June 2, 2014 =========
☆ reinforce　　強化する
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This month’s topic is about “diversity and inclusion” and I think reinforcing the values behind diversity, and reinforcing the ways that we can include others is very important. I think it’s important for young kids to learn that “everyone is different, and that is OK”. If we learn it at a young age, then we don’t need to reinforce it as much as we get older, because it is “natural” to us.
I grew up in Australia, and when I lived in America when I was 12, it was the first time to see “different” people. The elementary school I went to was so diverse! There were kids from every culture, with skin of so many different colors. It was a shock at first but after living there for a few months, I realized that although everyone was different, everyone was the same. Now, my son goes to a primary school and his class is filled with such a diverse range of kids it is amazing. There are kids with Asian-, German-, African-, British-, Irish-, and of course Australian heritage. A lot of these kids speak a different language (not English) at home. This is a great way to reinforce that “we are all different but the same.”
Bye,
Chris