Holocaust Memorial Day Service 2008

On Saturday, May 3, 2008 the public Holocaust Memorial Day service - Yom haShoah - was held at Birchwood Intermediate. The guest speaker was Mr. Leo Adler, the Director of National Affairs for Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies in Toronto. Mr. Adler is the son of Holocaust survivors. He spoke about various aspects of the Holocaust and what that means for humanity. Mr. Adler is a frequent speaker and consultant on issues of war crimes, human rights, terrorism, and Canada’s national security.

Mr. Adler spoke again on Monday when Yom haShoah was held for the staff and students at Birchwood. Both services also featured the students from the Human Rights and Holocaust Studies program, who did a dramatic presentation and reflection on the Holocaust. Monday’s service also included one of our staff members, Ms. Rioux. As a personal commemoration of the Holocaust she had her head shaved. The victims of the Holocaust were stripped of their identities by having their names replaced by numbers, and by having their heads shaved. We give little thought to how our hair identifies us. Without it, mothers often cannot recognize their children, sisters cannot recognize sisters, and friends are no longer able to pick friends out of a crowd. Ms. Rioux is donating her hair to Locks for Love - an organization which makes wigs for cancer victims.

Human Rights and Holocaust Studies

In May 2008, a group of approximately thirty students from Birchwood Intermediate School in Charlottetown will be participating in the Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program, initiated by the Asper Foundation of Winnipeg. This is part of a nation-wide educational initiative to involve grade nine students in the study of human rights and the Holocaust. As a result of this participation the students will visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and area, in May 2008. During the 2005/06 school year Birchwood became the first school on Prince Edward Island to participate in this program, with resounding success. We look forward to being a part of this valuable program once again.

Participating students are required to complete:
* 16 hours of community service
* 18 hours of seminars, outside of regular classroom studies
* fund raising
* a journal related to this study and the trip

This is a family commitment as well as a commitment on behalf of the students. The goals of the program include increasing awareness of cultural diversity and the rights of all people regardless of race or religion. Through the educational component of the program students learn about the impact that racism, intolerance, and prejudice can have on our society. In the words of Edward Everett Hale, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

For further information, please contact Jo-Anne White (teacher-librarian) at jgwhite@edu.pe.ca.

Holocaust Memorial Services 2007

The Birchwood annual Holocaust Memorial Services were held April 24. The service featured guest speaker Holocaust survivor David Korn as well as a presentation by students. The Holocaust Memorial Services provides a learning opportunity to help us understand the effects that intolerance, prejudice, and racism can have on people and also to honor the eleven million victims of The Holocaust. 

Special thank you to students Nadine, Daniel, Rebeccah, A.J., Chelsea, Sara, Ashley, Brittany, Mitch, and Sam for their memorable dramatic presentation and their participation.  Many positive compliments were received.

Also a sincere thank you to Ms. Jo-Anne White for her dedication and passion to promote healthy ways of being, sharing, and living. Through the Human Rights and the Holocaust Studies program, Birchwood students learn that they can make a difference and many lives will be forever changed and our world will be a better place.

There will be an information session for grade 9 (2008-2009) students and parents who may be interested in participating in the Human Rights and Holocaust Memorial Studies program during the 2007-2008 school year on May 15 at 7pm in the school library.  Only students who are in grade eight this year are eligible.  The program involves after-school study, fund raising, volunteer and community service work followed by a trip to Washington, D.C. in May 2008 to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum.