T
'
S
A
L
L
A
B
O
U
T
R
E
S
P
E
C
T
It's one thing to have the vision, but it certainly is quite an amazing experirence too see that vision become a reality at the hands of the students it was created for.
When I started to take myself seriously, well, at least occasionally, as a writer with something to say, something to contribute, something to leave behind since I am sans children, I hoped, like many other aspiring writers that others would read my words and they have. I even hoped that my words would be read aloud to others and me and they have. And I really hoped that one day one of my stories would become a play that others would not only read, say out loud, but would actually use my ideas and words to say to others, but that these people would also amazingly be inspired to adapt my vision to best reflect and to best suit their school or community, and well, that too has happened!
Who knew the visionary I would encounter on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Barod who would see the value, not only of the play and the students adapting and performing the play, but also the value of the students making the play theirs so that they would personally identify with the event and the play's message?
Who knew that the introductory speakers before the performance would be so eloquent, clear and concise, as they talked to the audience about respect and bullying and its many masks and how their school would help them face the challenges bullying presents? From its teasing, name calling, isolating to its physical and sexual violence?
Who knew that the Youth Ambassadors of St. Rose of Lima of Mississauga would adapt the play to reflect that more girls than boys at the elementary level would be willing to get up in front of their peers and perform, especially with just a few months of amateur rehearsal after their Charly's Choice Performance Workshop?
Who knew that the drama class of St. Aloysius Gonzaga would not only adapt the high school version, Charles' Choice, for their school, but would also create a video portion to visually tell the story of Annie, who is talked about but not seen in the play?
Who knew that teh school's Child Care Worker would be so enamoured of the project that she would want to put the idea out to as many places as possible as a key tool in addressing respect -- respect for self and otehrs and how these values, when embraced individually, contribute significantly to Safe Schools and Anti-Bullying initiatives?
Who knew that after these pilots, I would then realize I needed to present Recognition Certificates to all those who were involved in the pilot at both schools and at the school board to honour them for their role in talking and thinking about respect and the challenges in their school.
And finally, who knew that after learning what I did from the student performances workships, the students adaptations and their performances that I would know what changes to make so that this autumn's, 2006, Charles' Choice and Charly's Choice Student Performance workshops would be ready to roll out across Ontario?
I didn't know for sure what a group of studnets could or would do to make something their own...but now that I have seen and heard what just a few students could and did do, I am eagerly anticipating autumn 2006, so I can present to students across Ontario the opportunity to make Charly's or Charles' Choice their own...to aid in their school's efforts to faciliate the dialogue to manage and end bullying, to make our schools and communities safer...while I also savour the experience of knowing that finally, after all this time and through all the challenges, finally I am making the positive contriubtion that I am meant to make.
"21st centurty must be the century of dialogue to overcome violence."
the Dalai Lama from Harmony in Diversity
WHAT CHOICE WILL YOU MAKE?