For years, Birchland elementary school has been a leader in using technology to help students learn.
Now, students, staff and parents are turning to the community to keep the dream alive.
On Saturday, June 13, the school is hosting a family fun fair with crafts, games, yoga classes, live music, food trucks and a chance to drive a brand new Ford vehicle to raise funds for technology.
"This is a big push to get a pot of money for new laptops," said Cicilia Joinson, a 10-year member of the school's parent advisory council who wanted to leave a legacy now that her children are moving on.
Dozens of businesses have come on board by donating items for the raffle, and there will be plenty of fun that day, she promised.
The school is also hosting an official ceremony for a community mural that was painted last year. Principal Frank Pearse said the ceremony was delayed by the dispute between the provincial government and teachers, and it's time to honour the kids and the mural artist, Todd Polich, who transformed the school's cinder block exterior into a giant painting of forests, a sky and children playing.
"The community is coming together in support of the school and to protect the mural," Pearse said, acknowledging that the mural has been damaged in recent weeks by vandals but will be repaired in time for the fun fair.
The laptop replacement project will enable the school to continue to use software called SOLO 6 that it pioneered in partnership with Special Education Technology BC that supports students' reading, studying and writing.
Students using SOLO can play back what they wrote so they can hear mistakes, and the software also predicts words, helping students with grammar and correcting their spelling.
• Birchland elementary is located at 1331 Fraser Ave., Port Coquitlam. The fun fair is a cash-only event.
