DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ONTARIO NORTH EAST
EPS Students participate in Friendship Boxes Campaign

Students of the Cultural Club at Englehart Public School participated in the Friendship Box Campaign, organized by I Love First Peoples.  The group of students, lead by Mrs. Card,  gathered donations from the school, families and the community to assemble more than 50 Friendship Boxes for Indigenous Children in Northern Ontario.  These gift boxes were filled with items to celebrate the joy of education.  The project engaged students in actions of reconciliation in a meaningful way.

Each box included a handwritten friendship letter and other positive messages.  Students learned to work with the school's t-shirt press to decorate pencil cases with positive quotes and affirmations.

The Club hosted DSB1 Board Chair Bob Brush and local Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) John Vanthof on Friday, December 13^th.  The students were proud to talk about the process of gathering donations, assembling the boxes and how the entire project made them feel.  Chair Brush and MPP Vanthof both reaffirmed to students how important this type of initiative is to children living in the far north.

The Cultural Club is exploring how to continue to support Indigenous children living in Northern Ontario throughout the school year.