The Grade 6 students at C.P. Blakely were treated to a presentation called “U Rock” today during a special assembly. The Grade 7 students prepared the program to teach their peers how to relate to each other with kindness and compassion.
Students learned the difference between bullying and unkind behaviour where bullying is behaviour that hurts someone on purpose and something that is unkind not done on purpose.
Tables were set up around the gym with activities like squeezing toothpaste on a plate and then trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube to teach that once something is said, it can’t be unsaid. There was also a table for making “awesome goggles” to remind students to see the best in each other.
Students learned about how to empower each other by not gossiping, standing up for others and not giving people labels.
“Labels are for soup cans!” shouted the “U Rock leaders.
Teachers Megan Helmer and Dee Peterson created the program to empower students to teach each other better relationship skills and help them develop self confidence. Helmer sees the program as giving the basics of respect and compassion to students who know what bullying is but don’t know the underlying reasons to stop bullying.
“If we’re going to stop bullying and stop mean behaviour, we have to teach them how to be respectful and how to show compassion and kindness,” she said.
Helmer says the peer teaching aspect has a “different message” when it comes from a student as opposed to an adult.
“It’s upbeat and it motivates kids,” she said, adding that it also makes learning about respect fun.
The first presentation was performed at Beacon Hill with C.P. Blakely being the second performance for the “U Rock” team. The team will be performing again on March 12 at Ecole Steffie Woima School and in April they will be performing at Poplar Ridge.
myranicks@sylvanlakenews.com
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