True Strength *Sponsored*

by Dale Ho

Strength is not measured by how much weight one can physically bear.
It comes in all shapes, sizes and colours.
Strength is jumping over life's hurdles and getting up each time you fall.
It is human will.
Strength is being courageous enough to be yourself and stand proud.
It is resilience in the face of adversity.

Strength is my daughter...

It's makes sense that she has a passion for horses. 

Horses are said to be a symbol of strength, power and beauty. The perfect pairing.

Between riding, volunteering her time at the stables and playing several rounds of b-ball with her brothers her clothing choice is Ivivva Athletica, a brand able to withstand it all.

Rhythmic tights shown above

Here at home one of our favourite pieces are the Rhythmic Tights, made with Luxtreme® fabric, its sleek design has the ability to feel like a second skin, it moves with you and not against.

"It's so comfortable even when riding." ~Victoria, 12

The Luxtreme® fabric has the ability to wick away sweat keeping you dry, quite the feature for any young sports enthusiast. One other very practical feature we delighted in is the hidden waistband pocket, ideal for tucking away small items whilst you play hard! 

"Ivivva Athletica was created in 2009 by Lululemon in response to a calling from active girls for high performance athletic apparel. We use the same amazing technical fabrics as Lululemon, and rely on feedback from local athletes to ensure that our product is able to function beautifully at the rink, on the field, in the studio, and everywhere in between." ~Jessica, Educator at Ivivva Oakville

A vast selection to choose from at Ivivva Oakville

Ivivva goes well beyond their clothing line and into the community, a company I am pleased to align myself with that share some of the same goals and philosophies I do...

"As a company, we are big on setting and crushing goals. Through our Dreams and Goals program, we coach girls through the goal setting process so they can go out into their communities and work hard towards their dreams." 

There's always something for everyone going on at Ivivva Oakville for all skill sets and interests.

"...Like all Ivivva stores, we have an amazing relationship with the girls in our community and love hearing what they're up to and celebrating their wins. One of the big ways we do this is through weekly complimentary classes (varying from ballet to boxing to bootcamp), where we invite girls of all abilities to come sweat in an encouraging, fun environment." 

It's important to learn that every attempt might not reveal success, failure is part of the journey and strength is only part of the equation, it takes a community to support our children.

"The athletes in our community are at the core of what we do, and the product and community events we offer are always inspired by the amazing girls we've met."

And now on to some B-Ball!

Connect with Ivivva Oakville online:
Visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivivvaoakville

Follow them on Instagram @ivivva_Oakville

Unleash their creative side!

How many things can you make using a circle?

On occasion I like to share some very easy activity ideas; Simple to set up/take down yet very effective teaching tools for parents and caregivers.

I came across this one posted by my good friend and fellow educator Miss. T of  Miss T. ESL Activities and thought I'd share it with you.

It's a very simple way to promote the creativity process. Let the kids go ahead and unleash their creative side!

Have children fill their paper with circles or you might want to draw varying sizes of circles for the younger ones, next have them complete each circle as many ways they can think of...anything goes!

Thanks for sharing with us Miss T!

Get as creative as you can!

Creating Character Puppets

Popsicle Stick Characters

by Dale Ho

Looking for an easy to make mid-week activity idea?  Kids of all ages can take part in this one, simply adapt it to suit the age range and individual interests.

Have the kids make puppets of their favourite character/s from a story using popsicle sticks, recycled brown paper bags, socks or anything they can find around the house and use these to act out a scene from the book.

Super idea to engage the kids in literacy and tons of opportunity for them to practise such skills as retelling a story, predicting, relating to a character, inferring, introducing new vocabulary and much more!

Resiliency Is Key

by Dale Ho

Fact; There are many children around the world who will have to work that much harder towards their goals, just some of the barriers they may face can include; physical, mental, developmental, health or socio-economic status; Adversity.
 
Many will defy all the odds and overcome these barriers; Resiliency. What makes these children different? Is resiliency something we are born with or is it taught?
 
There are just some things that all the books ever written or the self-proclaimed experts could never teach me and one of many things I've learned is just this...
 
We raise resilient children. We teach our children what it means to be resilient. We properly equip them with the tools they need to achieve their own personal success, but it's not enough to teach resiliency, we must model it.
 
We must teach our children that every failure should be looked upon as a lesson learned and merely part of the journey.
 
Teaching resiliency also means providing support to a child whenever the need arises, they say it takes a village...
 
A resilient child is filled with self-esteem and confidence in their individual capabilities.  Let us therefore remember to celebrate every achievement no matter how small, to a child it's a big deal.
 
Resiliency is best nurtured over time. Our role as parents truly surpasses that of any other.
 
Resilient children are not born, they are raised.