Special Features - EdCom 9/14/18

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Educate & Communicate

Human Library project

‘I think our country is in great hands’ Summer course at Fraser Heights develops strong generational bonds

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eading on transit to Fleetwood Villa Retirement Residence, Robin was nervous. Who would he meet? Would he or she like him? Would the conversation be awkward? Upon arrival, the Surrey student was paired up with Annabelle, who was equally anxious about the group of visiting youth. As the two began chatting, however, their fears were quickly dispelled. “Once we got talking, it felt like we were reuniting again,” says Robin, who started Grade 10 this month. “She told me about her experiences and I connected to those, and she connected to mine when she asked me.” He learned that 90-year-old Annabelle grew up in Manitoba and is a former high school teacher, so is relatively comfortable around teens. “When you get talking to them, they’re very up front and energetic and this boy is pretty positive,” Annabelle said of her new-found friend.

wrote poems about their new friends, presenting their writing during a follow-up “tea and poetry” session. The seniors were duly impressed. “It was wonderful and I enjoyed meeting this young lady,” Fleetwood resident Kenneth said of student Jenny, who wrote a trio of haiku about him. “Never pass up the opportunity to join with the boys and girls at school.” Moira, who used to work at Fraser Heights, as a library assistant, said she has an even stronger hope for the future after spending time with the students. “I think our country is in great hands with what we have right here,” she said, motioning to the youth. Ed compared the Fraser Heights Secondary teens to his classmates of decades past. “I remember when I was in high school, if the school had asked us to come in during summertime to do this, we’d have told them to get PHOTO: SURREY SCHOOL DISTRICT lost,” he said to laughter. Robin, left, and Annabelle are new-found friends, thanks to a four-week summer social justice course at Fraser Heights Secondary. “So for these students to do this, I think it bodes very, very well… the generation we’ve got behind us Justice is for Grade 11s and 12s. So two sessions with the Fleetwood The experience was part of a is fantastic.” Villa seniors. During the first, I gauged support and they signed four-week summer social justice Each senior went home with called the Human Library – Conup,” says Kambo. course at Fraser Heights Seconda print anthology of the poems. necting the Generations, the “It’s not for marks or anything. ary, proposed and developed by Annabelle took an extra copy for They’re just doing it to better their students interviewed the seniors, teacher Ami Kambo. community and be better people.” asking about their background and Fleetwood Villa’s library so other “The younger students were residents could read it. experiences. The students – 16 Grade 9s and always asking, ‘why isn’t there Surrey School District The teens then went away and three Grade 12 peer tutors – had anything for us?’ because Social

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