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Youth Development

Exams, Sleep and Stress

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BY KATHY MCDONALD

Have you tried talking to an IB student lately? I would not recommend it as most of them

are in the throes of exams and just plain old grumpy…. Exhausted! As the school year is gearing down and exams are revving up we must be cognizant of the importance of a goodnight sleep, stress control and time management. Dina Azzam summarizes the importance of sleep “When we miss sleep in order to keep up with our 24/7 world, we pay a price with our ability to learn, our health and safety and our quality of life”. The three most important tips that I voice to young people as I go around to secondary schools when asked about exam preparation is: Get plenty of rest the night before an exam and drink lots of water, mange stress levels appropriately, create a timetable and stick to it.

Sleep can improve memory and spar creativity. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand can significantly increase functional impairment at school. According to the Sleep Journal; sleep deprivation will negatively affect how sharp we are and our cognitive ability. Sleep deficiencies are manifested differently in adults and children. Adults get sleepy and lethargic while the latter gets hyperactive. Simply reflect on a time when your two year old was utterly exhausted… they jump on sofas, running around with a new found burst on energy before they collapse. When teenagers are suffering from a lack of sleep they tend to suffer from depression and anxiety, they also get irritable. Then, so do we. As trite as the following statement may sound I truly believe that there is merit to it: A good night sleep can solve a lot of problems and resolve a lot of conflicts. When clear, calm and more rationale heads prevail it’s amazing what can get done. Dr. Robert Stickgold from Harvard Medical School Sleep Medicine Division a preeminent sleep researcher states that sleep plays an important role in memory before and after learning new situations. Hydration is also important as when the body get dehydrated we can see “an increase in headaches, we can get dizzy, feel faint and weak” according to my family physician Dr. Lorna Teape Humphrey.

Managing stress is a crucial aspect of surviving weeks of exams and all that is involved in the preparation process. Mentally one needs to prepare. I would strongly encourage students to advocate for support from family and friends. This buy in is important as family and friends can make the process much easier with their support, understanding and love. These groups of people for example, can minimize temptation and distractions as well as increase support and understanding. Take advantage of all forms of support. Teachers have deliberately made themselves more available with extra help and office hours. Take advantage of this. They are more than willing to help clarify and tidy up those loose ends. There is no gentle way of saying this: If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Don’t stress about it, simply resolve to do better next year and avoid being in this situation again.

So students, you have prepared as best you could, you are well rested and your stress levels are at an acceptable level. On the morning of the exam make certain to have a solid breakfast. Do not neglect to have adequate healthy foods as snacks. Before leaving home ensure that you have all the essentials: I.D., pencils, erasers, calculator, bottled water. A checklist will come in handy. When the exam is finished, move on. Autopsies don’t help, they only increase your anxieties and frustration and are a big time waster. Just keep moving forward to the next conquest.

So Walk Good Belle Marché.

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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