At L.A. Matheson we decided to turn the current world crisis into a teachable moment. This morning our teachers will all be reading this script and then engaging their classes in a dialogue about social emotion understanding and how it relates to intolerance, racism and bigotry.
Teacher’s Script – a response to our world crisis
At L.A. Matheson, we want you all to
know that we care for each and every one of you and want you to know that we
stand with you as we all struggle to understand the global issues playing out
on our world stage.
At our school we are very proud of
our students and all the communities they come from. At LAM we welcome everyone with open hearts
and are profoundly glad that together we are all Canadian!
Right now, we are seeing our American
neighbours struggle with extreme political unrest and at the same time, as
Canadians, we are dealing with our own devastating tragedy at a mosque in
Quebec. We are all struggling to
understand the magnitude of the loss suffered by the families, their friends,
and the community - a senseless loss driven by hatred.
The massacre that happened in Quebec
City cannot be separated from the attacks on the fundamental rights of the
Muslim community happening now in the United States. The underlying issue
playing out on our global stage is the unfair treatment of humans based on
their religion. As a society, we know that this is not only illegal but is
also very morally wrong. No one should be denied rights based on their
religion, race or country of origin.
At LAM we ask you to not focus on the
negativity, but rather seek to educate yourself to stand up against what can
seem like the present dark realities in our world.
Mr. Rogers, a famous child education
personality, once said that
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the
news, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers. You will always find
people who are helping. To this day, especially in times of disaster, I
remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there
are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."
As an LAM student, we ask you… Can you
be a “HELPER” in the fight against racism?
Can you…
· Listen to people's stories and share in the experiences
of our refugees, immigrants, and minorities?
· Hear the stories and find the commonalities that bring
us together?
· Show your support by sharing what you know to help
spread the message of everyone's common humanity?
At LAM, we want you to know that we
will stand with you in your right to safety - your right to practice your
faith, and your right to join together as a community without fear of
violence. Only together can we will
build a stronger community and a united school, - united in love and compassion.
Be the Helper we all need right now!
