Curious students on a quest
At Mary Johnston Public School, classes are celebrating Canada’s birthday by learning about their community in depth
WATERLOO — Students grilled me and it felt good. It’s rewarding to hear kids ask insightful questions.
On Wednesday I stood before 46 students at Mary Johnston Public School. They have been inviting guests into their classroom to figure out what’s at the core of their community. It’s part of a national project to help celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.
“I just think it’s fun to ask other people what their perspective is,” said Amber Reidl, 11.
Students asked me: What makes this community stand out? What do I like about it? What would I change about it? What’s my role in it? What changes do I see coming?
We talked about Mennonites and forgiveness and immigrants. We talked about universities and the strong work ethic and the comforts of being a middle size. It’s easy to get around here. We’re close enough to enjoy Toronto without being part of Toronto.
We talked about how pretty Kitchener and Waterloo would look if the cities had been built on the Grand River like Cambridge. But staying away from the river has an upside: no flooding.
Mary Johnston students are participating in A Kids’ Guide to Canada. It aims to connect students across the country, in part by exploring what makes a community.
The students are learning that people make a community as much as a place. “It can still be where you live, but you can have multiple communities,” said Maddy Leveck, 11.
“I used to think a community is just where I lived, but now I realize it’s more who you hang around with,” said Aaron Jain, 11.
They’re learning that a community can be comforting, but it can also be defined by anger or violence or turmoil.
Ana-Kristina Senk, 11, spoke about turmoil in faraway Syria. It’s dawning on her that she’s blessed to live in a safe country. “I want to feel safe in my community,” she said.
But even in Canada, not all are safe. Jane Esselment, 11, is learning about difficulties in First Nations communities. “I thought that a community was a safe environment, and that nothing bad happened. But that’s only because that’s the community that I have lived in,” she said.
Students probed my work, pointing out that I write stories that are positive and negative. They asked: which kind of story do you like to write?
I told them I like writing both. Stories about things that go wrong are sometimes easier to write because they have drama and readers are curious. Stories about things that go right sometimes take more effort to find and present.
They asked: what’s the story that touched you the most?
That would be the widow of a Second World War veteran, who stayed true to her fiancé after combat took both his legs and an arm in 1944. She married him regardless, keeping the promise she made before he left to fight for freedom. They did not let moments of despair stop them from raising a family and building a full life. I was awed by their story. I still am. Finally, students asked: what three words would you use to describe this community?
My answer: Hardworking. Familyoriented. Pragmatic. Perhaps that says more about me. What three words would you use?