girlworks promotes critical thinking to girls and young women aged 11 - 16, covering 10 topical areas: girl in the world; money, career, entertainment, technology, health & beauty, sport, fashion, quizzes & games and art & design.
In this back to school issue we go to Oman and read about the first female Omani commercial pilot Maha Al Balushi, a career in astronomy, and taking some time to consider mental health as you return to school. A new school year presents all sort of challenges, and also opportunities. Enjoy these articles, and so much more… In this issue: • Learn about Oman • Low stress back to school sport • Take control of your screen time • Are you addicted to shopping? • Back to school fashion • And much more… Coming in November/December: • Visit the tiny country of Luxembourg • A brief history of beauty • Holiday gift guide • Jazz legend Billie Holiday • New books, games & movies Join us as we continue…
Government and People: The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the new sultanate (monarchy) in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman’s dependence on British political and military advisors increased, although the sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, Qaboos bin Said Al Saidid over-threw his father, and ruled as sultan for the next five decades. His extensive modernization program opened the country to the outside world. Oman is governed by the sultanate with two advisory bodies. The sultan is the head of state, and, although he also acts as the Prime Minister, he may appoint another person. The sultan is assisted by a Council of Ministers, the members…
Born in Muscat, Oman, Maha Al Balushi comes from a large family, with eight brothers and sisters. She graduated from high school in 2005 and then graduated from Sultan Qaboos University in 2009 with a specialization in Business Marketing. Even though she knew she wanted to be a pilot in high school, there was no path for a female to become a pilot, so a marketing degree was selected. After considering many careers, Al Balushi became completely focused on becoming a pilot but… “I remember many discussions between me and others in my family or my teachers about their opinion about my dream to be a pilot, and everyone seemed to comment the same thing–it’s impossible!” Despite being told over and over again that she could not become a pilot…
As early as the 6th century BCE, ancient Greek philosophers documented evidence that Earth was a sphere. In the year 185, Chinese astronomers became the first to document a supernova. Before the 16th century, Earth was commonly thought to be at the centre of the solar system, with all other celestial objects revolving around it. This is known as the geocentric model. This theory, however, did not match some confusing observations made by astronomers, such as the path of planets that appeared to move backwards on their orbits. In 1543, Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system in which the planets orbit the Sun. This model explained the unusual path of planets that astronomers had observed. The new theory was one of many revolutionary ideas…
THE FUNDAMENTALS: A LAPTOP: CONSIDER WEIGHT AND THE SCREEN SIZE. $700 CAD (SALE) ACER SWIFT 3 14" LAPTOP - SILVER (INTEL CORE I5-1135G7/1TB SSD/16GB RAM/WINDOWS 11) $1300 CAD MACBOOK AIR M2 CHIP WITH 8‑CORE CPU, 8‑CORE GPU, 16‑CORE NEURAL ENGINE EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES: CONSIDER PORTABILITY, BREAKAGE AND POSSIBLE LOSS. $58 CAD (SALE) SONY WH-CH520 WIRELESS HEADPHONES BLUETOOTH ON-EAR HEADSET WITH MICROPHONES, BLUE $50 CAD (SALE) EARFUN® AIR WIRELESS EARBUDS BLUETOOTH WITH 4 MICS, SWEATSHIELD™ IPX7 WATERPROOF, WIRELESS CHARGING, DEEP BASS, 35H PLAYTIME, WATERPROOF A SMARTPHONE: CONSIDER SIZE AND PRICE. $620 CAD (SALE) APPLE IPHONE XR 64GB FACTORY UNLOCKED SMARTPHONE - CORAL $330 CAD SAMSUNG GALAXY A14 5G 64GB - BLACK NICE TO HAVE: A TABLET: CONSIDER SIZE AND PRICE. $680 CAD APPLE IPAD MINI (6TH GEN) WITH A15 BIONIC CHIP, 8.3-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY,…
Get regular exercise - outside. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can help boost your mood and improve your health. Small amounts of exercise add up, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t do 30 minutes at one time. Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking and gardening, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression, but also affect appetite, sleep, meeting goals, and a sense of awe. Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated. A balanced diet and plenty of water can improve your energy and focus throughout the day. Also, limit caffeinated beverages such as soft drinks, energy drinks or coffee. Try to eat clean foods and watch out for all the sugary stuff out there marketed to teens. The same is true for fast food. Leave home with healthy…