Beading, Bananas and Bonding, OH MY!

Halfway through initiative already?! Where has the time gone??Last weekend we hosted our very first community event which was a great success! The kids enjoyed having the afternoon to hang out with us while watching “Inside Out”, eating popcorn and learning about mental health. The film struck up some important conversations between us and the students, especially among the younger children.We got into the school on Monday feeling eager to begin the busy week ahead of us! This week we ran some fun filled gym classes with the Jr Kindergarteners, grade 3, and grade 2s, where we were able to touch on the importance of physical activity and learn some exciting new games. We were also able to teach a variety of topics such as bullying, respect and communication, basic first aid, and positive self-esteem to many of the elementary school classes. We were also able to teach our stress management lesson along with a lesson on healthy relationships to the grade 9s who we hadn’t taught before. It was very nice to see some new faces! Our jam packed days, filled with teaching in almost every grade daily, lesson planning, attending the Webequie fitness club workouts, running activities for the students, and making the most of our time here, leaves us exhausted at the end of the day, but we jump out of bed every morning excited to experience everything the day has to offer and to give it our best!Afterschool we began our yoga club on Tuesday during the afterschool sports program to give the students the option to take a break and stretch between games of floor hockey. We also attended adult beading on Wednesday night to get to know some of the teachers and older students better. It was great getting to chat with them a bit more and to start learning the basics of such a difficult and beautiful craft. On Thursday night we helped get some of the grade 5 and 6 girls out to the first of many weekly beading sessions, ran by some wonderful local ladies. The night was very fun for us, getting to know the ladies and the girls a bit better, getting a chance to work and hangout with the girls outside of class, and seeing the girls spend some quality time together with the ladies. The girls definitely showed us up with their beading skills, but we can’t wait to attend beading night with these girls every week while we’re still here! We’re also very excited to see how it continues, as it is a very constructive and positive program for the girls. Lily was also able to join in on a few youth pick-up hockey games this week that are part of the afterschool program. The bruises and sore muscles were worth it for the laughs and the chance to get to know the students better.Yesterday, we ran a girl’s only workshop with girls of all ages! We touched on topics such as self-esteem, positive body image, healthy relationships, communication and much more! We played fun games and had some very meaningful conversations. They girls drew us some awesome pictures and also had time to reflect on their personal strengths and what makes them unique. The girls also enjoyed some yummy snacks and learned how easy it can be to make healthy choices! We had so much fun being able to bond with the girls, giving them a chance to reflect on these topics, and giving them a place to hangout in a positive way with each other.Although winter seems to have temporarily arrived back in Webequie, our hearts have been kept warm from all of the kindness and compassion that the students and members of the community have shown us. It’s crazy to think that we’re already just over halfway through our time in Webequie! We’ve already learned so much and we can’t wait to learn even more! We’re diving into topics surrounding puberty and sexual health in our classrooms starting next week which should make for some giggle-filled classes!Till next time,Curious George and Lilypad