Drop The Pop & Attendance Awards

The last week of January was Drop The Pop Week.  Pop is a word commonly used in Canada meaning soft drink or soda.  Pop consumption is high in Nunavut because it’s popular, sugary, and addictive.  The price of a 335ml can is around $2.50 in Arctic Bay.  The price varies from community to community.  Frequent pop consumption leads to health problems relating to teeth, gums, weight, heart, and blood sugar levels.  I’ll admit I drink pop too, but I’ve had to switch to zero sugar because of weight gain.  The day may come where I’ll have to stop drinking pop altogether.  I just have to prepare myself.

A little off topic, but still important, another big seller up here is energy drinks.  I had to give those up several years ago because of bad shakes.  Just like down south, there are young kids here who drink energy drinks.  The two local stores do not sell energy drinks to youth below the age of 16, but that doesn’t stop adults from buying them and then giving them to young kids.

Teachers were encouraged & given resources to teach their students the dangers of drinking pop, energy drinks, and other beverages loaded with sugar.  Informative posters were made and posted around school.  Teachers & students were also encouraged to lower their pop intake.

The school held a Drop The Pop Community Breakfast on February 2.  Staff came to school in the early morning to prepare the food in the Home Ec Room.  The menu consisted of various fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and juice.  Staff also set up tables, chairs, and the portable sound system in the gym.  The food was brought to the gym and plates were prepared.  You don’t want to keep the audience waiting. 

Classes were called down to the gym and the assembly/breakfast began at 9am.  Parents, guardians, Elders, and community members were in attendance.  One class brought a large mural they made and taped it to the far wall of the gym.  The mural became the centrepiece.  The vice principal welcomed everyone to the assembly and gave a brief speech on the importance of eating healthy and not drinking a lot of pop.  A staff member translated the speech into Inuktitut.  An Elder blessed the food and staff began distributing the prepared plates & juice boxes to everyone in the gym.  We had prepared more than enough plates to feed everyone in the gym.

The breakfast lasted about 40 minutes.  Leftovers were given to parents & guardians.  High school & middle school students helped put away tables & chairs.  I tackled the portable sound system.  Everyone returned to their classes and the day continued.

Unfortunately, Groundhog Day isn’t celebrated up here, so sorry groundhog lovers, February 2 is just another day in Arctic Bay.

An Attendance Awards Assembly was held in the afternoon to publicly recognize students who achieved perfect attendance for the month of January.  The lucky students received a certificate and had their pictures taken with their teachers.  Once the all the certificates were handed out, the head of the local District Education Authority (DEA) held a draw for large bags of food.  The lucky recipients were all smiles when their ticket numbers were called.  The high cost of living & food insecurity are serious issues plaguing Nunavut communities so every little bit helps.