Talking to the Sparks

Last week I did one of my first “Kind Campaign” presentations. I spoke to the Sparks (they are a part of the Girl Guides). There were 15 5-7 year old girls who were at the meeting I came and talked at. I told them all about how being a girl isn’t easy most of the time and how everyone is fighting their own battles so its very important to always respect each other and be kind. My platform of eliminating girl to girl bullying fit perfectly into the unit they were working on with Girl Guides! It was along the lines kindness toward women in society. It really surprised me they were tackling a subject that big and actually able to understand and apply it to their lives.

What I mainly focused on at that particular speech was the importance of being kind to everyone, not just girls, but even a sibling who they might not favour! To keep their attention I kept the presentation to the point and tried to be as interactive as possible, to do this I asked them many questions, and their answers shocked me. I asked the girls to put up their hands if they’d ever been put down or hurt by another female. Each and everyone of them put their hand up, and most were trying to burst out with stories of the situation. The fact they’re so young and have already experienced this cruelty is just sick, where would a little girl like that even find mean words to say to that poor girl, I was genuinely upset.

I got the girls to realize that they were part of the problem too, I continued on with the interactive aspect of the program with the TAP’s part of the Kind Campaign. Truth, apology, pledge. The truth part was realizing they are part of the problem, even if they haven’t bullied someone personally, but even if they’ve just stood by and saw bullying, they need to put an end to it and stick up for people. Apology is to go back and apologize to that girl who they might have hurt and make sure they never do some thing to intentionally hurt someone again. And finally pledge, to promise that they will pledge to unite in kindness in an effort to end female bullying.

At the end they gave me some of their delicious cookies as a thank you gift, but really I should be thanking them for the opportunity. I didn’t get many questions as most of the kids were pretty shy, but I tried to explain anything that they may have not understood. The idea of bullying is a huge thing that is often summarized so much the meaning is lost. I am not a huge fan of the word bullying as it is. The term is over used and the meaning is under felt. We need to understand this behaviour is crime and unacceptable in any situation. I’m so happy I got to speak to such young girls, because their minds are so easily biased at this age into thinking whatever their role models believe. Maybe what I said will sink in more than those unkind ideas placed by others. I can only hope.

Written by: Jasmine Gemmell Tagged with:, , , , , , , , , , ,
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Posted On:May 19, 2012 Categories:Events, Fun, Miss Teen

Jasmine Gemmell, Miss Teen South Central Saskatchewan-World 2012!

Hello, I’m Jasmine Gemmell from Bethune, Saskatchewan.

My favourite thing to do is track and I have been participating in the sport since 2008. My favourite events are sprints and hurdles. I enjoy being confronted with a challenge, especially in school, where I maintain to strive for the best I can do in every subject. My favourite subjects are science, math and German. I am currently in my second semester of German and will graduate bilingual while doing International Baccalaureate German. I will be enrolling in IB diploma in grade 11 and am planning on going to university to become an astrophysicist, as I always have been interested in cosmology and why things work the way they do. Knowledge is my passion and I absolutely love to learn. Realizing new things about the world and connecting them to relatable aspects of my life is so exciting to me, in the way that I feel that I’m an important contribution to the world, and not just another person.

100 Metre Finals at Districts 2012

My family is made up of my mother, my father, and myself. But my grandparents live in the same small town as well. We are all very close to each other, as well as the community we are a part of. My dad owns a woodworking company as well as is the mayor of Bethune. My mom works in human resources at a computer company.

My platform is the Kind Campaign. It is a documentary and non-profit movement promoting the awareness and elimination of girl to girl “crime” and alternatively promoting kindness. This topic is meaningful to me because through out my child hood and continuing on today, I have been a victim of bullying. I live in a small town where everyone knows everyone, as well as what hurts them the most. Kids are mean, and get sick of each other, and usually make that known, without knowing who they may hurt with their words and actions. I have been in the shoes of every aspect of bullying, and in no way am I claiming to be a perfect person. But right now my goal is to be the solution and to end bullying.

Please continue to check back for more information and news about my journey to Miss Teen Canada-World! Thank you!

Thank you to Kaela Gilchrist for doing my photography, and my friends and family for supporting and sponsoring me on this amazing journey.  A special thanks to Christi Woolard and Rob Campbell for helping me setup this blog.

Written by: Jasmine Gemmell Tagged with:, , , , ,
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Posted On:April 21, 2012 Categories:Miss Teen, Preparing for Toronto

The Miss Teen Legacy lives on.

 
Written by: The Miss Teen Blog Team Tagged with:, ,
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Posted On:March 1, 2012 Categories:Uncategorized

Au Pair Extraordinaire

The following information is fictional and was written for entertainment purposes only! The people in the post are family and friends who have given me consent to use them as models for my show. I hope you enjoy it!

The Show

 Au Pair Extraordinaire is the hit new show about a young girl who travels around the world to help families in need. Dana Moskaluke grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan, where she spent her young life baby-sitting for relatives and other families in Davidson. Now, she is ready for a bigger challenge and wants to use these skills to help families all around the world. She possesses an almost magical gift for mending broken families. On Au Pair Extraordinaire, Dana accepts letters or videos from families who feel that they need some guidance raising their children, or who’s children need some lessons on how to behave properly in this day and age! This show is all about teaching parents the best techniques for discipline, sleep habits, play time, meals, attending special events, and interacting with their children. As well, the show is set up so that Dana can teach children around the world how they are expected to behave and what to say or how to act when out in public. Dana is ready for her mission - it’s time to bring back the traditional family values!

In Au Pair Extraordinaire, Dana spends two days a week with each family for six weeks. At the end of these 12 days, Dana puts her efforts and the family’s hard work to the test by taking them out on a fancy outing, where they have a chance to show the world what a real family looks like! At the event, the children will have wonderful manners and the family, as a whole, will have huge smiles guaranteed! After this success, it is time for Dana to say goodbye and send the family back into the real world. However, every show ends with a huge surprise gift to the family that suits them perfectly! Au Pair Extraordinaire is such a life-changing experience for the families who are on it, and it is very entertaining and heart-warming for the people watching!

Au Pair Extraordinaire runs every Thursday night at seven o’clock on TLC! Each one-hour episode features a new family as they evolve from disappointed and frantic, to organized and loving!

Feature Episodes

The Low family had a lot going on and with two young children, it just was not working out. With both parents working full time, helping out in the community, and having their kids be involved in many activities, there was no time left for the usual family connections. It was time for these two young children to learn what the world is really like and how they should behave in it. Be sure to check out their story and see how these energetic kids, with the help of Dana and their parents’ new techniques, go from chaotic to collective and fun in just six weeks! This family will definitely provide many laughs as you watch them struggle, as well as make you shed a few tears as you see their love bring them together! ~Aired on September 21, 2011

The White family consists of just a Mom, Dad, and young daughter, but they were definitely in need of some help on how to bring their family back together! Though Baylie is only seven years old, she was positive that she was ready to live on her own, and she had a hard time following her parents instructions. However, if you watch the show, you will see how this controlling young girl changes into a beautiful, well-behaved young woman in just six weeks. This is sure to be one of our best shows all season, as this family goes through many ups and downs that will take you through a range of emotions. Do not miss seeing the face on this little angel when she sees what she has earned for all of her hard work! ~Aired on November 17, 2011

Supporters

‘Me to We’ is a proud supporter of Au Pair Extraordinaire. When they found out about the show, the founders of ‘Me to We’ were ecstatic to help out, as their program is also about helping children around the world. On each of my episodes, the family performs one task that takes a look at a family from a third-world country. They compare their own lifestyle to that of the less fortunate family and it really helps them get a reality check. ‘Me to We’ helps make this possible on Au Pair Extraordinaire and in return, some of the money made during the show is donated back to them!

http://www.metowe.com/

Another proud supporter of Au Pair Extraordinaire is ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’. The creators decided to support the show after realizing that many of the featured kids came with great acting talent. As Dana works with the children on the show, the creators of ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ are watching the expressions and enthusiam that these children often portray. After completing the six week challenge on the show, the children are usually very-well behaved, yet still have their inate spirit, which the producers find intriguing. This is exactly what ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ is looking for!

http://www.billyelliotintoronto.com/

If you haven’t planned your Thursday evening yet, be sure to tune in to watch this new reality hit series! You won’t be disappointed!

Au Revoir! ~ Dana :)

Written by: Dana Moskaluke Tagged with:
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Posted On:July 8, 2011 Categories:Fun, Life, Miss Teen, My Hobbies

Me to We

“Offering better choices for a better world”

What it is

Free the Children was founded in 1995 by Craig Kielburger when he was only 12 years old. His brother, Marc, became his partner not long after, and the two of them created a Toronto-based charity. These two brothers decided that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of children all across the world. In recent years, the brothers created Me to We to help Free the Children be known across the world. Me to We is able to transform consumers into world changers, sells environmentally-friendly clothing, books, and music, and provides inpiring speeches and leadership training across Canada.

Me to We is the social enterprise for Free the Children. Half of every cent that they raise goes toward the Free the Children charity. This has made a huge impact and is very helpful to Free the Children as they are then able to send that money on to countries that need it. Craig and Marc do not look at how much money they bring in, but at how many lives they have changed and at how much impact they are having. They have future goals of lowering their social enterprise costs down to zero and being able to put all of their earned money through Me to We, towards Free the Children.

Hands On Experience

I was very fortunate to be part of the Me to We experience already in my life. When I was in grade ten, Davidson School had the opportunity to be part of a live broadcast for Me to We. Some presenters came to our school and gave us information on the history of Me to We and some of the outstanding things that it has accomplished. A story of a young child, Iqbal, and his horrific life journey that was told that day, has really stuck in my head. It was devastating to hear the things that people my age and younger were going through on this Earth. I was glad that we would be able to be part of this experience and hopefully one day make a difference in someone’s life. Also, during that presentation, there was a live broadcast going on in Canada and our school had the opportunity to be in it. Some of us students gathered together and were videoed as we announced where we were from and expressed our pride of being a part of the journey. This showed up on the video and Internet at a later time! 

http://http://www.metowe.com/

What Free the Children Means to Me

Topper's Bar & Grill Owners and Me

In the past couple of years I have had the opportunity to be part of Free the Children through my school. Davidson School has worked hard to raise money to build a school in Africa and build a well in India, as well as have a very thought-provoking presentation from Me to We with a live broadcast. Now, as a result of my being involved with Miss Teen Canada – World, I have had the opportunity to raise money to support Free the Children at a local Steak Night. Free the Children has helped me realize how blessed we are as Canadians and what life is like for other people my age in other countries around the world. It is so rewarding to know that I may be able to help make a difference in many people’s lives, especially in children who do not have the fortune that we do in Canada.

My cousin, Baylie, and I

In addition, I am very pleased that Miss Teen Canada – World has selected Free the Children as their charity of choice because it definitely ties into my platform. My platform is child abuse and neglect, and Free the Children is all about creating better lives for children around the world. Many children are not experiencing the same sorts of abuse or neglect as those that occur in Canada, but there are some forms of abuse that happen somewhere every day, and the fight to end it or even control it is very difficult. Hearing the stories that Free the Children has to offer breaks my heart and I hope that one day our world will make a change for the better. I look forward to the day that I, myself, can travel to a less fortunate country and experience the joy of helping to make a difference on my own – even though I know how challenging it will be. Overall, I think Miss Teen Canada – World made the perfect choice in their charity, Free the Children!

http://www.freethechildren.com/

We can change the world! ~ Dana

Written by: Dana Moskaluke Tagged with:
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Posted On:June 26, 2011 Categories:Charity, Events, Free the Children

South-Central Saskatchewan

 Davidson

When I was five years old, I moved to Davidson, Saskatchewan, and this is really where I have grown up! Davidson is a small town with a population of approximately 1000 people. It is located on highway #11, about halfway between Saskatoon and Regina! Davidson itself has many neat, little tourist attractions, and it is surrounded by lots of other little towns and beautiful lakes. Most of my greatest memories have taken place in my hometown and the south-central part of Saskatchewan!

Davidson is most famous for it’s giant ”coffee pot”, located right on the outskirts of town. This massive coffee pot and cup is the biggest in all of the world! It was made many years ago to represent Davidson as the “midway town” because people often stop here for coffee on their way to one of the surrounding cities. The coffee pot is Davidson’s biggest tourist attraction and there visitors frequently stop to take pictures or have a picnic beside it! As you can see in the pictures, the coffee pot is intricately painted to represent everything that my community has to offer and what we enjoy to do! From ice skating to drama to local coffee shops, Davidson always has something interesting going on. This coffee pot will always be a way for me to introduce my town to people visiting and I am proud that it is so well known to many!

In the past year, the citizens of Davidson have worked hard to earn money to improve our town park. We have recently been able to see the results of all this fundraising! Our newly installed ”Arnold Park” is a perfect place for kids of all ages to come play and explore! The structures are made with unique designs and fun colours that will definitely keep children entertained for hours! However, this park isn’t made just for children to come and play, but for people of all ages. Anyone is welcome to take in the beautiful scenery, the town bell, or other sculptures, or just to take a moment to relax in the gazebo.

There are people across Canada who have never been to Saskatchewan or had the opportunity to experience many of the things that it has. A huge part of Davidson would definitely be farming and agriculture. I decided to take a picture at one of the four elevators in Davidson, to show everyone whose not from the prairies a little glimpse of what it looks like! Farming is a very important part of my region and when you drive through it, you will be surrounded by beautiful multi-colored fields of wheat, barley, peas, and much more! Elevators are different in every small town and, sadly, many of these older ones are being torn down. They mean a lot to the community as part of our heritage and are special in their own way!

Davidson School is where I have spent so much of my life for the past 12 years! Moving here at a preschool age, I have been able to attend Kindergarten to Grade 11 in Davidson, and will soon be able to graduate in this awesome community! We have one school in Davidson that provides a learning environment for kids from age three to eighteen! I enjoy my school because I personally know every student and staff member in it by name and am able to build special relationships with many of them. I love being able to walk across my school to see my younger cousin or kids that I baby-sit for a quick visit! School may not seem like a fun place to be most of the time, but in Davidson that is another story! The school holds tons of fun events throughout the year that I love attending. Some of these include 12-hour volleyball, Remembrance Day Ceremonies, and Community Potlucks! My grade 11 class has just 16 people in it this year, but it only means that we have strong relationships and make lots of memories together!

My Sponsors

This awesome community has also given me a lot of support through events and many of the local businesses have sponsored me! Even though I haven’t received a huge sponsorship from any well-known companies, getting a little support from each of Davidson’s generous businesses has really added up, and has made this experience possible for me. I am able to say that my community, as a whole, has really come together to help me on my journey to Miss Teen Canada – World. I appreciate everyone’s support and I would like to thank the following companies for their sponsorship:

  • Midwest Tractor
  • Panther Industries
  • Heartland Pallets
  • Davidson Family Practice
  • Midway Pharmacy
  • Terry’s RV World
  • Capital GMC (Regina)
  • Midtown Plumbing
  • Toppers Bar & Grill
  • Davidson Leader
  • Western Sales
  • Hodgins Heavy Trucking
  • TRIM-Endous Salon
  • Davidson Subway
  • Schmiedge Plumbing
  • NAPA Auto Parts
  • Shaw Agencies
  • Frier Agencies
  • Stedman’s V & S
  • Home Hardware
  • Affinity Credit Union
  • White Farm Supply
  • Shirkey Law Office
  • Golden Image Jewelry
  • Hair Shack
  • Touch of Heaven
  • Grant Romancia Photography (Saskatoon)

This support means so much to me and without all of these people, this opportunity would never have been possible! I am very proud of the town I live in, not only for its tourist attractions and fun, but for the friendly people of the community. They will always make you feel welcome, whether you have just moved to Davidson, or are just visiting. Davidson is truly a great place to be!

Thanks Davidson! ~Dana 

Written by: Dana Moskaluke Tagged with:
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Posted On:June 19, 2011 Categories:High School, Hometown