Torch - Spring/Summer 2019

Canstruction® structures, top row (from left): Take a Bite Out of Hunger (hamburger): CAN You Imagine This Paradise (island); Lock Away Hunger (treasure chest). Bottom row (from left): Mail Away Hunger (mailbox); HC Cares (yearbook); and Draw Away Hunger (crayon box).

donated, it can feed a bunch of families.” The other structures had similar meanings, with mottos used to remind the builders of the true intent of their designs. Havergal is grateful to its supporters: the architects at Diamond & Schmitt for their guidance and Peter’s No Frills Toronto for supporting the project with food at cost. The Harvest Food Bank was lucky to receive 1,457 pounds of food (1,212 meals) in support of their clients. The learning from this project is multifaceted: in addition to applying the STEM skills they have been acquiring over the years, the students also gained experience in fundraising, volunteering and budgeting. The teachers discovered something, too: the capacity of their students to become passionate about a cause.

architects from Diamond & Schmitt, who are currently working on our Master Plan project, to present their building plans. With the help of the architects, they were able to perfect parts of their designs. In the afternoon, teams were given two hours to build their structures. They were allowed to use the non-perishable food items they had ordered, along with tape, cardboard and elastics. Each team encountered their own roadblocks, but worked together to solve these problems. By 3 pm, all of the structures were completed and the girls were thrilled to see all of their hard work come to fruition. “I was really excited to help people get food and to see how our structure looked at the end,” Grade 5 student Ainsley Nichols explains. Nichols’ group worked on the Great CANadian Burger, inspired by the motto: “Take a Bite out of Hunger.” Says Nichols: “We chose this motto because it’s one burger, but once [the structure] is

In addition to the fun of designing and building their structures, the students were also excited to make a difference for local families. In order for the sculptures to come to life, the girls had to come up with creative ways to raise funds to purchase the food needed for their designs. At Christmas time, they asked all Junior School students to consider making a $10 donation in support of their projects (to buy the cans of food needed to build the structures) and to bring in a green can of food, which they used to design and build Christmas trees before donating them to the North York Harvest Food Bank. “Learning about fundraising was a great experience for them,” Carayannis continues. “Business became an important part of this project.” By the time the third Day 9 of the year arrived on February 27, all involved were excited to build the structures. That morning, the Grade 5 students met with

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING/SUMMER 2019 • TORCH 29