Award Winning Essays 2015 / Les essais gagnants 2015 thelearningpartnership.ca | partenariateneducation.ca The Learning Partnership is a national charitable Partenariat en Éducation est un organisme national organization dedicated to championing a strong sans but lucratif qui préconise, avec ses partenaires, public education system in Canada with its partners un enseignement public solide au Canada par le biais through innovative programs, credible research, de programmes novateurs, recherches crédibles, d’un executive leadership, policy initiatives and public leadership des cadres, d’initiatives stratégiques et de engagement of Canadians. l’engagement public des Canadiens. Special thanks to our program partners / Merci infiniment à tous nos partenaires : Anonymous Corporate Donor / Donneur corporatif anonyme National office: Bureau national : 45 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 400, Toronto, ON, M2N 5W9 45, av. Sheppard Est, bureau 400, Toronto, (Ontario) M2N 5W9 Tel.: 416 440 5100 1 800 790 9113 Fax: 416 482 5311 Tél. : 416 440 5100 1 800 790 9113 Téléc. : 416 482 5311 @TLPCanada TLPCanada company/TLPCanada TLPofCanada #TurningPointsTLP A Message from the President & CEO and Program Manager “Everyone and everything that shows up in our life is a reflection of something Akela Peoples, M. Ed. that is happening inside of us.” Marni Angus President & CEO National Program Manager The Learning Partnership – Alan Cohen The Learning Partnership There are rare moments in life that completely change how we look and feel about the world around us – moments that can be heart-wrenching or heart-warming, monumental or unassuming. The pages of this anthology are filled with stories of young people that describe a significant event – a turning point in time – that changed the trajectory of their lives. The stories are insightful, thought-provoking and inspirational. The Learning Partnership is proud of the 111,000 students in Grades 6 through 12 who have shared their stories through our Turning Points program, which began 16 years ago. This year, 15,000 publicly funded school students from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador submitted an essay in English or in French. On behalf of The Learning Partnership, we thank all students who participated in this year’s program. It takes courage to share such personal accounts and we are impressed by the incredible fearlessness you have demonstrated. We also give special thanks to the many judges, teachers and program partners whose time, dedication and contributions continue to make Turning Points possible. To our hard-working staff members – it is your passion and efforts that make Turning Points such an impactful and successful program across the country. We thank you and we feel privileged to work with you. Reading these stories gives us all at The Learning Partnership great confidence in the future of our country. Akela Peoples, M. Ed. Marni Angus President & CEO National Program Manager, Turning Points The Learning Partnership The Learning Partnership Turning Points – 2015 Award Winning Essays | 1 Table of Contents Calgary .......................................................4 Newfoundland and Labrador .................44 Grade 6 ......................................................................5 Grade 7 ....................................................................45 No More Hide and Seek .......................................5 I Am Different ...................................................45 A Little Seedling Is All It Took ...............................6 Trying Something New ......................................46 Journey through the Brain ...................................7 You’re Never Alone ...........................................47 Grade 7/8 – English ....................................................8 Nova Scotia ..............................................48 Fixing What’s Been Broken ...................................8 The Truth Unfolding ............................................9 Grade 6 ....................................................................49 Cherish Every Moment ......................................10 The Day My Best Friend Came into My Life ........49 Family Flip .........................................................50 Grade 7 – French ......................................................12 My First Time on Ice ..........................................51 Non à la violence ...............................................12 Mon petit frère .................................................13 Grade 7/8 .................................................................52 Une deuxième chance .......................................14 Monsters ...........................................................52 The Worst Thing Kids Will Hear .........................53 Grade 9/10 – English ................................................16 The Tragic Trip ...................................................54 The Flame .........................................................16 The Eyes of Compassion ....................................17 Grade 9/10 ...............................................................56 The Gum on the Bottom of my Shoe, Cobwebs ...........................................................56 Stuck Forever .....................................................19 Caterpillar to Butterfly Reborn ...........................57 Don’t Let Them Define You ...............................58 Grade 11/12 – English ...............................................21 Leaving the Rest Behind ....................................21 Grade 11/12 .............................................................60 She Restored Hope ............................................23 And There I was ................................................60 Just For Today ....................................................62 New Brunswick .......................................25 The Girl with the Raven Hair ..............................63 Grade 7/8 – English ..................................................26 Niagara Peninsula ...................................66 Stronger ............................................................26 Shaken Faith .....................................................27 Grade 11/12 .............................................................67 Confidence .......................................................28 Keep Climbing ..................................................67 World War Me ..................................................68 Grade 7/8 – French ...................................................30 Rusted From the Rain ........................................70 Rose ..................................................................30 La dame en pyjama rose ....................................31 North Bay .................................................72 Le temps n’est pas infini ....................................32 Grade 9/10 ...............................................................73 Grade 9/10 ...............................................................34 My Understanding of Beauty .............................73 Simple Joys of an Old, Blue Tractor ....................34 Unknown Opportunities ....................................74 Metamorphosis .................................................35 Seeing Shadow .................................................75 Moving Forward ................................................37 Grade 11/12 .............................................................77 Grade 11/12 .............................................................39 Successful Failures ............................................77 Perfectly Imperfect ............................................39 The “C” Word ...................................................78 Wake Up Call ....................................................41 The Point of Change .........................................80 My Full Potential ................................................42 2 | Turning Points – 2015 Award Winning Essays Greater Toronto Area ..............................82 Saskatchewan .......................................120 Grade 6 ....................................................................83 Grade 6 ..................................................................121 The Thrill of Horror ............................................83 A Duck Named Charlie ....................................121 Still the Same Me ..............................................84 Losing in Playoff Final ......................................122 My Yearnings and Learnings ..............................85 School Memories .............................................123 Grade 7/8 .................................................................86 Grade 7/8 ...............................................................124 Struck With a Bolt of Courage ...........................86 It’s Not About Winning ....................................124 My Backpack Full of Bricks .................................87 The Call that Changed My Life ........................125 Prisoner in My Own Body ..................................88 You Never Know What You Have .....................126 Grade 9/10 – English ................................................89 2015 Turning Points Adjudicators ........127 What the World Needs ......................................89 Hello Jerry .........................................................90 Participating Schools ............................133