St. Michael School Canstruction: Canned Fish
Nolan Conrad, Youth Minister:
On Thursday, May 23, I had the opportunity to be with the students and faculty of St. Michael School for the completion of their Canstruction entry, Canned Fish. In this blog, we want to share some pictures and the write-up submitted by some of the students and teachers from the school.
In the past year, our relationship with the schools in our parish — and especially St. Michael School — has grown exponentially through youth ministry and the involvement of our NET missionaries in these schools. Currently, St. Michael School has a youth den where they hold Bible studies and liturgies, among others.
We’re proud of what we’ve seen students do through their participation in Canstruction: faith in action, and the willingness to help those who are in need! (To learn more about Canstruction, click here)
From Campbell I. :“This year’s theme was Dr. Seuss and we’ve had a blast combining some of our favorite stories into one epic can creation. Canstruction has been an amazing experience for me because it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone by fundraising and talking to new people as well as sharing my ideas with the group. I think it helped me with talking to other students who are older than me. When I went into Canstruction I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the research and the amount of planning that goes into the build really let me explore and learn what it takes to build a structure that looks as simple as one made of cans.”
From Gillian O. and Joan R.:“As we were building our structure, we made sure to work hard and while doing so we have fun working together as a team and interacting with each other. Together, we organized fundraisers such as Valentine-o-grams (hand-made chocolate hearts and stars), hot chocolate and marshmallow sales, as well a Christmas Craft Sale and Silent Auction. Not only were they fun, but they also taught us leadership skills like organization and public speaking. Through these events, we were able to raise enough money to buy 1800 cans! All of this food will be donated to the Calgary Food Bank.”
From Ms. Trapp and Ms. Matos: “We are so proud of our students, the hard work, patience and dedication that we have seen have been inspiring. This type of endeavor begins months ago with a vague idea and little tangible reward until build day. Yet, our students continued to put forth a sincere effort to help provide food for those in need. As Youth Minister Nolan inspired us today with his prayer: With Jesus’ blessing a few fish fed thousands, today these students walked in the footsteps of Christ to offer food where there was none and provided hope to those in need.”