Children's Centre

We do this through creating a well thought-out environment filled with inspiring activities. Each exercise is planned with a purpose and allows the children to experience aesthetically-pleasing items that help them learn in a fun way. The prepared environment is what helps us reach this goal with each child. For example, when a child sees the beautiful, organized, and themed materials on the shelf, it entices them to take out an activity which helps their will power to focus.

Finally, we have open-ended activities like the one pictured where the children use the creativity from within to design an elaborate masterpiece. This type of activity helps a child express themselves and since it is open ended, it allows them to express themselves without the hesitation of being “right” or “wrong.” This develops the love for education and learning. Together these aspects of our classroom encourage pupils to learn through the whole body – with their will, mind, and heart. Our hope is that each preschooler who comes to our classroom will find themselves entirely engaged and love every moment of it. ♦

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Group Fitness Coordinator, Daniela Tempesta reminds members to prioritize mental health and offers practical tips for a healthier mindset

As the buzz of the New Year has worn off and we are back in a solid rhythm of life, we recognize that burnout and fatigue are real and often go ‘undiagnosed’ because they can be more difficult to identify than a medically-diagnosed illness. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we want to help members understand mental health, while providing useful tips for keeping your mind in optimal shape.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through to adulthood." It’s also important to note that poor mental health is not synonymous with mental illness and we will be addressing poor/optimal health only in this article.

How you feel mentally is equally as important, if not more, than how you feel physically. They are interconnected, but how you feel mentally impacts your perception of how you feel physically. When you feel like you can conquer the day, even the seemingly little tasks like a gym workout, fitness class, or walking your dog can have dramatically different results than if you felt you didn’t have enough energy.

Here are some ways you can stay on track with your physical health, which directly impacts your emotional, psychological and spiritual health:

Rest, reflect, repeat

Sounds simple, but often we get so busy with our to-do list, that rest and recovery don’t even make the list. Carve out time once a day (even if it’s just 10 minutes) where you allow yourself uninterrupted time to rest, reflect, relax, and recoup! It could be meditation or even grabbing a cuppa Joe and sitting in your backyard enjoying nature do its thing.

Digital detox

No powders, smoothies or soups needed for this one – just the will power to intentionally stay away from screen time a bit each day – whether it’s no screen time after a certain hour of the day or only using techology for 10 minutes at the top of each hour. Any type of blue light detox is beneficial and assists in so many areas of life including eye health, melatonin levels, and better quality of sleep.

Sleep syncing

Regular sleep is directly related to physical and emotional repair, increased immune system and reducing brain fog often associated with less than optimal hours of sleep. Use your body’s circadian rhythm to set your sleep/wake times, avoid meals and screen time before bed and keeping your bedroom cool/dark to create a rhythm that you can thrive off of and avoid the constant syndrome of playing catch up. Repeat the same schedule daily to create maximal benefits.

Practise self-care

Athough we are out of pandemic-mode, residual anxiety from the pandemic may mean you’re carrying extra unnecessary stress in areas of your body that you may not be aware of. Consider booking a regular massage or fascial stretch therapy session, or treat yourself to a facial or pedicure at the Spa at Arbutus for that extra re-boost!

Be with others

The pandemic forced many of our social experiences into isolation and we should be intentional in reconnecting with our support systems. There can be benefits in breaking the cycle of being a ‘homebody.’ When you’re around others, feelings of isolation and attacks on your mental health can be mitigated. You may even find others experiencing what you are going through and can encourage each other towards positive, healthy solutions. Remember, community can be a source of happiness.

Working out

You can’t really get around this one, because outside of the physical benefits of exercise, moving the body around really does increase endorphin levels (among others) that give you that natural kick (often called ‘runner’s high’). Currently, micro-workouts are trending and can be accumulatively effective over time and easier to fit into your schedule. Perhaps it’s a TikTok dance video or a 5 minute stretch each day – something is always better than nothing!

Fill up once a week

Do one thing a week that you really love and fills you with joy. Not necessarily food, but perhaps it’s a dance class with a few friends or heading to the library and having a good read for an hour. Whatever fuels your energy is great and will help you tackle the rest of the more mundane items on your list in a more peaceful and less stressful way.

Play games

It may sound silly, but playing a few rounds of board games or word puzzles helps you focus your mind on a single thing. Playing games helps exercise the brain in a different manner, stimulating and activating dormant areas. Besides, when was the last time you didn’t enjoy winning at Scrabble!

We hope these tools encourage and inspire you towards prioritizing your mental health and always encourage seeking professional help if you would like assistance. ♦

The 2022-2023 Arbutus Club Minor Hockey Association season has been one for the books, with a total of 176 players registered across age levels 6 to 18 years old. From the youngest rookies in Pups Hockey to our seasoned veterans on Rep and Recreational teams, every player has shown impressive dedication and skill on the ice.

“This season ended up being a magical year with some excellent highlights and great team performances from every team within our Minor Hockey Program,” says Minor Hockey Director, Jason Fothergill. “Our initiation program for 6-8 year old’s showed us all that the foundation of our hockey program is in good hands with many outstanding youngsters leading the way through fun and on-ice skill development.”