If you are looking for help understanding what Canadians mean to the rest of the world, look no further than Octagon Elementary School’s resident spelling buddy.
Cameron Poole, a Grade 4 student, can certainly spell Canadian, peacekeeping and veterans — three words that have a direct correlation with his community, his school and the entire military services that exist in this country.
In fact, the students and their families get a daily reminder of the sacrifices made by members of the Canadian military as they travel along Sgt. Donald Lucas Drive to get to the school or spend time in the school’s learning centre, named for the late Lucas, a member of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment, who was one of six soldiers killed while on a mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan on April 8, 2007.
More than 150 Canadians have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Middle East alone, not to mention the 1,000s that have died during major conflicts of the past century.
It is the memory of Lucas and the countless others who have made the ultimate sacrifice across the country, that makes the Junior Peacekeepers Awards handed out annually at the school all the more important to its recipients.
Poole, and a host of his classmates, were celebrated this past November with Junior Peacekeeping Awards provided by the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association of Newfoundland and Labrador for their acts of kindness committed in service of the students at the Paradise-based school.
He and Grade 5 student Adrian Skinner were on hand Thursday to outline what activities they have completed to earn their designation. In addition, their acts of kindness draw attention to the Peacekeepers, the blue beret wearing Canadian military that works to foster peace around the world and to those who have served in all of the military’s respective branches.
“If I see stuff dropped on the floor around the school, I pick it up. I also help people in my class, when they say ‘hey, how do you spell this word?,’ “ he said.
“I just try to be nice to people by helping out at school and in the classroom,’’ he added.
Cameron knows a bit about military life as his father Tony is a member of the 37th Signals Regiment, a reserve unit based in St. John’s.
Through Tony’s day job and his time in the reserves, he and his son haven’t had a chance to talk much about the military, but regardless he was pleased to get the award.
Being kind and helpful is nothing new to Cameron or the Poole family as his sister Madison — now a Grade 7 student — was chosen as one of the 2016 winners.
Students earn the award for being an outstanding role model by displaying kindness, understanding and support to their fellow classmates during the year.
This loyalty, friendship and concern for fellow students sets a high standard and example for all to emulate.
These qualities are enveloped in Skinner, a Grade 5 student who works hard to be kind to people and is a helping hand in the classroom for his teacher Madame Sarah Costello.
“If she needs something done, I am there to do it,’’ Skinner said.
Adrian’s mother Lisa is a member of the Octagon Pond school council and a strong advocate of inclusive activities at the school.
In fact, because of her son’s love of baseball and other sporting activities, they set out to help start an afterschool sports program.
“Baseball is my favourite sport and on Thursday’s, I go to Mr. Turpin’s activities,’’ Adrian said. Those activities range from baseball to hockey, soccer, handball and others.
Previous to winning his Junior Peacekeepers Award, Adrian had some insight into the armed forces as he uncle, Rick Skinner, just retired from the military.
In addition he has heard stories about his great-grandfather who worked on a ship that travelled to Antarctica during the Second World War to set up a radio base there.
Valuable lessons
Children are truly our future leaders.
To get to be those leaders, they need lessons on a number of things and Garry Best, president of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is hoping through the interactions with his association and the veterans, the youth of today will become those leaders of tomorrow.
“In schools and in the home, children are not being taught some of the principles that should be taught,’’ he said.
“There is a spot where a veteran can come into a young person’s life and teach them honesty and integrity, something I think needs to be instilled in them,’’ he added.
Best said words like honour and integrity are often bantered about, but until their definitions are examined, the meaning is not truly understood.
He said honour is something that you do when someone is watching and integrity is doing something when no one is watching.
The latter is the preferred action as he said it is the hope of the Junior Peacekeepers Awards that youth will become champions.
“As military, when we come into a country protecting the rights of other people, we are not heroes as we have been called, but rather a champion of their rights and freedoms,’’ he said.
“If we can instill these things in our children — to do the right things — we will have a better society.”
In addition to Octagon Pond Elementary, the Peacekeeping awards are handed out in five additional schools, the St. John’s Boy’s and Girls Club, the Navy League and the CLB Armoury.
He said a number of calls have come in from other organizations across the province and they are trying to entertain all requests, but right now it is people and logistics holding them back … but they are working on it.
The Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association (CPVA) was founded in 1991 as a national, all-veteran, all-volunteer, not-for-profit, apolitical organization with chapters from Vancouver Island to St. John’s. It receives no public funding.
The CPVA’s mission statement is to be a strong and leading advocate for all veterans and to provide a forum of comradeship for veterans.
This association is open to all veterans with a membership that includes Second World War veterans, Korean war veterans, peace support, NATO, the Balkan and Afghanistan missions, as well as RCMP and civilian police and some international members.
Canada’s National Peacekeepers’ Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 9.
Anyone wishing to become involved in the program or seeking information on it can email Best at [email protected].
