The Boyle Street/McCauley area has three school buildings that have closed in recent years because school boards decided we didn’t have enough children to keep them going. One functioning school we do still have, though, is Mother Teresa School. It is a miniature United Nations where children and families who came to Boyle Street and McCauley from all over the world come to learn.

In early May, Stacey Chornoluk asked her Grade Two students to draw a picture and say a few words about what is special to them about their community.

Here are some samples of what they said.

A special thing in my community is:

• Making new friends. We like to meet new Armenian friends. Elen

• The Chinese lion dance. It is fun to watch. Joyce

• Teams at recess. My friends like Nahom. He is special because he is on my team. We have fun. Hieu

• My family and my language. Not a lot of people know it. It looks like this: chao. It means hi or hello. Brendon

• Christmas because Santa brings presents. My Christmas tree is special because there are lights on it. Nahom

• My family in China because I get to see my grandpa and grandma. They keep me busy all the time. It is fun to trick Grandma. Maggie

• ICCP [Inner City Children’s Program] and the centres we get on Tues. Wed. and Thu. and we get to learn things. Walee

• My community has a great library and a new rec centre. Josh

• My family. It is special to me because I don’t give my loose tooth to the Tooth Fairy and I get to go to Chinese school in summertime. Jimminghao

• I love my family and bugs. Shyla

• Chinese New Year and Chinese characters. Mommy, Daddy, me, sister, brother speak Chinese and we wear Chinese decorative dress and shirts, also pants! Annie

• We are a family and we love to be together anytime and any place and we are always together no matter what. Isabella

• Science school, learning science and magic. They help make me smart. I can learn solar system. I learn about insects. But some of them are poison. Raiyan

• Our clothes because every people can know me. I am Korean when I wear my clothes on the special holiday. Delalay

• Soccer. I play with my brothers. I like taking care of my brothers. Jonathan