Care-To-Share Shoebox Project

December is always a busy month with lots going on at school; from performances and carols, to parties and other festive activities. It is the time of year which can be full of happiness for some, but a little difficult for others. We feel that it is important not to forget about those who may need some extra assistance over the season and so the IPS community, once again, participated in the charity Care-to-Share Shoe Box Project.

We asked our families to put together a shoe box full of gifts that will be delivered to children in need. This is so they have something to open on the big day. Children and parents did a wonderful job of filling the boxes with goodies, and also decorating them to look like something fresh out of Santa's workshop. As we don't know who will receive the box, a tag is added to indicate the age and gender of the child in mind.

We took part in this project last year and it proved to be a huge success, collecting a total of 162 shoe boxes. This year was another great year as we received an amazing 190 shoeboxes, set to be delivered to those families in need.

These activities and experiences are vital when developing empathy, generosity, and compassion; whilst also creating an understanding of the different lives we can lead in this world. Some of the items that were asked for included toiletries, such as toothbrushes and soap, because even the basics are welcomed. 

It was Mr. Starling's first Christmas here at IPS and he was certainly impressed:
"I cannot believe the efforts of both children and parents alike, this is a wonderful achievement and I hope we manage to make a number of families very happy", he said.

We are very proud of our community for being so generous and we want to thank everyone who was involved. A huge thank you goes out to Michael Van Dam, our PTA, and also to Bombeiros Barcarena who came to collect all the boxes. They will also be ensuring that they do indeed reach those in need. Next year they have promised to come and collect the boxes in style by bringing one of their fire engines!