The Allies Against Racism and Discrimination (AARD) group is now in its third year. The group is made up of students from Grade 5 to Grade 8, some of whom have been with the group since its inception. The students have already been busy educating themselves and their peers about a number of topics.
- Halloween: Representatives from the AARD, Hersh, Irene, Elaine, Jordyn, Claudia, Quin M., Addy, Eliza, Oliver I. and Abby, shared a special presentation about cultural appropriation and choosing an appropriate Halloween costume. They spoke about the slogan “My Culture is not a Costume” and encouraged students to ask questions to ensure that their costume is respectful.
- Diwali: Fiona, Livia, Dov and Ekam gathered together to produce a video about this important festival for Jains, Sikhs and Hindus. Their video was shared in each homeform so that students would understand the celebration of good over evil and light over darkness.
- Islamic Heritage Month: Yousef, Ammar, Oshio, Ella, Gabriel, Alvis, Evan, Connor D. and Luke summoned their courage and spoke in front of the whole Junior School during an assembly about Islamic Heritage Month. They shared information about the five pillars of Islam and its core beliefs. They also asked some trivia questions about the populations of Muslims around the world (1.97 billion) and the country with the greatest number of Muslims (Indonesia).
Many thanks to the representatives of the AARD for leading their peers and school community. We look forward to more educational moments in the weeks and months to come.
- By Ms. Heather McClure, Grade 5 homeform teacher
