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Students learn how to make tough choices BY KIM AHOUR Matthew Gambino had an important decision to make The 16yearold was at a party and his buddies were drinking he join in the boozing worry about consequences later or just say no and stand firm the face of peer pressure lis a tough choice for a teen ager but not an unusual one most face dilemma at some point Matthew was more pre pared most He had taken a unique churse at his high school and beliefs it helped him figure it what do parents and asked them outright would they mind if he had That us away because that was a goof choice his Francis It didnt comlby accident Four months of lessee about ethical decisionmaking at Matthews King Country DaySchool led him there Its a new coursA being offered at the King private school one some say should be adopted in all schools across the province Developed by teqcher Tony Young the ethics and society course has been mandatory for Grade students since and is getting rave reviews from parents and students alike ETHICAL TOOLBOX As part of the halfcredit Minis try of Educationapproved course students are given the opportu nity to talk and learn about ethical dilemmas they may face creating an ethical toolbox to help thfem with moral choices and critical thinking They begin with a set of rules and theories learning some deci sions are rulebased one should never lie for example some are carebased how the decision will affect everyone involved and oth ers are endsbased determined by what the consequences will be Students explore right vs right Tony Young teaches King Country Day Schools unique ethics and society class to Gr students uiduding Meredith and Nicholas Tari at the blackboard The course helps the students learn to make ethical decisions choices balancing short and long- term benefits the impact of media and role models and deciding if tin- end justifies the means I Once the theories and tools are understood students move to per sonal dilemmas such as deciding whether or not to stay loyal to a friend or tell the teacher he has been bullying another student They then move on to larger societal issues such as stores charging for plastic bags red light cameras and the legalization of marijuana With the teacher in the back ground ensuring they stay on topic students wade into some deep openended conversations For many Grade 9 students its their first experience with civil roundtable discussions Matthew said Were not at opposite ends of the class screaming at each other because we disagree he said Michael Rubayo 14 of Rich mond Hill found it enlightening You can have your differ ent opinions in class and still be friends he said In fact many of the students say their discussions carry on out side the classroom Every other course you leave and go for lunch and talk about other things 16yearold Saxe of King said This is the only one I remem ber where the conversation con tinues after class This is what Tony Young the schools director of academics hoped for when he developed the Many schools try to approach teaching values through assem blies codes of conduct and York Regions Character Matters initia tive but to get to the heart of the matter you have to get immersed in it study and talk about it And while parents remain the first point of influence he says classroom based peer discussions are invaluable What parents cant do and this is not a slight against parents is get 18 teens in a small room to talk about these decisions Mr Young said he refrains from offering his opinion on topics even when asked Countless times a student will express a different view from the group and maybe their moral compass is really off but positive peer pressure is effective Its not me Its not their parents Its their peers And thats realty powerful PREPARING FOR REAL And sometimes there are sur prising reallife parallels He recalls one classroom dis cussion involving a semiformal and girlfriend boyfriend dilemma Afterwards he heard from stu dents one of the girls in class was grappling with that very predica ment The course comes at an oppor tune time in a childs development he said Teenagers are unique They face similar moral choice as adults but with comparatively less expe- to Students say the ethics course prepares them for this often- stressful transition We learn how to make deci sions in a smart way instead of having to learn from our mistakes Mark 14 of Richmond Hill said Matthew thinks learning to make ethical decisions will help him and his classmates avoid problems he sees others encoun ter when they are away at univer sity partying 247 We think about the options and more about what the conse quences are to others rather than go in and just have fun shoot first ask questions later Thats not to say the students wont make mistakes but this way they know they have options Mrs Gambino said adding it is important in an increasingly com plicated world where just saying because I said so doesnt cut it in the classroom at a time when they arc still connected to their parents but about to enter the stage of separation he said This course changes the parameters of relationships and shows kids how to negotiate agree ments in a different way GROW Longer Eyelashes In 24 Weeks Introducing Lash Factor Before This incredible new product will give you longer fuller eyelashes in as little as two weeks Its not mascara or glueons This is true lash growth You just paint it on like eyeliner once a day and watch your lashes growl When this product was first presented to us we were skeptical Too many products promise amazing things then dont deliver But we ordered a few tubes for our staff to try and we were astounded by the results We have now been offering Lash Factor for over a year and every single person who has reported back has been blown away by the results Some people are doubling the length of their lashes although a 50 increase in length is the average Try it Were confident you wont be disappointed After all who doesnt 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