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 are the first 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.
Why should only the grade 5 go to the ski hill?
Brooklyn Blanchette
6F News
I love going to the ski hill. You can go skiing and snowboarding, have fun with your friends and go really, really fast down the hill! Too bad grade 6 doesn’t get to go. This year, only the grade 5 are aloud. I want to know why we don’t get to go? Why can’t all of the classes go skiing? Some people don’t have a chance to go skiing, but I think it’s fun.
Snowboarding was invented in the 1960s by a man named Sherman Poppen. He was an engineer in Michigan. Sherman strapped two skis together and called it a snurfer. Skiing and snowboarding both have lots of benefits. It improves flexibility, balance and strengthens bones and muscles. Not only does it put most people in a good mood, it’s also really good for your health! Before skiing became a popular sport, it was used for transportation in Europe.
When asked if the grade 6 should also go skiing, Routhier student Janelle Lanctot said “I don’t agree. I’m in grade 5 and I believe that only one class should go to the hill.” I also asked Brooke Tokarz and Anyka Desaulniers the same question. Anyka said “Yes, I agree that we all should go skiing. It’s a great way for kids to bond! It also encourages them to try new things, and it’s fun being with your friends!” Brooke also answered the question, saying “All classes should go to the ski hill. It’s really fun and healthy! I think it’s a great bonding experience! I love going down the hill and on jumps with my friends!”
So why should only the grade 5 go to the ski hill?
Hey! Why Stop Skating!?
Dominic Sliger
6F News
Why the grades 4-6 should go skating instead of curling
How much fun is skating!? I remember when me and my friends played tag while skating and we fell a lot. We skated really fast then slid on our bellies to see how far we could go. And we would also pull each other around in chairs and then let go and we would go flying! It was awesome!
Well for some reason the teachers are making the grades 4-6 go curling instead of skating this year, and not even the kindergarten to grade 3! I think that we should go skating instead of curling because we have so much fun and get more exercise than curling. We can play a bunch of things while skating but you can only curl in curling.
Here’s some health benefits about skating: Skating is better for building leg muscles than curling because you move more in skating. It also improves joint flexibility. If your leg joints crack every time you rise from your bed in the morning, ice skating could be really good to fix that. With lots of quick foot movements and strong knees, your leg joints will receive a great workout and will hopefully feel better quickly. In skating it also helps you with your balance because of how thin the skates are.
I talked to a grade 6 student named Hunter about this. When asked which he preferred more, Hunter said, “skating.” I also asked what he thinks about not going skating. “I think it’s ridiculous because we’ve gone skating every other year.” I also asked him what he would say to the school to change this. “We should go skating instead of curling because, like no one has gone curling and most people know how to skate.”
I also asked the grade 6 teacher Mr. Joel. He prefers skating but he’s fine with grades 4-6 going curling this year. Here’s why: “Every week there is Shinny hockey but not every week there is curling.”
I still think that we should go skating, definitely. What do you think?
Beware of Playgrounds
Brandon Guenette
6F News
At the playground, watch out for hazardous objects and be careful…
I was at the park a few days ago, and I saw someone get hurt. I was worried and had no idea what to do. I was panicking but managed to get help. The child was okay but that’s when I realized…. That parks CAN be dangerous.
I’ve been to many parks and there I’ve observed many dangers. It is very unsafe and not many people seem to realize. I feel that it is not okay and we need to do something about this. It is for the safety of all children on the playground.
Speaking of dangers, every year about a dozen children die and another 200,000 are injured from playground accidents. This can be caused by some of the following hazards: chipped boards, loose nails, improper surfacing, unstable structure, lack of supervision, icy boards, sharp edges, incorrect age restrictions and much more.
I asked Hayes Marchildon, a grade 6 student at Routhier school, what he thinks about parks and if they’re dangerous. He said “parks can be dangerous” and he also claims we should always have supervision because if an accident happens, help is right there. I also asked Aidan Hicks, another student from Routhier School. He felt as though “Parks aren’t dangerous if the children follow the rules and use it properly. If someone gets hurt the other kids can help him”.
So for safety standards, please only let your child go on safe playgrounds. And together, we can possibly make some changes to always play safe!