TORONTO, Oct. 5 /CNW/ - Coinciding with World Teachers Day (Oct 5) the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT), pledged $10,000 to purchase essential supplies to get Grenada's public schools back on their feet. The donation is part of a larger effort by public school teachers - and students - in Toronto to raise awareness of the impact of recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and involve school communities directly in relief efforts. "In the case of natural disasters like the hurricanes that have hit Grenada, Haiti and Jamaica, the most important tasks are to restore housing, security and health care. After that, restoring public education and rebuilding schools is high on the list of priorities," said Martin Long,President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto. The teachers' donation, made to the Grenada Hurricane Ivan Relief Organization (GHIRO), will be used for the purchase of urgently needed supplies, including tents, which will be used to house temporary classrooms. "Teachers in Grenada are struggling to get kids back in school. But in many cases they don't even have a classroom. It really is a valuable contribution the elementary teachers are making." said Vivienne James, Secretary for GHIRO, and a former Grenada school teacher. James recommends that others follow the example of the Toronto teachers. "It means a lot to the teachers in Grenada to know that the teachers of Toronto are aware of the problem and sending the urgent supplies the children in Grenada desperately need. I hope Canadians in different professions and occupations will follow this example and provide support to their counterparts in Grenada." The donation by the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, which represents almost 11,000 elementary schools teachers in the City of Toronto, has followed grassroots efforts in some schools. Sandra Martins, a Grade 7 teacher at Runnymede Public School spearheaded a campaign to boost student awareness and encourage donations of food and school supplies. "I think this was a great opportunity for the students at Runnymede to be able to share with the children of Grenada" said Martins. The Runnymede school community also purchased tents and flashlights for the Grenada hurricane committee and solicited additional cash donations to the Red Cross and UNICEF. Students at the Ecole Rawlinson Community School, in the St. Clair and Oakwood area, many of whom have relatives in the Caribbean, have participated in a food drive, a coin drive and sales of "gimp" to raise funds for hurricane relief. An innovative "Help a Teacher Day" program, designed by Paula Grosso's grade 4/5 class, had students assisting teachers with classroom chores in exchange for a small donation to the International Red Cross. As Grosso explains, the relief effort had "many benefits" for the students at Rawlinson, connecting them to the global community, offering a way to get personally involved in a front page news story, and giving young people that all-important feeling that their own personal effort can make a difference. Vivienne James sees the local efforts of schools like Runnymede and Rawlinson as the first step toward twinning schools in Toronto with schools in Grenada and other devastated countries in the Caribbean region. "Children and teachers in Grenada need all the help they can get right now, but in the long run we believe a twinning relationship between schools in Toronto and Grenada will benefit the students of both communities" said James. Martin Long stresses that the $10,000 donation from the Elementary Teachers is part of an ongoing commitment by teachers to help build strong public education systems around the world. "October 5 has been designated World Teacher Day as a reminder that we are committed to building the same kind of comprehensive public education system in Grenada and other countries around the world that we are currently fighting for in Toronto and across Canada" said Long. "In additional to local organizations like the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, our teacher unions, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) are involved in providing practical support to teachers working in difficult circumstances in other countries." For further information: Martin Long, President Elementary Teachers of Toronto, (416) 393-9930; Vivienne James, Secretary, Grenada Hurricane Ivan Relief Organization, (416) 861-1790. SOURCE: NEWSWIRE.CA