{"id":20166,"date":"2018-03-21T15:47:21","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T19:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=20166"},"modified":"2018-03-21T15:47:21","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T19:47:21","slug":"supportive-students-recognized-for-making-school-a-better-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/supportive-students-recognized-for-making-school-a-better-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Supportive students recognized for making school a better place"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Brock Weir<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shyiem McGillvary knows firsthand the importance of making a friend.
\nThe Grade 12 student at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School goes out of his way each day lending a hand where it is needed, recognizing there are people in his school community who need a bit of support from time to time.
\nMcGillvary, as part of the school\u2019s wrap-up of Black History Month commemorations, was recently recognized by the St. Max community for his leadership with their Black History Month Support Award.
\nThe Support Award is presented each year to a student who is a true reflection of the concept put forward by Accessibility and Special Needs advocate Jean Vanier that, \u201cAll humans are sacred, no matter what their culture, race, religion, capacities or incapacities, or weaknesses or strengths may be. Each of us needs help to become all that we might be.\u201d
\nThe recipient noted for their ability to hear the call of those in need and to provide care and support, and also for acknowledging their own need for support on occasion.
\nShyiem had no idea he was receiving the award when he walked into the school\u2019s Black History Month closing assembly, but might have sensed the energy building in the room as the citation was read out, with much of the first two rows of the assembly filled with family and friends just waiting for the right moment to cheer.
\n\u201cThis year\u2019s recipient recognizes the importance of caring for self and others,\u201d said the school of Shyiem. \u201cHe demonstrates a positive attitude and a strong work ethic and is willing to help others who need support. He is a responsible and caring individual who understands that everyone needs support from time to time.\u201d
\nAnd cheer they did \u2013 along with his fellow students.
\n\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d he told The Auroran. \u201cI had no idea that was going to happen. I heard I was nominated but I didn\u2019t actually know I was going to win. It\u2019s an honour and I am very proud. I support people with special needs, and I also help out my brother around school and I am hoping he will do good next year when I am not here.\u201d
\nCurrently weighing his post-secondary options, he hopes to pursue a path in the dramatic arts at either Centennial College or George Brown College.
\n\u201cGet involved and don\u2019t be afraid to be yourself,\u201d he said when asked what advice he would give to the student leaders who emerge after his graduation \u201cEveryone has a place in this school no matter what.\u201d
\nHe was one of three students honoured at the assembly, along with Sage Rampersad and Shelby Clifford.
\nSage was recognized with the Inclusion Award, which is handed out each year to a student who sees others as unique and worthy individuals and who refuses to define others by labels or stereotypes. Each recipient demonstrates inclusivity by actively reaching out to others in a welcoming spirit of friendship and appreciation.
\n\u201cThe recipient of the inclusion award is a kind and welcoming individual who is always willing to assist their classmates and fellow students,\u201d said the school. \u201cThrough classroom interactions and participation in various school activities, this individual demonstrates a genuine sense of openness and takes an inclusive approach to all of their endeavours.\u201d
\nShelby was honoured with the Justice Award, which goes to a student who shows a commitment to the concepts of equality and justice. The recipient acts in a \u201cjust\u201d manner in how they treat others, and also reflects on and seeks meaning in the concept of equity. The recipient chooses to seek solutions to problems which cause injustice and examines ways to create an environment in which all can achieve their potential. This commitment to justice is demonstrated through inquiry, analysis, involvement and action.\u201d
\nSaid the school of Shelby: \u201cThe recipient of the Justice Award is an individual who has made their mission in life to ensure that everyone they meet is given the same respect and dignity; each person feels heard, seen and appreciated. In return, this student only asks that you continue this attitude in your own life\u201d
\nShelby said the recognition will propel her forward as she heads off to Nova Scotia this fall to study business and commerce at Dalhousie University.
\n\u201cI think it will fuel me forward in the sense I can understand through this what I am doing is right,\u201d she said. \u201cI know that when I wake up in the morning and talk to people and I ask them how they are and include them, it makes me want to include people in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shyiem McGillvary knows firsthand the importance of making a friend.
\nThe Grade 12 student at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School goes out of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/2018-03-22-02.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-5fg","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-10 11:47:13","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}