Grade Nine Students:

Josh
I think Challenge Day is about finding out you aren't the only person with problems. It had a positive impact on me, I changed my ways thanks to Challenge Day.

Jawad
It was a fun and exciting experience.

Lindsay
Challenge Day to me was about opening up and sharing your experience and to make you see what violence of any kind does to people. Challenge Day made me express my feelings that were building up. After Challenge Day I felt so much better and now I have a different view to others.

Allison
I think Challenge Day is about showing people that there are other people experiencing the same things you're going through and it's okay to express your feelings out loud. The impact that Challenge Day had on me was I became more aware about my feelings and other people's feelings and I found I had a lot of things that I didn't want to share with anyone but Challenge Day made it easier to say things I was scared to say before, like saying sorry to friends. The ongoing impact that Challenge Day has had on me is that I am more considerate of other people's feelings and give more hugs.

Kyle
Challenge Day is about learning to express your feelings and thinking about others feelings.

Cailey
Challenge Day was a great success in my mind. I learned so many things about others and felt closer to everyone there. I realized I wasn't alone with some of my problems and bottled up emotions. It was a place where all problems could be forgotten and a new look on life begins.

Mark
Challenge Day opened people's eyes and shows them that everyone has problems and is made fun of.

Sondra
Challenge Day was a great experience and was a real eye opener to learn different things people have to go through every day. It was lots of fun and I think it should continue as an annual experience in the future.

Kim
Yes, Yes, Yes! Provide the opportunity of Challenge Days for all future grade 9's! The day was fun and emotional but very eye opening......one of the best days of my life!

Brian
Challenge Day was about learning that what really can happen in you call people names or bully people and to treat everybody equally no matter what there appearance is. Challenge Day is good for people recovering from a recent death etc.

Matias
I think it's all about being treated equally and with respect. I learned to respect and treat well everyone around me. I think it was a good experience in which you can get to learn a lot.

Rebecca
I thought it was a great experience. I learned a lot about what goes on in specific families.

Glynis
The Challenge Day I thought was a different day. (In a good way). I think the Challenge Day is were you go and find something about yourself and you share your feelings and emotions. Challenge Day had a big impact on me, I found myself crying, (usually I don't do!) everyone was open, and I was more thankful for my life because there are lots of kids there who have been abused, hurt, etc. and it made me realize that I should not judge others before I get to know them. It was a great experience.

Caitlyn
Challenge Day for me was just a chance to talk. We all became more open each other and could talk about our problems.

Safia
Challenge Day taught us all to live together and ignore physical appearance. Challenge Day was an extremely beneficial experience for me. I hope other also learned from this experience. Topics that used to be disclosed were openly discussed. Not only did I learn about others, but I also learned things I never knew about myself. Challenge Day was an excellent opportunity to learn about others. Together we can work to bring the beneficial aspects of this learning experience to our everyday lives.

Steve
Challenge Day is about making people realize the effect of putdowns have on everyone, also it tries to make everyone realize that we are all equal.

Jessica
I think Challenge Day had an impact on me because I shared things with people that I didn't know. The things I shared I had never told anyone. Now I'm more aware of things that happen in the school.

Paul
I think Challenge Day was a very good program but I think that all the students should take it next year. It opened up my mind and eyes to some things that were happening.

Laura
It's about opening up talking to other people about life, listening and trusting them. It made me realize I'm not the only one going through a rough time. That I can talk to people and there's a good chance they will understand.

Nathan
A very good experience. It should be done again.

Jelena
Challenge Day was amazing. I had a very emotional experience.

Yufei
I think that the whole school should have participated. It was a very emotional for a while but the pressure of society made people forget about the day.

Katie
It felt that they tried to show on Challenge Day how everyone is alike in ways, and that many people have had the same experiences. Challenge Day didn't effect me on the actual day and does not have an ongoing impact.

Katarina
The actual day was very emotional and I learned a lot. Maybe there could be a banquet or something to bring together all the people that went to Challenge Day.

Sarah
Challenge Day is a day where they try to show you to not judge people to accept them and to love everyone! Challenge Day may just be the best day of my life!

Nathan
I feel that Challenge Day is mainly about not judging people before you know them. Challenge Day had changed the way I see other people.

Andrew
I think it's about meeting people you don't know and getting closer between people who are different from you.

Eva
I thought that Challenge Day was a really good experience. It made everyone open up and I realized that everyone has problems. I think that all of the grade nines should have a chance to experience it.

Lucille
I was so surprised by how everyone was able to be so honest and open throughout the day. We all got to see a completely different side of the people we thought we knew. Challenge Day was an incredibly eye-opening experience and I would recommend it to everyone.

Amy
A good day for sharing thoughts and realizing how other people live and what they are like. I met new people. It was very emotional but good. The followup activities were good but not everyone wanted to share with the whole class but maybe in small groups of 1 or 2 people. Challenge Day was a good day that would be worthwhile to continue.

Anita
Challenge Day helped me to see the different groups that people are separated into each day. Each student was able to see what an ideal school would look like. There was a safe environment and I felt free to share openly and honestly.

Patrick
Challenge Day seems like a time given to students to let their feelings out and get to know the people around you. It was also to apologize to anyone you have hurt in the past. It was a good experience and it should be something everyone must do because everyone deserves a chance to get their feelings out.

Brittney
It was fun. I learned a lot. Most people didn't follow out the way they were supposed to. They gave up on themselves.

Shea
Challenge Day had a huge impact on me. It made me think about how other people deal with their problems and the loss of a loved one in their family. I think that there should be Challenge Day next year for the grade 9's.

Austin
I feel that they were trying to promote christianity and an unrealistic way of life. I found that what they were trying to teach they could only be used in a situation like that.

Kelsey
Challenge Day is about meeting people and being honest with yourself. It opens your eyes to the world around you and teaches you that no one is perfect and that you are not alone.

Megan
People were more open and nicer than usual. It didn't effect school, it was just effective while we were there.

Rinu
I think Challenge Day was about truly being yourself and not having to think about how other people will judge you. I also think it was a good experience because many people haven't had a chance to do that. I also think it was about realizing that you are not alone.

Sara
To me, Challenge Day was about learning to respect myself, as well as other people, for who we are, not the things that we have no control over. (i.e. race, background, etc.) Challenge Day was an extremely emotional event for all who were involved. It helped me realize that judgement and violence never result in a good, safe future for this world. We need to work together to prove that the violence can be stopped!

Candace
I thought Challenge Day was very interesting. I learned stuff about people I might have not learned.

Anna
Challenge Day was fun but also serious. You got to know the people around you better and to know things about yourself. It definitely was a challenge but really one that we must face everyday.

Tom
Challenge Day was fun. It helped me understand my fellow peers.

Shaine
It was an amazing experience. It was neat and odd to see how many people shared the same problems. I was surprised how comfortable people became.

Sara
I really liked Challenge Day because I thought that it brought out a side of everyone we haven't seen and it changed the way people think of each other.

Lucy
Challenge Day taught me not to judge people by their looks, but to listen to them. I really enjoyed Challenge Day and hope it continues to happen.

Shivam
It was a superb experience. Many of our feelings lie dormant inside us and we do not realize it. This leads to tension and stress. Challenge Day did a wonderful job in making us realize the importance of showing our feelings fearlessly.

Nicole
Challenge Day is almost an idea of how the world should be, how we should treat each other and how we should open up to each other. This idealist perspective on how the world should be is not fully realistic based on how things are today in society. Overall I think the day was OK. The activities were enjoyable, yet some became uncomfortable. The lesson they were trying to teach came across well, but do not fit in with everyday life.

Katherine
Challenge Day taught me that even though society's views on women in the workplace, race and religion have changed drastically, we still have a long way to go to make sure everyone's opinions, voices, and life styles are accepted. We are all the same so why don't we start treating everyone equally.

Laura
Challenge Day is to stop stereotyping people for what they look like from the outside. It was to show us that what is on the inside that counts. This day was also to show that people are not alone. I was shocked on how many people have been through awful things. I now don't judge only one for what they look like because I have no idea what they have been through.

Brooke
I think that Challenge Day was a very eye-opening experience. I left feeling very relieved and just free of worries. It was a very good experience.

Hilary
Challenge Day was a lot different than I was expecting. It was alright, but it didn't really have a big impact on me, but there seemed to be a lot of people who benefited from it.

Peter
During the activities that were done during Challenge Day, I often found myself disturbed and uncomfortable. I believe that the degree of openness that we were encouraged to have was inappropriate and many of the discussions would be difficult and awkward in the company of close friends, let alone complete strangers.

Aaron
I think Challenge Day was a very valuable day. It teaches to respect people for who they are.

Erin
Challenge Day affected the way I judge my fellow peers. My perspective changed on everyday life the different challenges I face everyday. Challenge Day taught me to be more confident and that I'm not alone in the fears I face. It taught me that positive attitude affects no only me, but everyone that surrounds me. It was impacted my life by thing more about the choices I make and how I should reflect upon other peoples concerns, to be there for them when they need someone to be there for them.

Anna
Challenge Day was an awesome experience. You could feel the power that came out of it and the way that we were united against things that we knew were wrong. We came together and it was one of the greatest days I've ever had.

Jaclyn
Challenge Day was the best. The people (Sumati and Vinny) were excellent! I was not too sure about the concept of opening up and sharing my thoughts and feelings, but by the end of the day I felt very open to sharing! I think that the Challenge Day changed my life!

Maddy
I thought Challenge Day was a good experience but it was a little weird. It seemed a little bit too self-helpish but I'm glad I went. I would go back again as a mentor.

Justin
Challenge Day was an unbelievable experience. Before that day I had no idea of the trauma and lifestyle that some of my friends and peers go through everyday. The program was extremely well done and should be continued every year.

Milosz
Challenge Day seemed to be just another trip away from school, but after a few minutes, it was obvious that Challenge Day was no ordinary trip. Challenge Day touched issues that we made sure were never recalled and many weren't at liberty to discuss it, but Challenge Day, nevertheless, gave us a glimpse of how cold and uptight our society had become. Unfortunately, my feelings, that resurfaced were quickly buried but I can't say that Challenge Day didn't impact me in some way.