To Save A Life Rational

For parents who may have some concerns or hesitations about the intentions of showing To Save A Life please let me express my intentions. I do value your concern and will honor your decision as to whether or not your son/daughter will participate in the viewing of this movie.

I do realize that this video brings up many heavy topics that youth are faced with today, many of which we think are foreign or "too mature" for the students in the class however, many of the social issues that are discussed most the students have heard about, been challenged with or have experienced themselves to some extent. I think this is a very well-produced Christian film that captures the real issues in well-crafted way. Often Christian movies tend to be "cheesy" or watered down. This one isn’t which may makes it more difficult to watch but a much more effective teaching tool. I intend to facilitate a discussion around the different social issues that are brought up in the movie. I will have the students brainstorm all the different topics that were presented and then we will talk about them. We will discuss them as a class and research them further. We will be making connections between the world's perspective and the Bible's perspective on these different issues. I believe that it is really important to provide a safe environment to be exposed to these issues, rather than for them to try to find their own exposure in unhealthy places or to distance themselves from issues that people their own age (even at a Christian school) are dealing with.

These topics have been and will continue to be discussed with the Middle Years Students. Since I have been at SCS these topics have been presented, acted out, and discussed at the Middle Years Chapels and within the individual classrooms. Most recently in 'health' class we have been discussing relationships and I intend to use this video as a tool for looking at relationships as they are presented in the video (racial/physical discrimination, abandoning a friend for a girlfriend and a cooler image, caring for the 'outcasts', teenage boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, etc.). I also look forward to the conversations that will stem from this video on suicide, abortion, drinking, etc. I am passionate about having these conversations with youth. The students beg to talk about these kinds of things all the time. On a daily basis they ask to have 'hot topics' which is an opportunity for them to discuss relevant topics. I have a conservative and Godly perspective on these issues which are clearly conveyed to the students as I share my personal perspective, experiences and research. Beyond the discussions, I hope for the students to work on projects looking at various social issues and answering questions such as: What is the issue? Why are youth faced with these issues? For what reasons do youth fall into temptation? What is the Biblical perspective on this issue, on temptation, on following worldly ways, etc? What does one need to do to avoid temptation? What supports can be in place for both dealing with the issue and avoiding temptation?

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Miss Anholt (anholta@spsd.sk.ca)