Back to School 2025: Your love inspires students to find their spark

I’ve always been curious about how things work.

I was that kid. The one who loved taking things apart and putting them back together, who could spend hours building robotics kits or tinkering in an electronics store. So you can imagine why the computer lab was one of my favourite places at IHMS.

I was incredibly fortunate to have had a teacher who gave that curiosity a home. Every chance I got, I’d be in the computer lab, eager to learn more. Mr. Dram, our science and computer teacher, didn’t just explain. He encouraged me to try. He let me experiment with digital tools, test new software, even taught me how to take photos. By Grade 8, I was teaching him new tech-related things.

Your gift of $30, $60, or $120 – or any amount you choose – ensures every child can explore, create, and thrive in a school that encourages discovery.

How will they use technology next? Let’s help them find out!

I know the difference nurturing students’ spark can make, because it made all the difference for me. Thank you for believing in our students, and for helping them grow into the confident, compassionate, and imaginative leaders our world needs.

With gratitude,

Nick Szun (IHMS ’14)

IT Coordinator, Immaculate Heart of Mary School

P.S. This is the school’s 120th anniversary year! A special gift of $120 (or just $10 a month) celebrates this milestone. It also provides four students with educational software all year.

• Junior high students are making presentations and movies, to help prepare them for how they’ll use computers in high school.

• Junior high students are also producing our concerts: mixing sound, running lights, switching microphones, coordinating sets, and ensuring the curtain rises on time. They’re learning creativity, teamwork, and technical skills all in one.

• And yes, some classes even use Minecraft Education to explore history and culture in immersive new ways!

Your help will continue to turn curiosity into creativity, and learning into confidence.

Those moments of discovery shaped my path, first at IHMS, then at St. Paul’s High School and Red River College, and right back here again. Mr. Dram once told me I’d be his successor. At 12, I didn’t believe him. But today, I’m honoured to help inspire the next generation of IHMS students to find their spark.

Every day, I see what your generosity makes possible. Because of supporters like you, students are researching, designing, coding, filming, experimenting, and finding new ways to express themselves. They aren’t just using technology. They’re building confidence, collaboration, and creativity – skills they’ll carry for life.

To keep that learning – that spark – alive we need your help to stay ahead of change. Many of our computers and tablets are approaching the end of their lifespan, and as technology evolves faster than ever, our students need the right tools to keep up.

Over the next few years, IHMS will need to raise more than $60,000 to upgrade and expand technology throughout the school. This year, our goal is to raise $30,000. Your gift can help us get there.

Here’s what your support brings to life:

• Our youngest students are discovering how to navigate the digital world in a safe and educational environment.

• Students with special learning needs are using iPads to participate fully in class.

• Grade 4 students are exploring the origins of their names, researching online, interviewing parents to learn why their names were chosen, and creating digital stories with photos they’ve taken.

• Middle grade students are designing and refining solar panels to power mobile iPad carts, learning firsthand how renewable energy works.