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Category: Elementary

  • Jobs with Animals: Dog Groomer

    Jobs with Animals: Dog Groomer

    I interviewed Kelly Booth, a local dog groomer. We talked about dog grooming as a career, some challenges she faces at work, and what she enjoys about her job.

    M: Being a dog groomer isn’t a typical occupation. When and how did you decide to pursue it as a career?
    K: I knew I wanted to work with animals, so I just started applying to pet stores and veterinary clinics. I dropped off my resume at PetSmart where the manager explained the process of becoming a groomer. I would start as a bather and, if I showed potential, they would send me to the grooming “academy” which is run by PetSmart. So this is what I did, and I’ve been doing it for about three years now.

    M: What kind of schooling is required, and how long does it take?
    K: The training I received was pretty basic. I just went to an “academy certified” PetSmart store where I was trained how to groom. This lasted about a month and we learned how to do the different cuts on the main breeds of dogs.

    M: What are some typical challenges that you face at work?
    K: As you can imagine, working with dogs is not always easy. They can be temperamental and unpredictable. The most common challenge I face is grooming dogs that are just generally uncooperative, i.e.: pulling their legs when I’m trying to brush them or groom them, not standing, squirming when I’m trying to do their nails, etc. I get bit and scratched quite a lot. It can be frustrating and scary because I’m dealing with sharp objects and it can be dangerous.

    It’s also really hard on your body. A lot of groomers end up getting carpal tunnel and back and leg problems.

    M: What is the career path for someone who has just completed their schooling?
    K: I started as a bather/brusher, which is basically just bathing and brushing out the dogs, clipping their toenails, and cleaning their ears. After about six months, I started my training. After that, I had to do a 100-dog “apprenticeship”, in which I had to groom twenty shave-downs, twenty sporting dogs, twenty short-legged terriers, twenty long-legged terriers, and twenty hand-scissor cuts. When I was finished that, I became a commissioned groomer.

    M: What are the typical earnings per dog?
    K: The earnings vary depending on the cut that the pet parent wants. For example, a simple shave down ranges from $55-$65 or $80-$90 for a hand-scissored poodle. Some larger dogs, like a Newfoundlander or an Old English Sheepdog, can be $100-$120. Commissions are typically 50-70%.

    M: What is your favourite thing about your job?
    K: I love working with animals. Sometimes we get dogs that like to give hugs and kisses. And the little puppies are always so much fun! I also really like being able to use my hands to create something. Helping the dogs feel better after being all matted is really rewarding.

  • Under Pressure

    Under Pressure

    If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation, you probably turn to your friends for advice. Peers can be an excellent outlet for talking our problems out in order to figure out the best decisions to make. That being said, we can’t rely on our friends to solve every one of our problems. Not only does this interfere with our independence, but we could actually be swayed off the right path, even by friends with the best intentions.

    When you’re making decisions, it is important to consider your own opinions before you take anyone else’s word for it. How do you feel about what’s going on? Do you think it’s right? What do you think would be the best solution? It is much easier to let a friend take the wheel, because then you don’t have to consider all of these difficult questions—you can just use their answer. A problem comes up when you find you’re consulting your friends 24/7, and this is actually getting in the way of you expressing what you really think.

    Friends mean well (if they’re good friends). Often, they’re just trying to let you know what they think is right. The thing is, what is right for your friends might not be right for you. Even if they do have good intentions, you don’t want your decisions to be constantly dictated by the opinions of your peers: this might lead you into making entirely the wrong choices.

    Maybe you don’t consider peer pressure to be too big of a deal in elementary school, where the stakes aren’t so high. But think about the possible consequences of constantly following the leader, and the ways this could affect your future life. If you aren’t sufficiently independent to think for yourself and make your own choices, worse things can happen than simple punishments if you fall in with the wrong crowd. Furthermore, think about what it means to succumb to peer pressure all the time: chances are, if you’re letting someone boss you around, and do things you aren’t okay with, it’s probably taking a toll on your self-esteem.

    You deserve to be respected. In order to respect yourself, you have to respect your thoughts and feelings as well. The next time you’re tempted to do something just because your friends are doing it, or because it seems “cool”, think about how you would act if there was no one around to judge you. Do what you feel is the right thing—don’t base your choices off the rest of the bandwagon. Guaranteed, you’ll be a happier person for it and have a better idea of who you are.

  • What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

    What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

    “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

    It’s the classic question that every kid has heard at some point, usually before they are finished kindergarten. You’ve probably heard it at every birthday, every get-together, every parent-teacher night you’ve ever been to. And you may or may not be able to answer it. That’s okay – it’s difficult to know what you want to do when you grow up. What most kids don’t know is that they don’t need to choose just one thing.

    In today’s world, many jobs require a wide variety of skills, and it is becoming more and more common for adults to do several different jobs rather than just one. The best thing that you can do is figure out what you like to do, then work on getting good at it – even if you don’t know what kind of job you want to do. That way, you’ll be ready for anything.

    You might enjoy video editing, computer programming and writing. You might start off with a job in programming, and then decide later that you’d prefer to work in video editing. Maybe you’ll write for a magazine in your spare time. It’s always possible to change careers, or to take on a side-job in order to do everything that you enjoy.

    Never limit yourself to only one option – if you have a wide variety of interests and skills, you’ll have a wide variety of job opportunities by the time you’re old enough to choose one (or two, or three)!

  • Dream Jobs: Chef

    Dream Jobs: Chef

    We all eat, usually several times a day. In your home, who does most of the cooking? Do you ever help out, at least with easy meals? Some meals are very quick to make and require little or no knowledge about spices, cooking times and mixing flavours. Others are more complicated and need a skilled cook to prepare them properly. When people want a meal like that, they usually have to understand the basics of food preparations that cooks and chefs know. Professional cooks and chefs work in all kinds of restaurants and cafeterias, preparing many different types of meals for the people who come to eat.

    Do you know the difference between a cook and a chef? Usually, the difference is where they work. In expensive restaurants, the cooks are chefs who have experience and training in cooking steak, lobster, and other fancy types of food. Cooks might work in cafeterias or other restaurants serving everyday food like hamburgers and pizza. Some cooks prepare entire meals, but others prepare only certain parts, such as salads or soups. Others might work on an even smaller part of the meal, such as cooking hamburgers on a grill. Many young restaurant workers begin with this kind of work, and about 20% of food preparation workers are between sixteen and nineteen years old.

    As young workers gain experience and knowledge in restaurant work, they can move up to more complicated levels of cooking. Some people become short-order cooks in fast food restaurants, making food for people who want quick meals. Whether they work in fast food or in regular restaurants, however, cooks and chefs need to know many of the same things. They have to be able to follow recipes and to be able to use pots, pans, knives, mixers, and other equipment. They have to be able to cook several different meals at once and to make both main meals and desserts. Knowledge of safety, hygiene, meal planning, and ordering supplies is often part of a cook’s or chef’s job. An apprenticeship and a certificate in food preparation are required for many people working in high levels of food preparation.

    Do you love to cook? If you enjoy work with preparing all kinds of food, the job of cook or chef might be a good choice. You can start learning new skills right away.

  • Why is Drinking Water Important?

    Why is Drinking Water Important?

    Society constantly promotes the importance of drinking water and how vital it is to human life. Yet, a lot of us don’t really know why it is so important and often don’t include enough water in our diets. Water, otherwise known as H2O is composed of two hydrogen atoms bonding to one oxygen atom.

    Without water, humans would not survive. On average we can only live without drinking water for three days! This is because water hydrates our bodies and helps our bodies to function optimally. In fact, the human body in itself is made up of about 60% water. Many other animals also rely on water in some way or another for survival.

    Some of the benefits of drinking water include keeping your skin hydrated and looking healthy and improving the function of your kidneys and helping bowel movements. Drinking water also enhances muscle performance and makes you feel less tired. Your brain can especially reap the benefits because water can help you stay more alert and focused. Another benefit that a lot of people don’t know is that you can find relief from a headache by drinking water; they are often caused by dehydration.

    The recommended amount of water for humans is about 6-7 glasses of water per day or about 2 liters. This amount depends on the level of activity that you are participating in every day. If you are very active and play a lot of sports, drinking more water would be necessary. However, you should keep in mind that water is also found in the food we eat, so don’t count that out! For example one cup of yogurt is made up of about 85% water.

    A lot of us have a hard time including water in our diets. I can relate to this and also have difficulties drinking a lot of water. I think it lacks taste and is a bit boring compared to drinking juice or pop. If you also find it to be super tasteless then consider adding some fruit to your water in order to add some flavour. These fruit infused water creations are easy to make and will motivate you to include more water in your diet. Some of my favourite combinations are: raspberry-lime, pineapple-mint and strawberry-cantaloupe. You can be creative by experimenting with your own favourite fruits and maybe come up with a winning combination of your own!

  • I Want to Be an Inventor!

    I Want to Be an Inventor!

    Every day, you use other people’s inventions. You probably know that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Did you know that the Chinese were the first people to use sunglasses, which were made of stones called quartz? History is full of all kinds of amazing stories about creative people making something new out of what they already had. Creative and patient people can build good careers as inventors.

    Creativity is very important for inventors. Often, the work involves finding new uses for familiar materials in order to solve a problem. For Thomas Edison, the problem was finding a better way to light people’s homes and buildings. The gas lamps and candles that people normally used gave only limited light and could cause fires. People needed something better, and Thomas Edison had an idea. He decided to invent something that could turn electricity into power.

    Edison was not the only person working on the idea of light bulbs. However, he brought the idea to North America. He was also the first person to show a movie when he projected a moving picture in 1896. Thomas Edison’s many inventions are still useful for people today. What many people don’t know is how long the process of inventing can take, even for people like Thomas Edison. Some ideas can work out quickly, but most of them take a long time. Inventors need to have enough patience to try different things until they find something that works.

    Becoming an inventor usually involves knowing about technology and how the world works. An education in science or engineering is a good background for becoming an inventor. Chemistry can help inventors know how to combine different liquids or solids to make something new. Biology helps people understand plants and animals, and principles of physics show how things move and work together. Engineering studies help to give an idea of how to apply scientific principles to everyday life. Together with creativity and patience, a good knowledge of science is useful for inventors.

    Look for places or activities where a machine might help people or find a problem that needs a solution. Even something very small will help you to think like an inventor. In the future, you might be as famous as Thomas Edison. 

  • Why Do I Have to Take Social Studies?

    Why Do I Have to Take Social Studies?

    Why do cars in Canada drive on the right side of the road while cars in England drive on the left? Why does Canada have a Prime Minister while the United States has a President? Why does an ice cream at one shop in my neighbourhood cost more money than the same ice cream at another shop? All the answers to these questions can be found when you learn about social studies.

    Social studies is made up of many different topics like history, politics, geography and economics. While these courses are taught in high school and university, students learn the very important basics of social studies in elementary school.

    A “society” is a community of people who live in the same geographical area and share the same cultural customs and laws. Because a society is made up of families, students of social studies first learn about how the family works within a community.

    Families are like mini societies because they are made up of people who live in the same place and share the same traditions and rules. Family members learn to work together as a team. By sharing and caring for each other, family members can more easily achieve their goals. In the same way, members of a society must learn to cooperate and understand each other so that the society’s goals can be achieved. In a very diverse society like Canada, it is important to learn about the people who live in your community so that you can learn how to get along. Students of social studies thus learn how to appreciate diversity within their communities and around the world.

    As students learn how to cooperate with others, they also learn how to be involved in their communities. They learn about the different ways that decisions are made by community leaders and they learn about what they can do to impact these decisions. For example, in social studies, students learn about why it is important to vote. They learn about how governments work and what politicians do. They also learn how to make decisions that will help to influence society the way they think would be best.

    Topics taught in social studies show how humans can achieve more when they work together. Students who learn the subject can actually learn how they can make the world a better place.

    In that way, social studies might just be the most important subject of all!

  • Reasons to Use Kids Help Phone

    Reasons to Use Kids Help Phone

    Kids Help Phone is a free, anonymous resource that is there for you 24/7. Its purpose is to give young people someone to talk to when they feel they have no one who will listen to them. It is important to know that there are people who care and want to help you with any problems you may have. Kids Help Phone has many uses – here are just a few.

    1) You need an objective opinion or want to ask questions anonymously.
    If you need to talk with someone who will listen to what you’re going through, and you don’t trust or want to speak to friends or family, then the Kids Help Phone is a great resource for you. Sometimes you don’t want the people closest to you to know what it is that you are feeling or thinking about. It may be because of a fear of losing their respect or simply of changing the image that they have of you. Whatever your reason, speaking with someone who is trained and knowledgeable on how to handle the information you will share with them is often a good option. When you call the Kids Help Phone you can rest assured that the information will remain confidential, unless it involves information that must be reported to the police (such as reporting a threat to your own or someone else’s life).

    2) You are undergoing a traumatic period in your life and would like support.
    Sometimes we suffer because of life’s circumstances, and in this case it is really important to talk with people about what you are going through. You may not want to talk with friends or family because you feel they may not understand, but with Kids Help Phone you can talk to a person who has been trained in dealing with emotional crises. They will be able to talk to you about relationships, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, eating disorders or anything else that you feel is affecting you.

    3) You want to speak with someone who will listen to you.
    Often in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there is so much going on that we can feel ignored or that we don’t matter. It can be very hard to find someone who will just listen to what it is that you are going through. The time rarely comes up where you feel it is okay to pour out your soul, and because of this you can be left with some important issues bubbling just under the surface. It is important to “vent” and to talk about your life and what sorts of challenges you are facing.

    4) You need to report an incident.
    If you don’t feel comfortable speaking directly to the police or don’t know what to do after an incident, the people at Kids Help Phone will listen and help you to deal with the situation. This can range from bullying, an incident of physical or sexual abuse or a crime like theft.

    5) You are in a crisis and need to talk to someone as soon as possible.
    If you are feeling that you are in a crisis and are having thoughts of suicide, a counsellor at the Kids Help Phone will be a great person for you to speak with. They can help to “talk out” your problem and ensure that you get the assistance you require. Remember that you are never alone! Suicide is not the answer. Reach out to someone at Kids Help Phone and they will be there for you when you feel no one else is.

  • What Is High School Really Like?

    What Is High School Really Like?

    For anyone starting high school, it can be an intimidating time. You’re suddenly in an environment where you’re not always surrounded by familiar faces and you have a lot more freedom. But not to worry – high school is one the best and most memorable times of your life.

    High school is the perfect opportunity to explore, meet new friends, figure out your interests and to figure out what you want to do as a career.

    Meeting New Friends
    If you’re starting high school with friends you already know from elementary school, try not to limit yourself to that clique. We all see the typical cliques in teen movies. The jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds…but reality is not really like that. You can be a “jock” who is into academics or be an academic who is into sports. So be open to meeting new people. How do you go about doing this? You can meet new people in your classes. You will eventually have to work in preassigned groups on projects in classes, so this is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and get to know new people as you may be spending a lot of time together outside of class time. Take advantage of that time together; you may find you have a lot in common with them. You can also meet new people by joining clubs, extracurricular activities, joining sports teams and attending social events like dances and pep rallies.

    What are Your Interests?
    Maybe you weren’t as athletic in your elementary school but now you want to try out for the soccer or basketball team. It’s a great way to stay active and of course to meet new people that have similar interests as you. Maybe you’ve always been interested in music or pursuing acting. Join the school choir or drama club. Maybe you want to run for the school election or join a committee – it’s a great way to hone your leadership skills! Also, the best part about high school is that you can pick a lot of your own courses that you can choose based on your interests like Art, Drama, Music, Creative Writing and Media Studies, just to name a few.

    Choosing Your Career
    High school is the time to figure out what you want to take in your post-secondary education and to figure out what career path to take. Through your courses, you will figure out what your strengths are and what you’re most interested in. You have a lot of resources available to you to help figure out what you want to do. Teachers and guidance counselors can help guide you to the right path and assist you in the necessary steps to get there. Volunteer hours are now mandatory requirement for high school, so this is the perfect time to work in a field of your interest and to gain first-hand experience in your chosen industry. This experience also looks great on a resume if you’re looking to apply to a job. Maybe you want to become a teacher so you can volunteer at a school. You will gain valuable skills that you can use in the future.

    Your Social Life
    School is not all about work. You need to have some fun, and it’s all about balance. Take advantage of the social aspect of high school. Go to school trips, dances, and parties. You will most likely make friendships that will last a lifetime so take advantage of these opportunities. High school will go by in a flash, but these years will be the ones that you will always remember.

  • How Do I Know What to Be?

    How Do I Know What to Be?

    Are you confused about what job you want to do in the future? Do you feel like there’s nothing out there that you actually want to do? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you’ll definitely want to keep reading this article. Believe it or not, but most people don’t actually know what career they want to pursue even after they’ve graduated elementary school and high school. There are even some university and college students who are still unsure, so don’t panic! You’re certainly not alone. It’s important to recognize that you have plenty of time to decide. Your friends may already know what they want but that doesn’t mean you have to know, too. It’s completely normal to be unsure of which job seems right for you.

    Even though you have plenty of time to make a decision, it doesn’t hurt to get a head start. This way, you’ll be able to steer yourself in a more specific direction. Now this brings us back to the original question, “How do I know what I want to be?” A good place to start with this question is thinking about the things you love to do best. Draw up a list of things that you can spend hours doing without even realizing so much time has passed. Think about activities or tasks that you love doing in your spare time. Some of these may relate to career! Once you have your list, think of different ways that you can turn that activity into a career.

    It’s also important to talk to people who know you best, like your family or close friends. They may see your potential to do well in career that you may have never considered. But don’t stop there. Also take a moment to consider your personality. Are you the type of person who needs to be active? How do you feel about working with people? Do you like being creative? Once you’ve thought long and hard about your personality, you may be able to cross some careers off your list and perhaps even identify one that suits your personality best.

    Just keep in mind that once you choose a career you’re never “stuck”.  You can always change your mind later and steer yourself in a new direction. For example, up until the 12th grade, I was committed to being a doctor. I took all of the science and math courses that my school offered. I remember thinking to myself one day, “Is this really want to do with my life?” As it turned out, the answer to that question was no. Less than a year later, I found myself accepting an offer of admission to a Canadian business school. It might happen that quickly for you too. You might suddenly stumble upon a career that seems much more appealing to you, even though you’ve already begun training for another. The most important thing to do is cater to your happiness and choose whichever job is going to make you get up and going to work with a smile on your face every day.