My School Sparkle Contest 2009 Winners
25 January 2010
Ten schools participated in the City of Richmond's My School Sparkle contest held from October to November 2009. The students watched a musical comedy show called Clean Up Your Act - Make Richmond Sparkle. Dreamrider Theatre performed the shows, which taught students how littering, graffiti and vandalism adversely affects their neighbourhood.
“This contest is a great way to instil a sense of community pride in students,” says Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “We were impressed with the involvement from the schools and students.”
The contest evaluated each participating school and its surroundings before and after watching the show. Data and information were collected from the school district's facility management department and the City's Environmental Programs, which collects the litter around the schools. The goal of the contest is to help Richmond meet its vision of being the most appealing and liveable city in Canada by instilling a sense of community pride.
"The Board of Education, believing that all staff and students have a significant impact upon the environment now and in the future, encourages and supports the integration of Environmental Education into the curriculum,” explains Richmond Board chair Linda McPhail. “Keeping the natural environment healthy for future generations depends on everyone’s participation. Schools have a vital role to play in achieving this goal. We appreciate the opportunity to work in partnership with the City of Richmond in this initiative."
The winners of the contest were: Kidd Elementary had the least amount of litter before and during the contest (the school that always sparkles). Kingswood Elementary school had shown improvement after watching the Clean Up Your Act – Make Richmond Sparkle show (the school that is sparkling).
