Rickson Ridge PS and CCVI team up to promote global literacy
June 5, 2019
GUELPH, Ontario – Last week, Rickson Ridge Public School teamed up with Centennial CVI staff and students to help raise funds and awareness for global literacy.
On Thursday May 30, Rickson Ridge PS held a Pass the Baton event in support of OneWorld Schoolhouse Foundation.
One World Schoolhouse is a registered Canadian charity that works to promote literacy initiatives in the Eastern Caribbean. The foundation’s fundraising events include book drives in Ontario schools and the annual “Rainforest of Reading” book festival.
Inspired after attending an author event at CCVI in support of OneWorld Schoolhouse, intermediate students from Rickson were interested in getting involved.
CCVI teacher Robin Todd and CCVI student (and Rickson grad) Leah reached out to Rickson to see if they were interested in hosting a Pass the Baton event. Todd had organized a Pass the Baton event in 2017 at CCVI and they thought it would be a wonderful connection between CCVI and one of their partner schools. The staff at Rickson Ridge agreed and were thrilled to be involved.
With support from CCVI and OneWorld Schoolhouse co-founder Richard Clewes, Rickson planned a Pass the Baton event for the whole school for May 30. Leading up to the date, members of Rickson’s “World Wide Workers” went around to classes to educate them about OneWorld Schoolhouse and to explain to them how students could help. By the end of the week, the school had collected more than 15 boxes full of gently used books, as well as over $600 in donations.
On the day of the Pass the Baton event, Todd and three students from CCVI, who are alumni of Rickson, ran to Rickson Ridge with CCVI’s batons to kick off the run. Then Rickson’s entire school population ran around the school with various students taking turns carrying the CCVI batons and their new Rickson baton.
Clewes was kind enough to attend and to cheer everyone on. Many students and staff set running goals for themselves and covered great distances in the half an hour or so that they ran. Following the run, Rickson Ridge teacher Brandon Rees and three Rickson students ran to Centennial to personally return their batons, while the rest of the school participated in various reading activities.
It was a fantastic day that involved school connections, fitness, literacy and global awareness.