John McCrae students learn about the power of kindness
November 19, 2015
GUELPH, Ontario – When kids have the courage to be kind they can make a positive difference in the world.
That was the powerful message students at Guelph’s John McCrae Public School heard on Thursday.
Author Janet Wilson was at the school as part of Bullying Awareness Week activities. Wilson shared her collection of non-fiction stories and illustrations about young activists from around the world and across Canada.
The stories are about children who are activists for peace and non-violence, as well as environmental, indigenous, and social justice.
Her presentation to the students Thursday revealed the innate goodness that is in children.
Staff and students were inspired by the stories of young people like Craig Kielburger, who started Free the Children when he was 12 years old, and Kimmie Weeks, a refugee from the Liberian civil war, who at age 10 vowed to make a difference in the lives of children after narrowly escaping being buried in a mass grave.
Using funding earmarked for Bullying Awareness initiatives, school staff also purchased some of Wilson’s books so teachers and students could revisit the stories and use them as a jumping off point for conversations and lessons about character and social justice.
Categories: Spotlight On Schools