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❑ 2012 in Review
HOCKEY ACTION
Local club hosts New Year’s tournament
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Friday, December 28, 2012
YEAR IN REVIEW
Looking back on the highs and lows of 2012
5
INSIDE
news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 mailbag . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 classifieds . . . . . . . . . 13
Home of the Burger Family. No. 9 Hwy at Morrow Rd, Agassiz
JESSICA PETERS / OBSERVER
ACE students were busy last week wrapping presents that were handed out on Christmas morning at the Legion, at a breakfast for seniors who would otherwise be alone at this time of year.
ACE kids part of community’s fabric
Jessica Peters THE OBSERVER
It’s hard to shed a bad image. It’s even more difficult to change the way an entire community feels. But this year, a small group of Agassiz students have proved that a change in thinking is possible. Many students at ACE have a few forces working against them. It is, after all, an alternate school. And there are students at ACE who need different a learning environment than a mainstream school can provide, for a variety of reasons. But more importantly, the students are just kids. Kids with futures. Kids with dreams. Kids with families and friends. Kids who deserve support.
A n d support t h e y ’v e earned. This year, the entire school was given the Betty Urquhart Award for JESSICA PETERS Community Service. They earned it for the unselfish act of giving up their Christmas morning to serve breakfast to seniors who normally wouldn’t have company at Christmas. They reached out into the community, gave of themselves, and learned that the community will give back. It was an emotional day for the students, when they
piled into a limo here in Agassiz and traveled to the ceremonies at UFV in Abbotsford. Clad in purple and black, their school colours, they soaked up the moment and became prouder people. Not suprisingly, some of the ACE students decided to give their time again this Christmas. On Tuesday morning, they gave up their Christmas morning to provide a community service for local seniors. Even graduates returned to lend a hand. They served breakfast, with the help of Agassiz A&W, Legion members and other volunteers in what was a true community act of kindness. While it seems like a big leap, from alternate school student
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to Christmas volunteer, it’s not. These kids are constantly volunteering within the community, particularly with seniors. And by doing so, they are helping to shift the way people feel about teenagers. They are bridging the gap, one selfless act of giving after another. So instead of being on the outskirts of society, they are part of the fabric that holds it together. Instead of being scowled at for the crime of being a teenager, they can hold their heads high and be admired. I, for one, look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the next year, and well into the future. news@ahobserver.com