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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, December 4, 2015 | 12 Live performance connects with students at WOSS by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) students were encouraged to take control of their lives and carve out a path for their own future recently. Hamilton-based charity group Live Different stopped in at the Montclair Drive high school cafeteria to deliver its youth empowerment presentation that drives home the message, "Own your story. Become an author of hope." "Who I am has been defined only by the words I choose to use," Grade 10 students heard during the video portion of the hour-long show. "I started to see who I was could constantly change and develop. Nothing can stop me now." The concert-style presentation, which featured live music and crowd interaction, capped off the school's Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week activities. It also included inspirational video clips and youth speakers sharing their personal stories of how they've overcome personal challenges. Emma Day, one of the presenters, shared how she struggled with mental health issues. Afraid to burden her parents with her problems because they were often busy helping her brother who has autism, Day explained how she was in a "dark place" for a long while before she decided she needed to reach out and get help. She drove herself to the hospital and shared what she was going through with a way-finder. That person helped her connect with a doctor, Phys-ed teacher Ben Lander demonstrates why it's not good to let other people, in this case Austin Gauthier, talk for you while being interviewed by Sophia Leikuss during the recent Live Different performance as a part of Bullying Awareness Week at White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS). | photo by Nikki Wesley ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) said Day. "Simply telling someone the scary realities I was facing every day, finding out I wasn't alone and getting the answers to what was happening in my own mind made all the difference," she told students. She never imagined she would be in front of the students, choosing to continue her life to encourage others, she said. "I want you to know you are not alone -- that no feeling you're experiencing, is going to be final or forever." WOSS Vice-Principal Paul Dawson said the Live Different presentation is an effective way to connect with students. "I like the way it's delivered. We try a variety of ways to reach our students, but with the interactive nature of the presentation, the music selection and having a live band, it really engages the students," he said. Having a week dedicated to discussing bullying and its prevention, contributes to building a positive school culture, Dawson added. "The more we can talk to our students about it and empower them to support one another, the better our school culture can be," he said. Earlier, as part of the school's Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week activities, the high school played positive music between classes, had "safe space" during lunch for students, who wanted a quiet place to be, and ran a slideshow of positive images of the community photographed by the students. Teachers also wore purple shirts on Wednesday with a bullying awareness message on it while staff and students gave out free hugs, high-fives, and passed around positive notes. White Oaks was recognized earlier in the year for fostering a positive environment that supports student achievement and well-being with the provincial government's Premier's Award for Accepting Schools. Live Different has presented its concert-style presentation at more than 2,227 schools over the last 15 years. The charitable group also hosts humanitarian build programs and offers leadership development opportunities. For more information, visit livedifferent.com. ADDITIONS: Design, Permits, Construction EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS: Windows, Wood Siding, Stucco, Stone, Roofing INTERIOR RENOVATIONS: Interior Design, Kitchens, Basements, Flooring, Painting COMPLETE RENOVATIONS · LICENSED · CERTIFIED · PROFESSIONAL & RELIABLE 905.334.0445 www.eastviewhomes.ca OAKVILLE your t c e t Pro nvestment! I call 25 Years in Oakville ® with the optimum in vehicle rust control and much more! Complete Cars from $ 119.95 new cars, used cars, rusty cars... we do it all For coupons and specials visit... 905.827.7878 www.krown.com 1490 SpeerS road, oakville