THE DRAGON'S PEN
/A BUSY DECEMBER AT KING GEORGE HIGH
by Henry MacDougall
(click images to enlarge)
A lot happened at King George in December, with holiday festivities, volunteer opportunities, and activities in clubs!
INTERACT CLUB CLOTHING DRIVE … In December the Interact Club collaborated with Vancouver Park Rangers to organize a clothing drive for homeless people living in Vancouver parks. Rangers often enforce rules that affect homeless people, such as asking them to remove tents during the day (it’s legal to camp in most Vancouver parks overnight as long as your shelter is packed up by morning). Because of this, lots of park rangers wish to help out the homeless people they encounter, as they don’t often get the chance.
Occasionally, rangers even use their own money to buy food for homeless people in parks. The clothing drive serves as a more formal fundraising alternative to support this cause.
After the winter break the Interact Club will start fundraising, and announcements will be made to keep everyone informed. To support the cause, students should be on the lookout for these announcements. Just like last year, Interact Club members will be leaving boxes around the school for students to leave clothing donations in.
SELMA … Grade 10s were invited to go on a field trip to Scotiabank Theatre on December 15 to watch the 2014 Hollywood movie Selma, which follows Martin Luther King Jr. on his march through Alabama, from Selma to Montgomery. The real events portrayed in this movie ultimately led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. This movie aligns with the Grade 10 curriculum, which includes learning about social injustices and struggles to advance equality in the past and present day.
A Student Council Canley Cup fundraiser poster .
THE SENIORS’ DINNER … Lots of King George students volunteered their time at a seniors’ dinner at the West End Community Centre on December 1. Youth volunteers took orders and served a turkey dinner to around 80 West End seniors. The admission was $25 and went towards the West End Community Centre.
THE ANNUAL CANLEY CUP … Our school’s student council organized the KG Canley Cup again this year, which means that students were once again invited to bring donations to school to support food banks. Donations were taken during students’ second period classes, and the class that raised the most money got a pizza party. The winning class was Grade 12 chemistry, which raised around $150.
Cozy furniture in the school foyer .
DECK THE HALL … Festive decorations have once again been put up in the KG foyer, this year organized by the student council in cooperation with Jess Coombs. The decorations include a couple of comfortable chairs, a rug, and more cozy furnishings. Lots of gratitude to Jess, as he is now retired, yet still volunteers his time to help out around the King George community.
Some vintage toys and games in the display cases next to the foyer.
The decorations are wonderful and really put me in the holiday spirit!
Some cool, vintage holiday-themed items were also placed in the display cases next to the foyer. They really give you a window into another time!
A NEW SEMESTER … The first semester of this school year will be ending soon, with the first day of second semester beginning on the third of February. There will be two transition days on February 1 and 2 for students to finish any missing assignments or tests. I can’t believe that this semester is already over, the school year is going by so fast!
NEWS FROM QUEBEC … Last month, I wrote about the Québec government’s increase of tuition for out-of-province students attending English language universities in Québec. There are also mandates for French proficiency for students attending any Québec university.
At press time, McGill is offering a $3,000 grant to most students, Bishop’s has been exempted, and Concordia will be making an announcement shortly. This is great news for not only KG students, but high school students from all over Canada.
A VISIT FROM SPENCER … West End MLA and Deputy Speaker in the BC Legislature, Spencer Chandra Herbert made a visit to two Grade 10 social studies classes this December. Chandra Herbert took questions from the students, who took notes to be used in a future project.
During fourth period, a fight broke out right outside of the Denman Room of the community centre, which was where the meeting was taking place. As Mr. Wilband went to get the principle, Chandra Herbert physically broke up the fight, which is ironically quite similar to his Deputy Speaker duties in the BC Legislature!
The outside of Mr. Lindsay’s beautifully decorated door.
THE DOOR PRIZE … The student council once again ran the holiday door decorating contest, in which classes decorate their doors with festive decorations. Some used wrapping paper on their doors, while some made drawings and taped them to their door. The winner of the contest was Mr. Lindsay’s class.
MORE NEWS TO COME …I sent some interview questions to our Vancouver City Police School Liaison Officer (SLO) in December and hope to hear back in time for next month's issue.
Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading. Happy holidays and have a great 2024, KG!
