Testing Terror Turns Tasty!

This has been one loooooooong week of state proficiency testing.

Practice tests, official tests, make-up tests...they're all done and should be packed up and on a plane as I type.

Thank goodness!

After such a week as this, ice cream makes perfect sense, even when it's still -6 degrees outside.



What an excellent way to celebrate and soothe those testing jitters!

The Joy of K-12 Schools

There are challenges associated with meeting the educational needs of diverse students regardless of the setting. Having experience as a student, as well as a teacher, in both rural K-12 schools and larger metropolitan schools, I know there are pros and cons on either side of the equation.

But on days like these...



...I really enjoy being in a rural K-12 school. Kids of all ages participate right alongside each other. No one is too cool to have a good time (not even teachers).



As a part of our celebration of the Inupiat Value of Humor, our Inupiat teacher planned a few fun cultural games. The photos above and the video below highlight a traditional (and challenging) activity intended to strengthen ice walking skills.

Though this is an inland village and seal hunting is not common here, this is still a coastal culture and one never knows when such a skill might come in handy.

From what I hear, the cans we used on this day were much larger than the soup cans used by previous generations, but I guess you've got to start somewhere and these guys did pretty well!



We also played a game called Akuu, Akuu. This activity is sort of a combination of Red Rover and Simon Says with a little Inupiat flare thrown in. Instead of holding hands, teams take turns calling across to one another, asking for particular players to come over, performing or acting out a certain character.

For example, the student team called out, "Akuu, Akuu. Send Lindsay over like a walrus." Then sixth grade teacher, Lindsay, had to cross the gym to the student side, acting like a walrus.

Oh, yeah.

I forgot to explain that participants aren't allowed to smile or laugh as they cross the gym acting like who-knows-what and the opposing team does whatever they can to make them laugh--of course.

If successful, Lindsay wins the towel for her team (and she was). If she's not, like if she cracks up (which she didn't), then she remains with the opposing team.

Students are much stricter about the smile thing than the teachers are. Teachers seem to be conditioned to reward good effort and often bend the rules in favor of the other team.

Students have no such compulsion.

In a final push for victory over the teachers, the student team called out for Neal, our third grade teacher, to come over "doing The Worm." If you aren't familiar with this particular dance move (and I use that term loosely), here is a demonstration performed by one of my students.



And here is Neal, God bless him, who cannot do The Worm, but he does something that I think is much better. At least, it's a lot funnier. I don't know if this will be as hilarious when you don't know the people involved, but I've watched it over and over and it still cracks me up.

Cool Things 2 Do @ -42

The weather this morning is amazing...not beautiful and clear, but warm and calm.

In fact, over the last two days, temperatures have risen about 45 degrees! At the moment, we are hovering around zero with NO WIND! That's practically a heat wave considering that less than a week ago we were sitting at -49 with 35 mph winds!

Oddly enough, during all that wind and cold weather, school was only canceled once. Of course, teachers and staff were still expected to attend on that day, so at lunch time our fearless leader decided that she wanted to see some of the oddities of the Arctic for herself.

This short video shows water being thrown from a cup and instantly freezing in the air (that happens in the first milli-second of the video...so don't look away or you'll miss it) as well as bubbles freezing into a rubbery consistency (I say this repeatedly on the video...when will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut while recording???).

Just a couple of cool things to do at negative forty-two. :)

Whose side are we on, anyway?

(Team mates face off on the court)

Life races by at such a frantic pace.

Events that garnered attention only a few hours ago are quickly trumped by the red-hot event of the moment. I’ve been trying (for days) to write about the blizzard that blew through last weekend and I guess I’ll eventually get to it, but the basketball games of this weekend have edged their way to the top of the queue.

Last night, after a rip-roaring evening of high school basketball, I walked home under a (long awaited) crystal-clear sky. Bright white moonlight splashed right through the big dipper over my head onto every snow-covered rooftop in the village. Smoke stacks billowed their hot breath into an easterly wind. My face was cold, really cold, but my head was full of thoughts that left me feeling warm inside, almost down to my toes.

There is something mysterious, maybe even beautiful, about basketball in a bush village. The fact that it exists at all is a kind of miracle because it is impractical and unpredictable on almost every level. The unexpected is often the only thing you can expect with any certainty. This weekend the scoreboard clock ceased to function during the third quarter of a game, so the person running the clock had to use a stopwatch and announce the time on a microphone....and nobody complained! Referees and coaches tried to keep the players on track and aware of game time, but once I overheard a player respond to a whistle by running up to her coach and asking, "Is that the end of the game?"

Unlike small towns on the road system, games between bush village schools require flights. That’s expensive (really expensive). So games are few and home games are fewer. Opportunities for parents and community members to actually see their children play are rare and visiting teams usually play without the luxury of fans to cheer them on.

Games always require at least one overnight stay (bad weather may necessitate longer). That means baggage and sleeping bags will adorn the floors of classrooms around the school.



This weekend it meant providing dinner on Friday night, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and snacks in-between. It takes a lot of work, both paid and voluntary, but anyone who attends one of these events can tell you that the money, time, and effort are all well spent.

Somewhere in the mix of the challenges and inconvenience interesting and sometimes surprising things spring forth. Things like kindness and generosity and respect and ingenuity.

How do you put a price tag on those?

This weekend, the opposing school turned up with a small girl’s team and only two boys. Their boy’s team automatically forfeited due to lack of players and that could have been the end to a very expensive story—but it wasn’t.

Players from our Eagles teams, both boys and girls, willingly donned Qavvik jerseys and made up the difference on the court. And they didn’t stop there. Not only did they wear the other team’s uniforms…the borrowed players put their whole hearts into winning…for the other side.


(beginning the first overtime)

One game went into double overtime and was won in the final five seconds with a single shot by one of our boys wearing the Qavvik’s colors. Spectators enthusiastically cheering for both teams went wild at the buzzer. Fans, players, and coaches all agreed that it was one of the best games they’d ever seen. No one seemed to mind (or even remember) that the credit for the win went to the other team.

It was just fun.

And that makes me smile.

I think it says something about a game, a school, and a community when such cooperativeness can be fostered alongside the drive to win. Of course our teams want to win as much as any other, but sometimes basketball really is about the simple joy of getting to play.

A Really Great Shew!

The talent show went off without a hitch.

It was a team effort between school staff (who organized) and Healthy Communities (who supported with funding).

All I can say is...Ed Sullivan would have been proud.

It was a variety show with variety in spades!

Not only was there great singing...





poetry,



mechanical impressions,



a completely original handpuppet video,



and an amazing guitar solo.



There was even one act that literally defied definition!



And the refreshments were pretty awesome too!



In spite of being sick, I was really glad to have attended. And I was so proud of all the contestants. I think performing in front of family and friends with absolutely no chance for anonymity might be even more difficult than facing an audience of strangers. But each performed beautifully. No one choked or cried or backed out at the last minute. It was a fun night full of laughter and applause...just the way we like it around here.

One of the highlights of the evening (besides the Sisters of the Boa Act, that is) was when quiet, unassuming, Peter took a walk on the wild side with his electric guitar. I was expecting him to play some sweet little ballad on his acoustic because I knew he was self-taught and a little shy. I just figured he'd play something low-key and safe.



Surprise!

Think big time rocker without the absurd persona.

I think the entire gym was shocked and awed as his fingers fluttered up and down the strings. He ended up walking away with a well-deserved first place prize. Congratulations, Peter! Can't wait to hear more.


If the video above doesn't work for you, give it a try here

Didn't see your favorite act in this post? Look for more photos on my Flickr account (click any photo and you'll be sent there automatically).

Familiar Story with a Twist

Whether we like it or not, the carefree fun of summer is just about played out. But don't despair! The cold winds of autumn have blown a new game into town.

Football!

Okay, not such a new game. Most of the U.S., of course, has had a long-standing and intimate relationship with American football for many decades. But, here in the Arctic, that hasn't always been the case.

Arctic football was instituted on the North Slope about two or three years ago amid the rumble of an extremely controversial storm. Even today, sensible points of view on either side of the argument still elicit heated discussion within certain circles across the Slope.

Yet, the games play on.

In Barrow, the teams are average-sized, in most respects, with plenty of players to fill each position on the field, but the village teams are smaller, in both size and number, and tend to be less typical in other ways as well.

Village schools play "eight-man football," a version with slightly different rules, making play more feasible and fun for the smaller teams. Even before the official first day of school for students, our local team has been practicing. A jamboree is on the horizon and our Eagles hope to soar.



In spite of temperatures in the thirties and cold mist chilling most faces, an enthusiastic desire to learn and improve keeps bodies moving while the dirt flies.



Nothing special or unique in any of that, I guess. Football teams across the country are all doing much the same thing.



The cool thing is, on our team, about a third of the guys...



...aren't guys at all!

Off Slope: A little work...a little play

It feels a little crazy.  

I'm sitting in a conference room in Anchorage and have actually received a mandate from the presenter to update my blog!  How amazing is that? 

An explanation is probably in order.

I am attending the ASTE conference through Wednesday.  This particular session is called Using Technology to Combat Teacher Isolation in Rural Schools.  The leader of this session is the author of Rural Water Cooler, a cool space dedicated to providing a sense of community for teachers of rural Alaska.

Our first assignment this morning was to create a Blogger blog.  A few of us already have one, so we're supposed to update!  Yahoo!

In addition to creating a blog, the presenter has also (thus far) discussed...

Wiki Spot

Skype
Moodle
Ning

Now she's onto a discussion of long-distance collaboration strategies and I can't tell you what her last four sentences were.

I guess I should refocus.

What a great day of work!

Enjoying the Wind

The photo above was taken on Friday (from my classroom) around lunchtime. I was hoping to get a good shot of the moon, but there was an icy haze diffusing most of the details. Still, this is a fair reflection of the amount of light we have at noon right now...when the weather is good.

The photo below, on the other hand, was taken around lunchtime today. Wind has been gusting for a couple of days, kicking up snow and forming drifts all over town.



Here's a shot from around 4 p.m. today with gusts in the 50 mph range. School dismissed an hour early. A few parents picked their children up with snow machines or other personal vehicles. But, because we don't have a school bus driver at present, the bulk of our students did not have a ride and walking was not an option. So making sure everyone arrived home safely entailed driving small groups of students home in the maintenance truck. Thankfully, all was accomplished without anyone getting lost, stuck in a drift, or running off the road.

That's always a good thing.

So now I'm headed home for the day and I'm kind of looking forward to getting out there. I actually like the wind. I like the way it feels to stand against something almost stronger than I am. And I enjoy the sounds of a storm raging outside while I'm cozily snuggled indoors. Tomorrow, as several people mentioned, will probably be calm and clear.

But, for now, I'm enjoying the wind.

Different Strokes...

There's more than one way to bag some Halloween candy!



But it may require a little more effort than you think.



With faces as sweet as the candy...there's no way to lose.



The school carnival is always good for a treat or two.



You might even receive a ring from a handsome knight!



But watch out for those ferocious animals!



They're almost as frightening as the dancing!

In the meantime...

Moments for posting thoughts have been hard to come by lately. So, until there is a break in the busyness, I'll just share a glimpse or two of other people having fun.

:)

There are two loading ramps in the back of the school. One is used for deliveries and maintenance daily, but the other one is generally unused... except during sledding, or sliding, season.

Sliding is a sport that requires skill and dedication. It is not to be entered into lightly! (That's mostly a joke.)

The first step is to prepare the course. These two are making sure there is a pile of snow at the base of the ramp. It's critical that the pile be of sufficient size for propelling a sled and its occupants into the air.



The next step is to pour water down the ramp...thus creating a surface just right for high-speed acceleration. Determining whether or not the desired effect has been achieved isn't too difficult. There are always plenty of guinea pigs around.



Finally, the ramp is open for business.



If I had a nickel for every trip down...I'd be rich, rich, rich.

But, I have to say, the pleasure of watching these guys have a good time...

...is a treasure in and of itself.

I'm still here...

What can I say?  Things are pretty crazy right now and, as much as I have wanted to, I just haven't been able to get photos loaded or get my thoughts down in any form that makes sense.  The photo I've posted here is from a couple of days ago.  I hope to share more very soon.

As I write this, it's almost 10:45 p.m. and I'm still at school.  We are hosting a volleyball tournament that began this afternoon and will conclude tomorrow around noon. Our principal is out of town and the first choice for "acting principal" is gone as well, so the task fell to me.  I'm probably being overly cautious at this point, but I didn't want to leave until the visiting students began to wind down a little.  So I'm still here.  In a few minutes, I'll do one more door check and then head home.

Sporting events work a little differently up here.  Participation requires a higher level of commitment from school staff than it does out there on the road system.  In a school district covering roughly 88,000 square miles, teams are forced to travel great distances to compete with other schools.  Everything revolves around flight schedules and weather. Overnighting at the hosting school is always involved and that means meals must be prepared, classrooms must be used for sleeping quarters, and staff members are called upon to go above and beyond the ordinary call of duty in the midst of unpredictable circumstances.  

In March, we'll be hosting the regional basketball tournament and prom here in Atqasuk.  We'll be feeding and housing four to five teams, their coaches, and additional high school students who don't play basketball, but will be attending the prom.  We hosted this event six years ago and, I'm here to tell you, it's a HUGE undertaking.  Just coordinating trips to and from the airport requires strategy and dedicated manpower. 

For tonight, though, we're only dealing with one small group of kids from Kaktovik.  They flew about 400 miles to be here and they've been a good group.  Our kids have had a good time with them, both competing and socializing.  Tonight, the student council hosted a dance that started out being more of a "stand" than a dance, but everyone loosened up toward the end and seemed to have fun.  

So, now it's 11:33 p.m.  I just made my rounds and everything is locked up and quiet.  The classroom where our visitors are sleeping is dark.  They appear to have settled in for the night.  I'm heading home to my poor neglected dog, a hot bath, and my pillow.

Breakfast and the morning volleyball matches are only a few hours away.

Changes

Boxes in, boxes out, boxes emptied, boxes filled...my life is a jumble of cardboard at the moment. Lots of changes are in the works. I won't bore everyone with all the details, but a few of the highlights include: my sister and her family moving into my house, me moving out and into district housing, switching from teaching elementary to secondary grades, and a whole new faculty & administration at school. Whew!

Another change has been especially difficult to talk about. And I've put off blogging about it for several weeks. Over the summer, I decided to allow my dog, Precious, to be adopted. It's something that I'd been thinking about for a while, but had been reluctant to actually follow through with because Precious is....well....precious!

The problem is that the Arctic is a seriously confining place during the winter months and Precious doesn't do confinement very well. She practically climbed the walls all last winter which led to some destructive behavior. Over the summer I decided that either I'd need to find a home where she'd be cared for and have the opportunity to get regular exercise or I'd have to buy a treadmill and hope she'd be willing to try it. I was leaning toward the treadmill when I heard there was a couple in Fairbanks interested in adopting her. They took her for a "test drive" while I was on vacation. When I got back to Alaska, I met them at their home and found that Precious was happy and healthy and having lots of fun...

...exactly the kind of place Precious needs to be.



So, it's done. Precious lives in Fairbanks now in a great home with two wonderful new parents who are ready, willing, and able to make sure she goes to bed tired every day. That's a good thing and on some level I am very happy about it. Of course, I am completely grateful to have found a loving family with whom Precious will enjoy her life rather than experience frustration eight months of the year. But the thought of life here without her quirky little personality and hilarious antics...just makes me sad.

I'll have to revisit this photo often to remind myself that it was the right thing to do.

Kiss the School Year Good-bye!

Thursday was our last day of school. The sense of relief and accomplishment that I should have felt had to be put on hold for a few days while I made a whirlwind trip to Fairbanks. Two planes and five hundred miles later, my summer began by applying for a new passport. If I can get all my ducks in a row...and coax them to stay there...this summer should be an interesting one culminating with a bicycle trip through Nova Scotia at the end of July. Yahoo!

In the meantime, I'm preparing for summer school which begins one week from today. Outside, blowing snow feels more like fall than spring. And the doghouse that I spent hours digging out just a few days ago has disappeared beneath yet another building drift. I know that break-up is near and that summer is on its way, but at the moment it's a little hard to imagine.

In the midst of the chaos...

...she made my heart smile. And that was an unexpected blessing.

Between state assessments, three separate district assessments, end of quarter tests, report cards, student learning plans, professional performance plans, Saturday schools, inservices, graduation, an awards assembly, and Inupiat Day...the last three weeks have truly been a chaotic jumble of activity and emotion.

As the yearbook coordinator, I spent most of graduation zipping around the gym in an effort to capture the excitement and pride of the graduates and their families. As a K-12 school, graduation involves kindergartners, eighth graders, and high school seniors. Some families have children in all three categories! It can be nerve-racking trying to make sure that no one is overlooked in the photos and that the joy of the event is clearly and effectively represented.

And sometimes the view through the lens sends a little of that joy my way. Like when a ray of sunshine walks through the door...wrapped up in a pretty pink dress.



Aattai! (how cute!)
Are graduates always this huggable?

Brutish or Brave?

This morning, before school started, I happened into the kindergarten classroom and was tickled to find children of various ages having a blast with all the cool stuff in the play area. It always surprises me a little that, in spite of its remote location, our school is well-equipped with all those creative treasures that encourage and delight the imagination.

Today I paused at the Lego table and traded high fives with a first grader who was busily snapping plastic pieces together. He appeared to be constructing some sort of weapon. That wasn't too surprising. It doesn't really matter what type of construction material is involved...modeling clay, Lincoln logs, K-nex, Legos, even a plain old popsicle stick. At some point, most boys can (and usually will) create a gun. I'll be honest, that has bothered me at times. There is always a concern that kids will fail to recognize the value of preserving life if they are allowed to act out imaginary violence against others during play.

I was well on my way to voicing my concern when the intercom squawked the announcement for breakfast. That triggered a frenzied exodus toward muffins and applesauce and within seconds I was standing in the play area alone. As I passed by the Lego table, I glanced back down at the abandoned weapon and realized that I probably shouldn't have worried. This boy might just have a pretty good handle on preserving life after all.

TGIF! Oh, wait…it’s only Thursday.

Ever had one of those weeks? Let me tell you, this has been one of those weeks. For those of you not acquainted with the joys of standardized testing, try to imagine using one of those disgusting nose thingies on a room full of stuffy-nosed babies who are hungry and cranky and haven’t had a nap…in days. Still not ringing any bells? Okay, how about giving a bath to a twenty pound, fully-clawed cat that’s never had one…and isn’t in favor of it in the least? Surely the picture is becoming clearer now…right?

To be honest, it wasn’t like that the whole week…only during the testing part. Please, little Johnny, pick up your pencil. Please, little Johnny, pick up the pace. Please, little Johnny, pick up your head! Hey, don’t get me wrong. Assessing educational progress is a good thing. So I guess, in a way, standardized testing is simply too much of a good thing! In any case, this leg of it is over now and we’ve survived and tomorrow there will be a special lunch to celebrate the accomplishment.

I think meatloaf is the intended entrée. For some reason that just strikes me as really funny. I guess, in my mind, meatloaf just doesn’t qualify as celebration fare. You know? I can see telling a school full of kids that they’ve done a great job and will be rewarded with a barbeque cookout or spaghetti blowout or pizza pigout or some other kid-friendly menu. Somehow, saying, “Hey, kids! Here’s a slab of meatloaf just for you!” just doesn’t elicit the same enthusiasm. But it does make me laugh and shake my head.

And maybe that’s a perfect ending for a week like this anyhow.


********************

This is what greeted me when I opened the door at my house and I thought, “I know exactly how you feel, buddy.” The good news is…I will recover from this week. The little guy in the photo won’t be so fortunate.




In fact, as I was clicking away with the camera, caught up in the luxury of this welcome distraction, somebody decided she’d shared her toy long enough.



Yep, he’ll be in a body bag (garbage bag) by bedtime.