June 1st, 2020
On March 13, when students left school for what we thought would be a three-week break, the staff at Keatsway PS were busy coming up with a plan to make sure their families were supported.
Principal Penny Miller asked her staff to reach out to every family to check in with them. Every family received a phone call to see how they were doing and if they needed anything. Principal Miller visited two families personally, as they did not have a phone, to make sure they had everything they needed.
“When the school closure first happened, my biggest concern was making sure our families were okay and had enough to eat,” said Miller. “This, of course, came before any worry about schooling.”
The school community had families who were quarantined and couldn’t go out to get groceries. Some families did not have enough money to buy food, others didn’t speak any English, and one family was due to welcome a new baby in a matter of days.
It took no time for Keatsway PS staff to develop an action plan. Staff donated money to purchase gift cards for grocery stores as well as fresh groceries. School Council also helped collect donations, lead by Council Chair Wendy Kennedy.
“Wendy is awesome,” said Miller. “If I need help with anything or our families do, I know I can go to her, and she will completely take care of it.”
When we opened nominations for #WRDSBGivesBack, Kristie Kimmett nominated Kennedy within the first hour.
Kimmett is a parent at Keatsway PS and has volunteered and contributed when she can over the years. “I nominated Wendy for this because I was impressed at how quickly she took personal action to directly help members of the Keatsway community so early on in the pandemic,” said Kimmett.
The school was able to work quickly to help because they set up a network of volunteers at the start of the school year. Within 24 hours, almost $2000 was donated, and six school council volunteers were matched with a family, supplied with a grocery list, and money.
Food staples of protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, grains and canned goods were the focus of the grocery items while also paying attention to dietary requirements. A few treats were also included for good measure.
Families received bags of groceries, gift cards for grocery stores donated by staff and information on how to access the local food bank, all delivered on their doorstep. The donation collections, shopping and delivery of items was all coordinated by Kennedy.
For Kennedy, the role of the school council goes beyond the physical walls of the school. “I believe the role of the school council is to support students and families,” she said. “We do this at Keatsway by establishing parent connection and conversation with the school and liaising with other school councils in the board to compare communities, challenges and strategies to strengthen our school ‘family’ further.”
It was a simple decision for Kennedy to get involved in helping those in her school community; it was the right thing to do. “In general, our entire society depends on people lending a hand,” she said. “There are so many opportunities for people to find something they can do. I challenge everyone to find a way to make their community a better place.”
#WRDSBGivesBack highlights ways our WRDSB Family – students, staff and families – are giving back to their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you know someone in the WRDSB Family who is giving back, share their story with us.
