On January 18, an officer from the Ontario Provincial Police Lindsay Detachment visited Woodville Elementary School Grade 7/8 class to talk to students about human trafficking and self awareness/safety, a topic the class has been learning about.
At the end of the presentation, the officer recognized Grade 7 student, Jake McGrisken, with a certificate of bravery for a recent incident at the grocery store. Please see the summary received below from McGrisken’s mother:
“This past weekend, Jake and I were at the grocery store packing our groceries when he glanced through the window to see a little girl walking with a man that was away from her mother, who we saw earlier in the store. Jake knows the little girl, as she is a sibling of a boy on Jake’s brother’s hockey team. Without hesitation, Jake ran into the parking lot saying “mom **’s sister is being taken.” He ran to her to make sure she was ok. Turns out her grandpa met them in the parking lot to put things in their car. Nonetheless, I was very proud of his quick reaction.”
“It feels good to be recognized, I wasn’t expecting it,” said McGrisken. “I just reacted. It’s sad that we have to be aware that these things are happening.”
“I feel it’s important for students to learn about human trafficking because education is power,” explained teacher, Tanya Farr. “This is very much part of our local communities and we need to teach our students how to protect themselves. Understanding the signs of human trafficking and raising awareness of the issue are the only ways that we will be able to stop it. Students in the age range that I teach (Grade 7/8) are at the greatest risk, so educating them early is our greatest defence.”
