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Personal volleyball bests at the OVA Provincials

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Lauren has been playing rep volleyball for the last 2 years. The first year started during the fall of 2020 when the pandemic was still fairly new.  Their team was their cohort and they practiced and practiced. Many times they stopped because restrictions changed. It was a strange season with no games against other teams.

Fortunately, beach volleyball is outdoors and the summer of 2021 was filled with lots of volleyball. Lauren’s skills continued to grow and develop. She worked so hard at the court and at our local park… getting her overhand serve was her biggest challenge.  She worked so hard. 

Tryouts arrived. She went. She tried hard and stayed so positive!  And she made the team!

Practices were twice a week, exhibition games with other club teams, league games with other clubs, and the pièce de ré·sis·tance… OVA Provincials!

Day 1

The day started out great!  Lauren surprised us all… in 8 months Lauren went from barely getting an overhand server over the new to jump serves!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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They won the first match in 2 sets — 25-11, 25-12!  And the 2nd match was just as successful — 27-25 and 25-20!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The third game was more of a fight… won 1st set 28-16, lost 2nd set 22-25, and came back to win the 3rd set… 15-10!

Day 2

The girls went into day 2 with a lot of confidence and excitement!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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First match was a tough fight which ended in a loss (Set 1 – loss 20-25, Set 2 – win 25-11, Set 3 – loss 15-13)

The girls were pretty down. Coach Shayne was great! He gave the girls time to be sad and then built them back up!

The 2nd match was so much better!  The girls won both sets — 25-12, 25-20! It was so amazing to watch them play! It was great volleyball.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The third match of the day was going to be a challenge. The team they were playing had 4 wins and 1 loss… just like them.  The girls were ready!

They won both sets — 25-15, 25-23 !!

During the 2nd set, Lauren had a 6 server run… all jump servers… with one of the serves being an ACE!  I was the proudest mom in the whole place.

She has worked so hard to improve and be a better volleyball player and at that moment she was a shining star!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Day 3 – Playoffs

The girls were excited. The girls were nervous.  Playoffs was going to be tough… one loss and you’re out!

The team had their ups and downs during their last game.  They were playing a team that they beat on the first day, but that other team must have found their grove and by day 3 they came into their own.

We lost in 3 sets — 25-19, 13-25, 10-15.

There were a lot of tears.  

But I made sure to remind Lauren of how far she has come. Personally, Lauren was a winner. The photo below is a pretty cool example of what she can do!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A huge thanks to Coach Shayne for his amazing leadership. The way that he was able to work with a group of girls with varying strengths, encourage the girls when they were down, and have a lot of fun is really appreciated from the view of a parent. I am very happy that Lauren was able to learn as much as she did from him.

Shayne is setting out to make his own personal best… he’s on the path to being a police officer! And he’s going to be a very good one!

The end

The provincial championship is the end of the season. Some of the division 1 teams are headed off to nationals in Calgary and we will cheer loudly from Ontario.

The club will have an end-of-the-year banquet at the outdoor courts so that should be a lot of fun! 

Congrats Lauren on your amazing season! Dad, Rach and I are so proud of how hard you worked and you should be proud of all you achieved!

Breaking up (with friends) is hard to do

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friendship
Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay

Some people will tell you that having toddlers are harder than having babies and that teenagers are harder than toddlers. I have always said that each stage is different and comes with different challenges. 

Eventually, you get to the stage where you start to step back and guide your kids as they start to tackle these challenges on their own. You can’t do everything for them forever, and they won’t grow as a human if you solve all of their problems for them. 

And when life throws you curveballs, like a pandemic, you need to be even more patient in your guidance because you’re faced with challenges no one ever expected — lockdowns, physical distancing, and virtual school.

Maintaining friendships wasn’t something that could happen every day at school. A conscious effort was made to keep the kids connected with their friends in any way they could. We went from trying to limit their time on their phones to allowing them more time so they could Facetime, call, Discord, anything which helped them be social.

After 18 months of virtual school and a disjointed connection with their friends, the girls went back to school in September. We talked with the kids to prepare them for the potential changes that may become more apparent. But I’m not sure Craig and I were prepared for what actually did happen.

One of our girls had a core group of friends and for the first few months, everything seemed to be going fairly well. Some of the kids had become closer to some than others, but, hey, that happens with adults too.

At the end of October, we noticed that things with the friend group were starting to change. New people were being included and others were stepping away. The ebb and flow of friendships.

Some of the changes weren’t all that great. By February, the dam burst.

One of the closest friends, through a text chat, accused our daughter of manipulating them and other hurtful accusations. Our daughter got manipulated by this teen so badly in this chat that she apologized for things that were not her fault and that she did not need to apologize for. And at the end of the chat, the other person said…

“I don’t think we should be friends anymore.” 

Her confidence was shattered. There were so many tears. We were so upset. I was shocked when I read the text message thread. How could one teenager be so hurtful?

My heart broke.

Over the next few days, my daughter told us that she was eating alone in the library because she didn’t want to be with a group of friends due to that one person. I wanted to scream. This manipulative kid gets all the friends and tramples on my kid’s emotions.

This is where I could have stepped in and called the other kid’s parents to let them know what was going on, but I didn’t. Having parents jump in a try to force a friendship back together wasn’t going to be good for anyone.

Then we spent the next few months trying to build our kid’s confidence back up. We encouraged her to reach out to other friends, and join groups or clubs. We made sure that she stayed connected with the rest of the friend group outside of school so she didn’t feel like she lost everything.

Thankfully, after March Break, more activities at school started back up. Now it’s April and there are a few new friends to have lunch with, clubs and choir at lunch, and band after school. 

We are so proud of how she handled this whole thing. Not once did she say anything bad about this other person. Not once did she try to turn the other friends away from this person. She took the high road and walked away. 

One of the things that I am thankful for is that my kid was willing to talk to us. Our family communication is amazing. She knew that she could share this with us and that we would love and support her. I think that this may have helped our family communication become even better. Every day we check in with each other to see how each other’s day was and we celebrate the good and support the not-so-good.

She knows that she did the right thing, even though it wasn’t the easiest. The things that she has learned about herself through all of this are some of the most important things she will carry through life. 

How Does Classroom Design Influence Students’ Learning Abilities?

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Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

Classroom design is an important factor in facilitating a good learning environment for students, and one that helps them increase their learning abilities. Researchers at the Universities of Washington and UC Berkeley estimate that American students spend an average of “11,700 hours of their lives in a school building from kindergarten to 12th grade.” For this amount of time, students need to be comfortable in their environment so they can educationally thrive.

Furniture Arrangement

A classroom’s layout has a much larger impact on students than you may think. According to Teacher Magazine, students are more apt to ask questions when placed in a semi-circular format over the traditional rows of desks. When deciding on the furniture’s layout, you want to think about cultivating a comfortable environment so that students are more apt to interact with one another and with the material being taught. However, traditional layouts can be stagnant, so having different options or using flexible classroom furniture can help keep students stimulated. At all times, a teacher should be able to see each child’s face in a lecture style environment.

Create An “Active Learning Environment”

Children are constantly mobile and students need adequate lighting and a noise-free environment to thrive in a classroom. Face-to-face interaction allows students to be more active and engaged with their work. As such, a central tenet of active learning involves keeping students stimulated. To accomplish this, well-conceived classroom design keeps distractions at bay while allowing teachers to effortlessly communicate with students in order to maximize a lesson’s resonance. When students are able to sit on or interact with active, ergonomic furniture, they are more comfortable and can focus on learning. Teachers need to have enough space to reach all students, and can ask for their input in terms of classroom design to see what will make them happiest.

Classroom Decorations

Classroom decorations are a tricky subject for teachers. However, decorations go a long way in helping students feel like they belong. Whether they’re arts and crafts projects, dioramas, or informative posters, it can be beneficial for students to see vibrant, educational graphics in which they’ve invested time and effort.

One Size Does Not Fit All

It is fairly obvious that children are not all the same size. However, in many traditional classrooms, every desk and chair is the same size. With new design and technologies advancing, there are now chairs and desks available that are adjustable based on height. Also, if students perform better in school when they are comfortable, then it’s important to not only have adjustable furniture, but pieces that can adapt to varied styles of learning. For instance, if a student does better when standing, then an adjustable sit-to-stand desk may solve problems of restlessness.

Fostering Good Habits

Providing ergonomic furniture fosters good posture, which is ultimately beneficial for long-term health. When students slouch or sit incorrectly, it can cause pain and discomfort for them in the classroom and in their futures. In their day-to-day experiences, this type of discomfort can distract students from their studies and decrease their learning abilities.

Overall, students benefit from environments that foster their physiological, emotional, and cognitive needs. When classrooms are designed to minimize distraction and discomfort, they can maximize students’ potential.

5 Tips to Style Your Kids When Going Out

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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Style

Life as a parent is a constant rush. With traveling back and forth from school, band and sports practices, trips to the grocery store, and obligatory family functions, it’s no wonder you’re always wondering where the time went. However, just because life as the energizer bunny is not all it’s cracked up to be, getting your family dressed and out the door doesn’t have to add to your workload.

Make conscious, fashionable dressing decisions and teach your children a lesson in personal responsibility and individuality with these five tips on how to style your kids without spending hours playing dress-up.

Plan Ahead

It is no surprise that clothing stores hold big sales events as one season closes and another begins. Take advantage of these opportunities to stock up on clothing options for the next year, at a discounted price.

For baby clothes, use this opportunity to buy clothes the next couple of sizes up to ensure you have options for months, and years, to come.

Explore New Options

When you’re shopping for kid’s clothing, consider layering. Layering adds dimension to any outfit. Choose clothes in different textiles and patterns to diversify closet selections.

Layered clothing styles aren’t exclusive to girls. There are plenty of options out there for trendy boy’s clothing too. Encourage your child’s individual style, and let their personality play out in the clothes they wear. Set out of few staple pieces and let your child decide what to mix and match.

Shop in Boutiques

Shop outside of the box! Yes, you too can dress your kids in trendy clothes, without breaking the bank. While you may not have the multi-million dollar budget some celebrity’s kids do, boutique shopping is still possible. Boutique doesn’t necessarily mean expensive; they’re just small stores that are not run by the megastore corporations like Walmart or The Bay. Clothing in boutique stores have more creative freedom since large companies do not design them, so you can get diverse, trendy clothes that are relatively inexpensive. Explore children’s boutique stores as an alternative to superstores.

Would You Wear It?

When shopping for clothes for your kids, ask yourself, would you wear it? If the answer is no, don’t buy it! The last thing you want to do is fill your kids closet with clothes you’ll never dress them in. If don’t know where to start with styling your kids, peruse online stores for new ideas and price comparisons.

You can also coordinate clothes with your children. Dressing similarly doesn’t have to be just for holiday postcards, nor does it have to be an exact match. Choose a color palette or style, and go from there. Not only will your kids look stylish, but you will look like a cohesive, well-represented family. You may even find yourself trying new style combinations from your own closet.

Make it Fun

Styling your kids isn’t always about clothes. Pay attention to details like hair and accessories. You can make any outfit fun with a big pair of sunglasses. Complete a casual-cool look with a messy bun or mussed-up hair. When it comes to style, it’s the complete picture that pulls together a look, so don’t forget to consider the details when you’re dressing your kids.

To dress your kids in style doesn’t require a big budget, a big closet, or endless amounts of time. Take the time to make wise purchases when there is a sale, plan for future wears, consider layers and different textures for endless outfit combinations, and pay attention to the details.

Happy styling!