Small grant will help Colliers school get into the swing of things
By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Newly minted Immaculate Conception School principal Laura Crawley is delighted the Colliers facility is among 11 schools that have been awarded Safe, Caring, and Inclusive Schools Special Initiatives Grants from the provincial government.
The grants are worth $1,000 each, which may not seem like much but can be stretched into some pretty exciting endeavours.
grants for their initiatives. One of these schools was Immaculate Conception School in Colliers.
Crawley should know; this is the fifth grant the school has received since she started working there as a teacher, and the first since she became principal this year.
“Generally, I just take the initiative to apply for any grants that come up,” she said.
A previous grant allowed the school to update its sensory room with weighted blankets, weighted stuffed animals, fidget toys, fairy lights, and a tactile Lego wall.
This latest grant will be put towards the “Swing Together” project. Crawley explained the K-6 school is small and does not have a lot of playground space. The playground has a climbing centre, but it is difficult for students with mobility issues to use. The teachers gave students the opportunity to weigh in on what they would like to see at the school, and “swings” was a recurring response. The school decided to install an accessibility swing, which has a bar to secure the user and is more stable overall, meaning those with mobility issues can also use it.
The school expects the project will cost $5,000 in total. The swing itself is about $1,000, not including the bars to which it connects, and a foundation will need to be dug for the structure. So far, the school has about $3,000 to go towards the project — the $1,000 grant from the Province, and around $2,000 raised through donations and ticket sales at its Christmas concert. The Love, Lincoln foundation, which focuses on alleviating the cost of extracurriculars, has also contributed to the project. The school hopes to raise more money next month with a Valentine’s dance and a gift card tree. Crawley hopes the swing will be installed in the spring.
“We have a great diversity here in our school, so we do want to make sure that it’s a place of belonging and well-being for everyone,” she said. “That’s why the Safe, Caring, and Inclusive Schools grant is near and dear to our hearts and that’s a nice opportunity that we have to focus on wellness and positive relationships for our school.”
Anyone interested in contributing to the project can contact the school at 229-4664, or reach Crawley via email at lauracrawley@nlschools.ca.