Four Ruth Pawson School students in Regina learned at a surprise assembly in September 2024 that they had been selected for a Dreams Take Flight trip to Disneyland. The recognition celebrated their everyday kindness and willingness to help rather than grades, sport or public awards.
The students did not expect the announcement
Vincent Dixon, Noah Schroeder, Ava Tressel and Kya Mychan arrived expecting an ordinary school day. Family, friends and staff gathered as the secret was revealed.
The students described shock and excitement, with classmates sharing in a recognition that had been deliberately kept quiet.
Selection focused on community contribution
Principal Carmen Holota said staff looked for students who regularly offered help, greeted others, cleaned up after activities and treated classmates kindly. They were also engaged learners.
These are easy contributions to overlook because they do not produce trophies or dramatic moments.
The programme serves children facing challenges
Dreams Take Flight is a national charity that organizes Disney trips for children who may experience health, social or other significant challenges. Volunteers and sponsors help manage travel and costs.
Selection criteria and privacy should be handled carefully so a celebration does not require children to disclose personal hardship publicly.
The itinerary was a 72-hour adventure
The Regina group planned to travel to Winnipeg, wake around 2 a.m. and board a charter flight to Los Angeles. The Disneyland visit would compress rides, food and parades into an intensive day.
Organizers expected the return journey to be much quieter as exhausted participants slept.
Each student brought a different anticipation
Dixon described his family’s joy and the surprise of being chosen. Schroeder said helping in the classroom was simply part of his nature.
Tressel had not seen the announcement coming, while Mychan looked forward to going with her friend and hoped to overcome fear of some rides.
Recognition can reinforce belonging
When schools celebrate dependable care, students learn that citizenship includes small actions performed without an audience. It broadens achievement beyond competition.
The message is strongest when appreciation is available in daily school life as well as through a rare major prize.
Safeguarding remains essential during travel
A fast international trip requires consent, passports, medical planning, trained chaperones and clear supervision. Children need accessible contact and rest arrangements even during an exciting schedule.
Charities should maintain transparent screening, insurance and emergency procedures while protecting participants’ personal information.
The trip honoured quiet leadership
The Disneyland experience was the visible reward, but the story centred on why the students were selected. Their teachers saw kindness repeated when no prize was expected.
Other students could celebrate without being told that kindness always produces a costly reward. Schools can reinforce the same values through regular acknowledgement, shared responsibilities and opportunities for every child to contribute according to ability.
The charity experience also depended on volunteers and donors whose work converted a nomination into safe transport, meals, supervision and memories. Their contribution was practical, even when the surprise assembly supplied the most memorable images.
For Ruth Pawson School, the assembly turned four individual surprises into a community lesson: helpfulness and respect shape a school, and young people who practise them deserve to be seen.
