The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
That's what a group of students at McIsaac School - Ecole McIsaac have learned over the last year through their involvement with the Flin Flon, Creighton and Area SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). About 20 students are part of the Junior SPCA, a group that helps educate the public on animal welfare and fundraises to help the adult SPCA reach its goals. "I've found that the kids are really keen on this idea," said McIsaac teacher Jan Pazdzierski, an SPCA member who formed the student group last year. "If the SPCA can reach the younger generation, we feel we have a better hope for animals in the future." While Pazdzierski helps guide the students, who meet weekly on their own time, she insists that the Junior SPCA is truly an initiative of the students themselves. "They come up with their own ideas, and I just think that's so great," she smiled. "To have as many as 20 students come to a meeting is just phenomenal. They just love what they're doing. These kids feel for animals, so they feel empowered, like they're really doing something to help." One of the major successes of the Junior SPCA has been their fundraising. They've already brought in more than $1,200 for their parent organization. Most of that money has come from penny drives, in which the public has been asked to donate the one-cent coins lying around their homes. See 'Fundraisers' P.# Con't from P.# Thousands upon thousands of pennies have come in, and last week, the Junior SPCA made their latest donation Ñ $704.60 Ñ to their parent organization. "It's called Pennies for Pets, and I thought would be an easy fundraiser," commented Pazdzierski. "I mean, people don't even stop to pick up pennies anymore." The students have also helped bring in revenue by baking cookies for fundraisers and holding a raffle. But the Junior SPCA is about more than raising money. The students have also taken on a number of projects aimed to educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, and about the well-being of animals in general. They've created bookmarks featuring messages to that effect, and are now working on placements with similar messages that they hope to have placed in a local restaurant. To keep their fellow students informed, the group also takes part in informative presentations during school assemblies. Pazdzierski commented that she hopes the compassion that the Junior SPCA shows toward animals will spread to all students in the school and into the community as well. She would also like to one day see Junior SPCA groups at all local schools, not just McIsaac. The Junior SPCA is always accepting pennies for their Pennies for Pets program. Donations may be dropped off at McIsaac any time during school hours.
