Why
do we value active citizenship? And how can stories effect change? As Langevin
Grade 6 students zeroed in on the persuasive power of writing, they found
beehives of mighty story-making within a few steps of the City Hall School
classroom.
Calgary’s
fabulous new downtown library is just a hop across the street from the
Municipal Building, in East Village. There students met Anna Dunne-Hussey,
Library School coordinator, who encouraged them to remember books that have
opened their eyes and their minds. Students recalled many titles, and a
standout was The Breadwinner, Deborah
Ellis’s compelling novel about a girl in Taliban-era Afghanistan.
East
Village is also home to Loft 112, a collaborative and supportive space for
writers, readers, artists, and storytellers. Lisa Murphy-Lamb, a writer and
editor who facilitates creative happenings there, introduced students to poems
that spark change. One was about low-income residents displaced by
neighbourhood gentrification, while another was written by a local teen who
questions the way people perceive her. With Lisa’s help, students brainstormed
about change and connected their ideas to others in the room.
Just
a few steps out the front door of the Municipal Building is the weekly (free!)
ProArts concert, where the Langevin students discovered singer-songwriters --
another community expressing their opinions. Little Miss Higgins and Bessie
Wapp told stories with their songs, including one about women’s frustration
with traditional roles.
Back
in the City Hall School classroom, students met Sam Hester. Sam is a keen
observer of the world at her doorstep, and you might have seen her work around
town -- maybe during a meeting about the Green Line, in the online Sprawl, or
in the Ramsay community newsletter. Students learned that Sam used to think
Calgary was boring, but communities in other countries were interesting. “When
you think things are special or important, you pay attention to them in a
different way,” she said. Then she turned her attention to the extraordinary
hiding in the ordinary, right in her own neighbourhood and city. Sometimes Sam
takes notes to capture others’ opinions, and sometimes she uses cartoons and
words to voice her own ideas.
Throughout
the week, the students considered ways to contribute to a community, such as by
serving in public office or on a public committee, community association, or
jury. Downtown exploration helped the Grade 6 class to notice problems, needs,
and opportunities. Finally, the Calgary Foundation’s Julie Black shared inspiring
examples of community building and engagement by Calgarians of all ages
(including classmates from their very own Langevin School).
An energizing week of rich discussions about civic action, including the power of one person and the power of words.
At
the library, students considered quotations about the power of books, and wrote
titles of powerful books they’d read.
Sam
Hester illustrated the transformation of her thinking, from Calgary as a boring
city, to Calgary as a fascinating city. We left the graphics on the board
overnight, to see if students could recall the meaning of each graphic the next
day. They absolutely did!
~ Sheila Bean, City Hall School Coordinator
We
were keen to ask him what he remembers of his Zoo School experience. 
