An investigation into rights and responsibilities

Grade 4 students had an ambitious goal, and they knew it would take the entire elementary school to help them achieve it. During a weeks-long campaign, students delivered speeches and wrote letters and plastered posters around the school, all with one big call to action for their peers: let’s build a wall against hunger!

Inspired by our Grade 4 classes, the elementary school stepped up in a big way. Together, they collected and donated a whopping 53 boxes and 11 totes full of food – a total of 2,260lbs of canned goods and drinks and other non-perishables for the Friends In Need Food Bank!

Here's what six of our Grade 4 students had to say about the experience.

Naomi D.

What inspired you to take action?

"Well, the Grade 4 classes get to help someone each year. We learned that a lot of people don’t have food, and we thought, why don’t we help the food bank? They’re losing money and people because of the pandemic."

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"We went to the assembly – and when they hear something at the assembly, they do it! They get motivated. We also went and gave speeches to other grades. I did two Grade 5 classes and one Grade 1 class. We talked about how food banks help elders, schools and children and about what they want to eat! Juice, tea, fruits, PediaSure…"

Lyndsay F.

What inspired you to take action?

"We wanted to help other people, because not everyone is as fortunate as we are. Not everyone can afford a nice breakfast in the morning like we can – that actually made me think quite a bit, because it’s sad that not everyone has what we have."

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"We made a plan, and we wanted to stick to that plan! So, we spoke at assembly. And, on the last day before the drive was over, we went and gave speeches to different classes. We told them about the things they should bring in, and that if they brought in a canned good, they didn’t have to wear a uniform – yay, no uniform day!"

Nadia

What inspired you to take action?

"During our Unit of Inquiry, we learned that lots of people in different parts of the world don’t have access to food. We wanted to help change that and give a fun challenge. We learned that parts of the world, such as Africa and Maple Ridge, don’t have good quality, healthy food. So, we decided to do what we could to help the food bank."

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"I went and spoke to the Grade 2 students. And I said, “Hi, we challenge you to bring in canned goods!” We told them that if they did, they could win prizes. We thought maybe they could have a non-uniform day, or an extra pajama day, or an electronics day… maybe even a longer recess one day. It took a lot of teamwork. "

 

 

Sean

What inspired you to take action?

"So, we learned that not all people in the world – to be more specific, Maple Ridge – get to have food. Mrs. Chow came up with this challenge, for everyone to bring five canned goods or something. I brought in even more, crazy more! About 94 cans. I wanted it to be as beneficial as possible, so bringing in more food means it is more beneficial."

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"We went to different classrooms and I gave a speech. We were supposed to memorize it, but I gave a random speech. I had two partners, and I was the entertainment. I told them: “Don’t drop the mac and cheese container!” So, after that, we went to all the Grade 1 classes and said there was a reward for the grade that brought in the most canned goods."

Mifey

What inspired you to take action?

"I wanted to help the food bank, because I see all those people on the streets who don’t have food. It just makes me feel like… it was the kind thing to do, to help the food bank. We’ve been learning about influential people who have helped other people, like winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, and – even if I don’t win the Nobel Peace Prize – I can still help. "

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"We told the classes about the wall of food we hoped to build, and we challenged students to see who could build the biggest wall. It’s a competition! But a friendly competition, since it is for good. We wanted to inspire the competitive people."

Isabella

What inspired you to take action?

"We’ve been learning about people and kids living in poverty, and about how some people have to work for mean people just to get a measly amount of food. So, I thought if we could donate at least 15 cans, then we could help at least 15 people… well, we helped a lot more than that! When we were learning about taking action, we learned about teenagers who won the Nobel Peace Prize for kids, people like Greta Thunberg, Malala, and Iqbal Masih. We learned about child abuse, women’s rights… Mrs. Hamaguchi encouraged us to think about ways we could take action, too."

How did you inspire other students to take action?

"We wrote a letter to the PYP, and I tried my best to make it intriguing. I told students about the people who go hungry and about the work the food bank does… and about the wall! In our class, we had teams to see who could bring in the most canned goods. My group – Mifey and I were in the same group – was called “Ham and Goat Cheese Army, because it sounds like Mrs. Hamaguchi!"

 

How did you feel when you finally saw the wall?

"Everyone was really excited. When I saw our boxes, and the rest of the grades’ boxes, I felt really proud. We did it! This school acts all the time!" Naomi D.

 
"We had 249 cans in our class. We were also allowed to donate money to buy bricks, which my mom did. I was just proud, and I want to keep doing it. I’m happy I get to go to this school because we give back a lot." Lyndsay F.

"I was happy and amazed. So now, we’re just going through all the donations and trying to figure out which class had the most." Nadia 


"I’m actually pretty amazed by how much we brought in. I was pretty amazed… the wall was kind of taller than me! I’m about 1-metre and 53 centimetres. So, uhm, the wall was definitely bigger. We got to take a picture with the wall, and I was right behind it, and I was tippy toe-ing and jumping. So, all the food we brought it? Amazing! And it also made me hungry. Amazed and hungry." Sean

"I felt good because lots of people donated food. They actually took it pretty seriously! All that food goes to the food bank." Mifey

"I was surprised, I kind of thought we’d make a fort… a food fort! Anyways, it’s cool because we did it. We were the ones who created it." Isabella