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Category: Elementary

  • Why Do We Want to Protect the Environment?

    Why Do We Want to Protect the Environment?

    Protecting the environment, natural resources and wildlife is something that is not only supported by people who are environmentalists. Everyone can take part in helping to improve the health of the planet.

    When you walk outside, you may not realize it, but you are depending on fresh air to survive. In Canada, we are fairly lucky as our levels of air pollution are not nearly as high as those in more heavily populated countries like China or India. The health effects of bad air quality have been researched and it is proven to cause a number of diseases and illnesses. Improving the quality of the air is something that can be accomplished via grassroots efforts; That is, through individual efforts to emit less carbon into the atmosphere. Reducing carbon emissions can also be accomplished through the efforts of large companies and corporations, who emit the most carbon of all.

    The quality of the water is also something that is important to consider since we all depend on clean water to survive. Maintaining clean water is something that can be accomplished through individual efforts like not flushing hazardous chemicals down the drain or toilet and trying to conserve water to reduce the demand on the water treatment facilities – an operation that requires a lot of water to conduct. Big businesses could also pitch in to conserve water by investing in water saving initiatives and partaking in water conservation efforts.

    Wildlife also needs our protection. With more and more urbanization, spaces where wildlife are safe is decreasing at alarming rates. Deer, moose, cougars and bears are all often reported in the news as having caused car accidents due to the decline in their natural habitat and their subsequent wandering out onto developed land transformed into highways or suburban neighborhoods. In order to protect wildlife, we must invest in protecting Canada’s natural spaces.

    If you support clean air, water and having a wide range of wildlife in Canada, see if there is a way you can get involved in your community. Help to clean up your local park or visit a wildlife sanctuary to see how they take care of animals.

  • Dream Jobs: Ballerina

    Dream Jobs: Ballerina

    Brooke Nagy is an 18 year old on a fast-track to becoming Canada’s next prima ballerina. Becoming a professional ballet dancer was not a decision Brooke made on a whim. It has taken a lifetime of preparation and focus. Since age three she has been classically trained in Ceccetti ballet, and has developed an advanced knowledge of both classical ballet and modern dance.

    Brooke has had the opportunity to dance professionally at many points throughout her career, but decided that it was important for her to complete her high school education before devoting herself entirely to the art. “I’ve already trained with the CanadianNational Ballet School and the Quinte Ballet School,” Brooke explains.

    “For two summers I was accepted to study as a part of the Canadian National Ballet School’s ballet-intensive summer school program, which led to the opportunity to be a part of their full-time program. I’ve also been accepted to (and attended) the Quinte Ballet School’s Summer School Program, which led to an acceptance into their full-time program” she continued.

    Ballet may well be in her blood, as her mother is a classical ballet teacher and former professional ballerina for the Miami Cityballet. Brooke intends to one day take over her mother’s dance studio, after travelling and performing as much as possible. She applied to the National Ballet of Canada’s Teacher Training program, New York’s Adelphi College and Suny Purchase College’s Conservatories of Dance and George Brown College’s prestigious dance program, garnering preliminary acceptance to all, but choosing to accept George Brown’s offer.

    The Toronto-based program will prepare her for an intensive Bachelor of Fine Arts transfer after earning her two year diploma, and set her up for work with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, a renowned Canadian classical ballet company that selects dancers from George Brown program alumnus.

    Among the highlights of Brooke’s auditioning process was when famed Canadian dancer Frank Augustyn called her out from a class of second and third year Adelphi ballet students she was placed with, praising her grace and skill above those of professional dancers with many more years of training. She was then offered a ten thousand dollar dance scholarship for Adelphi, a tempting offer that she may return to later in her career.

    For Brooke, the choice of dance over other more job-stable programs was quite simple. “I want to be a dancer over everything else. I know that the field of dance is where I excel and where I belong.” Whether it be the National Ballet School or Frank Augustyn himself, the ballet world agrees.

  • Embrace Your Weirdness

    Embrace Your Weirdness

    A lot of people spend time trying to fit in. They don’t want to stand out or be considered different, weird, awkward or strange. Having the same clothes, interests and ideas seems like the most important thing in the world. Everyone just wants to fit in.

    But who established what is normal ?  And what exactly is considered weird? For most people, normal is what they are used to and weird is what they are not used to.

    The word weird is defined by www.dictionary.com in three ways, one of which is fantastic and bizarre. Interesting, isn’t it, how we took a word meaning fantastic and bizarre and created a label for people with an unflattering connotation? When you look at it like that, being “weird” really doesn’t seem that bad. In fact, some of the most successful people in the world were considered strange, different or weird growing up.

    Take Justin Timberlake, for example. He was once quoted as saying, “I grew up in Tennessee, and if you didn’t play football, you were a sissy. I got slurs all the time because I was in music and art.” He also suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), both of which haven’t stopped him from succeeding.

    Prince Harry was ridiculed and bullied for being a redhead. He was quoted as saying he was teased “for being ginger.” However, not everyone made fun of him. His fellow soldiers in the British Army all wore red wigs to make him stand out less in combat.

    Michael Phelps is one of the most successful Olympians of all time, but as a kid his long limbs, large ears, and lisp caused him to be bullied and teased by his classmates. He also has ADD, and was told he’d “never be able to focus on anything.” Yet he didn’t let that stop him. He used all of his feelings, both good and bad, as motivation to win and as a result became the most decorated Olympian of all-time (winning 22 medals, 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze).

    Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on Glee, was called a “freak” growing up. He said, “I was teased daily, mainly because of my voice. They said I sounded like a chipmunk! Now everyone likes to remind me how they used to be my best friend, but I have a very good memory- that wasn’t always the case.”

    Lady Gaga has said she didn’t have the best high school experience. She said she didn’t fit in as a teen. “I wanted to be like Boy George and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans where they feel like they have a freak in me to hang out with, and they don’t feel alone.”

    The list of differences goes on and on…

    Albert Einstein, whose name is pretty much synonymous with genius, was a theoretical physicist, and one of the most renowned scientists of all time. However, he didn’t talk until he was four and he didn’t learn to read until he was seven. It is now believed he had Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of Autism. Sir Isaac Newton is also believed to have had Asperger’s, and he too was a mathematical and scientific genius.

    Jay Leno, Orlando Bloom, Vince Vaughan, Alexander Graham Bell, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali all had dyslexia.

    Christopher Columbus, Karina Smirnoff, Eleanor Roosevelt, JFK, Walt Disney, Will Smith, Jim Carey and Ernest Hemingway and Bill Gates had ADD.

    Mozart, Daryl Hannah, Tim Burton, Andy Warhol and Susan Boyle all had or have forms of Autism.

    All of these people were considered weird for how they behaved, what they felt and what made them different. They all experienced obstacles they needed to overcome, and they did so by embracing their weirdness. They didn’t let others define who they were and what their limits would be.  They used their uniqueness to their advantage and succeeded. So don’t be afraid to embrace your weirdness too. As Lady Gaga has said, “let your teenage freak flag fly.”

  • The Road to Self-Acceptance

    The Road to Self-Acceptance

    How’s your self-esteem doing? If you’re like me, you tend to see the best in others—and the absolute worst in yourself. Self-acceptance can be a difficult concept to wrap your head around when you’re constantly beating yourself up for every little mistake. There’s good news, though; you aren’t alone by a long shot. By considering your lapses in self-acceptance, you might start to find that the people around you are in the exact same predicament.

    Maybe you’re hung up over your poor marks in Spanish, or you think you look “fat” today. Maybe you couldn’t run the ten-minute mile, or your shirt doesn’t match your shoes. Well, odds are – and it’s kind of funny if you think about it – the people around you probably won’t even notice. It’s not that people don’t care. But did you ever stop to wonder that you aren’t the only one who’s preoccupied with your own flaws? Just as you can’t stop thinking about what you’ve done wrong, the people around you are too busy wrapped up in their own shortcomings to really identify yours. Here’s what ends up happening: each individual person sees themselves as the odd one out, when in actuality, everyone is in the same boat.

    You’ve probably heard the (albeit cliché) phrase, “Nobody’s perfect.” Everyone has flaws, weaknesses, spots for improvement—but there’s no need to focus on those. The next time you find yourself hung up over your lesser traits, try redirecting your thoughts to something you actually like about yourself. “Maybe I’m not great at sports, but I have straight A’s in math.” “Maybe I’m a little shy, but I’m excellent at reading people.” It is important to acknowledge your shortcomings, but it is much more important to remember all the great things you have to offer. And when you’re trying out this little mental compromise, your good traits should always win out.

    You must realize, by this point, how damaging it is to sell yourself short. Time passes, things change, life goes on—basically, you are the only constant force in your life. Why not respect yourself for who you are? It’s normal to feel conflicted at times, but you should never feel like you don’t matter, and by obsessing over every little flaw, you’re doing yourself a serious disservice. The next time something goes wrong, instead of attacking yourself, focus on what you’re doing right. If you start to wean yourself off self-criticism, slowly but surely, those negative feelings will start to go away.

    As for myself? Well, I’m a work-in-progress too. But I know that I deserve more than to be constantly criticized and mistreated – even if it’s coming from my own head. The road to self-acceptance is a rewarding process, and in order to become stronger people we all have to overcome our insecurities. The self-hate stops now.

  • Bullying Is Everyone’s Problem

    Bullying Is Everyone’s Problem

    There is no doubt that bullying is a problem which has been around for a long time – within all forms of human interaction, there have always been those that not only feel superior to others but feel the need to demonstrate this at any cost. Where bullying was once mostly confined to the schoolyard, now more and more children are plugged in to the internet. This has made the problem significantly worse, becoming more insidious, dangerous and sometimes even fatal.

    By now, most people will have heard about the B.C. girl who, having been relentlessly bullied for a number of years online, combined with her allegedly fragile state of mental health, felt it was necessary to end her own life. Sadly, she is certainly not the first to do this and will not be the last. While it is impossible to find any shred of positivity in the current situation, the fact is that social media allows more people to become aware of the severity of the problem. Although bullying will likely never be completely eliminated, this may lead to concrete measures being taken to severely diminish it over time.

    While it is obvious that the bully and the bullied are the central players, the problem of bullying is far-reaching, affecting family, friends, entire schools and workplaces. It is no surprise that the majority of people who are aware that some form of bullying is taking place are more likely to ignore it rather than take action. However, it is a fact that by becoming involved, whether simply standing up to the bully on behalf of the victim or making friends with the victim (who are often in great need of friends), the bully will think twice about his or her actions. Of course, this is not always the case and sometimes a greater degree of intervention is needed.

    The first step for anyone being bullied, or for those that suspect it is happening to someone, is to speak up. It is widely believed, particularly among kids, that ‘telling’ is akin to ‘tattling’ which is just not the case. The fear also may be that by telling someone they may inadvertently make the problem worse by angering the bully. While this is a genuine concern, it certainly should not be a reason to remain silent. Making bullying known through Facebook or some other form of social media may not always be the best idea as this can leave the victim open to even more abuse and torment from anonymous comments made by online bullies and ‘trolls’. Even if the victim is reluctant to speak up, they can still get support through one of the many anti-bullying organizations that exist online such as www.kidshelpphone.ca, www.pinkshirtday.ca and www.antibullying.net.

    While it is obviously the victim of bullying that requires the most immediate help, one shouldn’t forget that by letting them continue their behaviour, the bully’s future can also be put in jeopardy. It is rare that a bully simply bullies for the sake of it and by getting help early on they can avoid problems later in life. According to Free From Bullies, 60% of adults aged 18-24 who once bullied end up with criminal convictions, a fact that can have an effect on society and the economy as a whole.

    There is no simple solution to the problem of bullying and it is very sad that even adults who should know better can be just as guilty as children. The problem will not be stamped out overnight, but through talking, understanding and, most importantly, taking action, we can make small steps to fight back.

  • Dream Job: Astronomer

    Dream Job: Astronomer

    Imagine what it would be like to travel among the stars and planets, visiting the Big Dipper and stepping out onto the surface of Venus. Most people have never had the chance to travel out into space, and most of the planets are too far away to visit. However, one group of people can visit the stars and planets by studying them and learning all about them. Astronomers have the chance to study the skies and teach others about the amazing things that they find there.

    Depending on their jobs, astronomers might focus mainly on research or teaching. Astronomers study stars, planets, asteroids, comets and anything else that they find in our galaxy and beyond. They invent telescopes and other instruments that help them record what they see. Some of them might develop new theories that help people to understand the universe better and to predict what might happen in the sky.

    Sometimes, this kind of knowledge can be very important for life on earth. Storms on the sun, for example, can affect the weather on earth. Eclipses, where the moon covers part or all of the sun, can also cause problems unless people know they are coming and can prepare for them. The information that astronomers provide can help to make life much easier for many people.

    Several jobs are closely related to work in astronomy. Physicists, cosmologists, nuclear physicists and physics research scientists all work with the same kinds of theories, computer software and scientific instruments. They might have to work in different ways to achieve results, but they all use the same basic methods of gathering and processing information.

    Much of the work that astronomers do is solitary or in small groups of scientists and researchers. However, the ability to communicate with other people is also important. Do the things that you see in the skies fascinate you? Maybe you should consider becoming an astronomer.

  • Keeping a Journal

    Keeping a Journal

    Keeping a journal is a great way to find clarity in your thoughts and to express yourself. Maybe there are issues you are going through in your personal life such as family problems,  issues with your friends or maybe the passing of a loved one.

    Writing daily or weekly in a journal/diary is a great way to let your emotions and feelings out. It can prove to be very therapeutic.

    Getting started is very simple. Grab a notebook or diary from the dollar store, write the date and just start writing. It would be helpful to write alone in your room or outside in quiet area that you may find peaceful. Write about anything that comes to mind and don’t over think it. There’s no right or wrong. Write about what you did that day. Where did you go? Who did you see? What did you accomplish? What do you feel during that moment? Are you sad about something? Are you happy? Are you stressed?

    You can even write about your short-term or long-term goals. What steps do you need to take to get there? Write them down. By writing down your dreams and goals, you are making more of a concrete commitment to them instead of just thinking about them. By writing them down and seeing them, you are more likely to act upon them later.

    Keeping a journal is not about just writing in it. It’s a great way to reflect as well by reading past entries. Maybe as the days go on and you read what you wrote before, you’ll realize that life isn’t so bad after all. You may feel better about a particular issue you were having before or maybe you changed something in your life for the better. You will see progress in your life. Maybe you accomplished some of your goals. Knowing that you achieved something that you wrote down from before is a great feeling in itself.

    As you get older, you will be glad that you kept a journal to see how your life was like in your younger days and how your life is different now. It’s a great way to keep track of memories and important moments in your life that you may forget otherwise if you didn’t write them down.

    Overall, keeping a journal is a great tool that serves many purposes. Happy writing!

  • How to Handle a Fight at Home

    How to Handle a Fight at Home

    Life as a student can be stressful enough—the last thing you need is trouble at home. Unfortunately, family fights are normal every once in a while. It’s undeniably difficult to deal with a strained situation in your home life, but remember that a loud argument is often indicative of a deeper, underlying issue between members of your family. Instead of trying to avoid conflict, it’s best to work out your issues honestly and openly.

    Sometimes a fight at home can be between you and a parent, a sibling, or another relative—or sometimes it can have nothing to do with you altogether. Both situations are tough to deal with. Regardless of the situation, it’s best to stop a fight before it goes too far, and everyone ends up hurt. Consider my advice with an open mind, because it might not apply to all circumstances, but some of these tips may be worth considering the next time you find yourself in the middle of an argument. Here’s some help for handling a fight at home.

    Stay calm. Personally, whenever I am in an argument with my family, I get very emotional, and find it difficult to keep my voice down. From this, I’ve learned the importance of staying calm, even when you’re extremely upset. I cannot stress this enough: if you stay calm, you’ll be able to handle a tough situation easier. Don’t let stress and anger take over.

    Talk it out. Voice your concerns, and be honest. If you’re angry with your mother for not respecting your privacy, or with your brother for always leaving his dirty clothes in your room, tell them how you feel. Be respectful when you give your opinion, though, and make sure everyone has a chance to tell his or her side of the story. But if you let a fight fizzle out without confronting it at the source, you might be in for a repeat.

    Don’t blame yourself. If a fight doesn’t involve you, the best course of action may be to stay out of it altogether. But make sure you understand that if your family is arguing, it’s probably not because of something you did. The members of your family are people too, and it’s normal for them to get frustrated sometimes. Make sure you understand the different reasons a fight can happen—you don’t always have to be responsible.

    Compromise. Not everyone’s going to get what they want from a fight. Sometimes, someone has to back down in order to resolve the conflict (even if that someone is you). Make sure, though, that giving in or getting your way doesn’t become a permanent pattern. Compromise when you have to – and sometimes you’re going to want to.

    Best wishes to all of your families. Stay close.

  • Real Jobs: Comedian

    Real Jobs: Comedian

    Knock, knock. Who’s there? It’s a comedian.

    Do you like to tell jokes? Do your friends and family tell you that you’re funny? If so, you might want to consider becoming a comedian when you grow up.

    Telling jokes to make people laugh is only part of what it takes to be a comedian. Finding humour in everyday life is also important. Comedians observe people and try to understand why they act the way they do. Often, they begin by looking at their own lives and finding the humour in what they do and then seeing how it applies to other people. A joke about how the comedian eats popcorn, for example, might make other people think about the funny ways that they eat. All comedians find ways to laugh about everyday life, but some comedians do even more.

    Satire is a special kind of comedy that points out people’s weaknesses, usually in a funny way. Often, satire is about politicians, business leaders, or other well-known people. The idea of satire is not just to laugh, but also to change the way people think and act. Rick Mercer is a good example of a Canadian satirist. He began his comedy career in 1994 with This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and he later became known for his own program, the Rick Mercer Report. The program is about current events, political leaders and the ways that people work together.

    Not all comedians have their own television programs. Some of them play small parts on other people’s shows, but others perform in clubs, at parties or even restaurants. Most comedians start slowly, maybe by telling a joke or two at a special event and then working their way up to presenting their jokes at a comedy club.

    Becoming a comedian basically takes a lot of practice and a sense of humour. Although some comedians take classes to learn the skills they need, most prefer to learn from other entertainers as they work. The main quality that these people need is an ability to talk in front of large groups of people. If you love to be with people and you love to be funny, a career as a comedian might be right for you.

  • What Does it Mean to Grow Out of Something?

    What Does it Mean to Grow Out of Something?

    As you grow up you may find that things that were previously interesting are no longer interesting to you, or that things that were previously uninteresting are now interesting. When you are at school, at home, in extracurricular activities or hanging out with your friends, there will be things that you may prefer to do at certain times and not at other times. This is normal.

    For example, at school you may find that your favourite subject is math when you are in grade 3 and then you may find that you prefer English when you are in grade 6. At home you may prefer to read books in grade 3, but then in grade 6 you may prefer to watch television. In extracurricular activities, perhaps you enjoyed playing the flute when you were in grade 3 but now you prefer playing the guitar in grade 6. In volunteer activities, you might have enjoyed working at your school’s bake sale and now you prefer volunteering for the Meals on Wheels charity. At your sporting activities you may have found basketball to be the best sport to showcase your athletic skills, but now you prefer playing soccer because you like to be outside. Our friends change, too! You may have had a certain group of friends when you were in grade 3 and then you changed groups or lost or gained a few friends over the three year period.

    Sometimes changes can be the result of learning new information that disallows going back to the former way of seeing things. Change can be scary because we are adapting to new circumstances and experiencing new and different things. This can be good if we learn to have a positive perspective on the change and we decide that we are going to approach the change with a can-do attitude. Sometimes there are so many new things that we are doing that we may find ourselves starting to feel negative because we are feeling that the challenge is too difficult. In these situations, it is best to find things that remind us of what we have done in the past in order to find a balance between the new and old.

    Growing up and growing out of things is normal – we all go through it.  Remember that the past is always there and you are building your future. Have fun with it!