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Corpus Christi, Burkevale students a eo aa ee a TRS sae _ Chief to be taught about society's values Starting in January, the #Penetanguishene Police Force will be taking an active part in teaching in two of the town's elementary schools. In the new year, under the direction of Police Robert Cummings, the force will implement the first ever Values, Influences and Peers program, to help students in the development of their values. According to Chief Cummings, Community Safety Officer Constable Donald Penrose will visit the classrooms at Corpus Christi and Burkevale_ schools, along with one teacher from each of the institutions who has already attended workshops on_ the program, as part of the force's project that will continue until the end of the school year. Below, Police Chief Cummings has outlined the basis of the VIP program' geared towards students at the Grade 6 level. In the process of developing a personal values system, a young person must be made aware of the set of values that Canadians regard as essential to the well-being of society. During the past decade, with this goal in mind, the Ministry of Education has developed a variety of support documents and resource guides for the primary and junior divisions to assist boards and teachers to strengthen students' understanding of the values that are important to society. Values may _ be defined as those qualities that an individual or a society considers important as principles for conduct and as major aims of existence. Societal values, which serve as expectations for people in general, are the values' generally accepted by a society as demonstrated by its cultural traditions, structures, practices, and laws. Among the most important societal values in Canada are such principles as honesty, tolerance, compassion, and justice. There is more involved in contribution to. the child's moral growth and _ values development than simply telling the child about important societal values such as compassion and tolerance. Children are neither empty vessels to be filled with knowledge nor computers to be programmed. Rather, children actively develop their personal values and capabilities as they interact with others and with their environment. Consequently, the teacher must be sensitive to the influence of the classroom and school environments and, in addition, must encourage students to think about values. Children learn about values in part by actively making decisions, trying them out, and learning from the consequences of their decisions. There are supervised many school activities through which students can safely experience this process. Group work, team sports, and fund raising can all provide important learning experiences related to human relationships, plans, contributions, and accomplishments. The experience of making group decisions can also be beneficial; Values, Influences, and Peers (VIP) provides learning activities, based on scenarios and Values, Influences, and Peers program real-life examples, that can be used to develop that experience. The following values, which are consistent with teachings of the world's great religions, form the foundation of the school curriculum in Ontario: compassion, co-operation, courage, courtesy, freedom, generosity, honesty, justice, loyalty, moderation, patience, peace, respect for the environment, _ respect for life, respect for others, respect for self, responsibility, self- discipline, sensitivity, tolerance. While no person or institution has exclusive responsibility for the development of values in children, the home has the primary responsibility. For many children, the religious community also has a _ profound influence which usually |. occurs within the religious context adopted by the- parents. Educators must recognize and respect these areas of influence and should not see the school's role as superceding them in contribution to the moral growth of the child. At the same time, society has frequently turned to the school for assistance in helping young people learn to cope with such problems as smoking, drinking, and the abuse of drugs in general. Of course, schools cannot, nor should they be expected to, solve such problems alone. It is on this particular area of personal need that VIP can help to focus attention. AIMS The units of study outlined in this document will provide opportunities for students to become aware of some of the basic values of Canadian society, specifically the set of values considered essential to the well- being of the individual and the well-being of society: Learn to _ accept responsibility for their own actions; Understand that each person may be influenced by peer pressure; Become aware of the importance of self- respect and_ self- confidence in meeting the challenge of peer influence; Gain insights that will assist them in making choices when confronted with negative peer influences; Develop a respect for the rights of others and for the rule of law. TOPICS A value is a quality that an _ individual and/or a_ society considers important as s principle for conduct or a major aim of existence. This unit is designed to introduce students to the concept of values and to lead them to discover and analyze some of their own values and those of our society. Students should be given opportunities to understand the meaning of the word values; Make an inventory of their own values; Examine these values carefully within the social context; Identify the values essential to the well- being of the individual and the well-being of society. Meet ithe Credit Union money managers - new board of directors of Penetanguishene's Huronia Credit Union, elected earlier this month during the annual dinner meeting held in the Normandy Room of the Penetang Royal Canadian Legion. Standing from ley oe left to right are Raymond Moreau, Brian Marchand, and manager of the branch, Patrick Marion. Seated are (from left to right) President Gerard Bourgeois, Vice-President Paul Sullivan, Willard Charlebois, and Albert Vaillancourt. CREATING IMPRESSIONS Sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, people act, talk, and dress in ways that attract the attention of, or make an impression on, others. Young people should try to understand that the way they act creates an § image of themselves and may also reflect the way they feel about themselves. Students should be given opportunities to understand that the ways in which people act, dress, and speak do not always correspond to their inner selves; Explore reasons why people wish to project various kinds of images of themselves; Examine ways in which people project images of themselves. PEER PRESSURE Individuals who have a strong belief in their own worth cope most successfully with peer pressure. Pre- adolescents and adolescents are at an age when they are highly susceptible to the influence of their peers. It is for this reason that young people are often persuaded to. skip school, to use drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, to vandalize or steal, and to challenge authority in other ways. Students should be given opportunities to see how strong the influence of peer _pressure can be for both good and ill; Become aware of the Police Chief Cummings various tactics or stratagems that may be used to exert peer pressure in order to influence or mislead an individual; Consider the dangers of being misled, the ways of coping with negative peer pressure, and the ways of avoiding being misled; Consider the benefits for the individual of being involved in a peer group and the ways that such involvement can be a positive influence in his or her life. SHOPLIFTING Stealing involves taking anything, no matter how small, that belongs to another person or an organization, without permission. It encompasses a wide range of activities. For many students it takes the form of stealing from other students or shoplifting in local stores. Pre-adolescents may be tempted to steal for a variety of reasons, including real or imagined need, anger, or hostility. Students should be aware of the fact that stealing is a violation of both rights of others and the rule of law. Thus it directly conflicts with many of the basic values of society. For these reasons stealing should be a concern of educators. Students should be given opportunities to identify different forms of stealing, including shoplifting; Identify what stealing is; Realize that stealing conflicts with many of the basic values of society ; Relate stealing to negative peer pressure; Bécome aware of some of the consequences of stealing; : Examine the reasons why people steal. A total of 12 topics are discussed with the students in the VIP program. A brief outline of four topics have been discussed in _ this newspaper article. "From my point of view, I definitely highly recommend the program as one of the best so far to be implemented to our school children." _Penetang's historians Start young The four lovely young ladies shown above with Heritage Penetanguishene member Robert Robitaille shared the honours for the best project in the junior category of the fourth annual Penetang History Fair. The young history buffs, from left to right, are Tammy Hamelin, Jennifer Welch, Deanne Contois, and Keri Watt. PGH births Mr. and Mrs. Ernest General Hospital. Valcheff, Bay Street, Midland, are pleased to announce the birth of a baby girl, Nov. 17, weighing seven pounds 15 ounces, in Penetanguishene Tuesday, November. 26, 1985, -Page.3. - Mr. and Mrs. Perry Archer, RR 1, Elmvale, are pleased to announce the birth of a baby boy, Nov. 18, weighing seven pounds 14 ounces. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Laurin, RR if Perkinsfield, are pleased to announce the birth of a baby boy, Nov. 22, weighing eight pounds two ounces. en aa