St. Anne CES students turn learning into action in support of St. Vincent de Paul

June 24, 2026

Grade 6 students at St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough recently put their learning into action through a student-led deep learning project focused on activism and addressing food insecurity in their community.

Working alongside Core French and Program Support French Immersion Teacher Kathryn Bickell, students identified a local issue they wanted to learn more about and support. After exploring the challenges facing individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in Peterborough, they partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to make a meaningful difference.

From start to finish, students took ownership of the project. They organized a school-wide bake sale and non-perishable food drive held during the last week of the school year, developing plans, coordinating logistics, promoting the initiative, and communicating directly with community partners.

Along the way, students gained valuable real-world skills, learning how to problem-solve, adapt, and persevere when faced with challenges. Whether adjusting schedules, overcoming unexpected roadblocks, or picking up the phone to speak with representatives from St. Vincent de Paul, students demonstrated leadership, responsibility, and resilience throughout the process.

The project culminated in a talent show held in the school gymnasium, celebrating both student talents and the success of the initiative.

Thanks to the generosity of the St. Anne CES community, students raised $836.30 and collected six boxes of non-perishable food items for St. Vincent de Paul.

“I was selected by Madame Bergeron to be one of the staff members to attend a Deep Learning session this year. One of the sessions was activism education which really resonated with me and my personality,” said Kathryn Bickell. “We were talking about local, national and international issues. They (the students) got to pick the issue that bothered them most. They chose local hunger and the crisis in Peterborough. They researched different services in the city and proximity to our school and St. Vincent de Paul which is closely linked to St. Anne’s Parish.”

Bickell said she gave the students as much control as possible and a realistic perspective to be able to choose ideas that could be done within the school year instead of over several years.

The students wanted to collect money and non-perishable food items, a bake sale, and put on a show for the school.

“Our goal was to help the hungry. A couple of months ago we picked what we wanted to work on to help our community and the world and we picked hunger,” said Kayley Pelletier. “We learned leadership skills and how to pick up a phone and call to organize things.”

“We got to learn about the people in need and who were helping,” said Bentley Heffernan. “Instead of just learning about it, we got to actually help.”

“We were deciding what we can do to help the people. We decided to do something with entertainment and where possible, people can bring in non-perishable food items and some change,” said Alexis Adams. “We worked as a team and that was a lot of fun.”

Principal Melanie Bergeron Langlois praised the students for their dedication, leadership, and commitment to serving others through faith in action.  

“I’m really proud of them. I’ve seen them grow during the project. It’s the students who are doing everything in the talent show. They were learning something all along the way.”

The project reflects St. Anne CES’s commitment to Catholic Social Teaching and helping students become compassionate, engaged citizens. By responding to the needs of others in their community, students put into action the principles of human dignity, solidarity, and a preferential option for those in need. Through their efforts, these Grade 6 students demonstrated that even small actions can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.