Students help students learn about racism

Cape Breton Post
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Page: A12
Section: Northside/Victoria
Byline: Matthew Daye
Source: Cape Breton Post

Members of the Thompson Junior High School student government will visit local elementary schools to educate the younger students on racism today.

Principal James MacCloud has arranged for the 12 student council members to visit St. Joseph's, St. Mary's and Seton elementary schools to read stories about racism to students in Grades 4, 5 and 6.

They will be reading a selection of stories and excerpts from larger books to the children from 9-10:30 a.m. Some examples are Grandma's Pride, Is there Really a Human Race? and Racism: Deal with It Before It Gets Under Your skin.

The program came up during talks about International Anti-Racism Day.

"We were all thinking of various things to do to help out the community. This is one of the things that the student government came up with," MacCloud said.

Student president Danielle Skimner-Kehoe, 15, said it's good for the kids.

"As they grow up they won't have to learn the hard way about racism," she said. "And how everyone should be treated equally."

Student secretary Kaitlyn Stricklind, 14, was happy to be teaching the kids about racism.

"I think it is a really great idea to get the kids aware of racism and how it can affect a lot of people and different races," she said. "I think it will go really well."

Vice-president Sara Piccott, 14, explained why it was an important project.

"Since they are in elementary (school), they may not know everything about racism," she said. "This will give them a heads-up about it,"

Though this reading was originally planned for International Anti- Racism Day, it was delayed to this week due to scheduling problems.

Similar events were held at the junior high.

"At Thompson, we (viewed) a movie, Remember the Titans," MacCloud said. "We had all the classes go down to the gym and watch that on Wednesday, March 21."

This is the first year the school has done a program like this, but they're positive about it.

"I'd love to do something like this again next year," he said. "I'd like to make it a yearly thing if I could and expand on it if I could."

MacCloud will be unable to join the students, so they will be overseen by Shane Ryan, one of the other teachers at the school.