After five days spread out throughout March and April, Oakville School students got to show off their skills with an empathy production.

Thanks to the Art Smart Program, Spenser Payne, an old student from the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, taught students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 about how to be kind to others. 

On Friday this past week, in correlation with International Day of Pink, the school put on an empathy play to show how they understand to stand up against bullying, homophobia, and transphobia.

Payne discusses on why it is important to teach empathy at such a young age. 

"Certainly in our world right now, where we're having bigger conversations about our world. I'm so lucky that our children are talking about this because, we certainly didn't get that in school. We definitely need a soft place to land."

She also mentions that if allowed she would love to come back and teach these kids even more.

"As far as my time here at Oakville. This school is awesome, kind, and respectful and it is a joy to be here as a guest artist."

Monika Metzlaff, Kindergarten/ K-4 Music Teacher at Oakville School, shows her gratitude towards Spenser. 

"Spenser was very good, very patient, and dynamic. It was really neat even for the teachers."

Metzlaff notes that she picked up a few things she could introduce to her classroom because of payne. 

Emerson Skravek, a student at Oakville School says how important it is to stand up against bullying. 

"If no one really kind of speaks up, then bullying and stuff like that might like keep going on and, if no one stops it, then it'll just keep going."

She mentions that her favourite part of the workshop was the learning experience. 

"I loved getting to learn something new everyday."

Addy Lapchuck, another student at Oakville School, notes how important it is to talk about bullying.

"If they don't talk about it they (the person being bullied) may not succeed without it."

She also says that her favourite game throughout the five sessions was one where they made tableaus. 

To learn more about the Art Smart Program in which brought Spenser Payne to Oakville click here.