The First Half of September

The month of September began with the appearance of snow.  The town was coated in a thin layer of white on Sunday, September 1st, a sight I wasn't expecting to see.  Prior to this, the Arctic snow only blanketed the surrounding mountains.  While walking to and from school after a long day of planning lessons & correcting work, I snapped several photos of the snow covered town.  The snow had melted by the next day.  Mother Nature was most likely giving the residents of Arctic Bay a sample of what was to come in the following months.           

            

The first school day of September was a day of strong cold winds.  I don't remember the velocity but they were fierce enough to warrant the wearing of many layers of winter clothing.  Out in the bay, a Canadian Coast Guard Ship that looked similar to the CCGS Des Groseilliers rocked in the frigid Arctic water. 

            

On Saturday, September 7, residents of Arctic Bay participated in a Walk/Run for Diabetes, organized by the Northern Store and the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA).  Diabetes is a chronic and sometimes fatal disease where the body doesn't produce enough insulin or improperly uses the insulin it produces.  This can lead to high levels of glucose in the blood, damaging organs, nerves, and blood vessels.  There are 4 types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, and Prediabetes.  Currently there are 9 million Canadians living with diabetes.  The event was organized to raise money to find a cure for the disease and to promote a healthy lifestyle.  Participants could either run or walk a 2.5 or 5-kilometre distance.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to participate.  The event drew around 30 participants, some of who were Inuujaq School students, and a generous amount of money was raised.  

            

CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent

The town welcomed yet another Canadian Coast Guard Ship on September 8.  The CCGS Louis St. Laurent is one of two heavy icebreakers in the coast guard fleet and is Canada's largest multi-mission icebreaker.  The 119.6-metre vessel, based in St. John's Newfoundland, was built in 1969, and is operated by a crew of 42.  The St. Laurent travels to the Arctic during the summer months to assist in the annual sealift and also participates in scientific expeditions.  It was one of the first surface vessels to reach the North Pole on August 22, 1994.  Unfortunately, no tours were offered and the ship left the next day.  The St. Laurent was originally scheduled to be decommissioned in 2000 but a refit extended the ship's life to 2017.  At that time, a newly constructed replacement vessel, the John G. Diefenbaker, will come into service.

            

Lt. Frank May, CO of 3045, explains the cadet program to parents.

On the evening of September 11th, 3045 Army Cadet Corps was hosting a recruitment night at Inuujaq School.  The regular training year had just started and the corps administration was already enticing parents to enroll their children in an exciting Canada-wide youth program.  Since the commanding officer (CO) was expecting a large group of parents, the meeting was held in my classroom.  After the CO's detailed speech about the cadet program and how everything works, interested parents were asked to fill out the necessary forms.  At the end of the night, I believe five new recruits were signed up.

            

On a somber note, it is hard to believe that 12 years have passed since the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City & Washington D.C.  So much has happened since then and yet, I can still remember where I was on that day.  Several of my students were also able to recall where they were.  The mastermind behind the deadly attacks has been dead for two years but I'm not sure if the world is any safer. 

            

On September 12th, the large oil tanker Havelstern dropped anchor in Arctic Bay to refill the five oil tanks at the town's 'Gas Station'.  The vessel is operated by Coastal Shipping Limited, a division of Woodward Group of Companies.  A long & robust tube was used to transfer the oil and gas to the large tanks.  There is enough oil and gas in the tanks to satisfy demand for a year.

            

My Grade 10 Social Studies students continued working through the Canadian Identity unit, learning new terms such as multiculturalism, bilingualism, regionalism and alienation.  We also touched on Canadian/American relations and how Americans view Canadians.  Despite the advances in media & technology, I still find that the further south you travel in the United States, the less people know about Canada.

            

My Grade 11 Social Studies students finished the section on the French Revolution and its lasting impact on the world.  They all did fairly well on the review test.  We started the last section of the Nationalism unit: Nationalism & Conflict.  This section examines German nationalism in the late 1800s, the causes of the First World War, and the war itself.  My students would learn the basics of imperialism, propaganda, economic rivalries, and the nature of trench warfare.  To bring the course material 'closer to home', I also prepared topics that dealt with Canada's involvement in the First World War, at home and on the battlefields (ie. Ypres, Somme).

            

September 1, 2013

In Grade 12 Social Studies, my students studied the topic of individualism, what it means, and how it affects people and society.  There are advantages and disadvantages to individualism, too many for me to list in this post.  To get a better understanding of the word, they also briefly learned about collectivism, the opposite of individualism.  I didn't give away too much because collectivism is the topic of the next section.

            

My drummers are getting more and more coordinated and disciplined with every passing day.  Their volume control on the actual drums is getting better but the loud rhythmic sounds still attract curious onlookers from the hallway.  For new material, we looked at a list of intermediate level drum rudiments, a warm up I wrote when I was teaching in Iqaluit, and a collection of stick visuals and tricks.  Of course, we reviewed the exercises and rudiments they previously learned.  Repetition, no matter how boring it may become, is essential in maintaining a disciplined and well rehearsed drum line.  I also began researching pieces that would be well suited for my drummers to perform in front of an audience.  I would like my drummers to publicly perform at least twice this semester; on Halloween and at the Christmas concert. 

King George V Mountain. September 9, 2013.