“United Care” cultivates kindness at Edward Murphy

Christopher Simeone, special education technician (Mr. Chris) and Rocco Speranza (Mr. Rocco), spiritual and community animator have been working hard to make sure that Edward Murphy Elementary School (EMS) is a place where kindness thrives.

Mr. Chris and Mr. Rocco welcome their neighborhood police officer every year to train Grade 5 students in the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal’s (SPVM) “Unité sans Violence” anti-violence and bullying program. Unfortunately, the SVPM was not able to visit this year due to the pandemic.

To continue the program, reinforce kindness and combat the segregation and isolation that the pandemic has caused, Mr. Chris and Mr. Rocco created “United Care.” This program includes multiple components.

Teacher Mrs. Emiliana asked her students to put messages of kindness all around the school. Mr. Rocco caught on and expanded the project to all classes. Some Grade 6 students who are “Care Rangers” (and already trained in Unité sans Violence) created a bilingual United Care symbol. They then made T-shirts with this new symbol using a fabric maker, thanks to Mrs. Delis, principal of EMS, and the help of Mr. Chris, Mr. Rocco and Vanier’s Special Care Counselling (SCC) stage Miss Amanda, who dedicated her SCC special project to the United Care program by making a poster where students share their acts of kindness.

Miss Amanda presented her work to all EMS students, and explained how self-regulation is the kindest act one can do for yourself and for others. Through EMS’s unique “WE CARE” program facilitated by Mr. Chris, students learned social/emotional learning and multiple ways to self-regulate, including breathing techniques, counting techniques and senses.

Furthermore, Miss Amanda taught the students ways to be kind to others. This includes standing up for peers and giving a helping hand. Part of the program gives students the opportunity to tell a school staff about their kind act. Once they do, they receive a card which they can keep for themselves as a reminder of their kindness, or share it with the school community by putting it on the poster board that Miss Amanda created.

Collaboration is key to stopping COVID-19. EMS is a prime example of how while wearing masks and social distancing, collaboration is still possible. United Care was possible thanks to the EMSB, the SPVM and Vanier College. United to bring kindness and peace to all.