(Pictured above: Students in the Kindergarten Class at East

Front Public School ran a campaign called Candles for a Brighter

Christmas as part of the Livestrong initiative.  The students made

beeswax candles and sold them to raise more than $300 for the

Agape Centre food bank.)

(Cornwall) – It was a chance to demonstrate how strength of character leads to strong individuals and strong, caring communities.

Students at East Front Public School gathered June 10  to present their “Livestrong Projects” – class projects conducted under the school’s successful Froglogic Program aimed at teaching students the importance of giving to others.  Classes celebrated a range of projects from community clean-up initiatives to fundraisers that helped a local food bank.

The initiative was launched in the fall after a challenge from East Front Principal Kieran Kennedy under the school’s Froglogic Mission G initiative.  The challenge was for each class to create a project that would enhance the lives of themselves, others and their community.  The goal was to teach students that giving to others is contagious and provides a sense of personal fulfillment while benefiting others – a key lesson under Froglogic.

“Through this program we’re trying to develop people of character who will move on and thrive in the world we are living in,” said Paula McCallum, a key organizer of the Froglogic Program.

The program stresses the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and physical fitness but also the importance of caring for others and the community.

McCallum said Froglogic initiatives such as the JTF2 leadership program, Livestrong, and Mission G have helped improve the school culture at East Front.

“When I take East Front sports teams to other schools, I never have to worry about my kids disrespecting the referees, the coaches or the other players,” a proud McCallum said.  “We’re not just talking about good character, our kids are living it every day.”

That character was evident in many of the projects that students completed under the Livestrong initiative.  Students in the grades 4/5 and 5/6 classes raised $100 in Canadian Tire money for the local Humane Society shelter.  They also donated assorted pet foods and animal toys.  In May, the classes went over to the shelter and helped clean cages and walk dogs.

The two kindergarten classes at the school ran a campaign called Candles for a Brighter Christmas.  Students made beeswax candles and sold them to raise more than $300 for the Agape Centre food bank.

The school’s JTF2 Leadership Program under Kennedy’s guidance organized the Drive for 150 – a program that encouraged students to participate in the Bike-a-Thon Plus event last month to benefit the Children’s Treatment Centre in Cornwall.  The drive raised more than $3,600.

The ceremony was part of the Mission G Celebration Day at East Front.  The celebration was held to recognize the success of the school’s Mission G walking program, which challenged staff, student and community teams to model the spirit of Terry Fox and communally walk the equivalent coast-to-coast distance attempted by the late Canadian hero during his 1980 Marathon of Hope.  Over the course of the year, 29 teams walked more than 104,000 kilometers.

Students enjoyed morning “PT” or exercise sessions at four stations around the school, and were also treated to a pizza lunch and a concert.

At the end of the day, students and staff who participated in the Livestrong program received special wristbands and certificates of participation to mark the milestone.

Froglogic is a wellness program based on the training philosophy of the US Navy SEALs, which seeks to build character and improve students’ emotional, mental, and physical well-being.  It was introduced to East Front as a pilot project in January 2007 and then to the wider school population in September 2007.

Froglogic encourages the growth of the whole student through exercises in eight major “mission” areas: adopting a positive attitude; being healthy and exercising regularly; personal motivation; respect for others; goal setting; having integrity; finding a mentor; and having fun in life.  These missions form the basis for class discussions geared toward student improvement.  The overall goal is for students to get “fired up and squared away” – a SEAL term meaning to live life at your peak performance physically, mentally and ethically.

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For more information, please call:

Paula McCallum

Teacher

East Front Public School

613-932-5318

Kieran Kennedy

Principal

East Front Public School

613-932-5318

Posted June 16, 2009