Show solidarity in the fight against racism. Help raise awareness for the ARC and other anti-racist efforts by wearing a black shirt to school tomorrow, Friday, January 15.
Find out more: Anti-Racism Coalition Vancouver
Category: Beyond the Library
Some Perspective
Every now and then it might be helpful to consider where we sit in the big picture.
Democracy v. Fascism
Our students will leave our school and soon become the adults who will hold the future of democracy in their hands. We must educate and equip our students to recognize the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. We must help them see the precious nature of the democratic traditions that have been handed to them by previous generations. We must help them see the fragile nature of those institutions and the peril that is represented by those forces that are at work to undermine democracy.
Most pressingly, we must help our students to recognize the rise of fascism, both in the world and in our own backyard. We must equip our students to denounce fascist ideology and to defeat fascist attempts to destroy our democracy.
The politics of fear, division, and hate will fight for the souls of our students. We must counter those dark forces with hope, unity and love. Forces are at work undermining the foundations of democracy, including the rule of law, freedom of the press, public education, respect for science and reason, confidence in free and fair elections, and peaceful transitions of power. We must build up faith in those ideals in our kids, and equip them to demand them as their rightful expectation for a civil society.
Polarizing forces are at work which divide us, resulting in extreme “othering” to the point of dehumanization. We must find ways to help the next generation to reconcile that which divides us, or at least to find respectful and peaceful ways to engage with those divisions. Somehow we must find common ground with our beliefs about truth. We must find some way to agree on “the facts” even if we don’t agree on what do with those facts.
Please check out our display of items related to the struggle between democracy and fascism.
Three Reminders
Masks must be worn covering both nose and mouth in all common areas of the school. This includes hallways and washrooms.
Give each other space.
Eat and drink from a seated position so you are not moving through common spaces with your mask down and give each other space while eating.
Masks, Distance and other Safe Habits
Wear your mask
Here is a very timely reminder about the importance of wearing a mask to help fight the Covid pandemic.
Drop Everything and Read for BC School Library Day
Today is BC School Library Day. Help celebrate the day, and more importantly the power and joy of reading, by rising up to the “Drop Everything and Read” Challenge.
Students, teachers and all staff at Lord Tweedsmuir are challenged to take at least 20 minutes during Block A this morning for recreational reading. That means put away the textbooks, take a break from the lessons, set aside the homework, end the conversations, put your phone in your backpack, and sit back for some silent, uninterrupted reading.
Read for fun, read to escape, read to be scared, or to laugh, or to learn something you want to learn about. Read something you choose because you will enjoy it. Read for reading’s sake.
If parents or somebody asks you why you were reading for fun instead of doing school work, you can tell them, you were doing both. Students who read more for fun do better in school.
World Teachers’ Day
Each year on October 5 we have an opportunity to learn more about the vital role of teachers in society, and to celebrate those teachers who have made a difference in our lives, whether past or present.
Find out more: World Teachers’ Day FACT SHEET (UNESCO)
Orange Shirt Day
Today we observe Orange Shirt Day in recognition of the terrible history and ongoing legacy of Residential Schools in Canada. Listen, read, watch, discuss and learn about the impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples and on all of Canadian society. Encourage all Canadians to join together in the attempt to follow a path of Reconciliation.
Come down to the School Library to browse through our collection of materials related to Orange Shirt Day:
You can also browse through this Destiny Collection on your computer, phone or other device by clicking here.
Orange Shirt Day is September 30
Orange Shirt Day is September 30th. Plan now to wear an orange shirt next Wednesday, in recognition of the terrible history and ongoing legacy of Residential Schools in Canada. Listen, read, watch, discuss and learn about the impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples and on all of Canadian society. Encourage all Canadians to join together in the attempt to follow a path of Reconciliation.
From the official Orange Shirt Day website:
The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.
The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
Find out more about Orange Shirt Day:
International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace, established by the United Nations in 1981, is observed every September 21. According to un.org:
“This year, it has been clearer than ever that we are not each other’s enemies. Rather, our common enemy is a tireless virus that threatens our health, security and very way of life. COVID-19 has thrown our world into turmoil and forcibly reminded us that what happens in one part of the planet can impact people everywhere.”
Find out more about the International Day of Peace here.
Current Issues, Current Events
Come by the School Library and check out our feature display of titles related to some of the big ideas and events that affect our world right now.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 