Storm Night

I volunteered tonight (Dec. 30, 2012) from 6:30 until 8:30.  It was fairly quiet, probably because of the storm we had today and the power being out for some people on the island.  I did get a few calls though and I had to do a lot of transferring of calls which is good because I haven't been doing as much of that lately.

Start of Parelli

Today (Dec. 28, 2012) I went out to the barn and did about an hour of Parelli with Romeo.  We started out with the Friendly Game.  I began by just rubbing him all over with just my hand and he was fairly calm all throughout.  He did jump once when I touched under his belly but I rubbed him there again after and he was fine with it, I think I just startled him.  I opted not to use a lead rope, just his Parelli halter because I knew he was already fairly comfortable with me working around him.  I then did the whole Friendly Game again but this time with the end of a Parelli carrot stick.  He was excellent with this and it was a good way to introduce this tool as I have never used one with him.  I then spent some time just taking the Parelli stick and savvy string and waving and slapping it around on the ground beside him and over his head, and then gently throwing it around his legs, back and neck to help desensitize him to it.  I then played the Porcupine Game.  I did this mostly with his hindquarters because I wanted to start him with something I know is easier for him so we would have a better chance of ending on a good note.  I did do a bit with his shoulders but not much because it was harder for him; I will go back to this in our next session.  By the end of the game I was able to make him yield his hindquarters just by touching the hair, which is the aim of this game.  I am LOVING this Parelli work and I can not wait to do it again!

Volunteering

I was able to volunteer this weekend at Andrews of Stratford (Dec. 23, 2012) from 6:30 until 8:30.  It wasn't very busy at the front desks being so close to Christmas but I did get a few calls from residents.  One was in a very bad mood and it was my first time having to deal with someone who was upset but it ended up being ok.  I also had a very nice chat with and older gentleman which was new as well but it went great and I think I was able to brighten his night up a little bit.

Photography

Yesterday I spent about an hour taking photos with techniques I learned in Mr. Haynes' classes and today (Dec. 20, 2012) I spent my lunch hour from 11:30 until 12:30 editing some of them.  This class was under the instruction of the other art teacher in the school Mr. Burt and I learned a lot from him about how to use Photoshop and how to improve the pictures I had taken.

I also learned that Parelli with my horse will count for CAS so I look forward to starting that over Christmas Break.

Lots of CAS

I'm a little behind in updating my blog due to an insane amount of assignments, tests, essays, labs, ect. that were due this past week.

Last Sunday (Dec. 9, 2012) I volunteered between 6:30 and 8:30 at Andrews of Stratford Seniors Home.  It was a bit of a change because I got several calls from actual residents, something that has never really happened.  I was able to help them all though, which was nice.

On Wednesday (Dec 12, 2012) our IB dodge-ball team won one game and lost two, meaning we won't be going to the finals.  In all tough, it was a very fun experience and I think we really well!  I have a few more pictures I will post as well.

On Thursday (Dec 13, 2012) I had another art class with Mr. Haynes and we went outside this time!  We brought our cameras and had to take pictures using certain techniques that we had learned about in the previous classes.

I won't be volunteering at Andrews of Stratford this weekend because my family has come down with a stomach flu and it was best not to go in case I should spread any germs.  I will try to do a few extra hours over the holidays to make up for it though.

Catching Up

I'm a little behind in posting this week.  I volunteered last Sunday at Andrew's of Stratford (December 2, 2012) from 6:30-8:30.  I had a great time as usual and I even got to interact with a senior as well as answering the phone.  I was asked to bring a wheelchair to a senior who had a hard time walking and to walk him to the activity room, where music was being played.  It was a new experience for me but the gentleman was very friendly and I was able to chit chat with him on the way to the activities.

I also had another photography lesson with Mr.Haynes last Thursday for an hour at lunch (November 29, 2012) and we discussed composition tools.  I am very excited to try these new techniques out but the next lesson that was supposed to be today was cancelled and pushed back until next Thursday due to dodge-ball.

Speaking of dodge-ball, we played two games today (December 6, 2012), each game the best out of three. I was able to help win out team the first game as I was the last one in and I got the last person on the other team out.  It was very exciting!  We ended up winning the first game and losing the second, but we are still in a good position overall so hopefully we can make it to the finals.  A teammate was able to get some good pictures of me playing but for now here is one of our team:

Seniors and Cameras

I volunteered at Andrews of Stratford again Saturday the 24th from 6:30-8:30.  It was great and it was my first time having to transfer calls to certain rooms.  I was unsure at first but it worked out in the end and I am definitely more comfortable than I was at first.

I also started the art classes with Mr. Haynes on Thursday at lunch.  This session is on photography and what he taught us about aperture and shutter speed was all very interesting   I can't wait to start actually working with the camera!

More Volunteering

I volunteered again at Andrews of Stratford Seniors Home last Saturday (November 17, 2012) from 6:30 until 8:30 pm.  This time I was a little more comfortable answering the phones and I met some of the other employees who work there.  There were a few more seniors up and about last Saturday so I was able to see how the caretakers and nurses there interacted with the seniors and I was able to talk to a few of the seniors as well.  Looking forward to next weekend's volunteering!

First Day With Seniors!

Yesterday evening (the 10th of November 2012) was my first volunteer shift at Andrews of Stratford Seniors Home.  I will be mostly responsible for reception duties there, something completely foreign to me! When people call in I am to take their calls and transfer them to a certain person if that is what they are calling for.  However, I soon found that it wasn't too difficult but definitely out of my comfort zone.  I had a good time though, it was so quiet and peaceful there that I felt more at ease.  I also had the chance to interact with a few seniors who were still awake (my shift was 6:30-8:30 pm) which was also new to me as I haven't had much experience with seniors before.  It all went well though and I look forward to this volunteer job!

One CAS Project Down, A Million More To Go...

GISHWHES is done!  It was a fun time too, I only wish it could have been longer!  I don't feel that six days is nearly enough time to really get into it and get a lot done, especially when you have an IB schedule!  That said, our team still managed to complete a fair bit and I was able to participate in executing the following clue: Let’s see what Twister would look like with 13 people. Each person must be wearing only one color of clothing, i.e. all yellow, or all red and no two people can be wearing the same color clothing.

I wore purple!

I will also be starting my volunteer job at Andrew's of Stratford Seniors Home this Saturday, November 10 2012. I went last Friday, the 2nd, and handed in my police check and application, and got a tour.
And lastly, I am looking into an art club close to my home, which I might do instead of the art classes with Mr. Haynes because they would fit in better with my work schedule.

Planning...

Hey readers!

I have started planning for a few of my CAS projects and will outline them and what I have started doing for them here.

-Volunteering at Andrews of Stratford Senior's Home: I have called and received a booklet of information on their volunteer program.  I will likely be helping out with their daily activities with the seniors and am planning on going once a week.  I was required to have a police check done so I went to the Charlottetown RCMP Detachment and filled out the forms needed.  I will be going later this week to pick it up.  I am also required to get a flu shot which I will be calling a clinic about soon.

-Riding Western: I have found a supervisor for this activity and have begun asking around for a western saddle that I could borrow for my horse Romeo.

-Art Classes with Mr. Haynes at Charlottetown Rural: I have talked to Mr. Haynes about these classes and am expecting to start it in November.

-GISHWHES; This is also known as the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen.  A group of 15 of us including grade 11 and 12 IB students, and one teacher, are taking part in this scavenger hunt.  It will last about a week and you must take pictures of things on their list, each one counting for a certain amount of points.  The winners with the most points get a paid trip to Scotland!  The website for this event is: http://cluster.gishwhes2012.com/.

I still have quite a few things in mind that I have to run by my CAS coordinator but hopefully they will count!

Morgan