Boyle School’s Grade 6 class attended the Village of Boyle council meeting last Wednesday to ask for permission to clean the local skate park.
Tara Laroue, Grade 6 teacher, addressed council on behalf of the students.
“In Grade 6 social studies, the students learn about provincial and local government,” Laroue said. “While learning about local government, I asked the students to look around where they live, and if there are injustices, what we can do to fix it.”
One student brought up the local skate park across from the Millview Arena.
“He began to tell me how he loves using the stake park, but it has been vandalized, and some things are broken,” she said. “The kids don’t want to go down there anymore.”
The park has some broken pieces, and the hockey boards that protect the park have been vandalized.
“They said some of the things that have been painted aren’t appropriate for little kids to see,” she continued. “They don’t want their little siblings or cousins playing there, either.”
The students felt it was a shame people had put so many hours and dollars into a park that was not being used because of the vandalism.
“I asked the students to brainstorm and what they could do about the situation,” Laroue said. “They decided they wanted to take it upon themselves as a class to clean up and paint the park.” Laroue estimates it will take the students a week of lunch-hour time to clean it up.
“The students feel it would be mutually beneficial to both the children in the village and the village itself,” she said. “I think it is a great learning experience for my students, and it teaches them about citizenship and builds character.”
Laroue stated she came to council with her students to ask permission and for help with resources.
“First, we would need someone from the village maintenance to inspect the park and repair anything that is broken or that would present a danger to my students,” she said. “Resources we would need to clean the park would be garbage bags, cleaning solutions, gloves and, if need be, paint and paintbrush.”
Council agreed and said that while they understand graffiti goes hand-in-hand with a skate park, when it is inappropriate, it should be cleaned up.
