Students at Greenfield Community College once again participated in the celebrated annual Rights Respecting Day.
As part of a busy schedule staff and students were treated to a thought provoking one-woman live performance performed by Shelley O’Brien from the renowned Mad Alice Theatre Company.  The show “She Wins All the Races” is a heartening tale about a girl whose two brothers tragically develop muscular dystrophy, although quirky and light hearted it addresses the rights of those with a disability and the resilience of the human spirit.
The day is part of a wider initiative which was brought about by UNICEF and has its roots in the rights of the child.  Young people were encouraged to discuss big issues and share ideas and opinions with adults and peers.  The show, presented by Greenfield Arts, encouraged interesting conversations about ethics and the right to life and was something students could relate to, as Amy Robson, English Specialist suggests “Students seemed to be really moved by the performance, they loved that the story was true and Shelley shared her experience with them. They were engaged and really enjoyed watching something different”.
Year 10 students were also able to research topics using SOLEs in our Room 13 lab.  Young people were asked “what is a relationship” an intriguing question which provoked equally intriguing findings, SOLEs (self-organised learning environment) encourages students to lead their own research on ‘big questions’ and report back relevant findings in groups with fascinating results.
The day proved to be a great success with students also participating in workshops and addressing issues on topics such as drug awareness, sexual exploitation and debt awareness, where the young people were able to access information and voice their own valid opinions.
Greenfield Community College are committed to Rights Respecting Day as it supports and encourages students to be responsible citizens with a real concern for the welfare of others.