While some students cringe at the thought of doing homework, one Grade 2Â student at A.A. Wright Public School is ecstatic to be given the opportunity.
“I like it,” said Remi, as the new Brailler was unveiled to him in front of his classmates and family.
Ben Hazzard, principal at the school, this machine will allow Remi, who is blind, to do homework and literacy at home, not just at school.
“He can’t just take a pencil and go home and do his homework, he needs other tools” Hazzard said. “We have them at school but we did not have funding for them at home and Noelle’s Gift and our community were able to provide support for that.”
The Noelle’s Gift charitable fund was established in 2013 in memory of Noelle Paquette, a former Kindergarten teacher with the St. Clair Catholic District School Board, who died in January 2013.
Since the fund was started approximately $400,000 has been raised.
“It’s wonderful for myself and the Paquette family to see the smiles on the kids faces,” said Kevin Cannon, a volunteer with Noelle’s Gift and the former principal at the school where Noelle taught.
“To go into a school and recognize that principals have easy access to money. Having been a principal in South Sarnia, many times you saw kids that were in need and you possibly didn’t have the funds to do it. It’s a great experience for us and we get a lot of positive feedback regarding the purchases and how easy the process is.
Cannon added: “We’re happy that it is working effectively and efficiently.”
Noelle’s Gift was also utilized for the school to purchase a wheel chair for a student at the school, which allowed the boy to become mobile on his own without the assistance of a teacher’s assistant.
Hazzard said, it’s the things people never hear about that make Noelle’s Gift so special.
“Countless shoes, boots and snow pants and little essentials that students just need without any fanfare,” he said.
“It happens all the time. We’re just so appreciative.”
Hazzard added that the process with the program is extremely streamlined.
“It fits a gap that is often there where somebody needs something and we don’t quite have the resources in traditional ways, it fits that gap that so many kids fall through the cracks.”
Here are some photos of Remi’s new Brailler being unveiled:
