It was the Christmas gift to end all wish lists for Ecole Manachaban Middle School teacher Megan Wamboldt.
After being pestered by her Grade 5-3 French immersion class to reveal her Christmas wish list to her class of 22 students, Wamboldt decided it was an opportune time to ask her students to donate to the Activettes Food Bank in lieu of buying her a Christmas gift.
“I decided to take this ‘teachable moment’ — as so many teachers have done — and roll with it,” said Wamboldt. “I explained that not only was Christmas a time to show those we care about how we feel, but to help those who are in need.”
For the last couple of weeks, the students campaigned, collecting ‘Toonies for Turkeys’. They managed to raise $131, presented to Pam Taylor of the Activettes Dec. 5.
Ten-year-old Cedar Engdahl was one of the participating students.
“I hope the money goes to families that don’t really get to celebrate Christmas, but see a lot of families celebrating and are sad that they don’t have the money to,” she said.
For Wamboldt, it was about more than just the initiative itself.
The real reward was seeing her students grow and understand the cycle of poverty and that it can’t always be seen — that it’s an issue often closer to home than people realize.
As she explained to her students that they would not be able to meet the families they were helping with this initiative, Wamboldt wished to extend her gratitude to her Grade 5-3 class for their selfless endeavour of Christmas spirit.
