Gina Pereira, Toni Petit and Kate Turner show their enthusiasm during a report to the board on their big leadership adventure.
Lyonel Doherty photo
When it comes to school spirit, Gina Pereira, Kate Turner and Toni Petit might just write the book on it.
The three Student Parliament members from Osoyoos Secondary School have a lot to cheer about after attending a recent conference at Rockridge Canyon Resort near Princeton.
They told school board trustees all about it during a board meeting on October 23.
“The highlight for me was the power of positive thinking workshop,” said Pereira, who learned how much the mind can change outcomes simply by changing your thoughts.
For Turner, it was what she heard.
“The keynote speakers inspired me so much that it left me crying after each one.”
Petit said the highlight for her was meeting so many people and learning all of their names.
The girls used their own money ($325 each) to attend the BC Student Leadership Conference of like-minded kids looking for challenge and inspiration.
The students said they were amazed at the resort’s beauty – a man-made lake sits at the foot of the resort.
The girls were split into “spirit” groups when they arrived. The theme of the conference was “Where Leaders Will Climb,” and each group was named after a famous mountain.
The first keynote speaker was “The Original Mike Smith,” who spoke really fast. He made every student get up and mingle with everyone else in order to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone. It was a great way to get the youth warmed up for what was waiting for them – workshops and some “organized chaos.”
A multi-media presentation called Teen Truth focused on anti-bullying. Pereira, Petit and Turner found it “moving and inspirational” because it was real and interactive.
In their spirit groups, the students made their own quilt squares, which will be sewn together to make quilts for Africa.
The youth also took part in a “Dragon Boat” excursion.
There was a rope challenge in the trees, but the three girls were content on being spectators listening to all of the screams from students losing their balance and recovering.
Organized chaos was exactly that – spirit groups pitted against each other in all sorts of silly games (similar to the indoor track meet at Osoyoos Secondary School). There was even a “gym riot” outside.
Pereira, Turner and Petit thanked the board for its support. They presented assistant superintendent of schools Jim Insley with a T-shirt for his role in approving the trip.
“What we learned at this conference has inspired us to do more in our school to raise school spirit,” the girls said.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
