Hello, Hello, Hello! How is everybody? I haven't blogged in a while. It's nice to get back at it again.
Well, December is here! My, the time has gone by fast! For the first few days of December, we didn't have any snow. It was kind of nice. I got to have my wheelchair outside longer than |I usually get to, whit ch was a sweet surprise for me. It was great while it lasted, but a good thing can't last forever! The snow has now fallen. It is nice to see the snow again. It means Christmas will be here soon, and so will the ski season. I'm excited for a great winter ahead.
Anyway, I just finished my fifty hours of Work Experience at the Local Paper. I had a great time. All the staff were very good to me. I got to write lots of articles and interview people for my diversabilty columns. I loved writing those. I really enjoyed talking to the people I interviewed and helping them get their story out there. I felt like I was really helping people by advocating for them and helping them raise awareness about their diversabilites. Writing for the local paper has really helped me improve my writing at school as well. My boss there, gave me some good editing tips that I now think about every time I write. I had an awesome time at the Valley Echo, and who knows, I may have started my career path.
Well, My decision for a career isn't final yet. I still have lots of decisions to make. I'm really interested in writing, but I'm also interested in working as a Special Education Assistant in a school. That being said, my Work Experience placements have been spilt. Each student in high school is supposed to complete one hundred hours of Work. I completed fifty hours at the paper, and now, I get to do my other fifty hours at the primary school in Invermere, Eileen Madson Primary School. Just like I go every Thursday to the school and work in a Kindergarten and Grade one class. To say the least, I LOVE IT! The staff there are lovely. E.M.P is such a nurturing school for little children. I remember going there when I little, and not much has changed. It's still a great school. Everyone's still lovely. A lot of the teacher's that were there when I went there have retired, so I don't get to see them, but I get to meet all the new staff, who are just as wonderful.
On my first day there, I gave a little speech about why I'm in a wheelchair. The kids were troopers! Once they knew about my Cerebral Palsy, they were so accepting! They're sweethearts!
Everything is going really smoothly in that aspect. I just had to give them a chance, and answer some questions.
One thing that helped the kids feel comfortable with me, is the fact that they did have a child in their class that's in a wheelchair already. He is a five year old boy who has Spina Bifida. He is so cute. He has the tinyist chair. He has a desk that was custom made just for him. He does very in school. He's smarter than I was in kindergarten! I'm mentoring the aide that works with him. For the most part, her and I help other kids that struggle in the class. I help a lot of kids with reading, and language skills. The things kids learn in Kindergarten, may seem easy, that is, until you try and explain it. Trying to explain to a child that a letter in the alphabet says this sound just because it does is tricky! I'm working on figuring out exactly who needs help in the class, and then figuring out a way to help them. Throughout, my time, I hope to find ways to help as many kids as I can and find out if this is what I what I want to do in the future.
I got to go to a Grade one Gym class. The principal teaches the class. She's awesome. She's so nice to me, and great with the kids. It was nice to be in a Grade one Gym Class. When I was in Grade one, I didn't get to go to Gym classes. I had to stay behind and do my exercises. It was nice to actually participate in the games this time. The kids were doing Gymnastics. I had to make sure everyone was taking turns using the equipment, and everyone was being safe,. It was hard to enforce the safety rules. I don't have a very authoritative voice... at all! Ha ha. Fortunately, that' part is not my job. I just make sure everyones happy I had so much fun. All the kids wanted to show me all that they could do. They were cute! It's nice to get do a variety of things, and no just be in one classroom all day. I had a great afternoon. I love Grade one Gym.
I've had a great start to my second Work Experience adventure and I look forward to going to E.M.P again. Thispath of working with kids, is defininitly another career I would love to do. The most valuable lesson I learned in Kindergaren is to have patience with kids. I know that sometimes it makes other people in wheelchairs uncomfortable when kids stare at them. I know it's hard, but please, try not to get frustrated. Children are so innocent. They're just curious. If you show them your heart and your great personality, they will get over there fear of wheelchairs, and maybe even begin to learn from you. Children are amazing. You just need to have the patience to teach them about you, and let them teach you too. Give kids time. I'm sure the longer you give them to get comfortable with you, the better your relationship with them will be. Just try it. You won't be disappointed.
I love working with the kindergarten kids, and I loved writing my articles. I think doing some Work Experience will definitely help me figure out what I want to do as a career. I still have some time to figure it all out though, and while I'm doing that, I can enjoy the journey along the way, and step by step, I will get to my destination. My adventures will never stop. A new one ahead is always lying ahead of me. I can't wait to see which adventure comes next!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
How to Come About Things
Hey everybody! Today I wanted to give all of you readers out there who have diverseabilitiessome more advice on some things you could do to make your life a little easier. Over the years, I have had to get more and more help with getting things like wheelchairs and my accessible van from different charities. When we have to ask for help with purchasing something like a van, my family and I kind of get embarrassed. We don't like asking for donations. I feel bad because I'd rather be the one giving than receiving. I've gotten a lot over the years. I wish I could give back more than I do. I guess that's what those groups are there for though. When an organization helps us out with something, we try to be as thankful as we possibly can.. Writing them a nice card helps. It also really helps when I get to share my knowledge about these groups with someone else, so I can feel like I've helped someone too. So, that's what I'm going to do today. Today, I will share my experience with some organizations, or share how I've gotten things I need to make my life easier, or how iI get to do some fun stuff as well. I hope I can give you some good information and I can help you get the things you need to make your life go a bit smoother. I hope it helps you find what your looking for.
1. Home Program- I have been with the Home Program for as long as I can remember. This program gives financial support and also can provide Respite for children with diverseabilities. We mostly use the Home Program to help pay for things like physio appointments, and wheelchairs and leg braces. Sometimes if I have to go for a doctors appointment at the Children's in Calgary, sometimes they will pay for the gas we use for that trip. The Home Program also can help provide some respite for children with diverseabilities. We don't use Respite, but there is that option as well. A child can be eligible for the Home Program medical benefits until they are seventeen years of age. Then, they have to make a transition into a different program that is meant for adults called the Ministry of Children and Family Development. You have to contact them, and fill out forms. It's a lot of work, but it's nice to know they have program like that to help you live the best life you can.
2. Wheelchair Accessible Van- A couple of years ago, we got our first wheelchair accessible van. It was very exciting for my family and me . I can now take my chair with me anywhere! I can be independent in the cities and at camp, which is really neat for me. I don't have to hold on to my moms hand. I can go where ever I want. That means a lot to me to have that independence. Anyway, we got the van from Medichair, a place in Cranbrook B.C that gives people with diversabilities equipment to make there lives easier. A man that worked at Medichair drove the van all the way to our house on day before I went to camp. Talk about royal treatment. I was very lucky! I loved having my wheelchair at camp. I can be independent, I don't have to rely on the counsellors to help me walk, and most importantly, I could keep up to my speed demon friend, Grace Brulotte. Having my chair there was awesome. It's great that we can take it places.
Soon after we got the van, we got to go to a little celebration at Superstore to meet the people from Children's Charity, that helped us get the van. It was a great day! There was even CAKE! They were so kind to us. We are so lucky that they helped us! There are some great groups like that out there. I'm sure that if you look hard enough, you will find some people to help you. There is again, some paper work to do. You have to get a quote for the van and you have to pick the van you want. You have to decide on where you want the ramp to come out. There is a side entry or a back entry. It's a process, but it is very worth it to have a wheelchair accessible van. With handy transportation like a van, you can go anywhere. The world is your oyster!
3. Easter Seals Camp- You've heard me talk about Camp Winfield lots, and what a great time I have when i'm there. Camp Winfield is like a home away from home for everyone that goes there. Everybody has a diverseabiluity there, so no one feels different from anybody else. We all make so many great friends there that come back year after year. Camp Winfield is just a place where everyone can forget about their challenges and just have fun. They can take risks, learn new things, and be themselves. There three Easter Seals camps in B.C that I know of. There is Camp Winfield, Camp Squarish, and Camp Sgawnigan. They are all around the coastal part of B.C. There are forms that you have to fill out, stating what camp you are going to and what your needs are going to be. They come out around April. You have to go online and print the forms off. I still get excited about that every year. You have to get a doctors check up and get them to sign a medical forms and write down any medications your on and things like that. We heard about this camp through friends of ours. Their kids went and had a fantastic time. They told me to go when I was six. I loved it so much. I have been going every year since. This year will be my last. I'll be pretty sad!
I got funded to go to camp by the local Lions Club in town. They've paid for me to go to camp until I turn eighteen. I'm not sure if there is that option for you where you live, but if there are that's great. Camp is a great opportunity for everyone. Camp Winfield is a place where dreams true and the possibilities are endless.
4. Summer Programs- You have heard me talk about my summer program that I do with my friend Patti before. I love it. Both Patti and I look forward to it every year. Patti and I are great friends that have known each other since I was a little girl. .It's nice we still get to spend time with eachother. I think programs like these are organized within a community. I called it Resite the last time I wrote about it, but I was told that it wasn't the correct name. The program that my friend Patti works for is called Supported Child Care. Part of that program involes spending once a week or a couple days a week with child who has a diversability. For me, how it works is, Siri, the lady who runs the program in town phones me before the summer starts and lets me know how many hours a week I get with Patti that summer. We have to write a little letter saying how many hours that I would like to spend with her. The program is run out of Cranbrook. They get the final say, and then after I my fun summer with Patti, I write them a letter about all the fun things we did and the things I learnt. I always have a fantastic summer with Patti. I think, especially if you live in a bigger town or a city, you probably have some sort of life skills programs for kids with diverseabilities. All you got to do is contact them, do some paperwork again, and then I think you're set. Programs like these are totally worth it. They teach kids new skills, get them out of the house with a friend. It's great!
5. RDSP- You've probably heard of a RSP, Registered Savings plan.. Well, an RDSP is the same thing, except it's called Registered Disabled Savings Plan. You put money into it and the government doubles it. The money can be used for anything, school, reno's to make your house more wheelchair accessible, wheelchair vans, stuff like that. Again, there is a lot of paperwork, and you have to save some money, but I think its worth it to have some money put aside for when you need it.
6. Cerebral Palsy Association- The Cerebral Palsy Association is a support group for families who have been affected by Cerebral Palsy. They provide services that will make children living with Cerebral Palsy lives easier .They hold events and fun stuff. I don't know much about this group. I went to a night event they had once when I was little. They have this day where they show off a bunch of stuff that kids with Cerebral Palsy. We went there once and I got a special bike. I loved it. It had four wheels so it would balance more easily, it had a seat belt, and a back supporter. I loved riding my bike. I only had it a few years, and then I grew out of it, but it was nice to be able to do something, like going for a bike ride, just like everyone else.
7. Transition Program- This is what my mom and I are trying to get into right now. When every kid with a diverseability turns eighteen, technicallythey're not part of the children's hospital or the home program. They have to go into ll the adult programs. This transition program helps them makes the transition process a bit easier. My mom and I have been trying to get in contact with someone in the ministry of youth and children, like I said. I don't know much about it, but I'm sure I will learn about it later and be able to tell you all about it.
8. Children's Hospital- Recently, I just had my last visit to the Children's hospital. Waaaa. I'm sad. I'm all grown up now. I'm not a child anymore. I just went there in October to go for my Transition appointment. I'm going to miss it there. The Children's Hospital is such a special place. All the doctors there are so helpful and they will do anything they can to make a child's life better or easier. The new childrens hospital is amazing. Its is so colourful and child friendly. Every time we drive by it, I get a smile on my face. Inside and out, Alberta's Children's hospital is a magical place. I hope to work there one day, and help out the kids in need there, like the I got helped. If I got to work at Alberta Children's Hospital when I get out of school, I would get to say that I've been a part of Children's Hospital my whole life, and that would be pretty cool!
So, there are some of the programs or the groups that helped me get to where I am today! I'd like to thank them the people that run them all for there help. I hope I've helped you and gave you some good information. If you have questions you can ask me and I'll either answer them or I'll do some research. I hope I helped somebody out there out. Have a great week and I will talk to you soon.
1. Home Program- I have been with the Home Program for as long as I can remember. This program gives financial support and also can provide Respite for children with diverseabilities. We mostly use the Home Program to help pay for things like physio appointments, and wheelchairs and leg braces. Sometimes if I have to go for a doctors appointment at the Children's in Calgary, sometimes they will pay for the gas we use for that trip. The Home Program also can help provide some respite for children with diverseabilities. We don't use Respite, but there is that option as well. A child can be eligible for the Home Program medical benefits until they are seventeen years of age. Then, they have to make a transition into a different program that is meant for adults called the Ministry of Children and Family Development. You have to contact them, and fill out forms. It's a lot of work, but it's nice to know they have program like that to help you live the best life you can.
2. Wheelchair Accessible Van- A couple of years ago, we got our first wheelchair accessible van. It was very exciting for my family and me . I can now take my chair with me anywhere! I can be independent in the cities and at camp, which is really neat for me. I don't have to hold on to my moms hand. I can go where ever I want. That means a lot to me to have that independence. Anyway, we got the van from Medichair, a place in Cranbrook B.C that gives people with diversabilities equipment to make there lives easier. A man that worked at Medichair drove the van all the way to our house on day before I went to camp. Talk about royal treatment. I was very lucky! I loved having my wheelchair at camp. I can be independent, I don't have to rely on the counsellors to help me walk, and most importantly, I could keep up to my speed demon friend, Grace Brulotte. Having my chair there was awesome. It's great that we can take it places.
Soon after we got the van, we got to go to a little celebration at Superstore to meet the people from Children's Charity, that helped us get the van. It was a great day! There was even CAKE! They were so kind to us. We are so lucky that they helped us! There are some great groups like that out there. I'm sure that if you look hard enough, you will find some people to help you. There is again, some paper work to do. You have to get a quote for the van and you have to pick the van you want. You have to decide on where you want the ramp to come out. There is a side entry or a back entry. It's a process, but it is very worth it to have a wheelchair accessible van. With handy transportation like a van, you can go anywhere. The world is your oyster!
3. Easter Seals Camp- You've heard me talk about Camp Winfield lots, and what a great time I have when i'm there. Camp Winfield is like a home away from home for everyone that goes there. Everybody has a diverseabiluity there, so no one feels different from anybody else. We all make so many great friends there that come back year after year. Camp Winfield is just a place where everyone can forget about their challenges and just have fun. They can take risks, learn new things, and be themselves. There three Easter Seals camps in B.C that I know of. There is Camp Winfield, Camp Squarish, and Camp Sgawnigan. They are all around the coastal part of B.C. There are forms that you have to fill out, stating what camp you are going to and what your needs are going to be. They come out around April. You have to go online and print the forms off. I still get excited about that every year. You have to get a doctors check up and get them to sign a medical forms and write down any medications your on and things like that. We heard about this camp through friends of ours. Their kids went and had a fantastic time. They told me to go when I was six. I loved it so much. I have been going every year since. This year will be my last. I'll be pretty sad!
I got funded to go to camp by the local Lions Club in town. They've paid for me to go to camp until I turn eighteen. I'm not sure if there is that option for you where you live, but if there are that's great. Camp is a great opportunity for everyone. Camp Winfield is a place where dreams true and the possibilities are endless.
4. Summer Programs- You have heard me talk about my summer program that I do with my friend Patti before. I love it. Both Patti and I look forward to it every year. Patti and I are great friends that have known each other since I was a little girl. .It's nice we still get to spend time with eachother. I think programs like these are organized within a community. I called it Resite the last time I wrote about it, but I was told that it wasn't the correct name. The program that my friend Patti works for is called Supported Child Care. Part of that program involes spending once a week or a couple days a week with child who has a diversability. For me, how it works is, Siri, the lady who runs the program in town phones me before the summer starts and lets me know how many hours a week I get with Patti that summer. We have to write a little letter saying how many hours that I would like to spend with her. The program is run out of Cranbrook. They get the final say, and then after I my fun summer with Patti, I write them a letter about all the fun things we did and the things I learnt. I always have a fantastic summer with Patti. I think, especially if you live in a bigger town or a city, you probably have some sort of life skills programs for kids with diverseabilities. All you got to do is contact them, do some paperwork again, and then I think you're set. Programs like these are totally worth it. They teach kids new skills, get them out of the house with a friend. It's great!
5. RDSP- You've probably heard of a RSP, Registered Savings plan.. Well, an RDSP is the same thing, except it's called Registered Disabled Savings Plan. You put money into it and the government doubles it. The money can be used for anything, school, reno's to make your house more wheelchair accessible, wheelchair vans, stuff like that. Again, there is a lot of paperwork, and you have to save some money, but I think its worth it to have some money put aside for when you need it.
6. Cerebral Palsy Association- The Cerebral Palsy Association is a support group for families who have been affected by Cerebral Palsy. They provide services that will make children living with Cerebral Palsy lives easier .They hold events and fun stuff. I don't know much about this group. I went to a night event they had once when I was little. They have this day where they show off a bunch of stuff that kids with Cerebral Palsy. We went there once and I got a special bike. I loved it. It had four wheels so it would balance more easily, it had a seat belt, and a back supporter. I loved riding my bike. I only had it a few years, and then I grew out of it, but it was nice to be able to do something, like going for a bike ride, just like everyone else.
7. Transition Program- This is what my mom and I are trying to get into right now. When every kid with a diverseability turns eighteen, technicallythey're not part of the children's hospital or the home program. They have to go into ll the adult programs. This transition program helps them makes the transition process a bit easier. My mom and I have been trying to get in contact with someone in the ministry of youth and children, like I said. I don't know much about it, but I'm sure I will learn about it later and be able to tell you all about it.
8. Children's Hospital- Recently, I just had my last visit to the Children's hospital. Waaaa. I'm sad. I'm all grown up now. I'm not a child anymore. I just went there in October to go for my Transition appointment. I'm going to miss it there. The Children's Hospital is such a special place. All the doctors there are so helpful and they will do anything they can to make a child's life better or easier. The new childrens hospital is amazing. Its is so colourful and child friendly. Every time we drive by it, I get a smile on my face. Inside and out, Alberta's Children's hospital is a magical place. I hope to work there one day, and help out the kids in need there, like the I got helped. If I got to work at Alberta Children's Hospital when I get out of school, I would get to say that I've been a part of Children's Hospital my whole life, and that would be pretty cool!
So, there are some of the programs or the groups that helped me get to where I am today! I'd like to thank them the people that run them all for there help. I hope I've helped you and gave you some good information. If you have questions you can ask me and I'll either answer them or I'll do some research. I hope I helped somebody out there out. Have a great week and I will talk to you soon.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Words to Live By
Hello everybody! Well, I think winter is starting to arrive. Brrrr. No more nice weather. Oh well. We're that much closer to spring, I guess.
Anyway, today I wanted to talk about some mottos I have that help me get through tougher times. I think they would for everybody. I try to think about these words as often as I can. Sometimes it's hard though,. Sometimes, you get so down in the dumps and you think you can't get yourself out. You should always be able to though, for there is always a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. You might have to look a little longer for it, but you will find it eventually. Here are my top eight motto's thatI use to help me find my "Pot of Gold." I hope they help you find yours as well.
1. Can I Try That?- I always like to try new things. Whenever I see someone do something that I think I could do, or that I would really like to be able to do, I get a feeling inside me that says I just have to try it to. I believe everybody should try everything at least once. If you don't try new things, than you never know what your good at. Also, if you don't try something the first time, it might be too late to try again. Then,. you'll feel bad, because you wished you did try it. I hate that feeling. So, to stop feeling that way, just try everything. It will make you feel good, and when you try it, it will make for one more thing that you can check off your bucket list
2. Life is a Highway- Living your life is like driving on a long highway. You have to keep driving, even if you don't know exactly where you'll end up. I like to think of my future as a big surprise that waiting for me at the end of the road. I have some ideas of what I want to do when I get out of high school, but I don't have any ideas set imn stone yet. I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what the rest of my life will be like. Some days that scares me, but other days, it gets me really excited. I'm excited for the unknown. I know that there will be some bumps in the roads, and twists and turns, and storms to drive though. I'll just have to be prepared for that. We all will. If we don't go through the rough spots, we might not be able to get where we want to be. We need to drive through the storms, so we can reach the sunshine at end, and we need to enjoy the adventure along the way. It's a lot to think about, I know. We can do it though. We just need to take it one step at a time
3. Where There's a Will, There's a way- I think of this saying whenever I'm struggling with something. I never like to completely give up on something. I like to look at all my options. I'll make a plan and if it doesn't work, I goto plan two. If plan two fails I go to plan three and on and on until I either work out my problem or until I get tired. If I get to tired, then I just put it out of my mind until tomorrow. Sometimes I get frustrated and I dwell on the fact that my plan didn't work. I shouldn't dwell on it too much though, because, like I said, "Where there's a will, there is a way."
4. It Always Works Out- This motto ties into motto number tree. My mom says this one all the time. Whenever I get frustrated that something isn't going right, she comes over to me and says "Don't worry Kate. It always works out." I have started to say it myself. Whenever I'm stressed out or a bind, I try to calm down and say to myself "It always works out. It usually does, and if it doesn't I'll probably end up going in a diffrent direction that I was meant to go in. Everything happens for a reason, so if didn't work out, it will probably lead to something better. It'll work out. It always does.
5. However Bad You Think You Have It, Somebody Always Has it Ten Times Worse-This one comes back to me all the tme. I am always being reminded of how much I have. I've met so many others who have diversabilities, and a lot have challenges are greater than mine. I'm thankful I am able to walk and am able to be so independent. Some people aren't as mobile as me. Some people, even without having diversabillies, have great obstacles to come over as well. Not all challenges are visible. We should always be thankful for what we have, because even if we have it really rough, we have to remember that it could always be worse.
6. I think I can. I think I can.- I believe that anything is possible. We can set our minds to do anything if we believe in ourselves. Too often, we put off doing something, because we are so certain that we can't do it. Most of the time though, we can. We may have to adapt it a little bit,or get taught to do it a different way, but we can do it. Even if it doesn't work out for us, all that matters is that wetried. Try not to be too disappointed. If you can't do one thing, just think of something else you might want to try. Trying new things will get you a long way in life. Go ahead. You can do anything if you just give it a try.
7. Don't Stop Belivin'- You have to believe. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe in happy endings, and you have to believe to others. I know for certain that I wouldn't be where I am today if my family and all of my friends hadn't belived that I would get here. There is no way that I would get to do any of the cool stuff I've done if people didn't believe in me. People who belive in me keep me believing in myself. Good things can happen. They happen all the time. You just have to be patient, be humble, and you have to BELIEVE
8. Never Give Up- You all know what I have to say about this one. You should never give up. No matter how tough a situation is, you just have to keep weathering the storm. If you are strong enough, you can overcome anything. Don't give up. You never know whats around the corner. If you keep going and conquer the barrier thats in front of you, it could lead you to yor next great adventure
So, there are some of my motto's, or favorite sayings. I try to think about them whenever I'm having tough times or I'm in a bind. I hope I gave you some words of wisdom and that they will help you trudge through any path you choose to go in. Have a great night, and talk to you soon.
Anyway, today I wanted to talk about some mottos I have that help me get through tougher times. I think they would for everybody. I try to think about these words as often as I can. Sometimes it's hard though,. Sometimes, you get so down in the dumps and you think you can't get yourself out. You should always be able to though, for there is always a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. You might have to look a little longer for it, but you will find it eventually. Here are my top eight motto's thatI use to help me find my "Pot of Gold." I hope they help you find yours as well.
1. Can I Try That?- I always like to try new things. Whenever I see someone do something that I think I could do, or that I would really like to be able to do, I get a feeling inside me that says I just have to try it to. I believe everybody should try everything at least once. If you don't try new things, than you never know what your good at. Also, if you don't try something the first time, it might be too late to try again. Then,. you'll feel bad, because you wished you did try it. I hate that feeling. So, to stop feeling that way, just try everything. It will make you feel good, and when you try it, it will make for one more thing that you can check off your bucket list
2. Life is a Highway- Living your life is like driving on a long highway. You have to keep driving, even if you don't know exactly where you'll end up. I like to think of my future as a big surprise that waiting for me at the end of the road. I have some ideas of what I want to do when I get out of high school, but I don't have any ideas set imn stone yet. I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what the rest of my life will be like. Some days that scares me, but other days, it gets me really excited. I'm excited for the unknown. I know that there will be some bumps in the roads, and twists and turns, and storms to drive though. I'll just have to be prepared for that. We all will. If we don't go through the rough spots, we might not be able to get where we want to be. We need to drive through the storms, so we can reach the sunshine at end, and we need to enjoy the adventure along the way. It's a lot to think about, I know. We can do it though. We just need to take it one step at a time
3. Where There's a Will, There's a way- I think of this saying whenever I'm struggling with something. I never like to completely give up on something. I like to look at all my options. I'll make a plan and if it doesn't work, I goto plan two. If plan two fails I go to plan three and on and on until I either work out my problem or until I get tired. If I get to tired, then I just put it out of my mind until tomorrow. Sometimes I get frustrated and I dwell on the fact that my plan didn't work. I shouldn't dwell on it too much though, because, like I said, "Where there's a will, there is a way."
4. It Always Works Out- This motto ties into motto number tree. My mom says this one all the time. Whenever I get frustrated that something isn't going right, she comes over to me and says "Don't worry Kate. It always works out." I have started to say it myself. Whenever I'm stressed out or a bind, I try to calm down and say to myself "It always works out. It usually does, and if it doesn't I'll probably end up going in a diffrent direction that I was meant to go in. Everything happens for a reason, so if didn't work out, it will probably lead to something better. It'll work out. It always does.
5. However Bad You Think You Have It, Somebody Always Has it Ten Times Worse-This one comes back to me all the tme. I am always being reminded of how much I have. I've met so many others who have diversabilities, and a lot have challenges are greater than mine. I'm thankful I am able to walk and am able to be so independent. Some people aren't as mobile as me. Some people, even without having diversabillies, have great obstacles to come over as well. Not all challenges are visible. We should always be thankful for what we have, because even if we have it really rough, we have to remember that it could always be worse.
6. I think I can. I think I can.- I believe that anything is possible. We can set our minds to do anything if we believe in ourselves. Too often, we put off doing something, because we are so certain that we can't do it. Most of the time though, we can. We may have to adapt it a little bit,or get taught to do it a different way, but we can do it. Even if it doesn't work out for us, all that matters is that wetried. Try not to be too disappointed. If you can't do one thing, just think of something else you might want to try. Trying new things will get you a long way in life. Go ahead. You can do anything if you just give it a try.
7. Don't Stop Belivin'- You have to believe. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe in happy endings, and you have to believe to others. I know for certain that I wouldn't be where I am today if my family and all of my friends hadn't belived that I would get here. There is no way that I would get to do any of the cool stuff I've done if people didn't believe in me. People who belive in me keep me believing in myself. Good things can happen. They happen all the time. You just have to be patient, be humble, and you have to BELIEVE
8. Never Give Up- You all know what I have to say about this one. You should never give up. No matter how tough a situation is, you just have to keep weathering the storm. If you are strong enough, you can overcome anything. Don't give up. You never know whats around the corner. If you keep going and conquer the barrier thats in front of you, it could lead you to yor next great adventure
So, there are some of my motto's, or favorite sayings. I try to think about them whenever I'm having tough times or I'm in a bind. I hope I gave you some words of wisdom and that they will help you trudge through any path you choose to go in. Have a great night, and talk to you soon.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
WordFest
Hello everybody! I'm back at blogging again. I had a very busy, but exciting weekend. I just got back from Word Fest, an international Writing festival held in Banff. Many authors from all over come to Banff to share their work and inspire others who are interested in writing. Every year, he writing class from D.T.S.S plans to go on a overnight field trip to go and participate in the events. I'm in writing this year, so I got to go too. As you probably know, I am quite interested in writing, so I was very excited for the trip. It's great that the writing class gets to go because all of us in there love to write and this event helped us to better our writing skills in the future. We got to talk to writers that have published books, and listen to how much work and dedication they have put into their writing. We learned a lot from all of the authors that talked to us. It was a very inspiring weekend.
We left Friday after school and returned home on Sunday. My mom accompanied me on the trip so I could have some extra help with personal care and things like that. The class would leave the school on Friday afternoon and were driven to Banff by bus. Mom and I, however, drove in our van so I could bring my chair. It was awesome having my chair there. There was a lot of walking to get to our the different venues, so I was very happy that I had it with me so I could be with everybody. We went over some pretty rough terrain and sometimes I had to find different paths that were accessible. It took a bit of extra planning but we figured out our route eventually. Everyone was very inclusive. They always would chose a way that I could go on and would take the same route as me. They were great. I'm lucky to have so many good friends!
The first night we were there, we got to go to a night club to see something called "Lit up" . I think all of us felt pretty grown up sitting in the night club with all the adults. We got to see author and poets perform and read there work. This was probably my favorite event. I loved hearing every stories. Some were really funny. There was one guy there who made up different sounds and his own language. I didn't know what to think of that. He was very good at it though. It was a fun night. It was a great way to start the weeken
The first full day of Wordfest was full of Workshops and seminars. We got to visit a real author, named Ivan Coyote and do some writing with her. She helped us work on writing about our senses and all the important things that go into a story. My mom and I sat together and got to read what each other wrote. My mom loves to write to, so she had lots of fun. Ivan was great. She really worked hard on helping us develop a story and she was funny too. We only had one seminars like that. The rest were just presentations. Everyone wanted to do more of them but we were on a busy schedule.
We got to go to another seminar called "How a Writer Should Be" There was a panel of writers that all gave us advice on how to become better writers. I thought all of them sounded extremely passionate about what they do. They all kept talking about how dedicated you have to be if you want to write books. That really got me thinking about me choosing writing as a career. It may not be the one I end up doing, but I think writing will always be a part of my life for years to come, so thearing all these tips on how to making your writing better was very helpful for me.
Later, for part two of the seminar, we got to meet a bunch of authors and listen to them read a section from their book. I felt pretty special, getting to sit there and listen to all to real authors read from books they wrote. Each author seemed to have their own style of writing, which was neat see. When they read passages, they seemed to know exactly who their characters were, and became them very well. It was awesome to get to listen to what they wrote. I think we all were very privileged to get to do that
To end our exciting weekend, one last performance was put on in a big theatre.
All the authors that were at Wordfest came on stage to read for the grand finale. It was like a poetry
Cabernet, so most of the stuff people read was poetry, but their were some short stories as well. They were all very good with words. You could tell they loved to write. Some of the stuff they said went over our heads. Neither my mom or I could quite understand it. I guess some of those authors were just too smart for us I still loved the performances though. It was a perfect grand finale to Wordfest .
The whole weekend was awesome. Everybody got to have quite a bit of free time to go shopping and out for dinner. Mom and I got to spend lots of time together, exploring Banff. Bannf is a cute little town, with lots of shops. I loved roaming around town. We got to have some great food We had big breakfasts every morning. It was the perfect weekend getaway. I definitely got inspired by the different authors we met. They opened my eyes a lot to how much work goes into writing a novel. I think if I were to be a writer, I'd really have to push myself, especially with editing my work. I'm trying to work on editing quite a bit now. It's a tricky thing to do, and I'm not the best at it, but I'm getting better. Who knows? If I work hard enough at I might get to present my work in Wordfest one day. We'll just have to wait and see!
Thank you to my teacher, Ms. Little for arranging this trip. I think everybody that went was inspired and got something out of it. I hope to go next year, as i will be in my Super grad year and I will for sure take writing again. I think all the authors showed each and every one of us that we can do anything if we just believe in ourselves and work hard at trying to achieve our goals. If you put your mind to it, any dream can come true. You just have to take things one step at a time and enjoy the adventure.
We left Friday after school and returned home on Sunday. My mom accompanied me on the trip so I could have some extra help with personal care and things like that. The class would leave the school on Friday afternoon and were driven to Banff by bus. Mom and I, however, drove in our van so I could bring my chair. It was awesome having my chair there. There was a lot of walking to get to our the different venues, so I was very happy that I had it with me so I could be with everybody. We went over some pretty rough terrain and sometimes I had to find different paths that were accessible. It took a bit of extra planning but we figured out our route eventually. Everyone was very inclusive. They always would chose a way that I could go on and would take the same route as me. They were great. I'm lucky to have so many good friends!
The first night we were there, we got to go to a night club to see something called "Lit up" . I think all of us felt pretty grown up sitting in the night club with all the adults. We got to see author and poets perform and read there work. This was probably my favorite event. I loved hearing every stories. Some were really funny. There was one guy there who made up different sounds and his own language. I didn't know what to think of that. He was very good at it though. It was a fun night. It was a great way to start the weeken
The first full day of Wordfest was full of Workshops and seminars. We got to visit a real author, named Ivan Coyote and do some writing with her. She helped us work on writing about our senses and all the important things that go into a story. My mom and I sat together and got to read what each other wrote. My mom loves to write to, so she had lots of fun. Ivan was great. She really worked hard on helping us develop a story and she was funny too. We only had one seminars like that. The rest were just presentations. Everyone wanted to do more of them but we were on a busy schedule.
We got to go to another seminar called "How a Writer Should Be" There was a panel of writers that all gave us advice on how to become better writers. I thought all of them sounded extremely passionate about what they do. They all kept talking about how dedicated you have to be if you want to write books. That really got me thinking about me choosing writing as a career. It may not be the one I end up doing, but I think writing will always be a part of my life for years to come, so thearing all these tips on how to making your writing better was very helpful for me.
Later, for part two of the seminar, we got to meet a bunch of authors and listen to them read a section from their book. I felt pretty special, getting to sit there and listen to all to real authors read from books they wrote. Each author seemed to have their own style of writing, which was neat see. When they read passages, they seemed to know exactly who their characters were, and became them very well. It was awesome to get to listen to what they wrote. I think we all were very privileged to get to do that
To end our exciting weekend, one last performance was put on in a big theatre.
All the authors that were at Wordfest came on stage to read for the grand finale. It was like a poetry
Cabernet, so most of the stuff people read was poetry, but their were some short stories as well. They were all very good with words. You could tell they loved to write. Some of the stuff they said went over our heads. Neither my mom or I could quite understand it. I guess some of those authors were just too smart for us I still loved the performances though. It was a perfect grand finale to Wordfest .
The whole weekend was awesome. Everybody got to have quite a bit of free time to go shopping and out for dinner. Mom and I got to spend lots of time together, exploring Banff. Bannf is a cute little town, with lots of shops. I loved roaming around town. We got to have some great food We had big breakfasts every morning. It was the perfect weekend getaway. I definitely got inspired by the different authors we met. They opened my eyes a lot to how much work goes into writing a novel. I think if I were to be a writer, I'd really have to push myself, especially with editing my work. I'm trying to work on editing quite a bit now. It's a tricky thing to do, and I'm not the best at it, but I'm getting better. Who knows? If I work hard enough at I might get to present my work in Wordfest one day. We'll just have to wait and see!
Thank you to my teacher, Ms. Little for arranging this trip. I think everybody that went was inspired and got something out of it. I hope to go next year, as i will be in my Super grad year and I will for sure take writing again. I think all the authors showed each and every one of us that we can do anything if we just believe in ourselves and work hard at trying to achieve our goals. If you put your mind to it, any dream can come true. You just have to take things one step at a time and enjoy the adventure.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
These are a few of my Favorite Things
Hello everybody! Happy Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's that time of year already! Our summer weather was so nice! Now, its starting to get colder! I had to wear mitts outside today. It's very disappointing when the weather starts to get colder. Nobody likes it! An up side to fall though, is when you get to watch all the different coloured leaves start falling on the ground. It's such a pretty sight. I think fall is going to be my new favorite season just because of all the preety nature I get to see..
Anyway, it will be just the four of us for thanksgiving this year, Mom, Dad, my sister Natie and me. My aunt and uncle are in Victoria visiting my cousin, and all the rest of my family is out of town, so it will be just the four of us. It will be nice though. My parents are both off work tomorrow, so were going to have a big turkey dinner. That will be fun We all have so much to be thankful for, so we should have a day where get to appreciate it all. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to do that.
Today, I am going to write a blog about my top eight favorite thing. There is a lot of things that I really like that make me happy. I'd thought I'd share them all with you.
1. My Favorite Past Time- I love spending time with my wonderful family. I love going for walks with my mom. I love going to Calgary to spend time with my grandparent's. I love spending time with my aunt that now lives in town. I just love being with family . We have a great time when we get together. We always think of fun things to do. We're all really close. It's great when the whole family is out for a extended period of time, like they were in the summer. We get to know each other again and reconnect. It's a lot of fun. Family is the one constant thing that everybody will always have in their lives. Family is what starts it all.
2. My Favorite thing that people say to me- I hate feeling like I am a burden on people. Being in a situation where I need extra help sometimes, it feels like everybody is always doing something for me, and I never get to do things for them. That's really hard sometimes. I don't like having to as for too much help, or special things. I'd rather be on the giving side than the receiving side. I get really happy, knowing that I made someone smile, or helped them feel better. I think everyone does. When people know how much they are appreciated, it makes them feel really good. Everybody needs to know when they have impacted someones life for the better. It makes them feel good inside, and the more they hear that kind of stuff, the more they will continue to help out, and make the world a better place.
3. My Favorite Way to Motivate People- I love to inspire people to have a different outlook on life. My favorite way to do that is probably by writing in this blog. I can be kind of quiet sometimes, and I don't always get my opinion out, so this blog has really helped me get my thoughts out there. My favorite thing about this blog is that I get to motivate people to not only get people to think differently about people with diversabilites, but also to get them thinking differently about their attitudes towards life as well .I don't always do my best at following my own suggestions, which I know is bad, but this blog helps me to do that as well. It helps me unravel the person I want to be in the future. Writing this blog helps me become better.
4. My Favorite Sport- I think you all know the answer to that question. It's skiing! I love skiing. I love going super fast down a hill. Skiing is such a big thrill for me. I don't get that sense of adrenaline very often, but I do when I'm racing down a ski hill. Sit skiing is special to a lot of people I know who have diversesabilities. Grace says she has never felt so free as she now does when she is skiing. Being able to ski when you have a diverseability is something that makes us all believe that anything ispossible. Like Josh Dueck calls his sit ski the freedom chair, because when he gets in it, he has no limits. He can ski anywhere they want. Sit skiing brings people the power that they thought they never had. I'm so excited for the sit ski program at Panorama to open up again. They're saying that we will have a few more skiers added to our group this year. I can't wait to get back up on the hill and shred some powder. I'm so excited. I'll be up there soon. For all my Invermere ski friends that are reading this, see you on the slopes.
5. My Favorite Place- My favorite place would p have to be Camp Winfield. I have been going there since I was six years old and have always loved it. This summer will be my last summer there, whitch will be quite sad. I have made so many great friends at Winfield and have gotten to do so many cool things. Everyone is happy at camp Winfield. They all feel like are just as capable as everyone else. I love Camp Winfield. It is a place where I get ti try new things, meet new friends, and be myself.
6. My Favorite Subject in School- My favorite subject in school has always been English. Ever since I was little I've loved stories. When I was little I either loved sitting on someones lap and getting read to, or making up my own story. As I got older, I began to write more and more. Sometimes I pretend I have my own series of books called "Kate the Great", where I make up little stories about my life. I've Co Authored a children's with Grace. I'm in a writing class now and that's helping me become a better writer. I get to practise writing with this blog. I'm writing more and more all the time. I think writing will be a part of my life for a long time. I definitely have a love for telling stories. I'm Kate the writer!
7. My Favorite Holiday- My favorite holiday would be Christmas. I love everything about
Christmas. I love it when Christmas carols start playing on the radio. I love it when all my family
comes out. I love waking up Christmas morning and seeing presents under the tree. I love it all. Christmas is such a magical time of year, especially for children. It's a time to believe in magic. It's a time to enjoy being a kid again. If there wasn't such thing as Christmas, we would forget what it's
like to be little again. We would get so caught up in our busy lives that we would no longer be
able to enjoy the little things. Christmas does many things for us. No wonder why people call it the
most wonderful time of the year.
8. My favorite thing to write about in this blog- I love it when I write funny things in my blog. I love being cheeky and sarcastic. I love being able to get a point across in a funny way. I do believe that laughter is the best medicine. It can cure anything better than a doctor could. I love being able to see the funny side of my Cerebral Palsy. This world would be a very boring place without a few jokes. Everyone should always keep laughing. It will always make you feel better when you laugh. I promise.
I have a lot of favorite things. I just like the little things in life that make you get so excited and happy. It's great when we cann look forward to experiencing our favorite things. Everyone has to have a favorite thing. You must have one. Whatever it is, I hope you get to experiece it soon.
Anyway, I wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving and a great rest of the week, and I will talk to you soon. Bye for now
Your friend, Kate
Anyway, it will be just the four of us for thanksgiving this year, Mom, Dad, my sister Natie and me. My aunt and uncle are in Victoria visiting my cousin, and all the rest of my family is out of town, so it will be just the four of us. It will be nice though. My parents are both off work tomorrow, so were going to have a big turkey dinner. That will be fun We all have so much to be thankful for, so we should have a day where get to appreciate it all. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to do that.
Today, I am going to write a blog about my top eight favorite thing. There is a lot of things that I really like that make me happy. I'd thought I'd share them all with you.
1. My Favorite Past Time- I love spending time with my wonderful family. I love going for walks with my mom. I love going to Calgary to spend time with my grandparent's. I love spending time with my aunt that now lives in town. I just love being with family . We have a great time when we get together. We always think of fun things to do. We're all really close. It's great when the whole family is out for a extended period of time, like they were in the summer. We get to know each other again and reconnect. It's a lot of fun. Family is the one constant thing that everybody will always have in their lives. Family is what starts it all.
2. My Favorite thing that people say to me- I hate feeling like I am a burden on people. Being in a situation where I need extra help sometimes, it feels like everybody is always doing something for me, and I never get to do things for them. That's really hard sometimes. I don't like having to as for too much help, or special things. I'd rather be on the giving side than the receiving side. I get really happy, knowing that I made someone smile, or helped them feel better. I think everyone does. When people know how much they are appreciated, it makes them feel really good. Everybody needs to know when they have impacted someones life for the better. It makes them feel good inside, and the more they hear that kind of stuff, the more they will continue to help out, and make the world a better place.
3. My Favorite Way to Motivate People- I love to inspire people to have a different outlook on life. My favorite way to do that is probably by writing in this blog. I can be kind of quiet sometimes, and I don't always get my opinion out, so this blog has really helped me get my thoughts out there. My favorite thing about this blog is that I get to motivate people to not only get people to think differently about people with diversabilites, but also to get them thinking differently about their attitudes towards life as well .I don't always do my best at following my own suggestions, which I know is bad, but this blog helps me to do that as well. It helps me unravel the person I want to be in the future. Writing this blog helps me become better.
4. My Favorite Sport- I think you all know the answer to that question. It's skiing! I love skiing. I love going super fast down a hill. Skiing is such a big thrill for me. I don't get that sense of adrenaline very often, but I do when I'm racing down a ski hill. Sit skiing is special to a lot of people I know who have diversesabilities. Grace says she has never felt so free as she now does when she is skiing. Being able to ski when you have a diverseability is something that makes us all believe that anything ispossible. Like Josh Dueck calls his sit ski the freedom chair, because when he gets in it, he has no limits. He can ski anywhere they want. Sit skiing brings people the power that they thought they never had. I'm so excited for the sit ski program at Panorama to open up again. They're saying that we will have a few more skiers added to our group this year. I can't wait to get back up on the hill and shred some powder. I'm so excited. I'll be up there soon. For all my Invermere ski friends that are reading this, see you on the slopes.
5. My Favorite Place- My favorite place would p have to be Camp Winfield. I have been going there since I was six years old and have always loved it. This summer will be my last summer there, whitch will be quite sad. I have made so many great friends at Winfield and have gotten to do so many cool things. Everyone is happy at camp Winfield. They all feel like are just as capable as everyone else. I love Camp Winfield. It is a place where I get ti try new things, meet new friends, and be myself.
6. My Favorite Subject in School- My favorite subject in school has always been English. Ever since I was little I've loved stories. When I was little I either loved sitting on someones lap and getting read to, or making up my own story. As I got older, I began to write more and more. Sometimes I pretend I have my own series of books called "Kate the Great", where I make up little stories about my life. I've Co Authored a children's with Grace. I'm in a writing class now and that's helping me become a better writer. I get to practise writing with this blog. I'm writing more and more all the time. I think writing will be a part of my life for a long time. I definitely have a love for telling stories. I'm Kate the writer!
7. My Favorite Holiday- My favorite holiday would be Christmas. I love everything about
Christmas. I love it when Christmas carols start playing on the radio. I love it when all my family
comes out. I love waking up Christmas morning and seeing presents under the tree. I love it all. Christmas is such a magical time of year, especially for children. It's a time to believe in magic. It's a time to enjoy being a kid again. If there wasn't such thing as Christmas, we would forget what it's
like to be little again. We would get so caught up in our busy lives that we would no longer be
able to enjoy the little things. Christmas does many things for us. No wonder why people call it the
most wonderful time of the year.
8. My favorite thing to write about in this blog- I love it when I write funny things in my blog. I love being cheeky and sarcastic. I love being able to get a point across in a funny way. I do believe that laughter is the best medicine. It can cure anything better than a doctor could. I love being able to see the funny side of my Cerebral Palsy. This world would be a very boring place without a few jokes. Everyone should always keep laughing. It will always make you feel better when you laugh. I promise.
I have a lot of favorite things. I just like the little things in life that make you get so excited and happy. It's great when we cann look forward to experiencing our favorite things. Everyone has to have a favorite thing. You must have one. Whatever it is, I hope you get to experiece it soon.
Anyway, I wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving and a great rest of the week, and I will talk to you soon. Bye for now
Your friend, Kate
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Workin Girl
Today, I started my first day of Work Experience at the local Paper! I was so excited to start! It took a while for my Work Experience teacher and I to find a placement for me. I was thrilled when we finally did though. All the work and planning is done and I finally get to start my job.
The work experience course is highschool is meant to give students an oppourtuunity to go out into the work force and pick a job that they might be intrestered in doing when they leave highschool. They pick a job that they are interested in learning about and I get to complete one hundred hours of Work Experience there. I have some of experience with writing articles for the local news paper, and some with reporting as well, so, with some help deciding, I thought working at the paper would be a perfect fit for me.
Students are expected to attend work once a week. My day to go is always on thursdays. I had a meeting at Paper, which is called the Valley Echo, at 9;00. I had planned to go in my wheelchair all by myself. I wanted to treat it like a real job, and in reality, I wouldn't have someone dropping me up off at work. That is a little less professional. There is no snow on the ground so I decided I should take advantage of the nice weather and wheel down. I left home, got a good luck hug rom my parents , and went to work.
One thing I was a bit concered about was weather or not I would be able to fit m chair in the small building or not, but that worked out perfectly.. I worked in the back room, so I just parked my chair right outside.
First, the ladies that I worked with, Renice and Nicole, sat down with me and we talked about what I would like to do at the Valley echo. Ater chatting we came up with a few good ideas One of them was for me to put copies of this blog in the paper. As I continue to write more, people are starting to know more about my blog. I am excited to put in out there a little bit more. Be ready for lots more blogs, because I have to write lots them to have something to put in the paper. We also talked about writing some articles about things that are going on around town. The last thing we discussed was the idea of me wriiting a profile once a week about someone who has a diverseability. I get to interview people in town and ask them about what their life is like, liviing with their challenges. I think tthat will be my favorite thing to write about in the the paper. There are a lot of people living in Invermere with diverseabilities. A lot of them are invisible to the eye. I would like to draw attention to the fact that people don't have to be in a wheelchair to have struggles in their lives Everyone has different struggles. We tend to forget about that and sometimes the people with the invisible diverseabilities get a little bit left behind. I think they deserve a little bit of recognition as well. What they go through isn't always easy. I hope that by doing this, I'll help some people get to be heard, and be a little bit more accepted in this town, and that the town will be just that much more diverse.
I only stayed for a half day today, being my first day at the paper. Renice and Nicole were quite busy, so they couldn't be by my side the whole time. They thought I wouldn't have very much to do, but I thought I kept quite busy, and I had fun too. Everyone that writes for the paper has to introduce themselves a bit to valley as a new writer. They do an article about each new staff member. I had to write a little introduction about myself. Then, I got to file some newspapers. I had to organized them by the date they were written. I loved doing that. The Valley Echo keeps every paper it's ever written, so if someone was in an issue a while back, and they wanted to keep it for memory sake, or to show off, they could get it from them. It was so awesome to see all the old versions of the Valley Echo. It was hard not to read them instead of work. I recognized some of the things that they talked about in the older papers.. It was really cool.
I came back to school this afternoon, with a big smile on my face. I was so excited to tell everybody about my day. It feels so great to be in the working field. I've had volunteer jobs before, but this is like getting ready for a real job. It's really important for me to be able to go to work independently. I feel like I am capable of anything when I go to work. I may have Cerebral Palsy, I can still have a job, and that feels awesome. Every time I complete a milestone like this, I get more and more independent. It feels amazing, really it does. I can live a very productive life and do the same things you can do. I just have to believe that I don't have any limitations. I can do anything!
Renice and Nicole were awesome. They didn't question what I could do at all. They just told me what I needed to do for them and left the decision to me on weather or not things were too much for me to handle. I had an awesome day. I have some work to do. I have to set up an interview with someone so I can put it in the paper. I will be pretty busy. I'm very excited to be starting at the Valley Echo. It's going to be lots of fun. Thanks to Renice and Nicole for giving me the opportunity to work with you. I had a blast
I'm glad I got to tell you about my day. I feel this job is a perfect fit for me. This is Reporter Kate Gibbs, signing out after a great first day at the office. Bye for now.
The work experience course is highschool is meant to give students an oppourtuunity to go out into the work force and pick a job that they might be intrestered in doing when they leave highschool. They pick a job that they are interested in learning about and I get to complete one hundred hours of Work Experience there. I have some of experience with writing articles for the local news paper, and some with reporting as well, so, with some help deciding, I thought working at the paper would be a perfect fit for me.
Students are expected to attend work once a week. My day to go is always on thursdays. I had a meeting at Paper, which is called the Valley Echo, at 9;00. I had planned to go in my wheelchair all by myself. I wanted to treat it like a real job, and in reality, I wouldn't have someone dropping me up off at work. That is a little less professional. There is no snow on the ground so I decided I should take advantage of the nice weather and wheel down. I left home, got a good luck hug rom my parents , and went to work.
One thing I was a bit concered about was weather or not I would be able to fit m chair in the small building or not, but that worked out perfectly.. I worked in the back room, so I just parked my chair right outside.
First, the ladies that I worked with, Renice and Nicole, sat down with me and we talked about what I would like to do at the Valley echo. Ater chatting we came up with a few good ideas One of them was for me to put copies of this blog in the paper. As I continue to write more, people are starting to know more about my blog. I am excited to put in out there a little bit more. Be ready for lots more blogs, because I have to write lots them to have something to put in the paper. We also talked about writing some articles about things that are going on around town. The last thing we discussed was the idea of me wriiting a profile once a week about someone who has a diverseability. I get to interview people in town and ask them about what their life is like, liviing with their challenges. I think tthat will be my favorite thing to write about in the the paper. There are a lot of people living in Invermere with diverseabilities. A lot of them are invisible to the eye. I would like to draw attention to the fact that people don't have to be in a wheelchair to have struggles in their lives Everyone has different struggles. We tend to forget about that and sometimes the people with the invisible diverseabilities get a little bit left behind. I think they deserve a little bit of recognition as well. What they go through isn't always easy. I hope that by doing this, I'll help some people get to be heard, and be a little bit more accepted in this town, and that the town will be just that much more diverse.
I only stayed for a half day today, being my first day at the paper. Renice and Nicole were quite busy, so they couldn't be by my side the whole time. They thought I wouldn't have very much to do, but I thought I kept quite busy, and I had fun too. Everyone that writes for the paper has to introduce themselves a bit to valley as a new writer. They do an article about each new staff member. I had to write a little introduction about myself. Then, I got to file some newspapers. I had to organized them by the date they were written. I loved doing that. The Valley Echo keeps every paper it's ever written, so if someone was in an issue a while back, and they wanted to keep it for memory sake, or to show off, they could get it from them. It was so awesome to see all the old versions of the Valley Echo. It was hard not to read them instead of work. I recognized some of the things that they talked about in the older papers.. It was really cool.
I came back to school this afternoon, with a big smile on my face. I was so excited to tell everybody about my day. It feels so great to be in the working field. I've had volunteer jobs before, but this is like getting ready for a real job. It's really important for me to be able to go to work independently. I feel like I am capable of anything when I go to work. I may have Cerebral Palsy, I can still have a job, and that feels awesome. Every time I complete a milestone like this, I get more and more independent. It feels amazing, really it does. I can live a very productive life and do the same things you can do. I just have to believe that I don't have any limitations. I can do anything!
Renice and Nicole were awesome. They didn't question what I could do at all. They just told me what I needed to do for them and left the decision to me on weather or not things were too much for me to handle. I had an awesome day. I have some work to do. I have to set up an interview with someone so I can put it in the paper. I will be pretty busy. I'm very excited to be starting at the Valley Echo. It's going to be lots of fun. Thanks to Renice and Nicole for giving me the opportunity to work with you. I had a blast
I'm glad I got to tell you about my day. I feel this job is a perfect fit for me. This is Reporter Kate Gibbs, signing out after a great first day at the office. Bye for now.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Time for Tea
I am in Cook training again this year. It is going really well. It's nice being in there round two because I know how things work and what I am capable of in the kitchen. I'm having lots of fun and I get more and more cooking experience every day.
When your in the Cook training class, sometimes you get to go on special feild trips or you get to do some catering for some special events. Today we got to hold a tea at the end of the school day for the seniors of the community to come by and visit our school and have a tea with friends. How nice!
We have to sign up to help at these events. I decided helping at the tea party would be fun so I signed up. We didn't get as many volunteers this year as we did last year, but the ones we did have worked really hard and were really keen on making the seniors happy and talking with them and getting them what they wanted. Everyone worked really well together.
I had a great time. I love social events where I get to see people I know and mingle. My job was to be the greeter and welcome people to the school and to help set up. I also got to serve some tiny sand witches. Then, of course, I had to help with the clean up, which isn't every ones favorite job but it had to be done. We were busy! We were always on the go! We had lots of fun and we had a great teamwork system going on. I love to see visitors at the school. I get along very well with all the adults in town. They are all so sweet to me so I love seeing them once in a while. I think it's great for them to come to our school and see how our cafe works. It' quite the system we have with all our local, healthy food that we cook. To have a school cafe that is run by students and serves healthy food is quite rare, so we're very lucky. The more people we teach about the cafe by having tea times like these, the better. I think all schools should have a cafe like this. It gets the students involved and it creates a healthier school day for everybody.
Anyway, all the seniors had a great time. You could see them mingling with their friends and the students and it was really nice. It's awesome that we can have activities to do like this, because we get to interact with the elderly a bit more. Their generation is not going to be around for much longer and if we don't interact with them they we won't hear their stories and we won't have anything to pass and the history of our elderly will die. We don't want that to happen. Events like these helps us stay connected.
It was a great day. Thank you to everyone at school who helped and thanks to all the seniors that came. We all had such a wonderful time. The seniors want to do it every week. We figured that was a little much for us but we're glad they enjoyed the party. Thanks to everyone that came and we hope you join us again next year for another cup of tea.
When your in the Cook training class, sometimes you get to go on special feild trips or you get to do some catering for some special events. Today we got to hold a tea at the end of the school day for the seniors of the community to come by and visit our school and have a tea with friends. How nice!
We have to sign up to help at these events. I decided helping at the tea party would be fun so I signed up. We didn't get as many volunteers this year as we did last year, but the ones we did have worked really hard and were really keen on making the seniors happy and talking with them and getting them what they wanted. Everyone worked really well together.
I had a great time. I love social events where I get to see people I know and mingle. My job was to be the greeter and welcome people to the school and to help set up. I also got to serve some tiny sand witches. Then, of course, I had to help with the clean up, which isn't every ones favorite job but it had to be done. We were busy! We were always on the go! We had lots of fun and we had a great teamwork system going on. I love to see visitors at the school. I get along very well with all the adults in town. They are all so sweet to me so I love seeing them once in a while. I think it's great for them to come to our school and see how our cafe works. It' quite the system we have with all our local, healthy food that we cook. To have a school cafe that is run by students and serves healthy food is quite rare, so we're very lucky. The more people we teach about the cafe by having tea times like these, the better. I think all schools should have a cafe like this. It gets the students involved and it creates a healthier school day for everybody.
Anyway, all the seniors had a great time. You could see them mingling with their friends and the students and it was really nice. It's awesome that we can have activities to do like this, because we get to interact with the elderly a bit more. Their generation is not going to be around for much longer and if we don't interact with them they we won't hear their stories and we won't have anything to pass and the history of our elderly will die. We don't want that to happen. Events like these helps us stay connected.
It was a great day. Thank you to everyone at school who helped and thanks to all the seniors that came. We all had such a wonderful time. The seniors want to do it every week. We figured that was a little much for us but we're glad they enjoyed the party. Thanks to everyone that came and we hope you join us again next year for another cup of tea.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Perfect in Pink
Hello! I feel like I haven't blogged for ever! I've been so busy with school and family outings. I just got back from a visit to see my grandparents in Calgary. I had a lot of fun I had to go to a dentist appointment at the Children's which wasn't so fun. The dentists poked around in my mouth and I had to stay still. It's hard for me to stay still. I think it's because of my increased tone from C.P. I don't know. My appointment went O.K though. I love coming back to the Children's Hospital.. It is a very special place for me and I want to have it as a part of my life for as long as I can. Anyway, the destist was hard, and I'm glad it's over. The rest of the time we were in Calgary we hung out with my grandparents and shopped. My aunt came for two days. We had lots of fun together and now I'm back to reality for two last days of school this week. Back to work!
Anyway, I got back last night and my sister told me that it was Pink day the next day at school, whitch is today. So I had to think quick and find a pink shirt right away. I then went to school today, wearing my Pink proudly
Pink day started in 2008, in Nova Scotia when a Grade 9 boy wore a pink shirt to school one day and got tormented for wearing a "Girl shirt" He was brutally harassed and got called homosexual for wearing the pink shirt. Two older boys saw what was going on and immediatly put a stop to it. Then ,the next day, they bought a ton of pink shirts and made everyone wear them in support of the boy that got bullied. The media found out about their brave, kind act and broad casted it all over Canada. They announced the act as the boys putting on a Pink Day to stand against all bullies. It's been going on all across Canada ever since then and has been one of the most popular ways to stand up for whats right.
So, today was our Pink day. It's not the national Pink day, but I guess it just works for us. I was very happy to see that quite a few of the students and staff wore pink. I was proud of the kids that did . It says that they will not stand for a cause such as bullying and will do anything to get it to stop. The local paper came and took a picture of everyone that was wearing pink. For the most part, my school is really good for wearing pink on Pink Day. You can really tell that they care and won't accept any kind of torture or humilation done to anyone. Pink day reflects on homophobia a lot. It's a day for people to come out and be proud of who they are and what makes them unique. Pink day isn't just for that though. The day is about sticking up for all sorts of victims that are being bullied and trys to put a stop to all the suffering bullying brings.
I totally support Pink day. I am lucky that I don't bullied very much, but I see and hear about stories on the Internet about kids that do and their awful. i get quite shocked at some of them. The question I ask myself every time I see or hear a story about bullying is why? Why would they do this? What good is it doing for the bully? Bullies always get caught in the end. Bullying is cruel and it isn't worth it. You'll only suffer in the end. I think we have to try to put ourselves in others shoes and have a bit of empathy. Every one's got a story, so be kind! Trust me, if you give kindness, you'll get it back. It's as simple as that. I hope that lots of teens that read this participated in Pink day and helped make this world a safer and happier world for everyone. Remember. Love is louder!
Anyway, I got back last night and my sister told me that it was Pink day the next day at school, whitch is today. So I had to think quick and find a pink shirt right away. I then went to school today, wearing my Pink proudly
Pink day started in 2008, in Nova Scotia when a Grade 9 boy wore a pink shirt to school one day and got tormented for wearing a "Girl shirt" He was brutally harassed and got called homosexual for wearing the pink shirt. Two older boys saw what was going on and immediatly put a stop to it. Then ,the next day, they bought a ton of pink shirts and made everyone wear them in support of the boy that got bullied. The media found out about their brave, kind act and broad casted it all over Canada. They announced the act as the boys putting on a Pink Day to stand against all bullies. It's been going on all across Canada ever since then and has been one of the most popular ways to stand up for whats right.
So, today was our Pink day. It's not the national Pink day, but I guess it just works for us. I was very happy to see that quite a few of the students and staff wore pink. I was proud of the kids that did . It says that they will not stand for a cause such as bullying and will do anything to get it to stop. The local paper came and took a picture of everyone that was wearing pink. For the most part, my school is really good for wearing pink on Pink Day. You can really tell that they care and won't accept any kind of torture or humilation done to anyone. Pink day reflects on homophobia a lot. It's a day for people to come out and be proud of who they are and what makes them unique. Pink day isn't just for that though. The day is about sticking up for all sorts of victims that are being bullied and trys to put a stop to all the suffering bullying brings.
I totally support Pink day. I am lucky that I don't bullied very much, but I see and hear about stories on the Internet about kids that do and their awful. i get quite shocked at some of them. The question I ask myself every time I see or hear a story about bullying is why? Why would they do this? What good is it doing for the bully? Bullies always get caught in the end. Bullying is cruel and it isn't worth it. You'll only suffer in the end. I think we have to try to put ourselves in others shoes and have a bit of empathy. Every one's got a story, so be kind! Trust me, if you give kindness, you'll get it back. It's as simple as that. I hope that lots of teens that read this participated in Pink day and helped make this world a safer and happier world for everyone. Remember. Love is louder!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Adaptive Sports
Has anyone been watching the summer Paralympics online? You can't see them on T.V, but you can see them on the Internet. Just go to www.youtube.com/ParalympicsportTV?feature=g-u-u. I haven't been watching it as much as I should be, but I hear about what's happening all the time. A man from our town, Jaye Miley is going to the paralympics to do cycling. He is a quadruple amputee, and was born without hands or feet. That doesn't stop him though. He has a custom made bike that he rides with. The handles have extensions on it for his arms to go in to keep him, balanced. He got sponsored by our local Bike Shop to go to the games. I haven't personally talked to him before, but I've seen him around town sometimes. . Shifting gears is done on the righthandle of the bike. He has more grip on that side. There are cleats strapped onto his prostestic leg that attach to the pedals. This young man has got it all figured out. Jaye shows us that you can do anything you want to, even go to the Paralympics, as long as you have the will and determination to see it through! He brings the little town of Invermere a lot of pride. Good luck Jaye. We'll be cheering for you
Yes, the Paralympics are very inspiring. It's a chance for people to overcome there obstacles, and show the world what they are made of. It's true that the Paralympics are not being broad casted on TV. It's not the ideal situation, but I can understand why there not on. The Paralympics are just starting to get popular now. They weren't heard of much before. Not a lot of people know about the Paralympics as much. I'm sure if the Para games keep going, the more and more coverage they will get. It might take a while to get there, but I'm sure the Paralympic will receive more and more coverage each time they happen. The other reason as to why there not , I think is because it takes so much money and effort is put into the Olympic and after the people that get everything ready and make sure it gets coverage must be exhausted. It would be tough for them to do it all over again. The paralympics might not be on T.V now, but are going to get there though. I'm Positive. There on youtube and our local paper. They have different stories about the Paralympics every so often. Paralympians are huge inspirations to people! They show people that they should never give up on there dreams and that anything is possible if you just believe!
In spirit of the Paralympic, I want to do a blog today about adaptive sports and all the stuff that people with diverseabilities can do the get active. It's amazing all the stuff that is coming out fir us to be able to do. People with diversabilities can basically do any sport that you can do. They just have a few adaptions. When I was growing up, I had no idea that I would become this involved in sports, and look at all the sporty stuff I can do now, or could possibly do in the future. Lots of different people with different abilities have been welcomed in to the world of sports It's just AMAZING!
Today I'm going to write about all the different sports that people with diversabilities can do. Some are going to be sports that I have done myself, and others are going to be sports that I've heard about. I've decided I'm not going to do top ten blogs anymore. I'm going to do top eight blogs. It'll be good to reduce the number a bit. My blogs were taking a long time to write. Tens to big a number. I like eight. Eight is my special number. I was born on January eight. I weighted eight pounds. Eight rhyme's with Kate. I like eight. I'll stick with eight. I probably won't write as much because I've blogged about these sports before, but I'll mention them again. That also might make the blog shorter. Alright. Here we go. Here are eight adaptive sports that open up a whole new world for people and show them that anything is possible if they just believe!
1. Sit- Skiing- I've talked lots about sit skiing. It's really gotten big for people with diversabilities. I think I've mentioned Josh Dueck before. He was the first one to do a back flip in a sit ski. That's incredible! He came to our school to talk to us about it. He is an inspiration to everybody. Sit skies were the first sitting positon skies made for people with lower physical limitations. There is the mono ski, which is is seat that only has one seat under it, and then there's a bi-ski with two skies under it. I use the bi-ski. Sit skiing has gotten pretty popular. It gives people freedom. In fact, Josh Dueck calls his sit ski the freedom chair, because it gives him the freedom to the sport he loves even with his challenges. For people who can't walk at all, it makes them feel free to be flying down the hill so fast Our ski program at Panorama has gotten huge. So many more people get the chance to ski now and enjoy our beautiful Panorama Ski Resort which is great. Grace's has started a program in Fernie. She is an official society now. I'd suggest sit skiing to anyone with a diveseability. They will have so much fun on the powder, and skiing will give them the power they never thought they had. I love skiing. I can't wait for the snow to fall again this year ,so I can hit the slopes again.
2. Rowing- I just wrote a blog about rowing. I've explained how adaptive rowing works so I won't get into that. I'm really enjoying going rowing with my friend Dave. I love being in the water. It's so peaceful. Everybody should get a chance to have fun in the water! That's what summer is all about. I am going rowing again tomorrow. I'm really getting into it. Mom looked up on the Internet if it is a Paralympic sport and it is. Mom's encouraging me to get stronger and train for the 2016 games. Ha ha. I guess I better start Practising. Brazil, here I come!
3. Curling- Wheelchair Curling was one of the sports I cover red when I was at the Vancouver 2010 games. I really got into it and thought it was something I could do. People wheel there chairs onto the ice. I think they have special wheels that help them on the ice. Anyway, they get on the ice, and they grab these long sticks they use to push the rock. I think I could do that. I might need a little help moving my manual chair, but I think I could do it. Special O wants to start doing some curling one day. That would be fun. I can be Kate the Curler
4. Basketball- I covered wheelchair basket ball at the Winter games in Kimberly, B.C. in 2007. I loved watching it. The athletes have special chairs that turn fast on the gym floor. Wheelchair Basketball is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Paralympics. You need ttwo teams to pay. There are twelve players on each team, but only five of them go on the court at a time. You are given twenty four seconds to make a goal. If you go over the time limit of time, than the other team gets the goal. You are given one one point for a free throw, 2 points if you get a goal at the 2 point field area goal., and three points if you get outside the three area. Wheelchair Basketball is broken up into four ten minute periods with a fifteen minute interval between the second and third interval and one minute between the firsts, seconds, thirds and fourths. If the game is tied, the players get an extra five minutes, so they can get a winner. These games can have as many periods as they need to break the tie. Wheelchair basketball was invented by a man called Ludwig Guttman. it was invented after World war two. Veterans that came back from war with no legs could participate in basketball. The sport has now become world wide. I might want to try wheelchair basketball. I wonder if I could use my electric chair. The coach of wheelchair basketball in Kimberly has Cerebral Palsy, so if he can do it than so can I. The possibilities are endless.
5. Horseback riding- I told you about my horseback riding adventure and how much I enjoyed it. I'm not scared anymore. Some people specialize in teaching horseback riding to people with diverseabities. It is excellent for people with Cerebral Palsy, because the heat on the horse relaxes the hamstring muscles, which are really tight for us. It's very good exercise. My uncles girlfriend, Karen showed me a picture of someone who goes competes in horseback riding in the Paralympics. She has no arms, but she mounts, grooms and rides her horse all by herself. I'm quite speechless about that! Wow! Talk about determination. If she can ride a horse, than I can too.
6. Wrestling- I was watching a show once, and there was a guy on there who had no arms or legs and was a wrestler. He is so good he can compete at the regular Olympics That is so cool! It goes to show that people with with diversabilities can kick butt to. I'm not sure about wrestling. I wonder what my parents would think of that. Hmmmm.....
7. Sailing- When I was in Hawaii on vacation, I met a guy who started up a adaptive Sailing program in Maui. His name is Jack Oppen. He has Cerebral Palsy. He was really into the program. There is also a adaptive sailing group in B.C. Sailing is one of the few sports that people with diversabilities and people without them can preticipate in together. That's important for us to be integrated with everyone else. it makes us feel like we stand out a little less. It brings everybody together. My uncle loves to go sailing and he wants me to come with him one day. Sailing just might be another thing i might have to add to my bucket list
8. Sledge Hickey- Grace covered this sport at the Paralympics. Athletes of Sledgehocky sit in sleds that look a bit like sit skies. They have two hockey sticks, one two help steer them and one to hit the puck with. These Hockey players play hard! Sledge hockey is just as rough as regular hockey. These guys get smacked up against the sides of the rink and everything. That amazed us when we watched it. Having a diversabiliity is no excuse for taking it easy for them. I'd like to be able to try sledgehockey! It be a fun game to play. I tried skating but I can't balance well on the ice, so regular hockey wouldn't be the sport for me, but with the sled, nothing is stopping me
Over the past few years, I've really been getting into sports. I think adaptive sports will be a part of my life for a long time. I think if we think about it long enough and hard enough, there can be adaptions to every sport. People with diverseabilities can do anything they put their minds to. That's why we want to change the name from disability to diverseability, because we can do everything that you can, we just do them diffrently We may do sports a bit differently,but we can do them. Like the wrestler said, "No Limits. No Excuses!"
Yes, the Paralympics are very inspiring. It's a chance for people to overcome there obstacles, and show the world what they are made of. It's true that the Paralympics are not being broad casted on TV. It's not the ideal situation, but I can understand why there not on. The Paralympics are just starting to get popular now. They weren't heard of much before. Not a lot of people know about the Paralympics as much. I'm sure if the Para games keep going, the more and more coverage they will get. It might take a while to get there, but I'm sure the Paralympic will receive more and more coverage each time they happen. The other reason as to why there not , I think is because it takes so much money and effort is put into the Olympic and after the people that get everything ready and make sure it gets coverage must be exhausted. It would be tough for them to do it all over again. The paralympics might not be on T.V now, but are going to get there though. I'm Positive. There on youtube and our local paper. They have different stories about the Paralympics every so often. Paralympians are huge inspirations to people! They show people that they should never give up on there dreams and that anything is possible if you just believe!
In spirit of the Paralympic, I want to do a blog today about adaptive sports and all the stuff that people with diverseabilities can do the get active. It's amazing all the stuff that is coming out fir us to be able to do. People with diversabilities can basically do any sport that you can do. They just have a few adaptions. When I was growing up, I had no idea that I would become this involved in sports, and look at all the sporty stuff I can do now, or could possibly do in the future. Lots of different people with different abilities have been welcomed in to the world of sports It's just AMAZING!
Today I'm going to write about all the different sports that people with diversabilities can do. Some are going to be sports that I have done myself, and others are going to be sports that I've heard about. I've decided I'm not going to do top ten blogs anymore. I'm going to do top eight blogs. It'll be good to reduce the number a bit. My blogs were taking a long time to write. Tens to big a number. I like eight. Eight is my special number. I was born on January eight. I weighted eight pounds. Eight rhyme's with Kate. I like eight. I'll stick with eight. I probably won't write as much because I've blogged about these sports before, but I'll mention them again. That also might make the blog shorter. Alright. Here we go. Here are eight adaptive sports that open up a whole new world for people and show them that anything is possible if they just believe!
1. Sit- Skiing- I've talked lots about sit skiing. It's really gotten big for people with diversabilities. I think I've mentioned Josh Dueck before. He was the first one to do a back flip in a sit ski. That's incredible! He came to our school to talk to us about it. He is an inspiration to everybody. Sit skies were the first sitting positon skies made for people with lower physical limitations. There is the mono ski, which is is seat that only has one seat under it, and then there's a bi-ski with two skies under it. I use the bi-ski. Sit skiing has gotten pretty popular. It gives people freedom. In fact, Josh Dueck calls his sit ski the freedom chair, because it gives him the freedom to the sport he loves even with his challenges. For people who can't walk at all, it makes them feel free to be flying down the hill so fast Our ski program at Panorama has gotten huge. So many more people get the chance to ski now and enjoy our beautiful Panorama Ski Resort which is great. Grace's has started a program in Fernie. She is an official society now. I'd suggest sit skiing to anyone with a diveseability. They will have so much fun on the powder, and skiing will give them the power they never thought they had. I love skiing. I can't wait for the snow to fall again this year ,so I can hit the slopes again.
2. Rowing- I just wrote a blog about rowing. I've explained how adaptive rowing works so I won't get into that. I'm really enjoying going rowing with my friend Dave. I love being in the water. It's so peaceful. Everybody should get a chance to have fun in the water! That's what summer is all about. I am going rowing again tomorrow. I'm really getting into it. Mom looked up on the Internet if it is a Paralympic sport and it is. Mom's encouraging me to get stronger and train for the 2016 games. Ha ha. I guess I better start Practising. Brazil, here I come!
3. Curling- Wheelchair Curling was one of the sports I cover red when I was at the Vancouver 2010 games. I really got into it and thought it was something I could do. People wheel there chairs onto the ice. I think they have special wheels that help them on the ice. Anyway, they get on the ice, and they grab these long sticks they use to push the rock. I think I could do that. I might need a little help moving my manual chair, but I think I could do it. Special O wants to start doing some curling one day. That would be fun. I can be Kate the Curler
4. Basketball- I covered wheelchair basket ball at the Winter games in Kimberly, B.C. in 2007. I loved watching it. The athletes have special chairs that turn fast on the gym floor. Wheelchair Basketball is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Paralympics. You need ttwo teams to pay. There are twelve players on each team, but only five of them go on the court at a time. You are given twenty four seconds to make a goal. If you go over the time limit of time, than the other team gets the goal. You are given one one point for a free throw, 2 points if you get a goal at the 2 point field area goal., and three points if you get outside the three area. Wheelchair Basketball is broken up into four ten minute periods with a fifteen minute interval between the second and third interval and one minute between the firsts, seconds, thirds and fourths. If the game is tied, the players get an extra five minutes, so they can get a winner. These games can have as many periods as they need to break the tie. Wheelchair basketball was invented by a man called Ludwig Guttman. it was invented after World war two. Veterans that came back from war with no legs could participate in basketball. The sport has now become world wide. I might want to try wheelchair basketball. I wonder if I could use my electric chair. The coach of wheelchair basketball in Kimberly has Cerebral Palsy, so if he can do it than so can I. The possibilities are endless.
5. Horseback riding- I told you about my horseback riding adventure and how much I enjoyed it. I'm not scared anymore. Some people specialize in teaching horseback riding to people with diverseabities. It is excellent for people with Cerebral Palsy, because the heat on the horse relaxes the hamstring muscles, which are really tight for us. It's very good exercise. My uncles girlfriend, Karen showed me a picture of someone who goes competes in horseback riding in the Paralympics. She has no arms, but she mounts, grooms and rides her horse all by herself. I'm quite speechless about that! Wow! Talk about determination. If she can ride a horse, than I can too.
6. Wrestling- I was watching a show once, and there was a guy on there who had no arms or legs and was a wrestler. He is so good he can compete at the regular Olympics That is so cool! It goes to show that people with with diversabilities can kick butt to. I'm not sure about wrestling. I wonder what my parents would think of that. Hmmmm.....
7. Sailing- When I was in Hawaii on vacation, I met a guy who started up a adaptive Sailing program in Maui. His name is Jack Oppen. He has Cerebral Palsy. He was really into the program. There is also a adaptive sailing group in B.C. Sailing is one of the few sports that people with diversabilities and people without them can preticipate in together. That's important for us to be integrated with everyone else. it makes us feel like we stand out a little less. It brings everybody together. My uncle loves to go sailing and he wants me to come with him one day. Sailing just might be another thing i might have to add to my bucket list
8. Sledge Hickey- Grace covered this sport at the Paralympics. Athletes of Sledgehocky sit in sleds that look a bit like sit skies. They have two hockey sticks, one two help steer them and one to hit the puck with. These Hockey players play hard! Sledge hockey is just as rough as regular hockey. These guys get smacked up against the sides of the rink and everything. That amazed us when we watched it. Having a diversabiliity is no excuse for taking it easy for them. I'd like to be able to try sledgehockey! It be a fun game to play. I tried skating but I can't balance well on the ice, so regular hockey wouldn't be the sport for me, but with the sled, nothing is stopping me
Over the past few years, I've really been getting into sports. I think adaptive sports will be a part of my life for a long time. I think if we think about it long enough and hard enough, there can be adaptions to every sport. People with diverseabilities can do anything they put their minds to. That's why we want to change the name from disability to diverseability, because we can do everything that you can, we just do them diffrently We may do sports a bit differently,but we can do them. Like the wrestler said, "No Limits. No Excuses!"
Saturday, September 8, 2012
C.P Stats and Facts
Hello! I survived my first week of grade twelve! It's hard to get back in to that routine of working hard and handing stuff in on time. Your always on the go. I really like the routine of school, but it can get tiring. Your just busy, busy, busy, all the time. Anyway, my first week went great. I am excited to be back and start a new year. Yesterday, we celebrated finishing the first week of school with a pancake breakfast. This happens every year. It's mainly to welcome the new grade eights to the high school and wish everyone good luck on a new school year. Teachers flip the pancakes and you all have to stand in a line to get your breakfast. It's a great breakfast. We have pancakes and fruit and sausages. It's very yummy. If you bring your own cutlery you can enter a draw to win free money to use at our cafeteria. You can get these cards with money on them to pay for lunches. The cafe at school is very popular. Everyone wants to get a gold card to eat there. Anyway, we had a great first week. Next week is a full week, so I better get rested for the long hull ahead.
My family left town this morning. We celebrated the great time we had with them this week by having a big dinner and spending time on the lake. My uncle drives a boat, so we got to go on in that for rides. I went tubing, which is my favorite water activity. I had to get used to it though. My uncle goes fast and likes to do donuts. We hit some narly waves, that for sure. The tube we rode on is a three seater. I sat in the middle, so I wouldn't fall off. My sister and her friend were on either side of me. I think I squished them from leaning on them so hard. It was a wild ride, I can tell you that much. After the tube ride, my sister tried wake boarding and water skiing. She hasn't wake boarded in a while and has never water skied before. Both were a little hard for her to get going on , but she persevered and kept trying and did it. Great job Nat! Thanks Uncle Jeff for the boat ride and the tubing. We had so much fun with my family and are sad that they have to go home today. We'll miss you guys but we're excited to have more parties with you next year!
Anyway, that's what I've been up to, school and family. Good times! Today I wanted to write another blog about Cerebral Palsy. I wanted to do a facts blog. I'm not very good at doing research and looking stuff up. Today, I thought I'd practise. I know I've given you guys a lot of information about Cerebral Palsy, but it was from my own knowledge. Today you get some actual facts! I looked up Cerebral Palsy on the Internet and this is what I got. I hope this blog makes people even more knowledgeabe about Cerebral Palsy, and it will help to make this world a more diverse and accepting place to live for all. I hope you learn something. I hope I get my facts straight and that what I say makes sense. Here goes nohin."
1. When was Cerebral Palsy Discovered?- Cerebral Palsy was discovered in 1860, by a British surgeon, William Little, who organially named it "Cerebral Paralysis." Little discovered that the condition was caused by difficulties at birth. This condition was popularized in 1867 by William osler, who changed the name too Cerebral Palsy. People started studying it, and soon a book was written to explainthe condition. Books like "The Natural history of Cerebral Palsy", by Bronson Crothers who was assisted by John W. Payne. . Then another book was written called "Orthopedic Management of Cerebral Palsy" The book gave information about Cerebral Palsy and how to manage the diversability. As Cerebral Palsy became a more poplar term, treatment was discovered to help enrich the lives of the people that live with the condition. Cerebral Palsy is still being studied today. Look how far we have come with helping Cerebral Palsy patients. I am thankful every day that I have stuff to help me that wouldn't be available to me that they didn't have in the 1800's. The world is becoming a more adaptive place for us everyday. As we study Cerebral Palsy, and other diverseabilities, more opportunities will be available to help us enrich our lives and help us do anything and everything we can possibly dream of. Imagine the Possibilities!
2. How Many People Does Cerebral palsy Affect in the World?- Cerebral palsy affects 1 in 278 children. It can effect them very severely or very mildly. I'm lucky that mine only affects me mildly and that I can do so much. There are people with Cerebral Palsy that can't walk, can't talk, and can't even feed themselves. Cerebral Palsy can effect lots of things. I'm very lucky that I have all that I have, because other people who have my condition don't.
3. Two out of Three Children with Cerebral Palsy are Cognitively impaired- I looked this up on the Internet and it said that Cerebral Palsy doesn't necessary cause cognitive delays, but it can effect someone's learning abilities. It can effect speech, reading, writing and working with numbers. I had someone come to school to test my knowledge on these things. I came out with pretty normal results for someone my age. I had a little trouble with memory and stuff, but all in all, pretty normal. Some things are hard for me like math and reading comprehension, but that might be normal. The way I speak is due to Cerebral Palsy. I have disarthric speech, whitch gives me a nasally voice and makes some sounds come out of my mouth the wrong way. I'm lucky I can talk though. Heck, sometimes I talk so much, I can't shut up. It must be hard for kids who can't advocate for themselves. I'm thankful I have a voice. I'm also thankful that I can learn. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least I'm able to learn.
4. Cerebral Palsy is the Most common Motor Disorder in Children- Having trouble with fine motor skills is very common or people with Cerebral Palsy. When I was very young, people were always commenting on my fine motor skills and how much I could do with hands. They always had me do things like beading and cutting to practise. My right hand futions perfectly, and then there's lefty, and you all know about him. The ability for a child to hold something is put into five different levels. I'll mention them.
1. Handles objects easily. Limitations for holding certain things have to do with speed and accuracy. Thee troubles don't restrict independence
2. Handle objects with less quality- Certain activities can be achieved with difficulties. Alternate ways of doing things may have to be found. This still doesn't restrict independence.
3. Handles objects with difficulty- The performance is slow and is achieved with not very much success. Tools may have to be adapted to help a child do an activity.
4. Handles a limited amount of objects in adapted situations A child performs part of an activity and it takes lots of effort. They have trouble reaching success They need lots of support or adapted equipment to help them.
5. Requires total assistance to get an object- A child can't hold an object at all.
That was a long one. The fine motor abilities differ quite vastly for a child with Cerebral Palsy. I'm lucky I can use my hands. Lefty bugs me but he's okay. At least I can grab objects for myself. It just makes me more and more independent.
5. Cerebral Palsy is the Second Most Common Diverseability After Autism- Cerebral Palsy is the most common diverseability out there, after autism. It's the most common physical diverseability. I believe that. I hear of lots stories about people who have C.P. I would say it's quite common. Cerebral Palsy affects 1 in every 500 people. It effects 35,00o people in Australia. In fact, in Australia, a child with Cerebral Palsy is born every 15 hours. It's nice for me to hear about staticsics like this. iI makes me feel like I'm not the only one and that I have it much easier than some other people with C.P. I should feel lucky and know that I'm not alone.
6. Most diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy are made in a child before they turn three- Information about a baby born with Cerebral Palsy can be found through medical history and examinations. There is not a test that can diagnose it perfectly. Cerebral Palsy can be the result of many different causes. It can be found through brain scans or blood tests. My Cerebral Palsy was caused by the lack of oxygen to my brain by the collapse of my lungs at birth. I didn't lose to much oxygen. That's why my Cerebral Palsy is not as severe. When I was first born, the doctors told my parents that I might not be able to walk, talk or eat. I might even have seizures. I pulled through and proved the doctors wrong. I might struggle with it, but I can do all that stuff! I can do so much ! I'm very lucky! My condition could be a lot worse.
7. 20% of children develop Cerebral Palsy through a brain injury at birth- Cerebral Palsy often occurs at birth. Sometimes though, the injury can happen very shortly after birth. In many scenario's, no one knows what caused it or what could have been done to prevent it. Cerebral Palsy can be caused either by the brain failing to delvop properly or when there is damage to the brain. The severity depends on the timing of when the brain injury happened. It can be caused by bleeding on the brain, or by lack of oxygen to the brain. Mine was because of lack of oxygen to the brain. . I was in rough shape when I born, but I'm not anymore! I made it through. I just came out a little different.
8. Cerebral Palsy is the most common Neurological Impairement in Childhood- Cerebral Palsy effects children neurologically. It can effect someones ability to learn like we talked about. Some people that have Cerebral Palsy can have an I.Q of 70 or less. Some kids with Cerebral Palsy can't learn like other kids. I'm lucky I can. Lots of stuff goes on in the brain when you have Cerebral Palsy. It's hard to explain all of it! Yikes! To much information!
9.. A Twin Pregnancy can result in a child having C.P- I found out today that when twins are born, one of them is twelve times more at risk to have Cerebral Palsy. A study in North California showed that Cerebral Palsy occurred twelve times per 1000 twin pregnancies. I guessed it's because they have to share so much of stuff that keeps them alive. My friend Andrea from Saskatchewan has Cerebral Palsy and she is a twin. It must be hard when two babies are born together and one of them has troubles. It must be hard growing up, but it might make you stronger in the end.
10. There are Different Degrees of Severity in Cerebral Palsy- Cerebral Palsy has quite a wide range. It can either be very mild or very severe. When I went on the Internet, it gave the percentages of children that are born with each type of Cerebral Palsy. 24.4% are born with mild C.P. 43.8% are born with a moderate C.P and 31.3% have the severe case. It's crazy how Cerebral Palsy can vary but lot of diverseabilities vary quite vastly. Once again, I'm very lucky that my C.P is quite mild. I try not to forget how lucky I am. So many things could go wrong when babies are born. What happened with me was quite scary but it could have been a lot scarier. I'm lucky I'm alive and that I can overcome my challenges and show people what I'm made of.
I hope I did well with those stats. I've been blogging for seven hours today! I'm kind of worried about that. I shouldn't do that again. Anyway, I hope learned something and that by learning about Cerebral Palsy, it can bring more awareness to Cerebral Palsy and make this world a more inclusive place for everybody!
My family left town this morning. We celebrated the great time we had with them this week by having a big dinner and spending time on the lake. My uncle drives a boat, so we got to go on in that for rides. I went tubing, which is my favorite water activity. I had to get used to it though. My uncle goes fast and likes to do donuts. We hit some narly waves, that for sure. The tube we rode on is a three seater. I sat in the middle, so I wouldn't fall off. My sister and her friend were on either side of me. I think I squished them from leaning on them so hard. It was a wild ride, I can tell you that much. After the tube ride, my sister tried wake boarding and water skiing. She hasn't wake boarded in a while and has never water skied before. Both were a little hard for her to get going on , but she persevered and kept trying and did it. Great job Nat! Thanks Uncle Jeff for the boat ride and the tubing. We had so much fun with my family and are sad that they have to go home today. We'll miss you guys but we're excited to have more parties with you next year!
Anyway, that's what I've been up to, school and family. Good times! Today I wanted to write another blog about Cerebral Palsy. I wanted to do a facts blog. I'm not very good at doing research and looking stuff up. Today, I thought I'd practise. I know I've given you guys a lot of information about Cerebral Palsy, but it was from my own knowledge. Today you get some actual facts! I looked up Cerebral Palsy on the Internet and this is what I got. I hope this blog makes people even more knowledgeabe about Cerebral Palsy, and it will help to make this world a more diverse and accepting place to live for all. I hope you learn something. I hope I get my facts straight and that what I say makes sense. Here goes nohin."
1. When was Cerebral Palsy Discovered?- Cerebral Palsy was discovered in 1860, by a British surgeon, William Little, who organially named it "Cerebral Paralysis." Little discovered that the condition was caused by difficulties at birth. This condition was popularized in 1867 by William osler, who changed the name too Cerebral Palsy. People started studying it, and soon a book was written to explainthe condition. Books like "The Natural history of Cerebral Palsy", by Bronson Crothers who was assisted by John W. Payne. . Then another book was written called "Orthopedic Management of Cerebral Palsy" The book gave information about Cerebral Palsy and how to manage the diversability. As Cerebral Palsy became a more poplar term, treatment was discovered to help enrich the lives of the people that live with the condition. Cerebral Palsy is still being studied today. Look how far we have come with helping Cerebral Palsy patients. I am thankful every day that I have stuff to help me that wouldn't be available to me that they didn't have in the 1800's. The world is becoming a more adaptive place for us everyday. As we study Cerebral Palsy, and other diverseabilities, more opportunities will be available to help us enrich our lives and help us do anything and everything we can possibly dream of. Imagine the Possibilities!
2. How Many People Does Cerebral palsy Affect in the World?- Cerebral palsy affects 1 in 278 children. It can effect them very severely or very mildly. I'm lucky that mine only affects me mildly and that I can do so much. There are people with Cerebral Palsy that can't walk, can't talk, and can't even feed themselves. Cerebral Palsy can effect lots of things. I'm very lucky that I have all that I have, because other people who have my condition don't.
3. Two out of Three Children with Cerebral Palsy are Cognitively impaired- I looked this up on the Internet and it said that Cerebral Palsy doesn't necessary cause cognitive delays, but it can effect someone's learning abilities. It can effect speech, reading, writing and working with numbers. I had someone come to school to test my knowledge on these things. I came out with pretty normal results for someone my age. I had a little trouble with memory and stuff, but all in all, pretty normal. Some things are hard for me like math and reading comprehension, but that might be normal. The way I speak is due to Cerebral Palsy. I have disarthric speech, whitch gives me a nasally voice and makes some sounds come out of my mouth the wrong way. I'm lucky I can talk though. Heck, sometimes I talk so much, I can't shut up. It must be hard for kids who can't advocate for themselves. I'm thankful I have a voice. I'm also thankful that I can learn. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least I'm able to learn.
4. Cerebral Palsy is the Most common Motor Disorder in Children- Having trouble with fine motor skills is very common or people with Cerebral Palsy. When I was very young, people were always commenting on my fine motor skills and how much I could do with hands. They always had me do things like beading and cutting to practise. My right hand futions perfectly, and then there's lefty, and you all know about him. The ability for a child to hold something is put into five different levels. I'll mention them.
1. Handles objects easily. Limitations for holding certain things have to do with speed and accuracy. Thee troubles don't restrict independence
2. Handle objects with less quality- Certain activities can be achieved with difficulties. Alternate ways of doing things may have to be found. This still doesn't restrict independence.
3. Handles objects with difficulty- The performance is slow and is achieved with not very much success. Tools may have to be adapted to help a child do an activity.
4. Handles a limited amount of objects in adapted situations A child performs part of an activity and it takes lots of effort. They have trouble reaching success They need lots of support or adapted equipment to help them.
5. Requires total assistance to get an object- A child can't hold an object at all.
That was a long one. The fine motor abilities differ quite vastly for a child with Cerebral Palsy. I'm lucky I can use my hands. Lefty bugs me but he's okay. At least I can grab objects for myself. It just makes me more and more independent.
5. Cerebral Palsy is the Second Most Common Diverseability After Autism- Cerebral Palsy is the most common diverseability out there, after autism. It's the most common physical diverseability. I believe that. I hear of lots stories about people who have C.P. I would say it's quite common. Cerebral Palsy affects 1 in every 500 people. It effects 35,00o people in Australia. In fact, in Australia, a child with Cerebral Palsy is born every 15 hours. It's nice for me to hear about staticsics like this. iI makes me feel like I'm not the only one and that I have it much easier than some other people with C.P. I should feel lucky and know that I'm not alone.
6. Most diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy are made in a child before they turn three- Information about a baby born with Cerebral Palsy can be found through medical history and examinations. There is not a test that can diagnose it perfectly. Cerebral Palsy can be the result of many different causes. It can be found through brain scans or blood tests. My Cerebral Palsy was caused by the lack of oxygen to my brain by the collapse of my lungs at birth. I didn't lose to much oxygen. That's why my Cerebral Palsy is not as severe. When I was first born, the doctors told my parents that I might not be able to walk, talk or eat. I might even have seizures. I pulled through and proved the doctors wrong. I might struggle with it, but I can do all that stuff! I can do so much ! I'm very lucky! My condition could be a lot worse.
7. 20% of children develop Cerebral Palsy through a brain injury at birth- Cerebral Palsy often occurs at birth. Sometimes though, the injury can happen very shortly after birth. In many scenario's, no one knows what caused it or what could have been done to prevent it. Cerebral Palsy can be caused either by the brain failing to delvop properly or when there is damage to the brain. The severity depends on the timing of when the brain injury happened. It can be caused by bleeding on the brain, or by lack of oxygen to the brain. Mine was because of lack of oxygen to the brain. . I was in rough shape when I born, but I'm not anymore! I made it through. I just came out a little different.
8. Cerebral Palsy is the most common Neurological Impairement in Childhood- Cerebral Palsy effects children neurologically. It can effect someones ability to learn like we talked about. Some people that have Cerebral Palsy can have an I.Q of 70 or less. Some kids with Cerebral Palsy can't learn like other kids. I'm lucky I can. Lots of stuff goes on in the brain when you have Cerebral Palsy. It's hard to explain all of it! Yikes! To much information!
9.. A Twin Pregnancy can result in a child having C.P- I found out today that when twins are born, one of them is twelve times more at risk to have Cerebral Palsy. A study in North California showed that Cerebral Palsy occurred twelve times per 1000 twin pregnancies. I guessed it's because they have to share so much of stuff that keeps them alive. My friend Andrea from Saskatchewan has Cerebral Palsy and she is a twin. It must be hard when two babies are born together and one of them has troubles. It must be hard growing up, but it might make you stronger in the end.
10. There are Different Degrees of Severity in Cerebral Palsy- Cerebral Palsy has quite a wide range. It can either be very mild or very severe. When I went on the Internet, it gave the percentages of children that are born with each type of Cerebral Palsy. 24.4% are born with mild C.P. 43.8% are born with a moderate C.P and 31.3% have the severe case. It's crazy how Cerebral Palsy can vary but lot of diverseabilities vary quite vastly. Once again, I'm very lucky that my C.P is quite mild. I try not to forget how lucky I am. So many things could go wrong when babies are born. What happened with me was quite scary but it could have been a lot scarier. I'm lucky I'm alive and that I can overcome my challenges and show people what I'm made of.
I hope I did well with those stats. I've been blogging for seven hours today! I'm kind of worried about that. I shouldn't do that again. Anyway, I hope learned something and that by learning about Cerebral Palsy, it can bring more awareness to Cerebral Palsy and make this world a more inclusive place for everybody!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Row Row Row Your Boat
Well, summer is out and school is in. I started garde twelve yesterday. When your in grade 12, you get back into the school routine real quick with assignments and homework and everything. I had homework on the first day. I tell ya, there is definitely no rest for the grade twelve students. I'm excited to be back at school. I like getting back into routine and always having something to do. I was looking forward to starting school, but I was a little bit in denial about going into grade 12. That's just way to old! I want to be a kid forever. I'm almost an adult Legally, I'm a still a child though. Your not an adult until your eighteen. That's the law and I'm stickin' to it! Anyway, school has been great so far. I'm taking some great courses. This term, I'm taking an extra writing course, aside from English. I love to write so I'm excited about the class. I have my regular English class next term, so I get to write all year,whitch is awesome! I'm also in Work Experience this year. We get to go into town, and find diffrent places to work. The point is to see what we might want to do as a job after we graduate. I'm have a couple of jobs lined up. There is a lot of paper work we have to do to get started. I'm excited to be in the working force. I plan to blog all about it. School is looking great. Like I said, it will be an exciting year. I'm ready for it!
I always like to give you a bit of back round information about what I've been up to lately, bore i start my actual blog. I always have so much to say. It takes a while for me to get on the actual topic of the blog. Anyway, today I wanted to talk about my rowing adventure that I went on yesterday and the day before. You might remember me talking about rowing when I wrote my Rick Hansen Blog. My friend Dave from skiing had an adaptive rowboat on display. He has taken an adaptive rowing coarse and wants to get a program going. This adaptive boat is just like a normal rowboat except it has big fenders at the side to help it balance. I like that it can stay still while I get in. I just learned about what the boat did that day.. I learned more about rowing when I went out with Dave yesterday. I also looked up Adaptive rowing on the Internet to give you a bit more information. The technical name for adaptive rowing is called Sculling. Sculling can be enjoyed many diffrent people with many different abilities. Adaptive rowing has been around for twenty years. It' even an olympic sport. People really enjoy this sport It is just one more thing that gives people with diversabilities one more thing that they can say they can do. It includes them in the world of sports and makes them feel like they can do anything. An adaptive rowboat is just like a normal rowboat with a few adaptions. In rowboats, the seats you sit on, move back and forth as you row. This seat stays still to help the person who has the diversability with stability. I like this part. I've been in a canoe before and I am quite nervous about the tipping, so knowing that this boat will stay still is a bit more comforting for me. The row bat is a two seater. The seat in the front is the adapted seat and the seat inthe back is a normal rowing seat. Yesterday, Dave sat in the normal seat and gaveinstructions to me in the adaptive seat . This adaptive rowboat is quite the contraption. It's amazing what people come up with to help people with diversabilities .
Dave and I had been wanting to go rowing together ever slice Dave showed me the rowboat at the Rick Hansen Celebration, and we've finally organized something. On Monday, Vince, another friend from skiing that also helps with the rowing, came to my house and asked if I would be interested in coming out rowing with him and Dave that afternoon. I was excited. I've been thinking about rowing one day, so I was happy to get to try it. Our family is out visiting, so they came out with us. We took my uncle's boat to the local beach in town. That was fun. We haven't been in it for a long time so it was nice to get it out. I love that my family could all be there to see me try something new.
When we got to the beach, Dave and Vince were very excited to get rowing. The two strong men got the boat out themselves. They were all ready to go. They were awesome! Before I got into the boat, Dave gave me some instruction on how to row. There are a lot of steps to it. It's quite the process He told me the basics and then I got in the boat and tried it out. It took quite a bit of practise. I had to have Dave tell me how to do things over and over again. I loved it though. I loved going fast! It's such a great feeling. We rowed for an hour and a half. The first day was good to get the technique down. The second day, I learned some more techniques, like learning how to steer. I also got to use both hands. Lefty cooperated whith was awesome!. I learned some different moves. I was rowing for two hours that day. I had a lot of fun. We really lucked out with the weather. It was a beautiful day and there wasn't a breeze on the water the first day. It was perfect for rowing., The second day there was a little breeze but it was still very nice out. I am going to go out again next Tuesday. I'm excited to be back on the water, rowing away.
Thank you Dave and Vince for the awesome time. You were so great at getting everything ready to go. You were very enthusiastic about me trying rowing for the first time. You were patient with me while I was learning how to row. You were great. You made rowing for me one more thing I can do. Rowing is just I am able to do in my world of possibilities
I had a great time rowing. I can't wait to go again. Dave said that they have got a whole team together and I could go with them. I'm excited to do that. I think I've found my new sport. Watch out Summer Paralympics. Here I come!
I always like to give you a bit of back round information about what I've been up to lately, bore i start my actual blog. I always have so much to say. It takes a while for me to get on the actual topic of the blog. Anyway, today I wanted to talk about my rowing adventure that I went on yesterday and the day before. You might remember me talking about rowing when I wrote my Rick Hansen Blog. My friend Dave from skiing had an adaptive rowboat on display. He has taken an adaptive rowing coarse and wants to get a program going. This adaptive boat is just like a normal rowboat except it has big fenders at the side to help it balance. I like that it can stay still while I get in. I just learned about what the boat did that day.. I learned more about rowing when I went out with Dave yesterday. I also looked up Adaptive rowing on the Internet to give you a bit more information. The technical name for adaptive rowing is called Sculling. Sculling can be enjoyed many diffrent people with many different abilities. Adaptive rowing has been around for twenty years. It' even an olympic sport. People really enjoy this sport It is just one more thing that gives people with diversabilities one more thing that they can say they can do. It includes them in the world of sports and makes them feel like they can do anything. An adaptive rowboat is just like a normal rowboat with a few adaptions. In rowboats, the seats you sit on, move back and forth as you row. This seat stays still to help the person who has the diversability with stability. I like this part. I've been in a canoe before and I am quite nervous about the tipping, so knowing that this boat will stay still is a bit more comforting for me. The row bat is a two seater. The seat in the front is the adapted seat and the seat inthe back is a normal rowing seat. Yesterday, Dave sat in the normal seat and gaveinstructions to me in the adaptive seat . This adaptive rowboat is quite the contraption. It's amazing what people come up with to help people with diversabilities .
Dave and I had been wanting to go rowing together ever slice Dave showed me the rowboat at the Rick Hansen Celebration, and we've finally organized something. On Monday, Vince, another friend from skiing that also helps with the rowing, came to my house and asked if I would be interested in coming out rowing with him and Dave that afternoon. I was excited. I've been thinking about rowing one day, so I was happy to get to try it. Our family is out visiting, so they came out with us. We took my uncle's boat to the local beach in town. That was fun. We haven't been in it for a long time so it was nice to get it out. I love that my family could all be there to see me try something new.
When we got to the beach, Dave and Vince were very excited to get rowing. The two strong men got the boat out themselves. They were all ready to go. They were awesome! Before I got into the boat, Dave gave me some instruction on how to row. There are a lot of steps to it. It's quite the process He told me the basics and then I got in the boat and tried it out. It took quite a bit of practise. I had to have Dave tell me how to do things over and over again. I loved it though. I loved going fast! It's such a great feeling. We rowed for an hour and a half. The first day was good to get the technique down. The second day, I learned some more techniques, like learning how to steer. I also got to use both hands. Lefty cooperated whith was awesome!. I learned some different moves. I was rowing for two hours that day. I had a lot of fun. We really lucked out with the weather. It was a beautiful day and there wasn't a breeze on the water the first day. It was perfect for rowing., The second day there was a little breeze but it was still very nice out. I am going to go out again next Tuesday. I'm excited to be back on the water, rowing away.
Thank you Dave and Vince for the awesome time. You were so great at getting everything ready to go. You were very enthusiastic about me trying rowing for the first time. You were patient with me while I was learning how to row. You were great. You made rowing for me one more thing I can do. Rowing is just I am able to do in my world of possibilities
I had a great time rowing. I can't wait to go again. Dave said that they have got a whole team together and I could go with them. I'm excited to do that. I think I've found my new sport. Watch out Summer Paralympics. Here I come!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Greywolf Golf Tournament for A.C.E
For my last blog of the summer, I thought I'd wrap up a great holiday, blogging about my trip to the Greywolf Golf course for the 9th annual Cliffhanger Shootout. Greywolf Golf course, part of majestic Panorama Ski Resort, holds a golf tournament every year as a fundraiser for a variety of organizations. Last year they had one for the Adapted Ski Program at Panorama and this year it is for the ACE (Access in the Community for Everyone). People get to come up and golf at the sixth hole of the course, known as the Cliffhanger Challenge. This hole is on a big cliff, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the course. Going to these events and getting to see the view from this cliff, really makes you appreciate the gorgeous place we live in. This "Cliffhanger Challenge" spot on Greywolf got ranked as one of the top ten best golf courses in Canada, as well as one of the top hundred best in the world. We're very lucky to have a breathtaking place in the valley like this to come golf at.
Like I said, these annual Golf tournaments that the Greywolf Golf course has is a fundraiser for different organizations, like A.C.E. The people that were playing golf at Greywolf automatically got entered in the shootout Charity event to raise money for A.C.E. They were helping us raise money for different things we could do to make this town more accessible. The people that golfed were very willing to help, and they got something out of it too. Everyone that played the usual eighteen holes of a golf tournament would win a prize if they won. If someone got a hole in one, they would win 100 thousand dollars. If no one got a hole in one, the player that had their ball closet to the pin would win a really nice putter, so they can keep on practising.
My mom and I were only at Greywolf for the morning shift. A.C.E wanted people from the group there to taking turns sitting at the hole. We were there with a couple other people from the A.C.E committee advertising for A.C. E. I only did my shift for a few hours. I didn't see any holes in one, but I saw some pretty good shots. You could tell the people there liked to golf, because they sure did well. Everyone had to be really quiet while someone was taking a shot, so they could focus. Sometimes I would be talking to someone, and the manager of the course would come up and say that I had to be quiet. Ha ha. I hope I do better with that next time
So, yes, myself and a couple others were at Greywolf, raising money for A.C.E. We set up two chairs and a table with a bulletin board on it with a collage of pictures of things that A.C.E does. The board had pictures of me skiing and on a wheelchair accessibility trail A.C.E opened up a couple years ago. I felt very honoured to be recognized like that. These pictures showed people how inclusive this town could be with a little awareness. We just let people golf, and when they came up to look at the board, we would give them information and answer any questions they had. I talked a lot about my sit ski program. I think talking about how much I love that program helped promote Panorama a bit, which is what everyone wants to come out of this golf tournament as well. The people that golfed there were very generous and wanted to talk to us about A..C.E, and about the sit skiing program. It was just like last year with the amount of really nice people that wanted to help. It was really sweet that people appreciated us and our cause. One person that I got to talk to was Rick Jensen, the President and CEO of Panorama Mountain Village. I was very honoured to meet him. He was very nice. He wanted to know lots about A.C.E and the sit ski program. We also met my Mom's grade three teacher. Mom was really excited to see her. It was a great day for socializing and it was awesome that the people that golfed that day were keen to help us make this town a more inclusive place for everybody
We were pretty lucky to be sitting on this Cliffhanger Challenge hole. We had our own chef up on the hill making us snacks. We were treated very well. It doesn't get much better than sitting on the 6th hole overlooking such an amazing view. It was a beautiful day. It was a little breezy at first. The breeze was like a hint of fall coming, in the crisp summer air. We dressed a little bit warmer than we are used to dressing. Later in the morning though, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. You
can't complain much when your given such beautiful scenery to look over, and we were sure given that!
We had a fun morning. I like doing little things like this. Its a great way to spread some awareness, and get some socialization and fresh air in as well. Thank you to the A.C.E committee for inviting me and setting up the fundraiser, and thank you to all the golfer who donated to our cause. Your helping us making this town an even better place to live for all!
Like I said, these annual Golf tournaments that the Greywolf Golf course has is a fundraiser for different organizations, like A.C.E. The people that were playing golf at Greywolf automatically got entered in the shootout Charity event to raise money for A.C.E. They were helping us raise money for different things we could do to make this town more accessible. The people that golfed were very willing to help, and they got something out of it too. Everyone that played the usual eighteen holes of a golf tournament would win a prize if they won. If someone got a hole in one, they would win 100 thousand dollars. If no one got a hole in one, the player that had their ball closet to the pin would win a really nice putter, so they can keep on practising.
My mom and I were only at Greywolf for the morning shift. A.C.E wanted people from the group there to taking turns sitting at the hole. We were there with a couple other people from the A.C.E committee advertising for A.C. E. I only did my shift for a few hours. I didn't see any holes in one, but I saw some pretty good shots. You could tell the people there liked to golf, because they sure did well. Everyone had to be really quiet while someone was taking a shot, so they could focus. Sometimes I would be talking to someone, and the manager of the course would come up and say that I had to be quiet. Ha ha. I hope I do better with that next time
So, yes, myself and a couple others were at Greywolf, raising money for A.C.E. We set up two chairs and a table with a bulletin board on it with a collage of pictures of things that A.C.E does. The board had pictures of me skiing and on a wheelchair accessibility trail A.C.E opened up a couple years ago. I felt very honoured to be recognized like that. These pictures showed people how inclusive this town could be with a little awareness. We just let people golf, and when they came up to look at the board, we would give them information and answer any questions they had. I talked a lot about my sit ski program. I think talking about how much I love that program helped promote Panorama a bit, which is what everyone wants to come out of this golf tournament as well. The people that golfed there were very generous and wanted to talk to us about A..C.E, and about the sit skiing program. It was just like last year with the amount of really nice people that wanted to help. It was really sweet that people appreciated us and our cause. One person that I got to talk to was Rick Jensen, the President and CEO of Panorama Mountain Village. I was very honoured to meet him. He was very nice. He wanted to know lots about A.C.E and the sit ski program. We also met my Mom's grade three teacher. Mom was really excited to see her. It was a great day for socializing and it was awesome that the people that golfed that day were keen to help us make this town a more inclusive place for everybody
We were pretty lucky to be sitting on this Cliffhanger Challenge hole. We had our own chef up on the hill making us snacks. We were treated very well. It doesn't get much better than sitting on the 6th hole overlooking such an amazing view. It was a beautiful day. It was a little breezy at first. The breeze was like a hint of fall coming, in the crisp summer air. We dressed a little bit warmer than we are used to dressing. Later in the morning though, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. You
can't complain much when your given such beautiful scenery to look over, and we were sure given that!
We had a fun morning. I like doing little things like this. Its a great way to spread some awareness, and get some socialization and fresh air in as well. Thank you to the A.C.E committee for inviting me and setting up the fundraiser, and thank you to all the golfer who donated to our cause. Your helping us making this town an even better place to live for all!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Time for School
Hello everybody! It's been a couple days since my last blog. I've busy with outings and paperwork and stuff like that. I had to write this big letter about my summer with my friend Patti. We had a busy summer, so it was a long letter. It was five pages! I've also been busy with appointments with friends. My grandparents and my uncle and his girlfriend came yesterday to the valley. They are going to stay for a week. My grandparents don't get out as often as they used to, so it's great they hem out this time. Also, I haven't seen my uncle and his girlfriend for a while, so it's nice to see them too. This week will be a week of some nice family time.
My plan is to do a blog today and tomorrow. After that, I probably won't blog as much because school will keep me pretty busy. I'll still blog on the weekends and when exciting stuff happens, but not much other than that. I'm excited to get back to school. I'll be glad to get back into routine. Grade twelve will be an exciting year. I'll be an adult almost. That's scary. Grade 12s get to do lots of cool stuff though, so participating in the event that they do will be fun It will possibly be my last year at school. I might take an extra year and be what's called a Super Grad. I'm looking into doing that just because I might not be ready to leave home by the time I graduate. I can also take some extra courses that I didn't have time to do in my regular school years. It's great that I to leave my options open. The next couple years will be very exciting. I'm anxious to see what new adventures await me.
For this blog, I wanted to give kids with diversabilities some ideas of school supplies to get to make things easier for them in school. I've been given lots of special equipment to make my school years easier. Sometimes I wish I didn't need all the stuff I have, and I could function like the other kids do with the basic things that they have for school supplies. However, I am very thankful for all the stuff I've been given by all my helpers. The tools they give me just make me more efficient and make school go smoother for me. Today, I'm going to talk about some stuff that I used in school that made it easier for me. It might give you some ideas for making your school day run smoother. If you have a diverseability like me and are struggling with doing simple tasks at school, hopefully reading this blog will give you some ideas to make school cool for you.
1. Computer- I've been using a computer since I was in grade three. It takes a while for me to write and use a little bit more of my energy ,so a computer is more efficient for me to use and it doesn't tire me out as much. I still love to write with a pen. I write my own notes with a pen because the hand coordination helps me remember what I'm writing. I use the computer for writing stories and essays and all the longer bits of writing . It's much faster for me and it's really good for English class. Everybody will be using computers in University or College, so it's giving me a head start on that. Set B.C has really spoiled me with all the cool technology I get to try that is on loan from them, and all the trips I get to go on with them. I'm very lucky. Computers are great. The amount of technology they have out there now to help people with diversabilities is amazing. I'd suggest looking into computer for all sorts of kids with all sorts of diverseabilities. They might make their school days a lot easier.There are computers that can talk for people that are non verbal. How cool is that? Computers and technology opens up a world of possibilities for us. The more technology like this that comes out, the closer will be to living in a world with no limits for us, and that's how we should think about things we want to do. There are no limits. None.
2. Desk- When I was in grade four, I got a desk that was specially designed for me. I had an easel that could go up and down. I could put my paper on there. With the table propped up, I couldn't slouch over as much. I wouldn't be easier on my back. The easel had little hinges on the back so the height was adjustable. I would do my writing there. I also a had longer table at the side that I could use my computer at and eat lunch at . I felt like an important buisness woman. I had a spinney chair with wheels so it would be easier for me to get in and out of my seat. The whole desk set up was made by an organization called Sunnyhill in Vancouver. It makes the main equipment that kids with diverseabilities need, like wheelchairs and stuff. This desk was very handy for me. It helped a lot with organization and made it easier for me because I didn't have to move around so much I don't have it anymore, but I kind of like sitting at a regular desk and being the same height as all the other kids. I usually take up two desks because I can organize my stuff easier that way. I'd recommend the special type of desk I had to kids like me. It helps with spacial stuff and just makes things simpler. So, if you ever get a chance to have one of these made for you, take it!
3. Foot board- My legs are quite tight because of Cerebral Palsy. Due to the tightness, they are up in the air. I guess when they are moving around like that all time it gets tiring. Having a foot boards gives me something to rest my feet on. Also, it reminds me to try and keep my feet down so I don't kick anybody. In my high school, there is a wood working class that kids take as an elective. They make things out of wood. They have made me a couple of these as a project for them. That was very nice. I wrote them a thank you letter. My school is great for getting me what I need They help me out a lot. I'd suggest these boards to kids with Cerebral Palsy, who have tight muscles. Just like how kids with Autism use those special balance disks to sit on so they can feel comfortable sitting for a long period of time, these boards will help you feel comfortable, and that will make the school day go much smoother
4. Book stand- The woodworking class made one of these for me as well. I have a couple of these, as well as a couple of foot boards, in each class. That way I don't have to carry them around with me to every class These book stands are great. I put them on my desk and lay my textbooks on them. I would suggest this to anyone who has glasses or vision problems. They make it easier on your back because your not bending over. so much to see the text onm the book. Sometimes, I grab my book off the stand to look at it more closely. I have to practise keeping it on the board though. I have two textbooks. I keep on at home so I don't have to pack one back and forth from school to home. That is much easier onme. Anyway, small things like foot boards and book stands help a lot with comfort, which is important. Your only happy if your comfy.
5. Bag- The first few years of high school, I really struggled with carrying my school books to and from classes. I would get have way down the hall and drop them. My helpers and tried all different sorts of bags to put my stuff in. We were always experimenting. Then, when my aide from laird came to the high school, she got an idea to make me a big bag out of jeans. She's a great sewer and she is always thinking. The bag has helped me a lot. Again, it's a great organizer. I just grab it and go. Sheila made little compartments out of the back pockets for pens and stuff. It's very convenient. I alsouse it as a backpack to bring homework home. It gets a lot of use out of it. Everyone should have a bag like this. Everything is right there. How handy is that?
6. Thicker Pens- When I was little, Occupational Therapists always wanted me to try holding pencils, or pens that had a rubber grip on them. They help kids that struggle with fine motor skills hold writing utensils properly. It is a rubber grip that has holes in it for the pencil to go through.. I think they are ones specially for left handed and right handed people. It shows where each finger goes. It's a great learning tool for little kids learning to print. I don't use them anymore though. I try and buy thick pens so I can grip onto them easier. I like the ones with rubber ends built into them. Good pens are nice. They affect your whole writing experience.
7. Lunch Hook- Another idea from my smart helper Sheila, was a hook attached to my desk to hold my lunch. This was decided was when I was in Elementary School. The kids had lockers that they would go and get there lunches from. Sheila would always grab mine so I wouldn't have to walk through the crowds and I could get to eating my lunch faster. I like being able to do things by myself though, so we developed the hook plan. I could just grab my lunch from the hook attached to my desk, and flip it on my desk and I could eat my lunch. Easy Peesy.
8. Box For Crayons- Isn't it exciting to buy a new box of crayons? You buy the box and you open it and smell the fresh new smell of crayons. None are broken. There all brand spankin' new. It's wonderful. I love using new crayons. However, sometimes it's hard to grab them out of the box because they're all squished together in there. So, a couple days after school start, my aide dumps all the crayons into this white boring box. Ha ha. It's not that bad. It makes it a lot easier for me to grab the crayons. I can grab the crayons so quick and colour away. It makes it more relaxing. I guess these boxes have some good uses after all.
9. Kindle- Lots of people have switched over from reading books to reading kindles. I'm one of those people. I thought I wouldn't like it. I love the feeling of holding a book and didn't want to give that up. Lefty wrecks the pages of books though, so I guess I kind of have to go with the Kindle. I've gotten used to it. I like how you just flip the pages with a button on the side. You can buy books directly on the kindle through Amazon. You have to have an account and use a Visa card. I use mom's so I have to tell her when I buy a book. We've narrowed it down to one a month. I got this kindle from SET B.C. Kathy, my SET B.C consultant downloaded some books on there for me at first and sshowed me how to do it. Then I learnt how to do it for myself. I'm really enjoying my kindle. I'd recommend it to all kids, especially kids with diversabilities. It might get them into reading more, which is pleasure everyone should be able to enjoy.
10. Binder- I have trouble opening binders. You have to use both hands to get the rings to open. Two years ago, I got a special binder. It opens up without any straps and to get the rings open, you just have to push a button at the end. It's much easier for me. I can get paper in and out of the binder myself now, which is great. I'd recommend these binders. I think you can bu y them at Staples. They are very efficient and user friendly.
I hope I gave you some ideas for some school supplies ideas. I know it's really close to the first day of school and you have probably got all of your supplies already, but these are just some extra ideas. Most of these things, I didn't even realize I needed. Someone would suggest it to me and it would sound like a good idea. Anyway, I hope some of the supplies I mentioned here helps you out in school, and that you have a great year!
My plan is to do a blog today and tomorrow. After that, I probably won't blog as much because school will keep me pretty busy. I'll still blog on the weekends and when exciting stuff happens, but not much other than that. I'm excited to get back to school. I'll be glad to get back into routine. Grade twelve will be an exciting year. I'll be an adult almost. That's scary. Grade 12s get to do lots of cool stuff though, so participating in the event that they do will be fun It will possibly be my last year at school. I might take an extra year and be what's called a Super Grad. I'm looking into doing that just because I might not be ready to leave home by the time I graduate. I can also take some extra courses that I didn't have time to do in my regular school years. It's great that I to leave my options open. The next couple years will be very exciting. I'm anxious to see what new adventures await me.
For this blog, I wanted to give kids with diversabilities some ideas of school supplies to get to make things easier for them in school. I've been given lots of special equipment to make my school years easier. Sometimes I wish I didn't need all the stuff I have, and I could function like the other kids do with the basic things that they have for school supplies. However, I am very thankful for all the stuff I've been given by all my helpers. The tools they give me just make me more efficient and make school go smoother for me. Today, I'm going to talk about some stuff that I used in school that made it easier for me. It might give you some ideas for making your school day run smoother. If you have a diverseability like me and are struggling with doing simple tasks at school, hopefully reading this blog will give you some ideas to make school cool for you.
1. Computer- I've been using a computer since I was in grade three. It takes a while for me to write and use a little bit more of my energy ,so a computer is more efficient for me to use and it doesn't tire me out as much. I still love to write with a pen. I write my own notes with a pen because the hand coordination helps me remember what I'm writing. I use the computer for writing stories and essays and all the longer bits of writing . It's much faster for me and it's really good for English class. Everybody will be using computers in University or College, so it's giving me a head start on that. Set B.C has really spoiled me with all the cool technology I get to try that is on loan from them, and all the trips I get to go on with them. I'm very lucky. Computers are great. The amount of technology they have out there now to help people with diversabilities is amazing. I'd suggest looking into computer for all sorts of kids with all sorts of diverseabilities. They might make their school days a lot easier.There are computers that can talk for people that are non verbal. How cool is that? Computers and technology opens up a world of possibilities for us. The more technology like this that comes out, the closer will be to living in a world with no limits for us, and that's how we should think about things we want to do. There are no limits. None.
2. Desk- When I was in grade four, I got a desk that was specially designed for me. I had an easel that could go up and down. I could put my paper on there. With the table propped up, I couldn't slouch over as much. I wouldn't be easier on my back. The easel had little hinges on the back so the height was adjustable. I would do my writing there. I also a had longer table at the side that I could use my computer at and eat lunch at . I felt like an important buisness woman. I had a spinney chair with wheels so it would be easier for me to get in and out of my seat. The whole desk set up was made by an organization called Sunnyhill in Vancouver. It makes the main equipment that kids with diverseabilities need, like wheelchairs and stuff. This desk was very handy for me. It helped a lot with organization and made it easier for me because I didn't have to move around so much I don't have it anymore, but I kind of like sitting at a regular desk and being the same height as all the other kids. I usually take up two desks because I can organize my stuff easier that way. I'd recommend the special type of desk I had to kids like me. It helps with spacial stuff and just makes things simpler. So, if you ever get a chance to have one of these made for you, take it!
3. Foot board- My legs are quite tight because of Cerebral Palsy. Due to the tightness, they are up in the air. I guess when they are moving around like that all time it gets tiring. Having a foot boards gives me something to rest my feet on. Also, it reminds me to try and keep my feet down so I don't kick anybody. In my high school, there is a wood working class that kids take as an elective. They make things out of wood. They have made me a couple of these as a project for them. That was very nice. I wrote them a thank you letter. My school is great for getting me what I need They help me out a lot. I'd suggest these boards to kids with Cerebral Palsy, who have tight muscles. Just like how kids with Autism use those special balance disks to sit on so they can feel comfortable sitting for a long period of time, these boards will help you feel comfortable, and that will make the school day go much smoother
4. Book stand- The woodworking class made one of these for me as well. I have a couple of these, as well as a couple of foot boards, in each class. That way I don't have to carry them around with me to every class These book stands are great. I put them on my desk and lay my textbooks on them. I would suggest this to anyone who has glasses or vision problems. They make it easier on your back because your not bending over. so much to see the text onm the book. Sometimes, I grab my book off the stand to look at it more closely. I have to practise keeping it on the board though. I have two textbooks. I keep on at home so I don't have to pack one back and forth from school to home. That is much easier onme. Anyway, small things like foot boards and book stands help a lot with comfort, which is important. Your only happy if your comfy.
5. Bag- The first few years of high school, I really struggled with carrying my school books to and from classes. I would get have way down the hall and drop them. My helpers and tried all different sorts of bags to put my stuff in. We were always experimenting. Then, when my aide from laird came to the high school, she got an idea to make me a big bag out of jeans. She's a great sewer and she is always thinking. The bag has helped me a lot. Again, it's a great organizer. I just grab it and go. Sheila made little compartments out of the back pockets for pens and stuff. It's very convenient. I alsouse it as a backpack to bring homework home. It gets a lot of use out of it. Everyone should have a bag like this. Everything is right there. How handy is that?
6. Thicker Pens- When I was little, Occupational Therapists always wanted me to try holding pencils, or pens that had a rubber grip on them. They help kids that struggle with fine motor skills hold writing utensils properly. It is a rubber grip that has holes in it for the pencil to go through.. I think they are ones specially for left handed and right handed people. It shows where each finger goes. It's a great learning tool for little kids learning to print. I don't use them anymore though. I try and buy thick pens so I can grip onto them easier. I like the ones with rubber ends built into them. Good pens are nice. They affect your whole writing experience.
7. Lunch Hook- Another idea from my smart helper Sheila, was a hook attached to my desk to hold my lunch. This was decided was when I was in Elementary School. The kids had lockers that they would go and get there lunches from. Sheila would always grab mine so I wouldn't have to walk through the crowds and I could get to eating my lunch faster. I like being able to do things by myself though, so we developed the hook plan. I could just grab my lunch from the hook attached to my desk, and flip it on my desk and I could eat my lunch. Easy Peesy.
8. Box For Crayons- Isn't it exciting to buy a new box of crayons? You buy the box and you open it and smell the fresh new smell of crayons. None are broken. There all brand spankin' new. It's wonderful. I love using new crayons. However, sometimes it's hard to grab them out of the box because they're all squished together in there. So, a couple days after school start, my aide dumps all the crayons into this white boring box. Ha ha. It's not that bad. It makes it a lot easier for me to grab the crayons. I can grab the crayons so quick and colour away. It makes it more relaxing. I guess these boxes have some good uses after all.
9. Kindle- Lots of people have switched over from reading books to reading kindles. I'm one of those people. I thought I wouldn't like it. I love the feeling of holding a book and didn't want to give that up. Lefty wrecks the pages of books though, so I guess I kind of have to go with the Kindle. I've gotten used to it. I like how you just flip the pages with a button on the side. You can buy books directly on the kindle through Amazon. You have to have an account and use a Visa card. I use mom's so I have to tell her when I buy a book. We've narrowed it down to one a month. I got this kindle from SET B.C. Kathy, my SET B.C consultant downloaded some books on there for me at first and sshowed me how to do it. Then I learnt how to do it for myself. I'm really enjoying my kindle. I'd recommend it to all kids, especially kids with diversabilities. It might get them into reading more, which is pleasure everyone should be able to enjoy.
10. Binder- I have trouble opening binders. You have to use both hands to get the rings to open. Two years ago, I got a special binder. It opens up without any straps and to get the rings open, you just have to push a button at the end. It's much easier for me. I can get paper in and out of the binder myself now, which is great. I'd recommend these binders. I think you can bu y them at Staples. They are very efficient and user friendly.
I hope I gave you some ideas for some school supplies ideas. I know it's really close to the first day of school and you have probably got all of your supplies already, but these are just some extra ideas. Most of these things, I didn't even realize I needed. Someone would suggest it to me and it would sound like a good idea. Anyway, I hope some of the supplies I mentioned here helps you out in school, and that you have a great year!
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