End of the School Year

June 6, 2017.  Officially, the second last day of school, but really the last day of school.  Let me explain.

            

Everything was done.  Classwork, final exams, and report cards.  Several teachers had gone ahead and had their students clean out their desks, and stack the chairs & desks in a corner of their respective classrooms.  I would do the same but after the high school graduation ceremony.  I think most of the high school lockers were cleaned out by this time.  Several of my students had gone through their old binders and threw out the notes & activities they would not keep.  I kept the binders that were in relatively good condition for the fall.  Arctic Bay doesn’t have an office supply store and flying up binders is costly.  (Binders only last about two years before they need to be replaced).  A part of my summer will be spent down south buying binders and other school supplies.  I will be reimbursed by the school.

            

Everyone gathered in the gym for the Year End Assembly.  The assembly began with the kindergarten graduation.  One end of the gym was decorated with stars, small silhouette posters and a large banner that read Kindergarten in English & Inuktitut.  The young & bright graduates were dressed in blue graduation gowns.  They were all smiles when their teacher called them up individually to shake their hand and receive their certificate.  The parents took pictures with their phones, iPads, and cameras.  The graduates of 2017 were applauded for successfully completing the year.

            

Winner of the bike.

One of the winners of the iPad.

The students who achieved perfect attendance for one month or more, had their names placed into a draw for a bicycle and iPads.  The bicycle was awarded to a student from the younger grades (1 – 4), and two iPads were awarded to two students from Grades 5 to high school.

           

One staff member would not be returning in August.  The Grade 6 teacher, Natalie, was leaving for a new teaching position in another northern community.  She was called up front and given a gift from administration.  She also gave a short thank you speech.

            

A round robin of games were prepared to celebrate the end of the school year.  There was also a year-end barbecue.  Ryan, the media teacher, oversaw the barbecue, and wore a mustard costume for the occasion.  He recruited several middle school students to help him.  Three of them also wore costumes.  The games took place outside in & around the playground.  I delivered hot dogs, hamburgers, and juice boxes to the community hall because the high school students were decorating the place for the high school graduation ceremony. 

            

Everyone was dismissed at 3pm.  Even though there was one more day of school, many students and Inuit staff were already wishing me a safe & happy summer vacation.

            

My last day in Arctic Bay was on June 8.  I cleaned up my classroom and removed any unwanted posters off the walls.  I stacked the tables & chairs in separate corners, creating a very large open space in the middle of the classroom.  The floor would be cleaned over the summer break.  I turned off the lights but paused when closing the classroom door.  “See you in August,” I said to myself.  I went home to pack.  My flight down south was the next day.

            

Another academic year has ended.  Hard to believe that it’s been four & a half years since I began teaching in Arctic Bay.  I’ll be returning in August, but right now, all I’m thinking about are the eight weeks of rest & relaxation that are just around the corner.  Well, I won’t be resting the entire eight weeks.  I will be doing some travelling, but I won’t say where.  You’ll find out in August.  Until then, I’ll be taking a break from my blogging duties.  Feel free to read my previous posts.

            

See you all in two months! 

High School Grads Of 2017

We had seven high school graduates this year.  It’s always a joy seeing your students finish their high school studies and move on to bigger things.  You’ll miss them but you’re glad they are better prepared to tackle the “real world”.  The most popular options our grads choose are: attending Nunavut Sivuniksavut, going to Arctic College, begin working, or take a year off.  The level of excitement among our grads slowly increased with each passing day and reached its peak by the beginning of June.  The ceremony was set for June 7.  The students fundraised to purchase graduation gowns, food, and decorations.  They also chose a popular song to serve as the theme of the graduation.  (More on that coming up).

            

The Graduation Committee decided that the grads should be acknowledged by the student body for completing high school.  On the afternoon of June 5, the seven graduates changed into their grad gowns and were led down the main hallway by an Inuit drummer.  Students and teachers from the lower grades stood on both sides of the main hallway and clapped & cheered.  I photographed & filmed the procession.  The grads grinned, smiled, and gave the younger students hi-fives.  The walked to the elementary wing and then came back for a second pass.  It was a small activity that I think went a long way.  As one teacher commented, “The younger students need to see the older kids graduating.  This will inspire them to never give up.”

            

The community hall was decorated by the middle & high school students on June 6.  Hundreds of balloons were blown up, tied together, and hung on the walls.  Several popped.  Purple and gold curtains were put up along the walls.  A large Inuit themed mural made by Paulette’s art class was taped to the wall on the main stage.  I was drafted to transport the heavy items – plates, cutlery, bowls, cups, glasses, flowers, and candles – from the school to the community hall.  All these items were placed in the kitchen.  The decorations were up by the end of the day.

            

Main stage with mural.

Table decorations.

June 7.  The day was here.  Graduation.  Everyone was looking forward to this.  School was dismissed early so that everyone could go home and get ready.  June 7 also happened to be the last day of school.  (More on this in a future post).  The Graduation Dinner was scheduled for 6pm.  I arrived at the community hall about twenty minutes early to add the salad dressings to the bowls of salad I made the night before.  I was wearing a suit with a sealskin tie.  The dinner was a pot luck and several teachers were tasked preparing a portion of the menu.  The graduates, their families, school staff, and invited guests attended the dinner.  The front of the hall was converted into a dining area, complete with tables, chairs, flowers, candles, plates, and cutlery.  The food & drinks were placed on three tables against a wall.

            

Philip says Grace.

The head of the Graduation Committee, Paulette, began the festivities by welcoming everyone.  She then handed the microphone to Philip Kalluk, former mayor of Arctic Bay, to say the opening prayer.  He works at the school as a student support assistant and his son happened to be one of the graduates.  Everyone lined up to fill their plates with food.  Obviously, the graduates were the first in line.  It will take too long to list all the various dishes, so I’ll just say there were meats, vegetables, rice, macaroni, tea, coffee, juice, and various desserts.  I enjoyed two servings.        

              

Grad cake.

Grads begin cutting the cake.

The graduation cake was prepared by JF.  He spent quite some time preparing, baking, and decorating the cake.  The end result was a work of art.  The graduates changed into their gowns and posed next to the cake.  I snapped as many photos as I could before the cake was cut into many pieces.  This is where learning fractions pays off.  The graduates were the first to receive pieces of cake, followed by everyone else.  Once the cake was no more, everyone helped putting away the tables, dishes, and table decorations.  The empty space in front of the stage was filled with rows of fold out chairs. 

             

Grad program.

Audience.

The ceremony began at 8pm.  The community hall was filled with people wanting to see and congratulate the next batch of Inuit youth for completed high school.  I had removed my blazer and dress shoes and put on my sealskin vest and kamiks.  I handed off my camera to a student to take pictures and videos of the ceremony.  I was required to sit on stage behind the grads.  Three senior Inuujaq School students opened the gathering with an Inuit song, complete with drum dancing and throat singing.  The grads were then escorted to the stage by an RCMP officer.  The audience clapped & cheered as the students took their seats on stage.  Qaapik Attagutsiak, Arctic Bay’s most senior elder lit a ceremonial qulliq, signalling the beginning of the ceremony.  Everyone was then permitted to sit.

            

Grads of 2017.

Qaapik Attagutsiak

Principal Salam

There were two emcees.  Piuyuq Enoogoo & Kataisee Attagutsiak.  They welcomed everyone to the graduation ceremony of 2017 and introduced the principal of Inuujaq School.  Principal Salam also welcomed everyone and read a letter given to him by Paul Quassa, the Nunavut Minister of Education.  In it, Mr. Quassa congratulated the seven students for completing their studies and wished them the best in their future endeavours.  He also encouraged them to think about a career in education because Nunavut desperately needs bilingual teachers.  (Bilingualism in Nunavut means English & Inuktitut).

            

Curtis Willie is overjoyed
to receive his diploma.

Principal Salam called up each student individually to receive their high school diploma.  The graduates couldn’t hide their smiles.  They were ecstatic.  Everyone could see “huge weights” being lifted off the shoulders of the “Magnificent Seven”.

            

The ceremony moved on to the presentation of seven awards: Governor General, Hamlet, Math & Science, Inuktitut, English Language Arts, Fine Arts, and Media.  Winners received a certificate and a plaque.  I presented the English Language Arts Award to Malinda Audlakiak.  I taught her English, Social Studies, and Drums.  The winner of the Governor General Award was Amanda Akeeagok.  Her award came with a specially made medal.

            

Jerry Olayuk reads his high school diploma.

Amanda Akeeagok - winner of the
Governor General Award.

The last section of the ceremony were the Messages.  Completing high school is a challenge and when someone “reaches the finish line”, they deserve praise for their efforts.  Kataisee Attagutsiak, representing the community’s District Education Authority, began the praises by congratulating the seven graduates for completing high school and to continue their education in the north and/or down south.  Similar messages were given by the Elder Committee, Baffinland, Qikiqtani School Operations, and parents.  The seven graduates were given the opportunity to say a few words about their recent accomplishments.  They thanked their family & friends for supporting them throughout their schooling and encouraged the younger kids to never give up.  Paulette was the ceremony’s last speaker and she used her last opportunity to thank the sponsors and everyone who helped the Graduation Committee.

            

The graduates were escorted to the back of the community hall by an RCMP officer while Shakira’s “Try Everything” played over loud speakers.  (The song was chosen by the grads).  The audience cheered loudly.  People lined up to personally congratulate each graduate.  I made sure to shake each of their hands.  An evening dance was held two hours later.   

            

Another successful graduation ceremony & another group of Inuit youth ready to take on the modern world.  Everyone is proud of you!  Congratulations!

         

Inuujaq School Spring Camp 2017

When I came back from Operation Spring Fix on Sunday, there was no need to unpack because I would be heading out on the land on Monday, May 29 for Inuujaq School’s annual Spring Camp.  I used what little time I had to shower, launder my dirty clothes, and decide what equipment to bring.  The high school classes go out first to set up camp and the remaining classes visit the campsite on scheduled days throughout the week.  High school students are the only students who overnight at the camp site.

            

My duties as a commanding officer of the local cadet corps prevented me from being on the Spring Camp Committee this year.  The committee chose a different location, one that was closer to Arctic Bay, because everyone wanted a change of scenery.  A schedule was drawn up, elders & skidoo drivers were hired, and food & gas were purchased.  Everyone & everything were ready to go Monday morning.

            

I walked into the school that day dressed much differently than normal.  I wasn’t wearing my formal attire because they wouldn’t keep me warm.  Instead, I was wearing “regular clothes” as my students would say.  Think turtleneck, t-shirt, sweatpants, and warm socks.  I left my shotgun at home because the elders were only permitted to carry lethal protection.  However, I would be bringing my machete and niksik. 

The high school students carried camping equipment and boxes of food to the convoy out on the ice.  The weather was warm and the skies were clear.  I drove up to the convoy on my Skidoo Expedition 550F and waited for the signal to go.  A couple of students came over to check out my skidoo and asked me if I was selling it anytime soon.  I replied that I wasn’t.  My first vehicle is still going strong even after my recent tip over in April.  The three-year anniversary of its purchase will be in October of this year.

Which skidoo is mine?

The convoy left at 10am.  I wasn’t pulling a qamutik (sled), so I followed the elders at a slow pace.  I could have easily passed them but I didn’t know the location of the camp site.  We drove towards last year’s camp site but turned left and entered a small hidden bay.  The skidoos pulling the qamutiks stopped near the rocky landscape.  I parked my skidoo in the middle of the frozen bay and walked to where everyone was assembling.  I turned around and noticed four other skidoos parked next to my machine.  A makeshift skidoo parking lot had just been created.

Joeli explaining what needs to be done to set up camp.

Joeli, Inuujaq School’s shop teacher, was in charge.  Everyone gathered around him for a briefing.  He explained: the boundaries of the camp, where the tents needed to be pitched, where the food would be stored, and the schedule for the day.  The students were divided into groups led by elders.  Everyone was dismissed and the camp site began to take shape.

The qamutiks were emptied of tents, flattened cardboard boxes, mattresses, and food.  The tents were set up near the edge of the bay but not too close.  There was an unlimited amount of rocks to use as anchors for the tents.  The flattened cardboard boxes were placed inside the tents, creating a softer surface to walk on.  Mattresses & sleeping bags went on top of the cardboard.  The food supplies were moved into two designated tents.  I stood back and photographed everyone at work.  I wanted to help but I felt that sometimes, having too many people working on one task can be a hindrance.  The camp was “up-and-running” by noon.

For lunch we had fresh fruit, Chinese noodles, and hot dogs.  Most of the high school students sat at the two picnic tables that were brought over to the camp site last week.  They were constructed by the high school shop class.  Elders sat around the tents eating and drinking tea.  I mostly “hovered” around the area, snapping photos.

Pauloosie Enoogoo

Pauloosie Enoogoo instructing high
school students.

Everyone went seal hunting after lunch.  The skidoos & qamutiks, full of high school students and several Inuujaq School staff, left the hidden bay and moved southeast over a vast open area of thick ice.  The convoy came to a stop near some snowdrifts and assembled in a circle.  An elder & experienced hunter by the name of Pauloosie Enoogoo, gave a lesson on how to locate seal holes, lay traps, and how to catch seals once they surface for air.  He instructed in Inuktitut and I filmed his entire lesson.  I could sort of understand what he was saying just by interpreting his body language.  I would have to find someone to help me put in the correct English subtitles in the video.  His instructions may one day save my life if I ever become stranded out on the land and need to hunt seals for food. 

Pauloosie Enoogoo showing how to check & "prepare" a seal hole for catching a seal.

Looking for seals.

The students listened to Enoogoo’s instructions and even asked clarification questions.  He gave a niksik to one student and asked him to stay behind.  The rest of us went back to the skidoos & qamutiks.  The convoy split up, looking for more seal holes.  When a hole was found, one or two students were dropped off with a niksik or rifle and told to wait patiently.  If a seal came up to the surface, they were to kill it.  The area became populated with young seal hunters, patiently waiting for a catch.  Sadly, no seals were caught. 

A high school student waits for a seal to come up for air.

Two high school students waiting patiently.

If the stick gets pulled down, you know
you've hooked a seal.

We moved to a different area and repeated the same procedures.  During a break, I looked at my GPS and noticed it had been tracking my movements since the beginning.  There were many loops and circles in the two seal hunting areas.  Now I knew how my movements would look like from a bird’s eye perspective.  In the end, we didn’t catch any seals.  Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. 

The elders who stayed behind had prepared another round of oriental noodle soup, and baked bannock.  I gladly took a warm cup that was offered to me.  The taste of warm soup felt good after a long afternoon of seal hunting.  After the warm snack, the high school students went into an elder’s tent to watch an elder dissect the head of a char and explain its many parts.  I stood at the back while the students sat in the middle of the tent.  A Coleman stove kept us all warm.  The elder used her hands to open up the char’s head and take out individual pieces of bone.  She sucked off the attached meat then wiped the bones with a paper towel.  She spoke in Inuktitut but the students translated what she was saying in English for me.  I let my students film the lesson with my camera.

Spring Camp

Spring Camp

The high school students were given some free time to relax in the tents and/or outside.  I decided to walk north towards Arctic Bay and reach the end of the rocky hill behind the camp.  All I could hear were my boots stepping on rocks.  When I got to the end, I could see the pumping station, airport, and the town of Arctic Bay in the distance.  I took a wide shot of the camp site and the far away landscape.

Sketch class

A skidoo gets sketched.

Paulette, the high school art teacher, held an evening sketching class.  Each student was given a sketchbook and several pencils.  They were instructed to draw whatever they saw.  The sketches ranged from skidoos to landscapes.

Clouds around KGVM

Clouds appeared on Tuesday, May 30.  King George V Mountain (KGVM) had a ring of clouds around it and there was fog on the way to the camp site.  Thankfully, there were still large pockets of open sky.  The high school students had a good night’s rest but slowly crawled out of the tents. 

The Grade 7s, 8s, & 9s are coming!

The 7s, 8s, & 9s are here!

The Grades 7, 8, & 9 classes arrived at the camp site at 10:40am.  I had just reached the top of a nearby hill to see them drive past.  I wanted to take photos of the approaching convoy but I was too late.  Instead, I took photos of their arrival.  From where I was standing, I could see & hear, many verbal greetings & handshakes were exchanged.

Greetings all around!

An elder prepares hot dogs wrapped in bannock.

Hot dogs wrapped in bannock.

The elders had prepared hot dogs wrapped in bannock for lunch.  A line up quickly formed outside of the tent when they were ready to be served.  I waited until the line got smaller.  Hot dogs wrapped in bannock are quite tasty.  They’re like Pogos but better.  I think I ate three of them.

           

Qulliq.

The high school students & teachers returned to Arctic Bay after lunch.  Several students had permission to stay behind and help the elders.  I couldn’t stay because I had classes to teach.  We were given the afternoon off to rest & recuperate.  Overall, I had a great time at Spring Camp.  

Sarah & John, Grade 9 & 8 teachers, prepare ice cream for their students.