NOV. 12, 2009 NEWSLETTER #4
Page 3
COUNSELLOR CORNER
Last month’s newsletterfocused mainly aroundstudents and in some caseparents adjusting to a newschool environment and Ican sincerely say that themajority of students have been able to makethe transition from elementary school or a re-location to middle school without majordifficulty. For the students and/or parentswho require further support feel free to visitme at the school or communicate via e-mail.By November the school has its diverse andmulti focused programs in place with alwaysan ear open to better ways to encompass aholistic view of “educating” students. In otherwords, striving to incorporate social andemotional growth within the framework ofacademia. For parents/caregivers who arenew readers of Counselors Corner or areunfamiliar with my philosophy of lifestylebalance, I would like to reiterate that view.Simply said, the whole is not merely that sumof parts but the interaction and cooperationof all parts within the whole.For example, a few weeks ago the commonusage of the term “just kidding” wasaddressed school wide. It had come to theattention of staff that many students behaviordemonstrated that it was OK to say or dosomething that was either disrespectful oreven cruel to others and think that saying“just kidding” would excuse or defend thebehavior. This kind of behavior, if notrecognized as being disrespectful and hurtfulwill manifest itself into adulthood. I suspectthat everyone knows someone who usesthis strategy when uncomfortable/defensivein a situation AND has not had theopportunity to reflect on the strategy as away to gain insight to why they chose thisstyle of behavior.As part of the commitment to promote holisticlearning all the staff at Maple Creekcommunicates with one another on the socialand emotional interaction of the students andhow it impacts the environment of the school.Topics addressed are always in the interestof the student’s psychological health andwellness that will take them into adulthood.Open communication is a practiced policy atMaple Creek and we invite thought fromparents/caregivers on topics of interests
.
Sheran Selluski, M.A.Counsellor
MAPLE CREEK STUDENTS SUPPORT VOW OF SILENCE DAY
Twenty years ago in November, the Berlin Wall fell and the VelvetRevolution reached its zenith. Amidst these revolutionary events, the
Convention on the Rights of the Child
– the most rapidly and widelyratified human rights treaty in history was born. This precipitated a differentkind of revolution – in how societies around the globe view childhood. TheConvention is an enduring consensus on how to create the best possiblechildhood in the 193 of 195 countries that have ratified it. It is also a tool forthe 21
st
century, presenting a holistic view of what children need anddeserve and how to deliver on that, in the here and now, rather than simplyas future workers, citizens and consumers.The milestone will be marked this year across Canada and around theworld by an unprecedented number of events large and small, from localday cares and schools, to legislatures and parliaments.As you may or may not know the Vow of Silence Day was last Friday. Thepurpose of that day was awareness:
•
of the 20 year old UN document called the Conventions on the Rightsof the Child that outlines the rights of
all
children.
•
that this document has failed to give all children those rightsand millions of children around the world do
not
have these basicrights.
•
of how many children don't have a voice or anyone fighting for theirrights.
•
that taking the Vow of Silence allows us to think about the power andprivilege we have with our own voices, our own words, and our ownrights.
•
that taking the Vow of Silence allows us to think about others' voices,others' needs and others' rights.
•
that being an activist/taking a stand can be uncomfortable but thatwe
all
can use our voices to
speak out
in support of children's rights.The purpose of the day was to live a brief period of time without somethingthat we take for granted, our voices. We all need to experience, in a smallway, the challenges faced by others who don't have a voice.Maple Creek Students supported this cause by committing to not usingtheir voice for the three hours. Taking this project one stepfurther, the students who chose to participate alsodonated a loonie which will be donated to our MapleCreek Christmas Hamper project.Now knowing this, we challenge
you
to think aboutwhat you will do with your voice. What will you say?How will you think and act and use your voicedifferently? Will you see it as a gift? Will you find a wayto help others find their voice? Will you take the time tohave a conversation about this issue?The following article by Craig and Marc Kielburger explains the issuessurrounding this document and why it's important.http://www.thestar.com/news/globalvoices/article/726368--world-s-adults-must-honour-vow-to-children
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