Social studies students at Springbank Middle School will have the opportunity to develop a greater appreciation for being a Canadian citizen when they play host to a live citizenship ceremony June 6.
With citizenship being a core concept in the province’s social studies curriculum, Springbank teacher Bill Belsey pondered ways to engage his students on the issue, and following discussions with his students, decided to see if he could bring the event to his school.
“I tried to think of ways that would engage my students in this issue in a more meaningful way and asked them if they would support the idea of having our school host a real, live Canadian citizenship ceremony,” said Belsey. “They were very supportive and enthusiastic.”
A citizenship ceremony is the last step in becoming a Canadian citizen. Those who take part in becoming a citizen recite the Great Canadian Oath of citizenship and are then presented with a certificate by a citizenship judge.
Belsey, who is also the initiator of the term cyber-bullying, and has worked with his students to educate provincial and federal governments on the growing epidemic, said discussions with his social studies class addressed the fact that many Canadians take their citizenship for granted.
“My students cheered when they heard that we could indeed be a host,” said Belsey, who contacted Macleod MP Ted Menzies to see if the school could host the ceremony.
Belsey then contacted two members of Citizenship and Immigration Canada in Calgary, both of whom toured the Springbank school and met with students and staff.
“In preparation for this event, my social studies classes will be doing further learning about citizenship, including taking the actual Canadian citizenship test in class,” said Belsey. “We will also be hosting our own citizenship reaffirmation ceremony in my social studies classes.”
The Canadian citizenship ceremony will kick off at approximately 1 p.m. Cochrane bagpiper Robyn Gray will lead a procession around 1:30 p.m., and will be accompanied by members of the Cochrane RCMP detachment in full Red Serge uniforms.
The singing of O Canada and the oath of citizenship will take place somewhere between 1:30-2:30 p.m.
