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.
Friday, September 28, 2012
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)