2021 A Vaccine for Hard Things – Tom Hartl

“COVID has been a vaccine for hard times” a statement made by Suzanne Lombard, one of our grade eight students, when asked to present their 2020 year in review. At first, this statement was catchy and interesting, but as our class continued to navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic we found this statement more and more applicable. In class, we found our conversations steadily building on how we can ensure that ourselves, and people in our community, are finding ways to create a “vaccine” for their Mental Health.

One practical way our class has expressed their thoughts on the subject is through writing and designing a “Zine” (pronounced zeen, as in magazine). A “zine” is a self-published miniature Magazine that showcases the authors thoughts and opinions. A zine can be crafted in many ways but the heart of it is the chance to present the writers perspectives on a topic of their choice.

 

Each student was tasked with coming up with an idea that they could focus six different articles on. Each article inside the zine were written on a range of topics including Social Media, Mental Health, and how their idea can impact the world. This idea would be their overarching theme throughout the entire zine. The students were able to use these guidelines to come up with some truly unique writing pieces.

 

The Zines were a chance for the students to offer their thoughts and solutions to the rising Mental Health issues that many are facing over these last two years. Through writing these articles and designing the zines students have been able to offer practical solutions to battle the Mental Health pandemic and contribute to the “vaccine for hard times”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some article titles and quotes from the students’ Zines:

Art and Mental Health:

“Art gives one the ability to express themselves through what they create, this can be therapeutic.”

-Olivia Colborne Grade 8

 

Beauty Creators:

“Design can be done for many reasons, one of those reasons is to glorify God… I see this whenever I put colour on a page, glorifying God through my art.”

-Gordon Lyndsey Grade 8

 

 

Untitled:

 

“I want to seek justice for the hurting and mourning families and friends of these women (MMIW) and help build a community that is aware of these events that take place around them.”

-Brianna Anderson

Grade 9

 

 

 

 

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