On Friday, Sept. 26 the Cool Kids at St. Bernard's held their annual Cool Kids Kick Off and Healthy Living Commotion Day. The day began with an assembly where students and staff shared their experiences of caring and healthy lifestyles. There were special guest appearances by Chip & Pip - the school Cool Kid mascots and Arthur O'Brien also entertained students and sang the school song with them. Following the assembly students and staff worked to create Healthy Living posters and then participated in a walk in support of the Terry Fox Foundation. The Cool Kids at St. Bernard's Elementary raised over $1200.00 for their walk to support cancer research. Way to go, Cool Kids!

In the week following International Peace Day, on September 21, Woodland Elementary students joined in a global effort to promote peace. Curricular activities included peer sharing sessions about what peace means, journal responses and art projects. Students also united in song with a whole school chorus of "One Song/One Hope." The Walk for Peace was a joyful walk through the community of Dildo. Class groups took turns carrying a dove puppet made by parent volunteers. Chalk for Peace took place outside on the play area where students planned and executed large scale collaborative drawings about what peace means to them. Walk and Chalk for Peace were celebrated under the umbrella of Healthy Commotions Week which also had students engaging in whole school fitness sessions; participating in the Terry Fox walk; practicing cross country running; and choosing healthy snacks.

On September 19, a beautiful fall day, the Grade Five classes of Beachy Cove Elementary participated in Ocean Net's annual cleanup of St. Philip's Beach. The students picked up many bags of litter and listened to an environmental presentation. They were also treated to a barbeque. Many children expressed feelings of pride and accomplishment in helping their environment and declared it "the best field trip ever". Ocean Net stated that the children's presence, and their enthusiasm, was the highlight of the day. They hope that the student¿s contribution to the event will be repeated next year.

On September 16, Gerald Mercer, Principal of Vanier Elementary School launched his new children's book, Emma's Treasure, in the Vanier Elementary School gymnasium. Approximately 150 people attended the launch. This book tells the story of how Emma, a young girl, and her two friends, Jeffrey and Thomas, rescue a family treasure from her grandfather's shed. It is a story of valuing family heirlooms and understanding the significance of artifacts from past generations. Congratulations Mr. Mercer on publishing your first book!