To the Editor:

As a teacher, I witness students every day at their best and sometimes their worst. This year, as a Safe Grad Advisor, I was fortunate to witness over 100 graduating students at their best.

This article is all about informing the public and thanking the graduates for being outstanding citizens. Too often today we hear only the negatives concerning our youth. This year I saw our youth being positive role models.

The grads of Avon View attended an overnight session at Acadia. There were a few glitches, causing remarkably few grumbles. When the night ended and they all went home happy but tired, we felt grateful for their cooperation throughout the evening. Among another group of students, those glitches could have caused a general uprising, but all we heard were a few grumbles expressed with patience and understanding.

The next night the grads were at the school signing their yearbooks and again the decorum and manners they showed to everyone around them made us proud.

It was our trip to Grafton Dinner Theatre that I felt set them above all standards. The bus trip was hot and sticky, but they got on the buses orderly and stayed that way. Even the bus drivers remarked about their excellent behaviour.

Once in the restaurant, they showed to everyone their Hants County upbringing: polite, respectful, showing without embarrassment their enthusiasm for the show, enjoying the wonderful meal with proper etiquette, and finally thanking the servers and actors. I felt so honoured to be part of the group of teachers that had the opportunity to witness this positive behaviour from the students we taught.

So to the Grads of 2007, we want to let the public know what wonderful young adults you are and to say a heartfelt “thank you” for everything you gave back to us, teachers and parents, during Safe Grad 2007.



Karen DesRoches

Sarah Coughlan

Safe Grad Advisors 2007