St. Timothy’s junior high students will be attending Calgary Hitmen’s first anti-bullying hockey game on Feb. 22.
“It’s going to be exciting,” said Rob Brabec, vice-principal at the junior and senior high school.
“The opportunity came forward and we wanted to celebrate with the kids – the kids are pretty excited.”
The game, titled Calgary Hitmen’s Be Brave – Anti Bullying Game will be the first of its kind for the Hitmen hosted at the Scotiabank Saddledome offering students from all across the province a chance to participate in fun and interactive experiences while learning about acceptance.
“It’s a special event to remind everyone about tolerance and acceptance and the dangers of bullying – and it’s pretty exciting to see the Hitmen,” said Kevin deSouza, St. Timothy principal.
While the school does not have any issues with bullying, according to deSouza, the principal said it is important to remind students and teach them preventatively about the dangers of “inappropriate behaviour.”
The school has taught students about the dangers of bullying in previous years, including participating in annual Pink Shirt Days, where teachers and students (and organizations in the community) wear pink shirt to raise awareness and funds to combat bullying; and also taking part in anti-bullying weeks in November where the school hosts week long festivities with speakers and interactive activites.
“We also have a teacher adviser group to promote kindness and fellowship amongst students,” Brabec explained.
“We target junior high because it gives them an opportunity to express themselves and they get better when they get to high school.”
More than 200 St. Timothy junior high students will be able to be a part of this first time experience with the game also hosting a student flash mob, a video contest for student, special guest speakers during intermissions and interactive concourse displays.
“The T-shirts will be distributed next week and we have the tickets ready – this will be an exciting day out or our junior high kids,” deSouza said.
For more information go to hitmenhockey.com/bebrave.
