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Park Life
Education Week teaches more than academics
Elaine Mitropoulos
Booster reporter/photographer
Wednesday May 07, 2008
Large-scale campaigns can be a journalist’s best friend, especially on slow news days.
When there’s nothing meatier to sink our teeth into, we glance at the calendar and find ourselves an instant story.
Just add knowledgeable sources and a photograph, mix in the ever-crucial statistics, and marinate with creativity and voila – a story!
But lately, it seems like every day is a different occasion to honour this or recognize that.
Whether it’s national syphilis awareness month or international lawn mower injury week, covering a different campaign day-after-day can become tiresome.
However, that was not the case with Education Week, a series of fun and inspiring events put on for Alberta public school students April 27-May 3.
During the week, I found myself running to and from Jasper elementary school and Jasper Jr./Sr. high school so I could capture each event on camera.
And maybe it was nostalgia – or the old biological clock ticking – but attending the elementary school’s volunteer assembly was the highlight of my week.
On May 1, students from kindergarten to Grade 6 invited community volunteers to an assembly to thank them for helping out with field trips, hot dog days and other special occasions or programs.
Each class prepared a poem or song to present to volunteers before showering them with the bouquets of flowers they made by hand, using pipe-cleaners, tissue paper and an ample amount of love and care.
How wonderful to be so young and innocent, I mused, as I snapped the sweet procession from the sidelines.
Also during the week, I met with high school students as they delivered a similar ceremony, but to their teachers.
The students made the staff a homemade breakfast and presented teachers with praise for their unique talents.
Later, I had a chance to have a one-on-one chat with a graduate, who told me of his plans for the future.
What an exciting time, I thought, as I listened. Gosh, they grow up fast.
Toward week’s end, I had a long conversation with Jasper RCMP Cpl. Tony Dolhan.
As we went over recent changes to the Criminal Code, we soon got on to the topic of growing up in Jasper and the big graduation bash that was sure to take place this weekend.
Cpl. Dolhan informed me of a phenomenon I had never heard of, something he called “a safe grad.”
As an alternative to a “dry grad,” a term I have some trouble swallowing, a “safe grad” involves students drinking alcohol under their parents’ supervision – a scenario the RCMP and school do not (I repeat, DO NOT) condone.
In my attempt to make a case for the folly of youth, I relied on the old adage, “experience can be a hard teacher. You often get the tests first, and the lessons later.”
Pulling the “maturity” card, Cpl. Dolhan likened the situation to an amendment made to the code last week that saw the age of sexual consent raised from 14 to 16.
“How could a 14-year-old make a sound decision about sex?” he asked.
His point, 17-year-olds and even many legal drinkers, do not have the experience or control to make responsible decisions about alcohol.
To the graduating class of 2008, whether your party is “dry” or “safe,” do take care.
The future is bright.
You wouldn’t want to muck it up by being a slow news day statistic.
– reporter@jasperbooster.com
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