by Rhonda Massad
Last month two Beaconsfield students, Ella Cloutier in grade 4 and Gracianne Verghese in grade 5 made a donation of more than 500 used books to a local Lester B. Pearson School. Supported by the Home and School and the school’s principal Pat Delage, the girls made announcements over the school intercom, distributed flyers and made posters to encourage their classmates who gave generously.
“I love reading and I can’t survive without books,” Ella said to West Island Blog. “I thought it was important because books are like a way of learning, for example new words, new expressions, new way of writing. It also helps you calm down and when you are bored, you just have to find a book and you are good for hours. I am amazed how many books Graci and I raised together.”
The recipient school was chosen by Principal Delage based on the needs of the school in a less fortunate situation.
According to Ella’s mom Gabrielle, they started to count the books but there was so many books that kids brought from their home.
“It was incredible. The girls were loosing the count. We were too. So we know over 500 but is it closer to 600? No idea. There was books everywhere under the school Christmas tree, under the bench of lobby. Boxes and boxes of books from people’s homes! Mostly were very gently used children books and some adult books,” Gabrielle said.
“The generosity of our school community is overwhelming,” she continued. “Maybe because we are a tight community where we all know each other. Most of people did not know it was an initiative from the girls. They just gave books away because that is how it is in our community.”