I am re-posting this article I wrote a few years ago, sharing our experience with a public distributed learning school. While we have now returned to regular public school, it was this experience shared below that really became a catalyst for positive growth for our son and family. ~Karen Author: Karen Copeland Back in January… Continue reading Absolutely, Yes
I wrote this piece a few years ago now and am re-publishing it on the blog. By no means am I any kind of expert, however, these are the tips that worked best for our family. A critical piece of the preparation for back to school is being very clear with the school team about the… Continue reading Tips for School Anxiety
Author: Karen Copeland How many of you are looking forward to back to school right now?!? One of the things I always felt uneasy about with back to school was trying to let my child's teacher know some key things about him, right at the start of the year. We were often encouraged to wait… Continue reading Back to School Cheat Sheet
I came across this post about Family Engagement this morning, written by Parent Engagement Advocate and Activist, Nancy Angevin-Sands. In the post, Nancy explores the often uncomfortable feelings between teachers and parents, and provides three thoughts on how to move beyond these to embracing family engagement. I encourage you… Continue reading Link: It’s Okay – They Come in Peace
Author: Karen Copeland A few years ago I had the opportunity to take surfing lessons. Now, surfing isn't really ever something I aspired to do, but my sister pulled me outside of my comfort zone and off we went. It helped that the instructors were all Hawaiian Firefighters! We were given a quick lesson on… Continue reading Learning to Surf
Author: Karen Copeland Let's talk about self-care. As caregivers, we are often encouraged to make sure we take time for ourselves, to replenish our own reserves; because if we are struggling, how will we be able to help our children? Sometimes though, this idea of self-care seems easier said than done. We become so caught… Continue reading Tips for Self Care
Author: Karen Copeland Trust. As we work our way through life, we come across multiple instances where we simply need to trust ... in processes, in people, in our kids. Parents and caregivers who have kids who require accommodations and support are tasked with trusting others on a much larger scale. Sometimes it feels like… Continue reading Trust
Author: Karen Copeland It was an honour to host young adults, parents, caregivers, educators, community professionals and interested community members from across the Lower Mainland at Start with Strengths: Creating Emotionally Healthy Communities. Even more of an honour was to again have the opportunity to collaborate with Chris Wejr to create an event that provided… Continue reading Start with Strengths 2.0
Author: Karen Copeland Most of us are familiar with icebergs, and that you really only see a small piece of an iceberg above the surface; there is so much more underneath. In the human services realm, the iceberg has become a metaphor for exploring deeper below the surface instead of relying solely on what we… Continue reading Re-Thinking the Iceberg
Author: Karen Copeland This article was originally published in the Fall 2016 edition of Okanagan Family Magazine. The Journey from There to Here “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I’ve ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams If there is one guarantee in life it is… Continue reading The Journey From There to Here
Champions for Community Mental Wellness 