The other day Jon and I wandered into the Northern, and were struck by how at home we felt. Our principal was making fun of Jon's grocery choices, kids were wandering by giving us high fives, and we even made a few inside jokes with one of the workers. A new guy has come up North (actually from Carleton Place- which is a little nuts) and all the kids were whispering at us to watch out for the giant. We left the store feeling as though we had really found our new home. When we first arrived here, I was a little reluctant to say we would be here for five years, but as time goes on, I am beginning to see that as more and more of a possibility. Even our little hotel room feels more homey- now that we have the internet and hangers. Our stuff is trickling in, and I feel sure it will all be here soon.
We continue to meet new people and Jon got out fishing with one of the local RCMP, while I went out berry picking with his wife and some local ladies. I had my first Honda ride out into the land. It was a little bit terrifying, I'm not going to lie. I think we'll definitely be going the snowmobile route. The blueberries here are delicious, but pretty different from down South. They grow really close to the ground, so we were pretty much laying down in the turf. Everything has a really short growing season, but apparently there are still cranberries to come which will be really delicious. The weather is pretty warm today, but in general it's been getting much cooler, and the nights are slowly creeping up- although the sun is still back in the sky by three in the morning.
We've been starting to get tradition into our classrooms. Our kids learned a bit about sod building houses last week, and we'll hopefully continue that lesson in two weeks at environmental camp, where we'll get to go out on to the land and actually build a small sod house. I'm also hoping to have an elder come in for gym class this week and lead the students in traditional Inuit games. We also did home visits last week, which gave us a really good idea of where our students come from, and who has support at home, but everyone was welcoming and friendly. We've been getting good reviews about how we're managing the grade sevens, and hoping to keep up that good reputation. I think as we go on, we realize even more the value of hands-on lessons. We also had the opportunity to meet the new Supervisor of Schools for our region, which is basically like the Superintendent. He was very nice and had some updates on our housing situation. He was also shockingly tall...like actually seven feet tall. Its his first year at the job- so I'm sure he's got a busy year ahead. As well as plenty of flying- anytime he wants to visit a school it means a flight. You would think they would have discovered Skype technology.
We miss everyone so much, but we are really happy to be here and I think we both feel that this is absolutely where we're supposed to be :)
Saturday 20 August 2011
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Updateroo
Good day all,
So what's up here? The Cole's Notes:
- things are getting darker, sunset 10ish, sunrise 1am ish
- we still live in a hotel
- we do not know when we will leave
- i have a pink ironing board
- kids still throw rocks
- school is long and tough, but we're making it just fine
- we cook meals in the home-ec room. yes, we're the teachers who live at school
- we're going to make sod-houses today
- our superintendent is coming here today, we meet him tommorrow
- some of our effects have arrived, 35/70 pieces, some of them got wet - everything is basically fine
The long Version: (if you are on the run, or only like the jist (that's for you Joe!) you needn't read on.)
The hotel is the Bootia Inn, the only hotel in town. It's pretty good, to be fair. Very clean rooms, new towels daily, and made beds every 3rd day or so. haha. There is a meal plan at the hotel, but it's one of those dinner is served at this time, be here or don't get it. Cost is $130/day each for three meals. So we have decided to just make our own meals and save the money. It's working out pretty well. We had dinner at one of the RCMP officer's house last night. Really, Really nice people - he and his wife, and their daughter. We're headed there tonight again, I'm teaching him some guitar and his wife and Shawna are doing ... something.
We got some good news about housing. Apparently there is an apartment available for one month by the co-op - and it has full amenities, kitchen is the big one. So we might do that, because we think we're spending far too much time at the school. We ad to be out early last night, and we're gonna move quick tonight. We find if we are at the school we end up doing more work and creating stuff to do - so we have been told by a bunch of teachers and others in the community to relax school a bit - get work done - but to get out. They say we need to enjoy the nice weather while we have it because, well, we will be shut ins by no choice of our own when winter comes. (i say winter ominously in my head)
I score'd a pink ironing board and an iron from one of the ladies here it the school. I looked pretty badass carrying it across the field and to home when I picked it up from her. I try to keep up with my southern teaching attire. Many teachers here opt to do the jeans and vest or standard Lombardy Church in the Summer sort of deal. I think I need to earn some respect and distance myself from the kids more as a new teacher - so I'm staying dressed up. Of course on recess duty days I wear the khakis bc the playground is a giant sand pit - so that does a number on dress pants. Believe it or not, there is no dry cleaner up here, so I have to be careful with my dress clothes.
The superintendent is coming to the town tonight. He's going to be meeting with the special people tonight, and then with us and the teachers tomorrow. We are done at 11 tmrw actually because from 1 till 3:45 all the teachers are going around to their student's houses to do 'home visits". We will have a translator with us, so that should be quite the experience. Apparently the superintendent is in the loop of what we are doing for housing, so he should know more of what we can expect and we're going to ask him about the apartment idea.
and finally, sod houses! no idea what to expect. We're going out on the land with en elder last period of the day, one of the primary teachers organized it and our two classes are going to tag along. We're pretty excited, and it should be fun. I'm going to try to take some pictures so ya'll can see a Kitikmeot (our region) authentic sod-house.
till tmrw or the next day when we get the pics up, be well.
So what's up here? The Cole's Notes:
- things are getting darker, sunset 10ish, sunrise 1am ish
- we still live in a hotel
- we do not know when we will leave
- i have a pink ironing board
- kids still throw rocks
- school is long and tough, but we're making it just fine
- we cook meals in the home-ec room. yes, we're the teachers who live at school
- we're going to make sod-houses today
- our superintendent is coming here today, we meet him tommorrow
- some of our effects have arrived, 35/70 pieces, some of them got wet - everything is basically fine
The long Version: (if you are on the run, or only like the jist (that's for you Joe!) you needn't read on.)
The hotel is the Bootia Inn, the only hotel in town. It's pretty good, to be fair. Very clean rooms, new towels daily, and made beds every 3rd day or so. haha. There is a meal plan at the hotel, but it's one of those dinner is served at this time, be here or don't get it. Cost is $130/day each for three meals. So we have decided to just make our own meals and save the money. It's working out pretty well. We had dinner at one of the RCMP officer's house last night. Really, Really nice people - he and his wife, and their daughter. We're headed there tonight again, I'm teaching him some guitar and his wife and Shawna are doing ... something.
We got some good news about housing. Apparently there is an apartment available for one month by the co-op - and it has full amenities, kitchen is the big one. So we might do that, because we think we're spending far too much time at the school. We ad to be out early last night, and we're gonna move quick tonight. We find if we are at the school we end up doing more work and creating stuff to do - so we have been told by a bunch of teachers and others in the community to relax school a bit - get work done - but to get out. They say we need to enjoy the nice weather while we have it because, well, we will be shut ins by no choice of our own when winter comes. (i say winter ominously in my head)
I score'd a pink ironing board and an iron from one of the ladies here it the school. I looked pretty badass carrying it across the field and to home when I picked it up from her. I try to keep up with my southern teaching attire. Many teachers here opt to do the jeans and vest or standard Lombardy Church in the Summer sort of deal. I think I need to earn some respect and distance myself from the kids more as a new teacher - so I'm staying dressed up. Of course on recess duty days I wear the khakis bc the playground is a giant sand pit - so that does a number on dress pants. Believe it or not, there is no dry cleaner up here, so I have to be careful with my dress clothes.
The superintendent is coming to the town tonight. He's going to be meeting with the special people tonight, and then with us and the teachers tomorrow. We are done at 11 tmrw actually because from 1 till 3:45 all the teachers are going around to their student's houses to do 'home visits". We will have a translator with us, so that should be quite the experience. Apparently the superintendent is in the loop of what we are doing for housing, so he should know more of what we can expect and we're going to ask him about the apartment idea.
and finally, sod houses! no idea what to expect. We're going out on the land with en elder last period of the day, one of the primary teachers organized it and our two classes are going to tag along. We're pretty excited, and it should be fun. I'm going to try to take some pictures so ya'll can see a Kitikmeot (our region) authentic sod-house.
till tmrw or the next day when we get the pics up, be well.
Monday 8 August 2011
School Days
Wow! We have been so busy it is unbelievable. I thought we would be able to post a lot more often, but between school work and the internet shorting out (which it did all weekend), I will have to try to cram a lot in in a small space.
To start off, school has started and so far it's been great. I have a class of JH1 with 22 students and Jon has 21 JH2 students. JH2 is kind of grade 7 part two. After grade seven, the students are put on the credit system, so the school tries to hold off as long as possible before they are forced to take on that responsibility. So in general, Jon's kids are a lot older and a lot more rambunctious than mine. They can be a bit of a handful, but I can't stress enough the fact that in general every kid is a good kid. As soon as you tell them they are being wrong, they apologize and everyone moves on as though nothing has happened.
Outside of school, we are still managing to be pretty social. Last Saturday night, we were actually invited to not one, but two BBQ parties, and in true Jon form, we didn't turn either down, but attended both. For those of you who don't know, our furniture and stuff has gotten kind of mixed up, so for now the school has put us in a hotel. They're doing everything they can to help us as the hotel is 250 dollars a night or something outrageous like that PER PERSON. We spend a lot of time at the school...mostly for internet and a kitchen, so it's really become like a second home. Neither of us are complaining though...it means we're just putting away money since our only expense is groceries.
I'll close with a transcript of a conversation we had with some of our students outside our hotel window. I hope you find it as funny as we did. We woke up to the sound of rocks banging against the hotel and teacher-Jon kicked in.
Jon: Hey! Stop throwing rocks at the hotel.
Kid: Oh...hey, Jonathon.
Jon: Hey...what are you doing throwing rocks at the hotel?!!
Kid: We're not throwing rocks at the hotel. We're throwing them at the birds.
Jon: But the birds are in front of the hotel! Go throw rocks at them in the field or something.
Kid: There aren't any birds in the field.
Kid Two: Oh hey, Jonathon...I just peed in a cup.
Jon: Why are you peeing in a cup? Go use a bathroom.
Kid Two: I filled up three cups.
Jon: Errr....uhhh
Kid Two: (holds up cup to show Jon. Spills pee on his hand and drops the cup.)
Kid Two: Can I come to wash my hands off?
Jon: No, you can't come in. Get outta here and stop throwing rocks at the hotel.
Kid One: We were throwing them at the birds, Jonathon.
Kid Two: We'll go away and come back when we have more questions.
[FIVE MINUTES LATER]
Several children: JONATHON! SHAWNA! JONATHON! SHAWNA!
Jonathon: WHAT?
Kid One: Ralph has a question for Shawna. [Nudges Ralph]
Ralph: Shawna...what are we doing for gym?
Jonathon: Find out what your classmates want to do...come to an agreement and tell Shawna on Monday.
To start off, school has started and so far it's been great. I have a class of JH1 with 22 students and Jon has 21 JH2 students. JH2 is kind of grade 7 part two. After grade seven, the students are put on the credit system, so the school tries to hold off as long as possible before they are forced to take on that responsibility. So in general, Jon's kids are a lot older and a lot more rambunctious than mine. They can be a bit of a handful, but I can't stress enough the fact that in general every kid is a good kid. As soon as you tell them they are being wrong, they apologize and everyone moves on as though nothing has happened.
Outside of school, we are still managing to be pretty social. Last Saturday night, we were actually invited to not one, but two BBQ parties, and in true Jon form, we didn't turn either down, but attended both. For those of you who don't know, our furniture and stuff has gotten kind of mixed up, so for now the school has put us in a hotel. They're doing everything they can to help us as the hotel is 250 dollars a night or something outrageous like that PER PERSON. We spend a lot of time at the school...mostly for internet and a kitchen, so it's really become like a second home. Neither of us are complaining though...it means we're just putting away money since our only expense is groceries.
I'll close with a transcript of a conversation we had with some of our students outside our hotel window. I hope you find it as funny as we did. We woke up to the sound of rocks banging against the hotel and teacher-Jon kicked in.
Jon: Hey! Stop throwing rocks at the hotel.
Kid: Oh...hey, Jonathon.
Jon: Hey...what are you doing throwing rocks at the hotel?!!
Kid: We're not throwing rocks at the hotel. We're throwing them at the birds.
Jon: But the birds are in front of the hotel! Go throw rocks at them in the field or something.
Kid: There aren't any birds in the field.
Kid Two: Oh hey, Jonathon...I just peed in a cup.
Jon: Why are you peeing in a cup? Go use a bathroom.
Kid Two: I filled up three cups.
Jon: Errr....uhhh
Kid Two: (holds up cup to show Jon. Spills pee on his hand and drops the cup.)
Kid Two: Can I come to wash my hands off?
Jon: No, you can't come in. Get outta here and stop throwing rocks at the hotel.
Kid One: We were throwing them at the birds, Jonathon.
Kid Two: We'll go away and come back when we have more questions.
[FIVE MINUTES LATER]
Several children: JONATHON! SHAWNA! JONATHON! SHAWNA!
Jonathon: WHAT?
Kid One: Ralph has a question for Shawna. [Nudges Ralph]
Ralph: Shawna...what are we doing for gym?
Jonathon: Find out what your classmates want to do...come to an agreement and tell Shawna on Monday.
Thursday 4 August 2011
First Day O School
Good day all. Sorry for the gap in posts - we've been running around faster than OJ when he was in his Bronco. That's o.k. to say, right? Meh. Point is - preparing for the first day has been crazy.
First day of school was today. Shawna and I were technically working since Tuesday, but kids didn't come in until today. Our first day (Tuesday) we just had a staff meeting, that lasted all morning! and then we were given the afternoon to get ourselves together with regards to our classrooms, and also for departmental meetings. There is certainly a lot to worry about being a full on teacher. People always told us that teaches college and practicums didn't give you a real idea of teaching, and they weren't kidding! Lead up to first day, reading the records over for the kids, logistics for classroom, health and safety, record keeping ( I SAY THAT TWICE: RECORD KEEPING!!!), keep you running until the first bell goes. But alas, Shawna and I have survived our first day. The kids are pretty great and for the first day of school were pretty well behaved. They try to push you here a bit, but if you push back, they respect you more. Shawna and I have agreed that the kids are like a workplace class back home - focus wise. The only difference, is that up here, when you are stern with a kid and correct them, they don't hold grudges it doesn't seem. That's what other teachers told us here, and we agree - so far! Yesterday was pretty fun - Shawna and I got to go out to our principals cabin on Middle Lake (2.5 miles away from town). All the staff went, and it was pretty fun. Shawna and I were given our Inuk names out there. Everyone has a separate name based on your personal characteristics that is said in traditional language. I can't write mine because it's a word in Inuktitut, but the English translation is Fire Keeper, or Fire Man, or Fire Person ... they named me when I was tending to the fire. It's pronounced something like "Ee-qwa-la". Shawna's name is something like "nig-ling-nook-took", it means loving in English. The phonetic spelling might be a bit off - but I doubt ya mind, haha. You get the idea. We are having a blast up here so far. We're both missing home, but feeling good - probabaly because we are surrounded by so many good people. Days are getting shorter, and a bit cooler. That's all for now.
*********************If you're done reading - you may stop. I'm gonna rant a little.***********************
1. Good advice given by Claude, a Jamaican fellow who is going into his 6th year teaching here.
"You must not be firm like the Oak. When the wind blows the Oak will fall. You must be flexible like the Willow. When the wind blows, the Willow moves with it, and when the wind dies down, you will stand tall again."
Pretty cool, I thought.
2. For you computer people - and those who know me and my dying defense of Windows based computers. (Doug F, I'm looking at you).
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Well, they have.
This whole school is based on Mac. 2 mobile computer labs, macs. Ipad lab. Computer lab, mac. Teachers computers in rooms, mac. Routers, mac - or wait "airport" ohhh, ahhh. Look at me, I'm Steve Jobs and I'm too cool to call things what they do. It's an airport, not a router. Don't be fooled, they suck. I had one in second year - if any of the Bolivar crew is reading - you agree.
I hate macs. I hate, hate, hate, hate them. Okay, fine. I don't hate them, but I don't like them much. WHY THE HECK DO THEY INSIST ON NOT MAXIMIZING WINDOWS???? WHO USES A COMPUTER AND WANTS TO SEE ALL THE GARBAGE IN THE BACKGROUND. I have a splash of ADD, and when there are other things to occupy my mind - BIRD!!! - I can get off task. I know, I know, you can pull the window over and make it big - but I shouldn't have to findangle with the damned thing just to make it screen size. Also: what's with all the floating menus in Office? Like what the heck?? Put you toolbars on the top like every other sensible program. Ef.
I may be wrong, but I'm probably not, the mac basic setup for finding crap is ridic to figure out. It's so cluttered and burried. It's like I've been given some 2 year olds toy to get my work done on. Windows seems to be like a nicely organized tree of stuff. Computer-->Hard Drive --> Users --> Me --> Documents/Pictures/Everything. Maybe I just need more lessons on this thing, but it seems like they don't want you to know what's going on. I want to know what's going on. When you don't let me know what's going on, you remind me of Stalin. Ya, I said it. Mac is equal or worse than the former Soviet Union under Stalin with regard to secrets. I don't know if you're all up on your Soviet history, but Stalin's secrets were bad news. My only logical assumption is mac is hiding things just as bad.
The tool bar. Oh the tool bar. Yes, it's fancy and it has fun little clouds when you delete things, and when you scroll over it gets bigger. Ohhh, ahhh. Okay jerks. For those of us who aren't satisfied wholly with shiny objects, you come to find this jerked off thing (Gord Rivoire term) is just cluttered and poor. Get a tool bar, man. I don't want to open a window to find my applications. And I don't want 40,000 things on my tool bar. Ef.
GET A MOUSE WITH A RIGHT CLICK. HOLY HOCKEY!!! Ya wanna copy something? Can't do that with one hand. Wanna get into the details of something? Can't do that with one hand. Okay, I'll give it to you, the scroll ball is cool. That's all you get.
I have to leave now, or Shawna will get mad for eating too late.
I'm not done with this though.
Feel free to comment. :)
First day of school was today. Shawna and I were technically working since Tuesday, but kids didn't come in until today. Our first day (Tuesday) we just had a staff meeting, that lasted all morning! and then we were given the afternoon to get ourselves together with regards to our classrooms, and also for departmental meetings. There is certainly a lot to worry about being a full on teacher. People always told us that teaches college and practicums didn't give you a real idea of teaching, and they weren't kidding! Lead up to first day, reading the records over for the kids, logistics for classroom, health and safety, record keeping ( I SAY THAT TWICE: RECORD KEEPING!!!), keep you running until the first bell goes. But alas, Shawna and I have survived our first day. The kids are pretty great and for the first day of school were pretty well behaved. They try to push you here a bit, but if you push back, they respect you more. Shawna and I have agreed that the kids are like a workplace class back home - focus wise. The only difference, is that up here, when you are stern with a kid and correct them, they don't hold grudges it doesn't seem. That's what other teachers told us here, and we agree - so far! Yesterday was pretty fun - Shawna and I got to go out to our principals cabin on Middle Lake (2.5 miles away from town). All the staff went, and it was pretty fun. Shawna and I were given our Inuk names out there. Everyone has a separate name based on your personal characteristics that is said in traditional language. I can't write mine because it's a word in Inuktitut, but the English translation is Fire Keeper, or Fire Man, or Fire Person ... they named me when I was tending to the fire. It's pronounced something like "Ee-qwa-la". Shawna's name is something like "nig-ling-nook-took", it means loving in English. The phonetic spelling might be a bit off - but I doubt ya mind, haha. You get the idea. We are having a blast up here so far. We're both missing home, but feeling good - probabaly because we are surrounded by so many good people. Days are getting shorter, and a bit cooler. That's all for now.
*********************If you're done reading - you may stop. I'm gonna rant a little.***********************
1. Good advice given by Claude, a Jamaican fellow who is going into his 6th year teaching here.
"You must not be firm like the Oak. When the wind blows the Oak will fall. You must be flexible like the Willow. When the wind blows, the Willow moves with it, and when the wind dies down, you will stand tall again."
Pretty cool, I thought.
2. For you computer people - and those who know me and my dying defense of Windows based computers. (Doug F, I'm looking at you).
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Well, they have.
This whole school is based on Mac. 2 mobile computer labs, macs. Ipad lab. Computer lab, mac. Teachers computers in rooms, mac. Routers, mac - or wait "airport" ohhh, ahhh. Look at me, I'm Steve Jobs and I'm too cool to call things what they do. It's an airport, not a router. Don't be fooled, they suck. I had one in second year - if any of the Bolivar crew is reading - you agree.
I hate macs. I hate, hate, hate, hate them. Okay, fine. I don't hate them, but I don't like them much. WHY THE HECK DO THEY INSIST ON NOT MAXIMIZING WINDOWS???? WHO USES A COMPUTER AND WANTS TO SEE ALL THE GARBAGE IN THE BACKGROUND. I have a splash of ADD, and when there are other things to occupy my mind - BIRD!!! - I can get off task. I know, I know, you can pull the window over and make it big - but I shouldn't have to findangle with the damned thing just to make it screen size. Also: what's with all the floating menus in Office? Like what the heck?? Put you toolbars on the top like every other sensible program. Ef.
I may be wrong, but I'm probably not, the mac basic setup for finding crap is ridic to figure out. It's so cluttered and burried. It's like I've been given some 2 year olds toy to get my work done on. Windows seems to be like a nicely organized tree of stuff. Computer-->Hard Drive --> Users --> Me --> Documents/Pictures/Everything. Maybe I just need more lessons on this thing, but it seems like they don't want you to know what's going on. I want to know what's going on. When you don't let me know what's going on, you remind me of Stalin. Ya, I said it. Mac is equal or worse than the former Soviet Union under Stalin with regard to secrets. I don't know if you're all up on your Soviet history, but Stalin's secrets were bad news. My only logical assumption is mac is hiding things just as bad.
The tool bar. Oh the tool bar. Yes, it's fancy and it has fun little clouds when you delete things, and when you scroll over it gets bigger. Ohhh, ahhh. Okay jerks. For those of us who aren't satisfied wholly with shiny objects, you come to find this jerked off thing (Gord Rivoire term) is just cluttered and poor. Get a tool bar, man. I don't want to open a window to find my applications. And I don't want 40,000 things on my tool bar. Ef.
GET A MOUSE WITH A RIGHT CLICK. HOLY HOCKEY!!! Ya wanna copy something? Can't do that with one hand. Wanna get into the details of something? Can't do that with one hand. Okay, I'll give it to you, the scroll ball is cool. That's all you get.
I have to leave now, or Shawna will get mad for eating too late.
I'm not done with this though.
Feel free to comment. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)