Our Gallery - Exploring Communities
Q: What is a Community?
A: A place for people to work, live and grow. The city or the country. Everybody everywhere belongs to a community.
Coming from the Latin term meaning “with gifts”, the term suggests a general sense of humanity, reciprocity and a shared practice of doing good for other that comes from working together for a joint purpose. “Communities help generate a shared language, rituals and customs, and a collective memory of those that join the group.”
If we give credence to the old African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child” then we can understand the impact that community has in helping us raise our children. Children need more than just supportive parents. As they branch outside the home they require a larger support network to grow into healthy citizens. It is a child’s right to expect the community to provide them safe neighbourhoods, adults who are good role models and dedicated teachers and politicians who keep children's rights at the forefront. When children feel a connectivity to their community they are more apt to develop a sense of civic and social responsibility. They build trust, learn to resolve conflicts peacefully and have a genuine sense of caring for others. As a community of schools within the larger community of Richmond Hill, we work together to create a rich context of experiences that define us and support our children to grow into responsible citizens.
The Lemonade Stand
A Timeless Tradition; Lemonade Stands
We all have fond memories of lemonade stands, whether we set up our own or simply stopped by a neighbouring child’s for a quick summer thirst quencher. These popular drink booths have come to be associated with childhood and early entrepreneurship since children often set them up during the summer as a way to earn money. Although they weren't first established by children, they are, to this day a common activity for youngsters all over North America.
With the assistance of his classmates, Ethan’s thoughts of making his own lemonade stand came to fruition. Of course before the lemonade stand opened for business, Ethan was put to work squeezing lemons while several of the other children worked on the sign. When the lemonade was ready, Ethan set the price for his wares to 10 cents a cup. The children lined up waiting for Ethan’s tasty lemonade. They each had the opportunity to count out coins to pay for their lemonade (learning about bartering system). When the lemonade was finished, Ethan looked at his coins and decided he would contribute them to the Jars of Hope.
Our Daily Experiences
