Ninth Edition - November 2025
The Mustang Messenger
Embedded Files
Students Attend Anti-Hate Conference
By Aria LeRoux
Several Student Council members participated in the Anti-Hate Conference on November 12, 2025, a full-day event dedicated to creating safer and more inclusive schools. Organized and led by LDSS students, the conference brought together youth from across the board to learn about the impact of hate in classrooms, communities, and online spaces. After the morning activities, students gathered for keynote sessions that highlighted the personal and community effects of discrimination.
Guest speaker Rahma, a former AMDSB student, shared her story of courage and resilience, offering a firsthand look at how support and community can make a difference. Later in the day, System Principal of Safe Schools, Mr. Burt, introduced the concept of affinity groups and led discussions about belonging and respectful school culture.
Throughout the afternoon, participants engaged in breakout sessions, planning circles, and student-led group discussions. These sessions gave students a chance to reflect on their own school environments and begin developing concrete steps they can bring back to their peers.
By the end of the conference, students left with action plans, new connections, and a clearer understanding of how youth can take leadership in reducing hate and violence.
A special thank-you goes to the LDSS students who organized the event and created a welcoming, thoughtful space for important conversations.
Upcoming Arts Night Fundraiser at Madill
By Lillian Beyersbergen-Oakes
F. E. Madill is hosting the Arts Night fundraiser on December 10th, from 6-8:30 PM.
Arts Night will showcase some amazing acts of music - singing and the band - as well as the spectacular drama club putting on a comedic play.
The foods class will donate their time to make some yummy snacks for intermission, and you can grab some by donation before looking at the silent auction items that the shop classes will generously donate & the paintings the live artists are doing.
Entrance for Arts Night is by donation with everything going back into the F. E Madill Arts program.
The community is welcome. Keep an eye out for posters around town.
Doors Open Madill Showcases Opportunities for Students and Families
Doors Open Madill Showcases Opportunities for Students and Families
F.E. Madill Secondary School is opening its doors to the community with the annual Doors Open Madill event, taking place on Monday, December 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The evening offers secondary students and their families an opportunity to explore the courses available for the upcoming school year, as well as learn about career pathways, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programming, graduation requirements, and the clubs they can join. Families will have the opportunity to visit different departments, meet staff, and ask questions about programs and opportunities.
Come see what Madill has to offer at Doors Open Madill.
The Importance of the Poppy
By Elaina Schnurr
For the past 104 years, Canadians across the country have worn the poppy to remember our soldiers who fought for us. But, why do we wear poppies?
During WWI, large amounts of European soil, mostly in France and Belgium, were destroyed by artillery fire from the constant fighting. Nothing was able to grow in these fields for nearly a decade after, except for a type of red flower, the poppy. After witnessing the death of a close friend, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem “In Flanders Field”. This poem inspired Canada and other countries to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance for all soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives during World War 1 and 2.
Even though we only wear the poppy for 11 days a year, it is important to always remember those who died for our freedom.
AI in Schools
By Lydia Jefferson
As we move into a more modern way of education schools have begun to use AI in the classroom. I've noticed it a lot in my school from teachers using it to come up with lesson plans, to using AI images in slideshows, and even marking my work with it.
To me using an AI to mark things isn't okay, because in my opinion, the AI doesn't understand the information it’s given; it just gives you what it thinks should be said based on what it sees on the web. It has no real experience with marking. AI can make mistakes and if you trust it with marking something it could make a mistake that costs the student their grade.
Frankly it’s scary to imagine having a robot be in charge of education over a teacher, because no matter how I get the AI to rephrase something, it’s so much easier to have someone in person do it / teach it because they know how I learn. A cold machine can't do that even if it tries to.
Using AI as a student is just as bad. When you use AI to write a paper it’s not showing what you know when you use it. If you get a good mark, it’s not really you: the AI got it. And the worst part is some teachers can't tell the difference between real writing and A. If they can't make that distinction, people who actually wrote their work are losing marks.
AI takes humanity out of school. AI is already threatening to replace hundreds of jobs from all sorts of careers. I don't want to lose my education to the hands of AI; I prefer actual teachers.
No matter the circumstance, AI should not be allowed in school whether you're a teacher or student.
I know I will never use AI in my work, and if you're in school I really hope you don't either.
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