It is important for students who attend Ecole Parkdale School to develop their leadership skills. In keeping with that thought, our leadership team took on planning the WRPS Student Leadership Conference for 2017. The students spent lunch hours and time after school planning this event for student leadership teams throughout the WRPS school division and from Ermineskin Elementary School.
On Thursday, May 4th the leadership team stayed after school to participate in setting up the tipi that was needed for the tipi teachings at the conference. Working with Elder Jerry Saddleback, the Ecole Parkdale Leadership team and students from Ecole Queen Elizabeth School were given traditional teachings on how to set up the tipi. They listened patiently and respectfully as they learned about the tipi and the importance of the time and care it takes to properly set up a tipi. The students felt a great sense of pride with their accomplishment and newly acquired traditional knowledge.
On Friday, May 5th the conference began. The theme of the conference was 150 Ways Students Can Change the World. The students played some games that developed teamwork, and they gathered around Elder John Crier, as he shared some valuable tipi teachings. They began brainstorming activities they could do at school in the upcoming year to work towards making their school and community a better place. They also listened to Zaheen Nanji as she talked to them about resiliency and being their best.
Each school completed a piece of a Canada Flag Mural in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary. At the end of the conference the students were able to appreciate all of the art placed together in the mural. This mural will be presented to the Mayor of Wetaskiwin from the Ecole Parkdale leadership students on behalf of the students in Wetaskiwin. They finished off the day with a picture taken by a drone as the student leaders formed the number 150.
It was a fantastic event where we were able to see the student leaders grow and develop, and become the leaders that we knew they can be.
SLIC 2017
