(Re: COLUMN: Violence and bullying very much alive in school, Feb. 23, Star)
https://www.nelsonstar.com/local-news/column-violence-and-bullying-very-much-alive-in-school/
If I were an educator in the Kootenays, I would be deeply offended and hurt by this column. The writer plainly states that she believes attending school is a high risk activity. As a mother of a child who has attended two public schools, and one private school, here in Nelson, I can assure you that the kind of bullying and “violence” she refers to is far and few between. The school curriculum has changed a great deal since I attended school in the Kootenays a number of years ago, bringing it up to the very standard that she states is not there; kids are taught every single day about respect for others, mindfulness, kindness, aiding others when they see bullying, who to go to when being bullied, or witnessing bullying, and acceptance of diversity. They are also given time to take breaks, play outside and “shake their sillies out.” There are no smartphones allowed in elementary school and they are limited in middle school.
My child has gym every day, and is given many other opportunities to get outside, or to be active. Fruit and veggies are provided in the classrooms as well, and have been every year since she started school. I appreciate the stated respect of our educators, however, it’s not fair to give them advice based on hearsay, and not on first hand accounts. I have witnessed, first hand, what our amazing educators in the Kootenays are doing each and every day, and I deeply appreciate their support in helping me raise a healthy, conscious, bright and caring person. I believe that the parents enrolling their children in school for the first time this fall will be very pleasantly surprised to discover that all the worries that kept them awake at night are not new to our educators, and they have already put a plan in place to deal with those things. Obviously, no system is perfect. We do have bullying, violence and yes, mass shootings in Canada, albeit not in Nelson for the latter, but we do have systems in place for prevention, and to deal with the aftermath, when these issues do happen. After all, no person is infallible, and no parent, nor educator is perfect. However, I trust these folks with my child five days a week for ten months of the year, and they haven’t let me down yet.
Kami Shkooratoff,
Nelso