That's right - it's the end of another month! Why not take a few minutes and vote on the Monthly Poll?! As always, the poll will be opened until the end of the following month (May, in this case). Results will be revealed as soon as possible after it has closed.
Don't forget to check back tomorrow to learn about the first of several May celebrations!
Let's end this month on a high note - it's National Humour Month!
National Humour Month began in 1976 by Larry Wilde. Wilde thought April to be the perfect month to celebrate humour for two key reasons:
1. April Fool's Day kicks it off.2. Tax season ends.
Being as "scientific research now indicated that the curative power of laughter and its ability to relieve debilitation stress and burnout may indeed be on of the great medical discoveries of our time," it makes sense to want to celebrate it! Think about how amazing it feels to have the pains of laughter in your stomach. Think about the last time you laughed so hard you had tears streaming down your face. Who doesn't want to experience that daily? Not me! So, get joke tellin' and laughin' folks! Make the best of the rest of this month!
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| (Image found at: http://literarileigh.blogspot.ca/2010/04/april-is-national-humor-month.html) |
April is apparently National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Does anyone else feel like this shouldn't be a thing? Not that we should be preventing child abuse, mind you, but the fact that we actually need to make a conscious effort to do so!
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| (Image found at:http://www.andersen.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123053108) |
National Child Abuse Prevention Month began in 1983 in the United States. The purpose of the month-long theme was to begin a conversation about how to decrease the instances of child abuse. This year, marks the 40th anniversary of the Child Abuse and Treatment Act, which was another factor in creating the Month.
Child abuse can take place in several ways: physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse. In fact, the definition of child abuse reads as follows: "the physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child or children." A study by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that in 2009 25.9% of survey respondents indicated that they had been exposed to conditions of verbal abuse as a child, 14% reported instances of physical abuse, and 12.2% have experienced sexual abuse. The greatest instances of abuse were flagged by participants between the ages of 18-24 at the time of the survey, which means, there is still quite a bit of abuse taking place today.
The sad truth is that, National Child Abuse Prevention Month is still relevant and necessary. Together we can, hopefully, build a culture of intolerance for future generations.
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| (Image found at: http://fssba.org/announcements/april-is-child-abuse-prevention-month) |
April also brings International Parkinson Disease Awareness Month. For me, Parkinson Disease (PD) hits close to home. My grandfather was diagnosed with PD when I was quite young and died almost nine years ago. Watching such a strong, independent man weaken and become extremely dependent was one of the most difficult things I have experienced.
For those of you unaware of what PD is, it is "a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system." The disease impacts one's motor skills as a result of a decrease (or cease) of dopamine. It was originally known as "Shaking Palsy." It was first studied by James Parkinson in 1817. Symptoms can include:
As of today, there is no known cure. Diagnosis can be difficult and lengthy, and support is minimal. There have been significant strides in research and various operations have been found to slow the process of degeneration.
The average age for diagnosis is 60, although there is an early-onset type that occurs in 10-15% of those diagnosed. Life expectancy from time of diagnosis can be 15-20 years, although this is dependent on one's age, level of activity, and rapidity of progression.
To learn more about Parkinson Disease, visit the links below:
We've covered multiple styles of poetry before, in our first year, but today, we bring you an entire month of poetry to celebrate! It's National Poetry Month!
National Poetry Month began in 1996 in the United States as a means to "increase awareness and appreciation of poetry." The success of the US celebration led Canada to join in three years later. Britain also celebrates National Poetry Month as of 2000, but this takes place in October, instead. April was selected after consultation of several teachers and librarians who suggested that "April seemed the best time within the year to turn attention toward the art of poetry—in an ultimate effort to encourage poetry readership year-round."
Fun National Poetry Month Fact: The creation of this celebration was inspired by the success of Black History Month and Women's History Month!
Need some ideas for how to best celebrate National Poetry Month? Here's 30, or, one for each day of the month! Enjoy!
Woohoo! It's National Jazz Appreciation Month!
National Jazz Appreciation Month began in 2001, and was created by Smithsonian curator, Dr. John Edward Hasse. The purpose of this theme is to honour jazz music as an "original American art form." JAM, as it's known, was created with the intention of hosting a music festival to "pay tribute to jazz as both a living and as a historic music." So... that's pretty cool!
As suggested by my good friend, and jazz lovin' pal Kelly MacNeil, here's some jazz for you to enjoy!
Another new month! This one marks National Autism Awareness Month!
Autism is "a complex neurobiological condition that can affect the normal function of the gastrointestinal, immune, hepatic, endocrine and nervous systems. It impacts normal brain development leaving most individuals with communication problems, difficulty with typical social interactions and a tendency to repeat specific patterns of behaviour." There are multiple symptoms of Autism such as:
Non-verbal reasoning skills Reading skills Perceptual motor skills Drawing skills Computer interest and skills Exceptional memory Visual Spatial abilities Music skills Autism can be detected as early as 12-24 months of age! However, there can be many difficulties in diagnosing a child with Autism, so it can often take much longer to determine.
National Autism Awareness Month began in the United States in the 1970s. April 2nd is officially known as International Autism Awareness Day, and in Canada Autism Awareness Month is celebrated on October. There is much to learn about Autism, and recently there has been extensive research that has revealed more about the condition. But, as the purpose of this month-long theme suggests, it's important to become educated and aware off how Autism works. I would like to say we have moved forward in our understanding over the last few years and that the stigma associated with Autism is slowly starting to dissolve. However, there is still much to do. I hope you will all take some time to learn more about Autism this month.
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| (Image found at: http://www.multiplesandmore.com/expert-interviews/autism-awareness-month-wrap-up/) |
