The power of Education is in your hands

Nelson Mandela said:
 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world'.

We sometimes take for granted our freedoms with education here in Canada.Today, around the globe, an estimated 61 million primary-aged children are out of school, almost half of them in conflict-affected poor countries. Too often, even those students who do go to school finish without basic literacy and numeracy skills: it is estimated that 250 million children cannot read, write or count well. Many places in the world are focused on the promotion of child and youth rights because they are still fighting for their rights to support young people to claim their rights to education and sexual and reproductive health services. We need to support these places by raising awareness about their rights, and help them engage with important decision-makers so that their voices can be heard.
Education is the key to eliminating gender inequality, to reducing poverty, to creating a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and illness, and to fostering peace. And in a knowledge economy, education is the new currency by which nations maintain economic competitiveness and global prosperity.Education is the foundation of peace and prosperity. I dream of a  better world with a global commitment to providing better education for women and youth and I urge all of us to reinvigorate our efforts to accelerate progress in improving access, quality and student achievement worldwide. Together we can achieve this.

Education is an investment, and one of the most critical investments we can make

Sex , Drugs and Rock and Roll

These were all a concern when my folks were kids. They are a concern now. And I would guess they will be a concern when my kids have kids and grand kids. I only use the word concern because what I am finding is these topics are still not talked about in an open and honest way in most houses. Plus it now is way to easy to find answers to any questions on the internet. Not always the right answers, but still answers. Our children have access to so many forms of porn and sexual activities via the internet than I would have imagined as a teen. They can watch a live gang bang or any  form of torture and end up thinking this is what sex is. And by the way , yes I am going to be blunt during this. There is a variety of research indicating that teens are becoming more depressed and suffering from anxiety  because of the shame and confusion they experience after viewing porn online.
 https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/porn-making-my-social-anxietyconfidencedepressionocd-worse

and the "Impact of internet pornography on adolescents"
https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/impact-internet-pornography-adolescents-review-research-2012-0
Porn is not how we should be educating our kids about sex. Take the time to do some research about how easy porn is to access and talk to your kids. This will not be easy . But we have to do this. OFTEN. And try to listen without judgement.

Where does the school fit into all this?  Human Sexuality Education
Schools are required to offer human sexuality education in Grade 4 to Grade 9. Parents have the right to exempt their child from this instruction. Schools will provide alternative learning experiences for those students who have been exempted from human sexuality instruction. The Alberta Education website has lots of information on programs of study for every grade. "My childs learning"
 http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/index.html is easy to navigate and covers every grade and course. Our schools have a great partnership with Alberta Health Services in providing supports and resources for our teachers https://teachingsexualhealth.ca/ .

Drugs.
After months of planning and discussion, the Alberta Government has announced its framework for the legalisation of cannabis.The province will be following the guidelines set in place by the federal government. The legal age of consumption and purchase of cannabis will be 18-years-old. This aligns with the legal age for tobacco and alcohol. How will this impact our schools? The safety of our children must be the priority when discussing this issue. Our districts has policies around alcohol and drug use now. Our board has not had a formal stance but here are my initial thoughts. With the legal age of consumption being 18 I see no reason to change our current policy. Cannabis is a drug . But what we do have to work on are polices around the medical use of Cannabis. Students and staff take medication now during school hours. And some of these alter moods and behaviours as prescribed by their doctors. I would want further research and data to support a policy around Cannabis use as medication in our schools. While still having my focus of keeping our schools safe.
Our community has an Opiod epidemic. Fentanyl is as easy as ordering a book online: Sign up for an account, choose a method of payment, and receive the package in three to four business days. Fentanyl is an opioid, a class of painkillers that also includes oxycodone and morphine. Prescription-grade fentanyl is up to 100 times more toxic than morphine. A few hundred micrograms – the weight of a single grain of salt – are enough to trigger heroin-like bliss. But the line between euphoria and fatal overdose is frighteningly thin: An amount the size of two grains of salt can kill a healthy adult.The problem is compounded by the fact that the illicit drug is highly profitable for traffickers. We need to improve physician education and prescription monitoring and have more access to harm-reduction programs and sites. This has to be a total community effort.

Rock and Roll.
I wanted to leave this blog on a lighter note than the previous topic. I consider myself a Crocker. A term I heard awhile back that refers to a person loving both Country music and Rock and Roll.
Here are two of my favourite.
Waylon and Willie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlIEoKg8ZQg

For all the rock and Grohl fans..... The Foo !!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRqiFPpw2fY

Diversity

This past week has re-enforced my love and appreciation for diversity in this city. We are not made up of only one culture , one one belief , only one race or only one gender.

 Last Saturday I attended the Canada 150+ "Peace and Unity Moving Forward"  . This event was hosted by the Central Alberta Refugee Effort and Red Deer Native Friendship Society, it featured a multicultural bazaar which included a craft and bake sale, live entertainment and guest speakers touching on topics such as multiculturalism in Canada, integration and welcoming and inclusive communities. It is a great  partnership between the Red Deer Native Friendship Society and CARE because the Friendship Centre gets a chance to talk about and teach their culture to newcomers to Canada from their perspective and tell their history from their perspective which is really important. When each of the speakers were asked what Canada 150 and how to integrate a culture into a civilisation I heard many time phrases around Family, Love, Celebrate, Peace and Harmony. One of the speakers was a student from LTCHS who came here from Syria with her family. She spoke from the heart about safety and freedom being in Canada. Her stories about her life in Syria were tragic.

I then had the privilege of going to one of my favourite events. The LTCHS DYEversity Relay. To quote Sandre Bevan the coordinator of this event " If you ask anyone what makes Lindsay Thurber unique they will tell you it is that there is a place for everyone in our school.  We want to celebrate and promote this and show everyone that we embrace diversity in all its forms and that it is a critical part of the fabric of our school.  The DYEversity Relay provides our school with a huge opportunity to discover what truly makes us the best school in the city, in the province, in the country." I was able to lead the entire gym with an energetic "Viking Thunder Clap" What a thrill. Throughout the day the students and staff were involved in games , dye throws and just having a good time in the spirit of unity.

Later on that week I was able to be part of a Sharing Circle at the Red Deer Native Friendship Society. In this circle were elders , Red Deer Public staff and other members of the community. The elders talked about their personal stories around the residential schools , other first nations people talked about the impact those schools still had on their families and the healing that still needs to be done. The staff members talked about the need the First Nation , Metis and Inuit students still need in our schools and in our community. Our staff goes above and beyond and it was heart warming to hear their stories of caring. It was a very personal experience and I encourage everyone to get in contact the Native Friendship Society and participate in a sharing circle.

Friday was "Orange Shirt Day" in our district.Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30 is about remembering the residential school experience and the importance of reconciliation. Red Deer Public schools took the Friday as an opportunity to engage students and teach them about residential schools and Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis culture and heritage.Orange Shirt Day started when Phyllis (Jack) Webstad who had her treasured orange shirt taken from her on the her first day at a residential school. Sept. 30 was chosen because that was the day Aboriginal children were rounded up and taken to residential schools.

And today was Culture Days where downtown Red Deer celebrated and showcased a variety of events and information booths.
I support and embrace diversity.We are diversity.

Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.

These are words from Author, Speaker also known as the “Teen Whisperer” Josh Shipp. I became familiar with Josh a few years ago when he was on Oprah. I was then lucky enough to meet him in person because some fabulous teachers in our district brought him in to talk to kids in our schools. I remember seeing him live for the first time. I sat silent and just listened to what he had to say. His message was so simple. Why do we need to be told to do this? I broke briefly from my gaze at him and looked at the students that were also listening. Now stop for a moment and think about this. This was a gym full of 300+ students on an afternoon. No one was talking except Josh. No one was making any disruptions. He had their full attention. Then as I looked closer I saw tears. I saw students hugging and holding hands. I saw kids agreeing with this simple message and wanting that in their lives. Needless to say I broke down as well. Along with just about every other person in the gym.

 You don’t have to have lots of money to make a difference. You don’t need to have lots of extra time to make a difference. You just need to care and listen. Or care enough to listen.

 It is all about relationships.

 Every day we see a kid that may seem in a bad mood, sad mood , or just acting out. What do we do? Do you ignore it and hope someone else that has time will fix the problem? Do you get upset at the kid because their behaviour ruined your day? Just because we were all teens at one time doesn’t mean we know how to interact with teens. And teens don’t always know or want to interact with adults . It can be frustrating dealing with teens, but we cannot give up on them. We need to show them we care day after day after day.

 I am sharing this because Josh is here to help. Please check out his site for  a free guide in dealing with teens. Everything in it may not be useful to your particular situation, but even if one thing helps that will lead to a better a relationship with your teen. I also share this with you because not every teen has an adult at home that does care. I see teachers go above and beyond with their students. I see outside organisations and groups come into our schools and give their time and resources to help student. I see random individuals help in whatever way they can to help students be successful. For those that are already giving THANK YOU. To those that have not yet gave, please consider contacting a school and asking what they need to support their students be successfull. This is the link to Josh Shipp http://joshshipp.com/get-started/ on Facebook. If you just google his name you will find even more resources. The push for me to share this was we just recently had a student pass away in our schools and all I see from certain Politicians is just them complaining where their political party is on a banner in one of our high schools about the political spectrum. How about we care and do more for the mental health of our students and staff !!!!  

Why run for election if you don’t know what a Trustee does?

I remember what it was like my first campaign running for the school board . I was like a deer in the headlights . But a deer with a purpose. There were things I wanted to change. Things I wanted to improve . But most of all things I needed to know more about. To all the voters and especially the new candidates …. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON WHAT A TRUSTEE DOES.

I put that in capitals because  over the past four elections I run into candidates that have very little knowledge on what a Trustee does. Some think it is a once a month commitment because that is when our meeting is. Believe me it is way more than that. I hope you have the flexibility to take the occasional afternoon and morning off, along with weekends and nights . Can you do that? I also have had candidates not know when or where the board meetings are, and have never been to a board meeting. My goodness people. REALLY! Being an active part of the school board meetings is very important and is actually mandated in the School Act. Do you even know what the School Act is? I have had candidates say that they will have trouble making our meetings because they are during the day so they are going to change that when they are elected. Fair enough, but what if you can’t change it? Our meetings were in the evening for many years and only the past year have been during the day. If you cannot attend anything during the day that will interfere with going to any school activates. I personally think that is a very important part of this job. Going to schools and being part of their activities , talking to parents , staff and the kids is a connection I need to make the best decisions for the district. I have been told our pay and hours limit the kind of candidates we get in an election. Fair statement again. But at this moment our board is not all stay at home parents or wealthy retired seniors. What I see are a group of individuals that have a variety of backgrounds, opinions, experiences and passions. But we all have one thing in common. We do what we do because it is best for kids. You are not going to get your name in lights or make a lot of money being a trustee.  Most times you have to make very difficult choices. School closures, boundary changes and budget cuts are just a few where I have lost sleep. But there is also many occasions where my heart smiles. Graduations, playground openings, extra government funding  and community members that just stop to say “Thank you “.

Would you hire someone that did not know what the job was? Would you apply for a job that you didn’t know what was all needed to be part of a team. Yes you are part of a team. The nomination papers are being filed at city hall next Monday. You still have time to ask questions or not submit your papers. I may sound a bit harsh in some of these comments , but being a trustee is very important to me and I take it very seriously. I encourage people to put their name forward and I understand its hard to know everything about the job of a trustee. But those that I have met during the campaign that don’t even bother to ask about the roles and responsibilities really insults me. It is a true honor to have this community show their trust in me by electing me as a trustee. I will never take that for granted.  

GSA’s – Gender Neutral Bathrooms – LGBTQ+

To some people and politicians these topics are off limits. But not for me. Over the years as not only a Trustee , but as a human being, I have seen the need to give more support to those in the LGBTQ  community.
“Researchers have found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth is comparatively higher than among the general population. LGBT teens and young adults have one of the highest rates of suicide attempts
Adolescent youth who have been rejected by their families for being LGB are over 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers (Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009)
Over half of GLB students (47% of GB males and 73% of LB females) have thought about suicide (Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006)” {1}  https://egale.ca/backgrounder-lgbtq-youth-suicide/

If those stats are not enough for you to take more of an interest in supporting our LGBTQ community I don’t know what will.
On Sept 01,2017 the province announced new housing and shelter guidelines for LGBTQ youth.
“Many LGBTQ2S youth face additional challenges compared to those who do not share the same gender identity and orientation,” said Irfan Sabir, minister of community and social services , adding about one-third of homeless youth in Canada identify as LGBTQ.
The provincial government on Friday revealed new housing and shelter guidelines intended to help homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth.
The guidelines will also help people understand LGBTQ terminology and know where to find additional resources.
For Damien McAndrews, 18, who went through the shelter as a transgender youth, Friday’s announcement is important and “long overdue.”
McAndrews, originally from Fort Saskatchewan, had come out to his parents as transgender, which they did not accept. At the same time, he was also experiencing mental health issues.
“Between my home life being unaccepted and experiencing somewhat severe mental health issues, I just couldn’t take living at home anymore, and when I turned 16, I took off for Edmonton,” said McAndrews. {2} http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/province-announces-new-housing-and-shelter-guidelines-for-lgbtq-youth

I celebrate and embrace our diverse students in each and every one of our public schools.
In 2000 LTCHS was the site for first GSA in a High School in Alberta . Students do not have to disclose whether they are gay or straight to belong to the group. Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School’s award-winning STOP (Students and Teachers Opposing Prejudice) program formed a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) to deal specifically with the discrimination faced by students on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.


Our schools need to be a safe place for all students and staff.
The topic of gender neutral bathrooms brought up some very interesting debate and some fears in the community. Fears such as “My child will get raped or harmed if both genders are in using the bathroom”, “ My child will be confused if she see’s a man go into the girl’s bathroom”, ”This will just encourage kids to be a girl one day and a boy the next”, and the negative beliefs and misconceptions around the Trans community.
During the past 5 years I have become more involved with the LGBTQ community as an ally through my connections from friends and family. I am open with my support and it warms my heart to see the support and knowledge growing in our community.  One of the lovely people I have met is Chevi Rabbitt - Currie.  Chevi identifies as Third gender with female attributes. Chevi is also an entrepreneur, Social Media Blogger, Humanitarian , Founder-President at Maskwacis Two Spirit Society,Assistant at Legislative Assembly of Alberta,Public Relations Officer at Pyramid Housing Corp,Member of Committee at Alberta Sexual Minorities Liaison Committee,Director/Founder at Hate to HopeFashion Makeup Artist & Politically savvy gal. Just to name a few things . I asked Chevi to share with me a story on why gender neutral bathrooms are important . It turned out to be more of a conversation because there was more than one story Chevi had about the many attacks they have received because of their looks and using the male or female washrooms.  These attacks have happened in schools, University's , public washrooms and public places for many years. These led to Chevi having panic attacks , leaving University , and many other issues around shame and guilt.  Chevi is not the only one with these kind of stories. So why wouldn’t we want to put a safe place in our schools for kids to pee? And that’s what the main issue is. People just want to pee in a safe place.

Please take a few minutes and watch this powerful short film that goes over a few daily struggles that trans people go through.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trans-people-reveal-their-daily-struggles-in-powerful-short-film_uk_589dab21e4b094a129ea1d5e

To quote the mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi “ The world today is a place of increasing anger and bitterness, a place where voices of intolerance and hatred seem to be growing louder and louder. And too many politicians are flirting with that fear, with the small minded and the intolerant for short term political gain. Standing up to this means that every one of us has to stand up for every other one of us. Every one of us has to commit to the promise of this community: that it doesn’t matter what you look like or where you come from, that it doesn’t matter how you worship or whom you love. What matters is that you’re here. You’re in a place where you have the opportunity to live a life of dignity, to live a great Canadian life.”

Through support, education and communication together we can achieve acceptance and understanding. I will continue to advocate for dignity, respect and acceptance in our schools and our community. Regardless of how each of us identify , we are all still humans.

School is starting this week.

I know that phrase is a joy to some and a horror to others. This will be my second year that I have not had to buy back to school supplies, wait in line to change a time table,  pay for a locker , get signed up for newsletters and find out when meet the teacher night is. And the list goes on and on.  It may sound weird but I really miss it. Most of my kids are in post-secondary now and all they need from me to start their school year is some homemade cookies and cash. Even though it has been a few years since I dropped my oldest off at her first day of kindergarten I still remember all those feelings and I treasure them dearly. Here is a great article on how to prepare for the first day of kindergarten , https://www.todaysparent.com/family/how-to-prepare-for-the-first-day-of-kindergarten/ .

What I found funny about this article is that some of the same advice can be used for when your child is entering any new grade. If your child is entering grade 9 in one of our High Schools this may be a big change for them. Visit the school and get familiar with the bus routes. If your child is in middle or high school the advice about helping them make friends may not go over well. Pick your battles carefully folks. It was one thing in elementary school when your child had a friend that was not the best behaved or a bad influence, it’s another when they are in their teens and you may not even know most of their friends. The advice about separation anxiety may be more for the parents that have kids in high school. Remember that even though middle and high school are different than elementary school when it comes to parent involvement those schools still need you. Please get and stay involved. Every school has a school council. Every school is always doing some sort of fund raising. They can only work if parents volunteer. The lovely people you see at the front offices (honestly, they really run the school) can give you any and all the information you need. Bring them a coffee and say thank you. The first few weeks are very stressful for them as well. Each school has a web page. Check it out often. Here is the Red Deer Public School website  http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/  Our kids sometimes forget to tell us about events coming up. And there is nothing more disappointing than your child going to school on pajama day not in in thier pj’s. 

 I have three kids that attended Red Deer Public schools and they were only in the same school for one year in elementary and one in high school. After that I had two or three different schedules to figure out. Different bus routes and school start times. Different or even worse, the same meet the teacher nights. Yes, I missed a few things. I am far from perfect. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes as well.

Even though I miss the first day of school and everything that goes on with that day, I am so very proud of my kids for everything they have accomplished while at Red Deer Public Schools. It gave them the tools to be successful adults for what they are doing right now. So enjoy your first day of school folks. It will a distant memory before you know it.