Ranch UpAround
3944 Young Road V0A 1K5 Invermere, BC, Canada

Come join us! Please share <3

Accepting Donations (bottles/cans/recycling) can be dropped off at my house for Rite to Ride, or we can pick up from you. PM me for my address, or let us know w...here we can pick up from you. All funds go towards getting gear and passes for kids that may not be able to afford them to be able to skateboard or snowboard. TIA. Year-round bottle drive

Thanks Katie Gibbs for sharing!!

Be mindful, be gentle, be kind. The impact lasts forever. Credit: Go Zen

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KIDS PROGRAM UPDATE!! We will be running two 3 month sessions for kids: Fall Session OCT 6 to Dec 22 and Winter Session Jan 5 to March 30th. Each session is... $90 and registration info will be coming shortly (we are setting up an online portal). We will run two age groups 5-8 & 9-12 both running Tuesday Evenings. To be sure that we are following all Provincial health regulations and guidance from ViaSport class size will be capped at 10. If you are interested, please let us know in the comments or DM us. We will start a waiting list once the registration cap is reached and will schedule an additional class\cohort if there a demand for it. Preference will be given to those who trained with us last year but our hope is that everyone interested will be able to join in. We are VERY EXCITED to offer movement fluency, self defense, de-escalation techniques and competitive sport training for youth in the valley and know how important physical fitness is to children's overall mental health! Don't forget that teens are welcome to join our adult classes, we haven't forgotten about them! Maybe you have an aspiring athlete on your hands looking for a cross training opportunity? THIS IS IT.

StrongStart will begin at Eileen Madson Primary School on Monday, September 28st, Edgewater Elementary School on Tuesday, September 29nd, and Martin Morigeau on... Thursday, Sept 24th. The StrongStart schedule will be as follows: Mondays: EMP 5-7 pm ( a light supper will be served) Tuesdays: EES 9-11 am Wednesdays: EMP 9-11 am Thursdays: MME 9-11 am Fridays: EES 9-11 am There will be limited space for participants and we are asking you to sign up for only one day per week. Please email any questions or to reserve your space at [email protected] or call 250-409-4251. The facilitators are looking forward to seeing you!

Lost and found collection....

May we celebrate and embrace all of our children’s strengths. Credit: angeladuckworth

Thank you Campers!

#SaveTheChildren #SaveOurChildren

COVID-19 Update for K-12 Education - August 26 Today there was a significant announcement which is due in part to our continued advocacy for families. Per the a...nnouncement today, remote learning and flexible options are expected by the Minister by all school districts to those families who need it. It may look differently across different districts. We have posted all materials and information on our resource page: https://www.bccpac.bc.ca//reso/21-advocacy/861-c19-updates On behalf of parents, President Sinclair thanks the ministry, and specifically Minister Fleming, for stating his clear expectations that all school districts will provide remote/online options for parents, while ensuring all children will have the opportunity to remain connected to their school community. This is the position BCCPAC has continuously been stating at the provincial tables since June. I thank Minister Fleming for his willingness to listen and to provide flexibility for families which is in the best interests of our children. Please read today's full announcement AND the informative backgrounder - https://bccpac.bc.ca//Resources/MoE-Aug-26-Back-to-school- You can watch the recorded announcement from Minister Fleming here: (starts at 5min, runs to 17min when media ask questions) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgA314vw16Q&feature=youtu.be The Ministry also released a Technical Briefing which we are now sharing with you - https://www.bccpac.bc.ca//MoE-Aug-26-Back-to-school-Techni Additionally the Back to School website which houses information for families was updated today: - https://www2.gov.bc.ca//edu/k-12/covid-19-return-to-school We strongly recommend that parents/guardians/caregivers and our members read their school district plans and these materials to gain a better understanding of how it will look in your district. Flexibility and Remote Learning The ministry understands that some families who for medical, health or other concerns, are looking for options. Minister Fleming has now today set the expectation that school districts be flexible and work with families to provide remote options that keep children connected to their school community. The Minister has directed school districts to contact all families in their school communities to share their safety plans and to confirm if they are planning for their child to attend school classes in September, or if they need alternative learning options. The Ministry has given school districts the flexibility and funding certainty to find options that work for families. This includes the authority for all school boards to offer remote options to students within their districts, as well as the tools they need to increase their existing programs to meet demand. It is not based on demand but on need. If it's needed, it's to be provided. Parents can expect a call from their school district or school to find out if your child will attend in-class or will need alternative options. Flexibility will be key for a safe school restart and schools will work to support student needs. If you don't hear from your district or school in the coming days, it may be they don't have accurate contact details for you. Contact your school to provide updated information. School District Plans All 60 school districts have posted their current Restart Plans to their websites. These plans were submitted last week so they won't specifically address today's newly announced information. It's now likely that district plans will get updated. We strongly encourage families, PACs and DPACs to read and review their District plans as they will inform individual school plans. Students with Diverse Abilities/Disabilities Per instructions from the Ministry to all school districts on August 10 and as should be evident in all 60 District plans -In alignment with the Equity and Inclusion Guiding Principles, describe how your district is planning for students with diverse abilities/disabilities ensuring students and communicating to parents on the following, to ensure students will: -be able to attend school full time or have a plan to ensure supports and learning continue if a student needs to learn at home -have access to the necessary health and safety supports -continue to receive supports and services as identified in their IEP, including 1:1 supports -not be grouped in segregated settings as a part of the establishment of cohorts There is more details in these documents: https://bccpac.bc.ca//k-12-covid-19-health-safety-guidline https://bccpac.bc.ca//K-12-Operational-Guidelines-Aug-17.p Students with Complex Medical Conditions Parents of students who are immune-compromised or have underlying medical conditions are encouraged to consult with their health care provider to determine their level of risk regarding return to school. Parents with children (or families) who are immuno compromised will receive accommodations and don't have to pull their child from in-class instruction/local school. There is more details in these documents: https://bccpac.bc.ca//k-12-covid-19-health-safety-guidline https://bccpac.bc.ca//K-12-Operational-Guidelines-Aug-17.p Cohorts and Learning Groups To maximize the number of students who can return to in-class instruction while also reducing the number of close, in-person interactions, the PHO has recommended the use of cohorts, or learning groups, for students and staff. This will reduce the number of people each student or staff member comes into contact with, thereby reducing the risk of transmission and ensuring quicker contact tracing by health authorities.Learning groups will be no more than 60 people in elementary and middle school and no more than 120 people in secondary school. Learning groups can be larger in secondary schools due to the increased ability of older children to be able to consistently minimize physical contact, practice hand hygiene, ensure physical distance where necessary and recognize and articulate symptoms of illness. Read more about Cohorts in doc from BCCDC - https://bccpac.bc.ca//covid-19_k-12_school_guidance_JULY-2 See examples of Learning Groups in this doc - https://bccpac.bc.ca//k-12-education-restart-plan-July-29.

Some interesting Bird Bill facts The top and bottom parts of a bird's bill are called mandibles. The upper bill or mandible is also called the maxilla.... All birds have their nostrils at the basal end of the top mandible, except for the New Zealand Kiwi where they are at the tip. The edges of the bill are especially hard and sharp and are called 'tomia', singular 'tomium' The part where the two mandibles meet at the hinge of the bill is called the 'Commissure' No birds chew their food though they will use their bill to tear chunks off or to crush lumpy items before swallowing them. Birds' bills continue to grow throughout the birds lives, this is necessary to replace the wearing that inevitably occurs at the tips. When birds open their mouths it is the lower jaw that does most of the moving, most birds can move the upper jaw to some extent though only in a few groups like the parrots is it anywhere near as flexible as the lower jaw. Puffins have an extra bone in their jaws which allows them to open their bill and to keep both mandibles parallel. This allows them to hold a whole row of fish without the ones near the tip falling out. Flamingos use their bills as a sieve and plate just like a baleen whales to extract small algal filaments from the water. The large bills of birds like Toucans are hollow and much lighter than they look. Birds' bills are very sensitive, especially at the tips. Birds like Curlews can open the tips of their bills deep in the mud without getting a mouthful of mud. The bills of some fish-eating birds have serrations along the edge to help them hold slippery fish. These are not real teeth. The largest bill in the world belongs to the Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus, 34-47 cm Although a number of birds have upwards or downwards curving bill and a few like Crossbills have the tips curved to cross over each other, only the New Zealand Plover (Anorhynchus frontalis) has a bill curved to one side only (always to the right). The Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) has a bill longer than the rest of its body. Skimmers (Anhingidae) have their lower mandibles larger than the top ones. They fly with the lower mandible in the water and use it to flip fish up into the air where they can catch them. The muscular response which snaps shut the bill of an Avocet, when it is sifting the soft mud at the edge of the tide for small shrimps, is one of the fastest ever recorded in the animal kingdom. The bill of the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) hits the bark of a tree at about 21 km/h or 13 mph. The birds' brain experiences a deceleration of about 10G every time this happens. The Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martius, strikes with its bill against a tree between 8 and 12 thousand times a day. Avian Conservation & Education Network Visual by Shyamal from India #conservation #education