They鈥檒l become bed mats the school will send to the world鱿鱼视频app disaster areas through Canadian Food for Children.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making bed mats to send to disaster zones around the world and we鈥檙e trying to involve the children,鈥� said Caroline O鈥機onnor, the teacher leading St. Marcellus鈥� Bed Mat Club. 鈥淭hey really are providing someone with a bed, a mobile bed, that keeps them off the cold ground. If you鈥檝e ever picked one of these bed mats up and wrapped it around you, they鈥檙e pretty warm.鈥�
More than that, said O鈥機onnor, these mats have been shown to reduce the risk of parasitic infections by 40 per cent simply by providing a plastic barrier between the body and the ground.
To make one of these mats the students first take the collected bags, which are sorted by colour, and cut them into 38.1 cm wide loops called plarn 鈥� they get two strips per bag. Working in pairs the students roll the strips into softball-sized spheres for easy storage.
Meanwhile, other students work with the already prepared plarn, weaving the plastic strips through a loom which was donated to the school from the senior centre next door. The centre has partnered with the students on the project. It takes about 500 plastic bags 鈥� and 80 hours labour 鈥� to make each mat, said O鈥機onnor.
Originally the school was just collecting bags for the senior centre鱿鱼视频app Bed Mat Club, but once the student鱿鱼视频app curiosity grew the elders passed down their wisdom.
鈥淭he seniors and children bonded immediately, it was just unbelievable,鈥� said O鈥機onnor, recalling the day the children attended the seniors鈥� weekly Wednesday meeting. 鈥淚t was like a group of grandparents looking after these children and the children in my class loved it. Now we make bed mats on our loom and they make them on their loom and 鈥� we deliver them down to the Canadian Food for Children.鈥�
On Dec. 5 O鈥機onnor, along with students and seniors from the two clubs, were scheduled to take an expected 25 mats to the Lake Shore Boulevard warehouse. There the bed mats will first serve as protective wrapping for food and medical supplies to be shipped to Haiti before becoming someone鱿鱼视频app new bed.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app really amazing, the ingenuity of this project,鈥� said O鈥機onnor. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app just so clever to see somebody using materials so wisely.鈥�
It鱿鱼视频app been an inspirational project for St. Marcellus students. Twelve-year-old George Jenkins, who got involved with the club last year, has become committed to helping others.
鈥淲e鈥檙e learning how to help fundraisers, charities and other things... getting involved,鈥� said the Grade 7 student. 鈥淚f I have spare time I鈥檇 like to help out with charities and fundraisers. I would like to help other people and make things right in the world and be able to change people鱿鱼视频app lives.鈥�
That鱿鱼视频app one of the components that sparked O鈥機onnor鱿鱼视频app interest.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app a really good way to do social studies because you are learning about the world, you鈥檙e learning about other people in it and you suddenly get the children to come out of just being all about me and learn about others,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app really helping them to appreciate their lives.鈥�