THUNDER BAY – Purple was the colour of the day in classrooms across the city on Wednesday.
Students at several schools donned the colour and took part in a variety of different activities, all in the name of raising awareness for child abuse prevention and the annual Step Up campaign.
At Bishop Gallagher School, youngsters sold Persians with purple icing to their classmates, said 12-year-old Ella Maki, who said she took part to help put an end to abuse of children around the world.
It makes her angry just to think about it, she added.
“It’s not right,” Ella said.
“I feel really upset because how could a human being do that to a child? That’s how I feel because everyone should be nice to each other. Even if you don’t like that person you should still respect everyone the way you want to be treated.”
Eli McWhirter, her Grade 7 classmate at the north-side school, said it’s an important cause, which is why he took part, sporting a dark purple T-shirt.
“It makes me feel mad that I can’t physically tell the parents not to do it, because I’m just a child. But there’s a million stories about how one child can make a difference and I feel like everybody deserves a chance to be free and not hurt,” Eli said.
Across town at Agnew H. Johnston Public School, students from Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School paid a visit, where they read Wab Kinew’s book Go Show the World to a gathering of younger students and then took part in a special Step Up exercise to encourage them to explore their strengths, talents and passions.
“I wanted to be a reading buddy because it gives me an opportunity to be a positive role model for a younger student,” said Grade 11 student Karlee Meekis. “Wab Kinew’s book is all about Indigenous heroes and I think that when you can set a good example and have someone look up to you in a positive way, that makes you a hero.”
All schools in Thunder Bay and the district were provided with copies of the book, along with other activities to take part in the 2018 campaign.
Kristen Grillo, a guidance counsellor at Bishop Gallagher School, said it’s important for students to know there are safe adults to speak with if they are experiencing issues in their own lives, or know of something a friend or classmate is going through.
“We want students to know some of the warning signs and know that we do have a lot of trusted adults in our building and in the community where they can go for help,” Grillo said.
