do something big. And this is something big. So, when someone came up with this idea, we made them vote for it and they all really wanted to run with it.”
McLennan notes that the SHINE programming will continue to run over the summer in various City of Lloydminster camps, the Bananas over Books camp and the Lloydminster Public Library before returning to school programming in the fall.
Acting vice principal Denise Block says the kindness effect rippled from the school across the community and has returned to instill school pride.
“Parents who had driven past the billboard when it was up – and they sent us a picture of it saying they were so proud of our students and how they wanted to portray themselves. But at Rendell Park, we really pride ourselves in being respectful roadrunners and part of that is showing kindness – being the best that we can be every day. Kindness is really a key component of that, and it’s powerful for kids to see that they can have that impact wherever they are,” says Block.
Lois Smandych, Public Schools of Saskatchewan executive member and chair of the citizenship awards selection committee said, “These projects highlight the great work that is happening in public schools across our province to educate students about both their rights and their responsibilities as citizens of our pluralistic society.”