To view pictures of the iRespect conference set to music, click here

Ninety Grade 9 male students from E.C. Drury High School learned a lot about leadership, healthy living and anti-bullying during an all-day April conference that formed part of the Milton school’s iRespect Week.

The E.C. Drury Safe School Team held a Grade 9 boys iRespect Standing Strong Conference, on April 14, to promote leadership, healthy active living, respect for all and anti-bullying prevention. The conference touched on different subjects and included a wide selection of guest speakers. They included Steph Ptaszeck, head football coach at McMaster University; Dr. Andrew Peters of Rising Stars, a former educator who teaches team building, life coaching and goal setting; Sammi Seif (who conducted mixed martial arts training during the conference); and Chris Dodds from Halton police’s Gangs and Guns unit.

These speakers were chosen because they are viewed as successful male role models and who, as strong leaders, could teach about planning and achieving goals, communicating with each other and being a team player, say school officials.

Grade 9 student Erickson Jardim says he learned a lot from the conference, especially about how to be a team player. “If one person falls, another person can pick him up,” he explains.

Linda Bradley, one of the organizing teachers of the conference, says students found the event to be “informative, fun, cool and interesting.” A key part of the conference was how it tied into the curriculum though concepts like healthy active living, she adds.

E.C. Drury High School plans to host the conference again next year for boys and girls, Bradley notes.