Christmas 2021

Christmas decorations were put up inside Inuujaq School at the beginning of December.  A very long colourful chain hung from the ceiling of the main hallway, stretching from the high school wing all the way to the elementary wing.  The chain was constructed in sections and then joined together.  I filmed a short video of the completed chain for the school’s Facebook group.  Several classes decorated their doors.  A corner Christmas display, featuring a tree and stockings with the names of staff, was put together by the student support assistants (SSAs).  The decorations keep the atmosphere festive and takes peoples’ minds off the fact that it’s dark season. 

The staff potluck dinner was held after school on December 10.  The staff transformed the high school science room into a dining room with decorations, coloured table cloths, and a Christmas tree.  Staff and invited guests brought whatever they could offer.  My offer was cheese & crackers.  I know that sounds lame, but these were high quality cheese & crackers.  I quickly photographed the food on display before the event began.

The principal welcomed everyone and an Elder blessed the food.  People lined up with their plates.  I was one of the last people in line.  Previous staff dinners taught me there is always plenty of food.  I loaded my plate with various meats, salads, stuffing, and a few cheese & crackers.  The food was so good I had a second helping.

Staff who participated in Secret Santa handed out their final gifts to the people they picked from a draw at the beginning of the week.  After that, we put the science room back the way it was.  Leftover food was divided and taken home.

Unfortunately, the school did not organize a Christmas concert this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Curse you COVID-19!  There’s always next year.

High school final exams were held on December 10, 13, and 14.  Teachers spent the next two days grading the exams and completing report cards.

The last day of school was December 17.  Santa came to Inuujaq School after lunch to hand out presents to all the students and pose for photographs.  I was the school’s photographer.  Once Santa was finished visiting a class, that class was dismissed for the Holidays.  The presents were collected and sent by Northern Canada Mini Projects.  Students also received their report cards.

Everyone wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  School was finished by 3pm.

I flew down south this year for the Holidays to visit my parents.  The journey south was mostly uneventful; I just had to overnight in Iqaluit.      

That’s all I have to say about the month of December.  I’ll be taking a short break from my blogging duties and will return in the new year.               

See you all in 2022!

 

Parents Night & Candy Toss

December began with a Parents Night parade.  The army cadets of 3045 corps assembled at the gym on the evening of December 1 and transformed it into a parade square.  Chairs, tables, and flags were set up.  One table in the far corner was designated the reception table and the cadets did a great job setting up the hot water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice boxes, napkins, and paper plates & cups.  A cadet parent brought homemade donuts & cupcakes.  I brought down the awards, badges, and promotions just a few minutes before the start of the parade.  Best to leave them last so they don’t distract the cadets during setup.

The parade began at 6:30pm.  Everyone was required to wear facemasks.  I marched into the gym and took my position front & centre.  The General Salute and O Canada were played.  The cadet parade commander escorted me through the ranks for inspection.  The cadets then demonstrated the marching drill by doing a March Past around the gym.  The cadets stood easy and I continued the parade with a short welcome speech to the audience.

Level 3 Marksmanship Recipient.

Silver Fitness Recipient.

The presentations came next.  I started with the Marksmanship level badges.  One cadet received a Level 2 and three cadets received Level 3.  (Level 4 is the highest).  Physical Fitness badges were next.  There are four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Excellence.  One cadet earned Bronze, one cadet earned Silver, two cadets received Gold, and two cadets achieved Excellence. 

The next presentation was a retelling of the past; the winners of the Fall Biathlon in October.  The cadets already knew who won, but this was the first time I could announce and congratulate the winners at an official parade.  The cadets who participated in the competition were organized into groups based on their training star years.  Three groups were created: Red, Silver, and Gold.  Or, put in another way: Year 2s, Year 3s, and Year 4s.  I called out the three winners individually and awarded them t-shirts. 

Winner of the Silver Star Fall Biathlon group. 

Winner of the Major General Howard Award.

The next award was the Major General Howard Award, that “recognize[s] the cadet in each province and territory who has achieved the highest results in the 4^th year Gold level training[.]”  Only 13 medals are giving out each year.  I was proud to announce that a 4^th year cadet from 3045 was the recipient of this year’s medal for all of Nunavut.  He was surprised when I called out his name, but was proud of himself for earning the medal.  I presented the medal to him and we both posed for a photograph.

Promotions to Master-Corporal.

Promotion to Sergeant.

I saved the promotions for last.  Three cadets were promoted to the rank of Master-Corporal and one cadet advanced to the rank of Sergeant.  The newly promoted Sergeant received a red sash to wear.  The newly promoted cadets were all smiles . . . at least I think they were . . . under their facemasks. 

The parade moved to the Closing Remarks.  I thanked the corps sponsors for sponsoring the corps – see what I did there? – the audience for showing their support, and congratulated the cadets for their performance.  The cadets did an Advance In Review Order.  General Salute and God Save The Queen were played.  I marched out of the gym.  The cadets were dismissed.

A group photo of me standing with the cadets was taken.  The cadets were dismissed to the reception table.  I was last to take a donut, cupcake, and juice box, because that’s what officers do.  Reception lasted 20 minutes.  The cadets & I cleaned the gym.  I congratulated the cadets for a successful parade and sent them home.

December 8 was the last day of cadets for the year 2021.  It was a fun day and the cadets were allowed to wear their civilian clothing.  They played sports for most of the night.  I reserved the last 20 minutes of the night for the candy toss.  I brought my leftover Halloween candy and filled a large bucket to the brim.  The cadets placed several mattresses together to form a large square.  Large plastic Ziploc bags were handed out and the cadets stood around the square with their shoes off.  Once everyone was ready, I dumped the candy onto the mattresses from the second-floor mezzanine.  The cadets rushed into the centre as soon as the candy hit.  Everything was claimed after a minute.

The cadets helped me put away the mattresses.  I formed them up one last time to wish them a safe Christmas and Happy New Year.  I dismissed them for the rest of the month.  Cadets would start up again in early January.

 

The Third Dose & Saying Goodbye

I received my third dose of the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 on November 12.  I called the health centre that day hoping to get an appointment the following week.  Surprisingly, the health centre called back an hour later asking if I could come that afternoon?  I agreed.

I got to the health centre quickly because I still had Frank’s truck.  I presented myself to the secretary and was instructed to wait in the main lobby.  The new health centre opened several years ago and is much larger than the previous one.  I can safely assume everyone in town is glad we received a new health centre because the old one was, well, old, small, and outdated.

A nurse introduced herself and instructed me to follow her to a small room where vaccine injections are done.  Paperwork was reviewed, some questions were asked, and then the nurse injected the third dose into my left arm.  I was led back to the main lobby and had to wait 15 minutes.  The secretary printed an updated copy of my COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination for me to take home.  I scanned it, printed a few copies, and laminated one.  These will be definitely come in handy when visiting public places.  One less thing to worry about.

Inuujaq School and Arctic Bay suffered a terrible tragedy in the middle of the month.  We tragically lost our third-grade teacher.  She passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.  I won’t reveal the name and the cause of death for privacy. 

The funeral was held on November 25 at the community hall.  Many people came to pay their last respects.  Near the end of the ceremony, the teachers sang an Inuktitut song in honour of the third-grade teacher.

I went to the burial at the cemetery.  I was glad I wore the toque that comes with a headlamp because it was dark outside.  Family members and other attendees also wore headlamps and held flashlights.  The coffin was carried and lowered into a grave.   A short service was held.  Volunteers took several buckets filled with dirt and carefully poured it around and on top of the coffin.  The buckets were refilled and then emptied until the coffin was no longer visible.  Family members placed flowers around the wooden headstone and said their final goodbyes once more.

RIP. You will be greatly missed.

I began walking back to town, but then accepted a ride from a local resident.      

Remembrance Day 2021

The local army cadet corps was given permission to hold a Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11 at the community hall.  The Hamlet Office restricted attendance to 100 people in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions.

Preparations for the ceremony began in mid-October.  Several cadets volunteered to do specific tasks during the ceremony, such as, wreathe laying, reciting In Flanders Fields, and saying the Act of Remembrance.  The cadets were reminded to work on their uniforms and polish their boots. 

I recruited civilian volunteers to read selected Bible passages and Elders to do the opening & closing prayers.  Qapik Attagutsiak agreed to speak about her memories of aiding Canada during the Second World War. 

For the hymns Abide With Me and O God Our Help In Ages Past, I downloaded instrumental music off of YouTube, so there would be musical accompaniment for the audience.  I decided to take a break from playing piano at this year’s ceremony.

The cadets & I arrived at the community hall at 9:45am.  We helped the Hamlet staff set up chairs and tables.  The flags, programs, and school-made decorations were already there because I brought them the night before using Frank’s truck.  The corps had been allowed to hold a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, November 10.  The flags were placed in the correct spots and the decorations were taped to the walls of the hall.  Thank you, the students & teachers, of Inuujaq School for making the decorations!  I set a box of poppies out in the main foyer for guests.  Everything was ready to go by the time the doors opened for visitors. 

The ceremony began at 10:45am with an opening prayer from an Elder.  This was followed by my Welcome Address.  It was similar to my speech in 2019, but I changed, removed, and altered a few words & phrases.  Kataisee acted as Inuit translator.  She’s one of Qapik’s daughters and the one who took me ice chiseling in 2015.  Everyone stood for the playing of the national anthem after I finished my Welcome Address.

Everyone took their seats and two audience members came to the podium to read the first Bible passage in Inuktitut and English.  This was followed by the hymn Abide With Me.

Everyone remained standing for the Last Post, One Minute of Silence, Piper’s Lament, and Reveille.  I’ve mentioned before that this part of the ceremony is the most challenging for cadets because they have to stand at attention for six minutes.  Thankfully, we practiced several times with the music so they would know exactly how much time was left.  They made it through; no one passed out.

Everyone took their seats again and a senior cadet read the Act of Remembrance in English & Inuktitut.  Two audience members then read another Bible passage. 

Qapik Attagutsiak took centre stage and told everyone about how she and other Inuit helped Canada during the Second World War by collecting animal bones.   These bones were shipped down south to factories where they would be turned into munitions.  A lot of bones and carcasses were collected.  She and the Inuit were thanked and recognized by the federal government for their efforts.  Her daughter Kataisee translated the story into English. 

Qapik received further recognition in 2012 & 2020.  She was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and attended a ceremony in her honour in Gatineau, Quebec, organized by Parks Canada & the Canadian Armed Forces.  She is “the last known surviving member of the Inuit wartime efforts during World War II.”

Two cadets read prepared speeches about the significance of the poppy and the life of Lt. Col. John McCrae.  Three other cadets then continued the ceremony with the reading of McCrae’s most famous & recognizable poem, In Flanders Fields.  A cadet then placed a wreathe in front of the speaker’s podium.  An RCMP officer did the same.  Members of the public were also invited to lay wreathes of their own.

Everyone stood for the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past, and God Save The Queen.  An Elder did a closing prayer and I closed the ceremony by thanking everyone for attending and participating in the ceremony.

The cadets, RCMP, and I posed for a group photograph.  I then gave them permission to change out of their uniforms and help the Hamlet staff clean up the hall.  While this was happening, I asked and was granted permission to have my picture taken with Qapik Attagutsiak.  I personally thanked her for attending and speaking at the ceremony.

I borrowed Frank’s truck to transport all the corps equipment to school.  Several cadets helped me put everything back.  I drove them home.  I enjoyed the rest of the day off.  The school is closed on Remembrance Day.

                                                                LEST WE FORGET.

 

Halloween 2021

Grade 4 Door.

K-9 classes spent the last week of October decorating their doors for the annual Halloween Door Decorating Contest.  The winning classes would be selected and announced at the Halloween assembly on Friday, October 29.  The prizes were class pizza parties funded by the school.  To make the contest fair, the classes were organized into three competing groups: K-2, 3-6, and 7-9.  High school students weren’t interested for some reason.  There’s always next year. 

I didn’t have time to decorate my door because I was preparing a drum concert for the assembly.  The high school drumline has been the opening act since I started the program in 2013.  Three marching cadences would be played as a group, followed by voluntary solos.  This year I decided to play two solos.  I spent a lot of time after school thinking, practicing, changing rhythms, and practicing again.  Thankfully, my perfectionism didn’t get the best of me, and I was satisfied by what I prepared the day before the assembly.

Grade 2 Door.

Grade 7 Door.

Drift

My search for a Halloween costume began in late August.  I buy a new costume each year and let high school students wear my old ones if they don’t have a costume to wear.  I finally settled on my ninth costume in early September and ordered it from Spirit Halloween.  I would dress up as Drift from the popular video game Fortnite: Battle Royale.  I don’t play Fortnite; I just know about it and the costume was the only one I liked.  I bought the vest, mask, gloves, and cape.  Everything arrived just in time.  The costume is very bright and colourful.  And it's easy to breathe with the mask on!

Grade 8 Door.

Friday, October 29, was a fun day.  I don’t think any school work was done because Halloween was on everyone’s minds.  I walked from one end of the school to the other, photographing all the decorated doors.  Students & teachers did excellent jobs.  The decorating styles ranged from minimalist to detailed.  The three chosen judges spent the late morning examining each door, debating, and then writing down their choices.

Lunchtime was extended to 90 minutes to give everyone time to eat and change into their costumes.  A co-worker helped me bring all my costumes to school.  Thank you.  I changed into my Drift outfit after eating lunch and immediately went to work moving drums & equipment down to the gym.  I also set up a table and three chairs for the judges.  They would also be judging the costume contest.  (More on that coming up).  A few teachers came downstairs to set up the portable sound system.  The gym was ready by 1:30pm.

Grade 6 Door.

My costume was a hit.  I think it was because of the brightly coloured cape . . . and maybe the mask.  Whatever the reason(s), students, parents, and teachers stopped and looked as I walked by.  I’ll definitely be keeping this costume.  Most of the teachers were wearing costumes too.

Everyone assembled in the gym at 1:45pm.  Facemasks were mandatory.  People who were wearing costume masks were excepted.  The principal and vice-principal welcomed everyone to the assembly and called on me to begin the festivities with music. 

I and a former high school drummer played three cadences as a duet.  Then he played a solo on the quad toms.  I finished the concert with my two solos.  The first one was on the quad toms and the second was on two quad toms and a snare drum.  I had the drums placed in a U-shape so that I could stand in the middle and easily hit them.  Everyone appreciated the music and gave us an extended applause.  I was relieved that we were well received.

Preschool.

Kindergarten

The drums were moved to the back of the gym and the assembly continued with the costume contest.  Each class walked around the centre of the gym, showing off their costumes, and hoping to be picked by the judges.  The teachers participated as well.  The winners were called up to have their pictures taken and receive a $25 Co-op gift card.  The two classes who won the door decorating contest were: Grades 2, 4, and 7.

Teachers and students returned to their classes to play games for the remainder of the day.  Each class received a large bag of candy from the main office.  I spent my time putting the drums away and helping with the cleanup of the gym.  I collected and packed my old costumes that were worn by students.  A co-worker drove me home after school.

I cancelled cadets for the weekend because the festivities were not over.

The annual community ugliest costume contest was held in the afternoon on Saturday, October 30.  Just like last year, the contest was held outside the community hall because of COVID-19 restrictions.  A circle of chairs had been set up for participants and spectators.  Two parachutes were also taped over the side of the metal porch to provide a colourful curtain background.  Participants and spectators began arriving at 3pm.

Participants make their costumes from whatever they can find at home.  My photographs can do a better job describing the costumes I saw.  The object of the contest may be to create the ugliest costume, but most of the time, the costumes end up being more funny than ugly.  Two costume entries were actually worn by two pairs of people.  It made sitting on chairs a challenge for them.  This happens sometimes; two people wear one costume.  If they win a prize, they split the reward money. 

The contest began at 3:30pm.  The emcee called on contestants aged 12 & under to stand up and walk around in a circle.  Dance music played, people filmed & took pictures, and the judges . . . judged.  The young contestants circled three times.  They all had large number tags taped on their backs because their faces were hidden behind masks.  Part of the contest is keeping your identity hidden until the end.

The second group was the 13 & over contestants.  They did the same thing: walk around in a large circle, show off their ugly/funny creations, and hope they would be picked by the judges.  They also had large number tags taped on their backs.  They returned to their seats when the music was stopped.

Three winners were selected from both groups (3^rd place, 2^nd place, 1^st place).  Each winner came to the front and removed their facemask to reveal their identities.  Then they received their cash prize.  The lucky winners were all smiling for being chosen.

The community had decided to hold trick-or-treating on October 30 instead of October 31.  When the costume contest ended, everyone raced home to get ready to hand out candy.  I quickly changed into my Drift costume and placed all my Halloween candy close to the door.  I opened a few boxes & bags and dumped the sweet contents into two large bowls to make distribution easier.  I unlocked the front door, then sat and waited for trick-or-treaters to arrive.

They began to arrive at 5pm.  They came steadily and sometimes in large groups.  Some were surprised to see me in costume.  Several little kids were too scared to come near me so I had to give their candy to their parents.  I also offered candy to parents; it was free and they deserved a reward for supervising their children.  I handed out 4 pieces of candy per person and then later increased it to 5 pieces. 

The weather is quite cold at the end of October, so trick-or-treaters rely on parents & relatives to take them to houses by car, truck, atv, or skidoo.  Walking to each house would take too long and result in frostbite.       

Trick-or-treating ended at 7pm. 

October 31 was a quiet Sunday.