Halloween 2016

Grade 9 Classroom Door.

An elementary school door.

The spirit of Halloween was in full swing during the remaining days of October.  High school students & teachers were asking me what costume I would be wearing this year and my answer every time was, "Wait until the assembly.  I don't want to spoil it for you."  Indeed, I spent quite a few days researching a lot of costumes on the Spirit of Halloween website.  The only clue I gave everyone was that the costume would be scary.  (My costumes have been getting progressively scarier every year).  

    

An elementary school door.

K-9 classes finished decorating their classroom doors on Halloween Day (October 31).  I photographed all the creative, scary, and crazy designs.  I wasn't sure which class would win the award for best decorated door.  The decorations were all good.

            

My drummers were ready for their first public performance.  We practiced several times in the gym, getting used to the sounds of the drums in the a wide & tall open space. 

            

Media Room door.

All Halloween activities in Arctic Bay were postponed until November 1 due to a tragic & traumatic event that occurred last week.  A former student of Inuujaq School tragically took his own life.  (The reasons for this tragedy won't be disclosed on this blog out of respect for the individual and his family).  The funeral was held at the community hall on October 31.  Many teachers, including myself, attended the service.  The building was packed with family members and people who came to say one last goodbye.  He was laid to rest at the cemetery on the west side of town.  This is now the third student I have lost to suicide.     

            

An elementary school door.

The Halloween festivities at Inuujaq School began on the afternoon of November 1.  Lunch was extended by 30 minutes to give everyone enough time to change into their costumes and come back.  I borrowed a coworker's SUV to quickly drive home and get my costume.  I thought about wearing my costume on the way back to school but my mind quickly reminded me that the mask obscured my field of vision.  I changed into my costume when I arrived at the school.

            

The drummers & I moved all the drums, music stands, hardware, sticks, and our repertoire down to the gym.  Teachers, students, and parents slowly trickled into the school while we were moving everything.  They looked at me in amazement as a I walked by.  I knew my costume was a hit.  The only issue I discovered was that the rubber mask was causing me to sweat.

            

Everyone assembled in the gym at 1:30pm for the start of the assembly.  I walked into the gym, dressed as the Grim Reaper.  My costume consisted of a large hooded robe, a rubber skeleton mask with a wide smile, skeleton gloves, and black boots.  I also carried two plastic machetes that bled fake blood.  I was going "all-out" this year.

            

The Grim Reaper.

The assembly began with the costume contest.  Each class walked around the centre of the gym, showing off their costumes.  A chosen panel of judges watched from the front of the gym.  I led the brave high school students around the gym.  The kids really liked the bleeding machetes.  I'm sure many pictures of the Grim Reaper were taken.

            

Snare line

The assembly continued with the drum line concert.  I performed with my drummers, playing the snare drum in the middle of the line.  I could tell my drummers were nervous, but so was I.  I just reminded them how concerts usually go: play (music), switch (music), wait (until audience stops clapping), & repeat.  My drummers & I played four pieces for the audience.  They were: Rock You We Will, Earthquake, BioJam, and Texan.  All were composed by Cassidy Byars.  I found his website on the Internet when I first started the drum program in 2013.  The pieces had plenty of variety in them, ranging from catchy beats to simple stick tricks.  The audience loved them all. 

            

The concert continued with two of my drummers performing solos on the quad drums & snare drum.  Just as I was about to say that we were done, the principal instructed me to do a solo.  I hadn't prepared one, but with the audience demanding one more performance, I decided to make one up on the spot.  I counted myself in and played whatever came to mind.  If anything went wrong, I could just say that it wasn't me but the Grim Reaper that made so many mistakes.  My solo was just a minute long, but I finished it with one of my favourite stick playing visuals and a loud, accented end stroke.  (An end stroke is just one note).  The audience applauded and I took a bow.

            

I helped the drum line pack up all the drums & equipment while the winners of the costume contest were announced.  We waited until everyone left the gym before moving everything back to my classroom.  I took off my mask and wiped all the sweat that had formed inside.  I personally thanked each drummer for a great performance. 

            

Activities for K-9 classes were held after the assembly.  The high school students hung out in my classroom eating candy and watching scary videos until everyone was dismissed at 3pm.  Many people told me they liked my Grim Reaper costume.

            

Trick-or-Treating occurred from 5 to 7pm.  I got out all the boxes I purchased in September and filled two large metal bowls with candy.  I unlocked my front door, sat in my costume, and waited.  A steady stream of people came to my door for the next two hours.  My mask scared several little kids.  Sorry.  Everyone came for candy; even teenagers & adults.  I gave out 4 - 5 pieces to each person, but I still had plenty left over when trick-or-treating came to an end.  I changed out of my costume and walked down to the community hall for the annual ugliest costume contest.

            

Ugliest costume contestants.

The contest is divided into two groups: 12 & under, and 13 & over.  The aim of the contest is to create the best ugliest costume the audience and judges have ever seen.  Contestants show up to the community hall in costume because you have to keep your identity secret until the very end.  I sat at the back of the hall and photographed the contestant.  Their costumes were . . . unique.  Contestants just find whatever they have in their houses and put them on.  I could spend an entire blog post describing what the costumes looked like, so I'll just let the attached pictures "do the talking."

            

Skull TV.

The contest began with the 12 & under contestants.  They stood up and paraded/danced around the community hall.  A local resident used his newly purchased drone camera to capture the parade from above.  He did a good job controlling the device.  I filmed the two-minute parade.  The 13 & over group was next.  They did the same as the previous group and I caught it all on digital film.  I had no idea who was wearing what costume. 

            

D. Shooyook wearing the black robe &
sunglasses costume.

The winners for the 12 & under group were: D. Shooyook (third place), K. Oyukuluk (second place), and S. Attagutaluk (first place).  The winners for the 13 & over group were: H. Qavavauq (third place), S. Taqtu (second place), and E. Natanine (first place).  The winners received cash prizes.

K. Oyukuluk.

S. Attagutaluk

H. Qavavauq

S. Taqtu

E. Natanine

Parents Night - October 2016

3045 Army Cadet Corps held its first Parents Night of the 2016-17 training year on October 26.  A Parents Night is similar to a Commanding Officer's Parade that cadet corps down south organize, except the emphasis here is on the parents to come and see what their children have been learning since August.  The parade is also a good opportunity to give out promotions, awards, and to acknowledge the hard work of staff & volunteers.  This parade was also special for me because it was the first Parents Night where I would be commanding.  That's quite a big parade position for an Officer Cadet (OCdt).

            

Cadets on parade.

The cadets arrived at Inuujaq School's gym to set up chairs, flags, the awards table, and the coffee table.  Parents, children, and elders started to arrive after 6:00pm.  There was a sizeable audience when the parade started at 6:30pm.

            

The parade started with two cadets marching on the flags of Canada and the cadet movement to the front of the gym and planting them on both sides of the Dias.  (The Dias was really imaginary in front of the awards table).  The two flag bearers then became markers and marched to their assigned positions in the middle of the gym.  The remaining cadets marched on as a platoon and halted next to the markers.  The cadet platoon commander dressed the platoon before ordering the cadets to stand at ease.  When he faced forward, that was the cue for me to march in.

            

Cadets on parade. 

Me inspecting a cadet on parade.

The cadets came to attention when I marched in as the Inspecting Officer.  Lt. May & OCdt Swoboda followed closely behind me.  The audience stood as we marched to the front of the gym.  A General Salute and the playing of O Canada followed.  The cadet platoon commander escorted and followed me as I inspected each cadet on parade.  I did my best to look good for the people taking pictures.  When the inspection was completed, I gave the platoon commander permission to carry on with the March Past.

            

The cadets stood at ease and the parade continued with the awards.  Cadets were called up to receive marksmanship & fitness badges, and to be recognized for their participation in the Army Cadet Challenge that occurred in late September down in Manitoba.  I presented most of the awards to the lucky cadets and posed with them for photographs.  The pictures were taken by long time Arctic Bay resident, Clare Kines.  (The golden rule for accepting awards is, "Grab with the left, shake with the right"). 

            

I also had the honour of announcing the chosen members for the 2017 formed Biathlon Team.  The cadets had been asking the adult staff for the last several weeks about who would be on the team, and we did our best not to say who until Parents Night.  The Biathlon Team is one, if not, the most popular team that the cadets of 3045 want to be chosen for.  I think it's because the sport combines cross country skiing with shooting, and the annual competition takes place in mid-February in Whitehorse, Yukon.  A corps can only send six cadets, three males & three females, to Whitehorse.  We also pick two substitutes in case of emergencies.  I called out the eight cadets who were chosen:

Female

·         Attagutaluk, J.

·         Ejangiaq, S.

·         Paniaq-Knuk, S.

·         Pauloosie, S.

Male

·         Qaqqasiq-Taqtu, K.

·         Tilley, C.

·         Tilley, D.

·         Willie, L.

2017 Biathlon Team. 

The audience applauded the chosen cadets.  The adult staff now had to discuss who would be the two substitutes (1 male, 1 female).

            

A parent receives a Thank You letter from Lt. May. 

A parent receives a Thank You letter
from Lt. May. 

Lt. May continued the parade by acknowledging the parents who "came to the rescue" during the brief crisis that occurred at the end of the Army Cadet Challenge in September.  The chartered aircraft was unable to land in Naujaat (Repulse Bay), thus forcing the Naujaat cadets and their escorting officer to stay in Arctic Bay for one night.  The majority stayed at the community hall, but some were taken in by local parents.  Lt. May called these parents to the front to receive thank you letters written by the cadets of 3055 Naujaat corps.  The cadets of 3055 ended up having to spend a night in Rankin Inlet before the weather cleared in Naujaat.

Cadet Tilley C. (left) - Best Male Athlete.

Four cadets were called up to the front to place their name plates on the trophies they received at last year's ACR.  Their name plates had finally arrived in the mail.  Cadets Tilley C. & Pauloosie, S. were last year's top male & female athletes.  Cadet Tilley, D. had the best boots & deportment, while cadet Kines, T. was the most improved.

            

Cadet Pauloosie, S. (left) - Best Female Athlete. 

Cadet Tilley, D. (left) - Best Boots & Deportment. 

Cadet Kines, T. (left) - Most Improved. 

Cadet Natanine, E. (right).  

The last award of the night was the 4-Year Service Award, presented to cadet Sergeant E. Natanine.  I had the honour of presenting & pinning the medal on her red sash.  Congratulations!

            

The parade ended with a General Salute and the playing of God Save the Queen.  The cadets were dismissed after I led the officers out of the gym.  While parents, children, and elders lined up at the refreshments table, the corps had its picture taken in front of the NEAS flag.  NEAS is a sealift company that operates in Nunavut & Nunavik, delivering supplies to the communities during the brief summer months when the waterways are not blocked by thick ice.  The company is the corps's newest sponsor and they provided us with their flag for advertising purposes. 

   

*The majority of the photos that are posted on this blog were taken by Arctic Bay resident, Clare Kines.  Thank you.

NTA & PI Meetings

JF & I boarded a First Air turboprop plane on the morning of October 21.  The plane had just arrived from Resolute Bay and was ready to continue with its flight to Iqaluit.  We were travelling to the "big city" to participate in a training conference for Nunavut Teachers' Association (NTA) Representatives & Professional Development (PD) Coordinators.  This was our second time attending the conference.  Last year's training sessions occurred in late September.  JF is the NTA Rep & I'm the PD Coordinator.  The conference this year was only for NTA members in the Qikiqtani Region.  Members in the Kivalliq & Kitikmeot regions already had their training sessions in September.

            

Inuit sculpture in downtown
Iqaluit.

JF & I met the NTA members from Resolute Bay & Grise Fiord.  Resolute was sending two teachers and Grise was sending its learning coach.  We briefly spoke about the lesson plans we prepared for the supply teachers prior to takeoff.        

Every school in Nunavut is required to have an NTA Rep & PD Coordinator.  The NTA Rep acts as the union's liaison between the union execs and the teachers at the school.  The PD Coordinator assists teachers in selecting and applying for funding to complete workshops, courses, and activities during PD Week in February.  Following PD Week, I help teachers submit substantiation reports with spending receipts.  Any money that is not spent during PD Week needs to be returned.  It's a lot of hard but rewarding work.

            

Shawarma

All participates were booked in the Hotel Arctic (formerly known as The Nova).  Unfortunately, the room reserved for JF & I was not ready.  We left our luggage behind the main desk and went to Yummy Shawarma for lunch.  I had been craving a shawarma since mid-August.  I ordered a large beef sandwich and it was delicious.  The weather wasn't as cold as in Arctic Bay, but there was snow on the ground, and wind occasionally blew across the streets.  We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting various stores and buying many things.  I mostly stuck to buying school supplies and several movies.  The conference would start the following day.

            

JF & I moved into our hotel room in the late afternoon.  It was night by the time we settled in.  The room was quite nice with two large beds.  I walked over to The Snack for dinner.  JF chose to stay behind.  The fast food establishment is owned & operated by a French family.  I had fries with gravy.

            

The conference began on the morning of October 22 at Inuksuk High School.  We wouldn't be disrupting any classes because it was a Saturday.  Memories of teaching music & senior English Language Arts in 2012 & 2013 flooded my mind as I walked into the building.  Everyone assembled in the library on the second floor for the official welcome.  PD Coordinators had assigned seats in the middle of the library.  We each received: a folder, water bottle, pen, apple stress toy, and several pieces of candy.  The folder was filled with important checklists & documents.  The NTA Reps would receive the same goodies except they were in a nearby classroom. 

            

Terry Young, NTA President and former principal of Inuksuk High School, opened the conference with a short welcome speech.  He was excited to see everyone and looking forward to speaking with everyone during the breaks.  Jeff Avery, the lead PD Coordinator, took over and explained to everyone that the next several months will be hectic and possibly stressful.  The contract between the teacher's union & Government of Nunavut is expiring next June and negotiations are starting near the end of the year.  The union's negotiating team will be kept secret so that they won't be bothered by union members.  However, a survey, asking teachers what they want negotiators to focus on during the talks, is being prepared. 

             

An excellent mural done by
Inuksuk High School students
in the library.

JF & the NTA Reps left the library and assembled in a nearby classroom for their meetings.  I stayed in the library with the other PD Coordinators.  The first part of the meeting was receiving and reviewing a new copy of the PD Manual.  Everyone was glad to see an increase in the amount of PD money each NTA member is able to access.  (The amounts vary depending on where you teach).  The second part of the meeting was looking at the changes of the registration website, applying for education leave, and how important it is for the teachers' union to keep the PD Fund under their control.  (The fund is always contested by the Nunavut government during contract negotiations).

            

Muffins!

Water bottles.

I spoke with other teachers in between the meetings about life in Arctic Bay and extreme ironing.  I'm sure JF talked about his time volunteering at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.  Coffee, tea, bottled water, muffins, and selected fruits were served during the breaks.  The Frobisher Inn was the caterer.  Lunch was not provided so we were free to choose from Iqaluit's many dining establishments.  I already made up my mind.  Yummy Shawarma!  I'm probably one of their best customers.

            

Roast beef dinner.

A formal dinner was held at the Hotel Arctic in the evening.  Everyone wore formal clothing.  I wore a sealskin tie to complement my dress shirt, pants, and shoes.  JF outdid me by wearing a sealskin vest.  I need to find someone in Arctic Bay to make me one.  There was a cash bar offering a variety of alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages.  The main course was roast beef, and the side dishes were salad, bread, vegetables, gravy, and mashed potatoes.  For dessert there were small cakes, fudge, and fruits. 

            

The conference ended the following Sunday morning with several briefings about the preparations for the upcoming contract negotiations.  I thought the conference would end in the afternoon, but apparently, several teachers had to fly back to their communities in the afternoon.  Terry Young closed the conference by personally thanking everyone for attending.  Just like the previous year, everyone was amazed that he correctly called everyone by their first name.  (There were around 40 people in the library).    

            

Iqaluit Aquatic Centre

The flight to Arctic Bay wasn't until Monday afternoon, so there was plenty of time to waste in the big city.  I walked around town, taking more pictures of places of interest.  I started with the new aquatic centre being built next to the fire hall.  The 25-metre pool is nearing completion and will open early next year.  The building looks pretty nice on the outside.  I just hope the facility will be worth the $40 million spent on building it.

            

Iqaluit's new airport terminal.

I also walked down to the new airport terminal being constructed off Federal Road.  The newspapers are saying the large red structure, eight times the size of the old yellow terminal, will be ready in late 2017.  The sooner, the better.  The old yellow terminal is constantly overcrowded at peak hours.  There were no workers present at the construction site but I didn't dare get too close.  There's always someone watching.

            

My older brother recently moved to Iqaluit to begin a new job and we went to the Water's Edge restaurant to celebrate.  The restaurant is located inside the Hotel Arctic.  Strangely, and coincidentally, the restaurant is where I had my first meal when I arrived in Canada's Arctic for the first time in 2012.  My older brother was following in my footsteps.  We ordered large juicy steaks and I paid for the meal.  We wished each other luck in our professions and called it a night.

            

Nunavut Legislative Assembly, right across the street from the Hotel Arctic.

A new building is going up in the downtown
area.  I wonder what it will be?

Monday, October 24, began with an power failure in the downtown area.  The power didn't come back on until two hours later.  During the outage, the teachers thought all flights would be delayed or cancelled.  When the power came back, JF & I learned that Arctic Bay suffered a power failure the night before and a repair crew had to be flown in from Iqaluit to get the power plant working.  We all got taxi cab rides to the airport.  All the school supplies I purchased were packed inside a blue Rubbermaid container I bought at the Northern Store.  The flight to Arctic Bay & Resolute Bay left a little later than scheduled.  The plane landed in Arctic Bay at about 5:30pm.  JF & I were driven into town by Frank.

            

Overall, the weekend trip to Iqaluit was a success and the NTA conference achieved its objectives.