A child having fun throwing sponges at a Jonas Samson Junior High Kids Carnival. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

Carnival Games

Jonas Samson holds annual Kids Carnival to raise money for new playground

May 11, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The Jonas Samson Junior High (JSJH) gym was buzzing with excitement on Friday. Parents and children filled the gym to try some of the games the students of JSJH had made for their annual Kids Carnival.

Each homeroom class was responsible for making an attraction. Thirteen events were spread throughout the carnival including a SpongeBob sponge toss, a Fortnite shooting gallery and a raffle for two jelly bean dispensers.

Josh Kirilenko and his grade seven classmates decided to build a “smack the rat” game for the carnival. “It gives kids a chance to practice their hand-eye coordination and at the end you get a prize,” said Kirilenko. “It’s just fun to do.”

Kirilenko said part of the fun was working on the game with his classmates before the carnival. “Most of the people that I’m working with aren’t people I usually work with in class,” said Kirilenko. “It’s fun, you get to know them and know their personality and how they are.”

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Josh Kirilenko helps a child with his classrooms game “Smack the Rat.” (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW)

Tammy Mutch, the school’s Wellness Coordinator, said the carnival has been going for so long she doesn’t remember how it started. “Jonas Kids Carnival started years ago just as a way of Jonas Samson students to give back to the community members,” said Mutch. “I think the kids love it. They love to take pride in their classroom.”

The carnival raises money for the school community council, a council made of parents in the community. This year the council has decided on spending the money on building a playground for the school. “It’s going to cost a lot more money then we have,” said Mutch. “Jim, our principal, has been applying for many grants and the kids carnival is going to help.”

In September, JSJH will be changing from a Junior High to a Middle School. The school will be going from having grades 7-9 to grades 5-8 and they would like to have a playground for the children.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov