Mac Olsen
Express Staff
Students in Joel Pelletier’s Grade 6F class at Ecole Routhier have submitted their opinion pieces to the Smoky River Express.
They discuss their thoughts about not being able participate in certain activities, bullying and other topics.
Here is the second page of those opinion pieces. Look for the rest in future editions of the Express. Also, look for a weekly school news page, as each school will have an opportunity to submit articles from a student or students once a month.
How do you feel about bullying?
Haley Wurban
6F News
As a student at school, are you always wondering about what that one bully might do next? Well some kids do and it’s not just students that worry about bullying, parents are affected too. If you’re a parent that has a child that’s getting bullied here are three simple steps to do if your child is getting bullied.
1: Try to SUPPORT them.
2: Make sure to REPORT to their teacher or their guardian at school.
3: DEFEND your child too!
As a fellow student here at Routhier, I think teachers don’t do enough to stop bullying. Research shows 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4% of the time. I also think bullying is unfair what’s the point of bullying anyway? Is it just to get more attention, or just because you think it’s funny?
Did you know that the word “bully” used to mean sweetheart in the 1530’s. The word bully kept on changing throughout the years it changed to fine fellow than to blusterer, not until the 20th century did the word take on the more scholarly definition as we use today. Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year. And approximately 160,000 kids skip school each year because of bullying. Most kids can’t even speak to their parents about being bullied because the bully might of threatened them.
This is what Katie Ross, a grade 5 student had to say about bullying. “I think that it’s unfair and it hurts other people”. She also thinks it’s embarrassing and she questions why people bully anyway.
If you are a child that’s getting bullied make sure to be brave and tell your parents or your guardian.
Giving a voice to the voiceless!!!
Kayla Bessette
6F News
Why are kids getting bullied? Don’t you hate it when that one kid always waits for you to get off the bus to pick you?
It’s horrible that people are getting bullied. It makes them feel bad about themselves. The bullies are making fun of kids and calling them names. But some kids are getting bullied not at school but online.
That’s even worse because their parents might know about it but they can’t do anything because they don’t know the kids who are bullying their child.
Did you that each year, approximately 160,000 teens skip school because of bullying. More than ten percent are bullied regularly at school. Also, 40 percent of children have been physically threatened by bullies.
When asked about bullying at school, our vice principal said, “I don’t agree with bullying at all.” She also had a lot to say about where bullying starts.
“I think that kids get treated unfairly at home so they bully to make themselves feel better.” When asked if it gets better with time, a local mother said “I think it gets worse when you’re a teenager because there’s more drama but it gets better when you’re an adult because you know how to handle it.’’
Daysha Tokarz, a 6th grader here at Routhier wants kids to know that they should not be afraid to stand up to bullies. “Try to stick up for yourself and tell an adult as soon as possible.’’
4/6 Skating?
Aidan Hicks
6F News
Grades 4/6 do not get to go skating. Isn’t skating so fun. You can play games with your friends and shoot pucks around. Well not for grades 4/6, this year we are going curling. As a Routhier student, I would prefer to go skating instead of curling. There are many benefits to skating. here are just a few.
Skating improves your fitness here are a few reasons why, skating builds leg muscles, skating is the perfect way to combine fitness with fun and skating is the basis of many sports, including figure skating, ice skating and speed skating.
When asked, Hayes Marchildon, a grade 6 student here at Routhier, said we should be able to go skating, “The majority of the students at Routhier are able to go skating, but with curling less students can play at the same time. It also increases our health in a lot of different ways.” When asked about whether skating is safe, Hayes also had this to say. “I think that it isn’t dangerous if you follow the correct rules”; Hunter Dumont, another 6th grader said “it’s not dangerous because the school gives us proper equipment. It also builds self-confidence because it improves athletic ability.”
I would like to go skating. Not just because it is fun, but also because it improves your entire body.
Snow stays on the ground
Hunter Dumont
6F News
Is it okay to throw snowballs? Since kindergarten, all of the teachers tell us not to throw snowballs. The first time one of the teachers said that to me, I wondered why. Now that I am in grade 6, I still wonder why we cannot throw snowballs.
According to a study, snowball fights can burn up to 500 calories just by how much you run. Most people say that snowballs are dangerous but in reality, there is a very small chance that a snowball will have a rock.
A fellow grade 6 student stated that “snowball fights can be fun but you have to be safe at the same time.” One of the teachers here at Routhier also had something to say. “The school does not let students throw snowballs because no one checks for rocks and ice.” If we were allowed to throw snowballs, we would need to make sure that we do so safely and the school can give classes on how to make snowballs safe
I think we should be allowed to throw snowballs because I believe that we can do so safely if the school would give us the proper safety lessons.
No Hope for The Slopes
Daysha Tokarz
6F News
Should the grade 6 student’s go skiing?
As a student at Routhier School, I was devastated when I heard that the grade 6 students don’t get to go skiing this year. The monthly newsletter told all students that only grade 5’s get to go skiing. I believe that skiing or snowboarding is great exercise for all ages. As a grade 6 student, I wonder why we can’t go skiing? Here are some reasons why skiing is beneficial.
Skiing is an incredible sport that involves great physical exercise; it improves balance, flexibility and core strength. It’s also a good group and family activity. It gets kids and adults outside during winter months. If we start skiing children, will enjoy skiing and want to go out and hit the slopes more. The more you go the better you get. The better you get the more confidence you gain.
A student from grade five stated that “the grade 6 students should not go skiing because they have already had the chance in grade 4.” A student from grade 6F did not agree with the grade 5 student. She said that “we should be able to go skiing since this will be our last chance to go skiing as a class at Routhier.”
With all the benefits, why not go skiing?