A place to celebrate everything

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This article was published 30/01/2020 (2245 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lot of things have changed over the years, and Bernie Wolfe Community School is changing right along with them.

“With the population change and growth here at Bernie Wolfe, we’re really aware of the needs of our students who have come here from other countries,” said Elizabeth Linton, principal at Bernie Wolfe Community School. “We think of the diversity here in this building as being quite reflective of Canadian diversity.”

When Linton started as principal two and a half years ago, the school, which is located at 95 Bournais Dr., was home to just over 400 students. Now, that number is just shy of 700.

“In terms of really valuing students, all students, having a sense of belonging, last year we really started to think about what that might look like,” Linton said. “You don’t want to leave anyone out or offend anyone, so we decided to make a concerted effort just to celebrate everything.”

At the start of the 2019-20 school year, Linton and the staff at Bernie Wolfe decided to give it their best shot and build from there.

“We want to authentically recognize celebrations and rituals according to different folks’ own calendar,” Linton said. 

In October, the school celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. A speaker came in, teachers taught lessons about the history of the festival, and students made teaching boards about the celebration that were set up throughout the school’s foyer.

“(The foyer) is such a focal point,” Linton explained. “It welcomes everyone. The parents see it, visitors to the school see it, and of course the children go through it every day.”

While Christmas has been celebrated at Bernie Wolfe for decades, this year the school included a traditional Ethiopian coffee service in their display, which was well received.

“That’s rewarding to us because we see the families seeing themselves reflected in our school,” Linton said. “We want everyone who comes to our school to feel like they belong and are welcome here, and will be celebrated when they are here.”

After the holiday break, the school hosted the River East Transcona School Division’s annual Ukrainian bilingual program’s Kolyada celebration, and commemorated Chinese New Year.

“For Chinese New Year, we did more instruction in the class and teachers did art projects,” Linton said. “We also played O Canada in Mandarin on Friday (Jan. 24).”

Next up on the celebration calendar is carnival at the end of February, with Ramadan to follow in the spring.

Linton said she is pleased with how students have embraced the idea to ‘celebrate everything.’

“It’s super fun that the kids have started to notice and come forward with their ideas,” Linton said. “Now we can be responsive to that.”

The experience, Linton believes, has been educational for all involved.

“I’ve learned tons, and I believe both the students and teachers have as well,” she said. “We all get to join in the celebrations. Of course, many students will continue those celebrations at home with their families, but for everybody else, it’s a way to break down barriers and take part in these celebrations.”

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

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