SPARCle and Shine

At Brentwood there are several extra-curricular groups to join, but one in particular that stands out is a program called SPARC, which stands for Student Peer Assistance Resource Counsellor. In Grade 11 and 12, students can take it upon themselves to complete this training and become a peer counsellor. Once their training is complete, they help out on several SPARC-run activities in the school and in the community such as volunteer service, peer-to-peer education, fundraising and service for local charities, health and wellness awareness, and participating at or helping the yearly blood drive. SPARC also helps run and is a part of several events in and out of school. This year - and in the past - we have managed to get buses of students and go down to Victoria for the annual CIBC Run for the Cure. This is a great cause in support of breast cancer research and treatment. Prior to the Run for the Cure we hold a Water Pong Tournament that all students at Brentwood can compete in and all proceeds raised go to the Run for the Cure Foundation.  At the end of Grade 11, every student who was in SPARC can run for one of the major leadership positions. There is the SPARC Captain, along with twelve different representative positions available. Becoming a Rep this year has taught me a substantial amount about the planning and preparation that takes place: everything doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat. This year’s SPARC Captain, Marquita Z, Alex ’19 says, “The thing I love most about SPARC is that it is a reminder to students that it is okay to talk about mental illness just by existing. The service aspect of SPARC is an amazing way to see the impact you can have on a community, even as a high school student and it is a great way to meet like-minded, service-oriented people.”  SPARC has several teachers who help out with this program including the fascinating Ms Bell, Mr. Barrett, Ms Tarrant and the amazing Mrs. Felix who all work with the SPARC Reps and Captain to make sure the program runs smoothly. One of this year’s SPARC Reps, Veronica C, Mack ‘19 says, “SPARC has helped me to understand the value of such a strong support system within the school, and seeing all the hard work which goes behind the scenes to keep this program going motivates me to do my part in helping out the Brentwood Community.”  Being a part of SPARC has helped me become closer to the Brentwood Community and I look forward to seeing what amazing things the future holds for SPARC in the coming years.  Ashley D, Allard ‘19