Noatak was fun, very busy week, learning many new things about how to use our curriculum to best reach the kids. Unfortunately, I'm deeply involved with preperations for Halloween (Which is HUGE HUGE HUGE here) and this week is also Parent/Teacher Conferences. Also, I have a student leaving town for a week, so I need to have all of their work together. All things being said, I'm BUSY up here, I hope to talk about Noatak soon but for now, here is a cool video i found about a show that is on TV gives people a bit of an idea of what it is like up here.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Return from Kiana
I found out this weekend that it CAN be fun chaperoning high school kids, only if you aren't coaching. Since I wasn't the coach, I felt as if a weight was lifted off of my shoulders, and I was able to relax, and have a good time with the 4 guys, all of whom are great kids (one is an aide in my classroom for 1 hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and he also ran Cross Country), so I didn't have to do much policing for them.
As for the matches, well the Lynx of Kiana won friday night 3 sets to 0. Saturday went a bit better with the Sissauŋi taking the first set, dropping the next two sets. In the fourth do-or-die set, Buckland came out out on top, which meant a tie-breaking 5th set to 15, normally it is played to 25. Again, Kiana came out on top, but for the young Sissauŋi it was a great effort. On the flight home, the boys were all asking me to chaperone again, which sadly is not my call (but I would love to travel to Noorvik and Selawik with them).
As for the weather, after being in the 40s and 50s the past week it is cold. How cold? so cold that every morning the frost has frost on it! The river is now frozen over, and it looks as if winter is here to stay! I can't wait now for the snow, which will just be driving the kids crazy. Also, the darkness is becoming more and more of a factor, each day, there is 7 minutes less of light! The sun rises after shcool has started, and sets around 7pm, this is truly a new experience, but should mean the Northern Lights are on thier way as well, there is just so much going on here, and I am always busy.
This upcoming week, is a short week for students, only three days! The teachers, on the other hand have a six day week, ugh! For five schools in the district, those that did not meet Annual Yearly Progress the last 3 years, this means an inservice in Noatak, so another trip to another village this weekend!
As for the matches, well the Lynx of Kiana won friday night 3 sets to 0. Saturday went a bit better with the Sissauŋi taking the first set, dropping the next two sets. In the fourth do-or-die set, Buckland came out out on top, which meant a tie-breaking 5th set to 15, normally it is played to 25. Again, Kiana came out on top, but for the young Sissauŋi it was a great effort. On the flight home, the boys were all asking me to chaperone again, which sadly is not my call (but I would love to travel to Noorvik and Selawik with them).
As for the weather, after being in the 40s and 50s the past week it is cold. How cold? so cold that every morning the frost has frost on it! The river is now frozen over, and it looks as if winter is here to stay! I can't wait now for the snow, which will just be driving the kids crazy. Also, the darkness is becoming more and more of a factor, each day, there is 7 minutes less of light! The sun rises after shcool has started, and sets around 7pm, this is truly a new experience, but should mean the Northern Lights are on thier way as well, there is just so much going on here, and I am always busy.
This upcoming week, is a short week for students, only three days! The teachers, on the other hand have a six day week, ugh! For five schools in the district, those that did not meet Annual Yearly Progress the last 3 years, this means an inservice in Noatak, so another trip to another village this weekend!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 15, 2009--Leaving for the weekend (again)
The school year is flying by, this is the last week of the 1st quarter already!!! I can't believe it is all going so fast, this means Christmas Break is just around the corner.
Today, I found out that I will be leaving Buckland for the weekend, again, which will be the 5th trip in 6 weekends for me (Recap: Noorvik, Kiana, Unalakleet, Anchorage, and now Kiana again). For those of you who are wondering, that is pronounced Kai-yan-ah. The reason, I am going is to chaperone the mixed six volleyball team (3 boys and 3 girls on the court at all times). So, it is back to Kiana for 2 days, and then back home to Buckland on Saturday night, just in time to put grades in the computer before they are due Monday mornining at 8 am!
Today, I found out that I will be leaving Buckland for the weekend, again, which will be the 5th trip in 6 weekends for me (Recap: Noorvik, Kiana, Unalakleet, Anchorage, and now Kiana again). For those of you who are wondering, that is pronounced Kai-yan-ah. The reason, I am going is to chaperone the mixed six volleyball team (3 boys and 3 girls on the court at all times). So, it is back to Kiana for 2 days, and then back home to Buckland on Saturday night, just in time to put grades in the computer before they are due Monday mornining at 8 am!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
October 11, A long Week
Sorry for not posting in a while, but I have been slightly busy getting caught back up from leaving for Palmer last weekend.
First of all, Anchorage/Palmer was great. The weather was beautiful, and it was nice to eat at a resturaunt again.
Prior to the race, I had set a goal for my runner to finish in the top 45. He finished with his best ever time, coming in 44th place. Needless to say I was pleased with his effort, however, if he actually put in some effort over the summer this could be higher, so for next year, we are hoping top 15 for him.
The real adventure started on Sunday. Saturday night, the two boys I was responsible for stayed up all night, because we had to be at the airport at 5:00. After we checked out of the hotel, and boarded the plane for Kotzebue, it was time to sleep during the hour and a half flight.
After we got to Kotzebue, we had 8 hours before the flight to Buckland, so we grabbed breakfast, and waited around Bering Air's terminal (much like the terminal in the TV show "Wings" or even better, a doctor's office waiting room). When time came for our 2:30 flight, the skies were too foggy, so the flight was put on hold.
After 2 hours of waiting, we were notified that our flight had been cancelled, and we needed to find accomodations for the night. After a phone call, I got back into the school for another night on a classroom floor.
After sleeping 12 hours, it was time to get back up, and try again, just so I could get back to teaching, as it was now Monday morning.
After waiting for 4 hours at Bering Air, it was again time to hear the dreaded words, "Buckland-Deering, Cancelled" yet one more time. So the only thing to do was to grab lunch, and hang out at the Borough mayor's house to watch TV for a few hours, before returning to Bering Air to wait for the afternoon flight to Buckland.
By afternoon, the fog had finally lifted, and we were waiting the pilots in the waiting room. When a pilot came out, and finally said, "Deering-Buckland, come on," I was glad to actually be getting on a plane.
Nothing was more comforting than to be back home Monday at 5:40, from a journey that started 4 days earlier.
So, the entire week, I was left catching up from missing Friday and Monday.
About the only free time I had this week, I spent watching Air Force hockey on Friday, and I was surprised, and proud to see that my brother scored on his NCAA debut, adding a second goal in his second game!
It took until today to get caught up, but now I am ready to go for yet another week.
I am also waiting for the snow to come again, as it has been in the high 40's, the kids here can't wait to get out on thier snow-gos (snow machines, snow mobiles), and even I am excited to go out riding.
First of all, Anchorage/Palmer was great. The weather was beautiful, and it was nice to eat at a resturaunt again.
Prior to the race, I had set a goal for my runner to finish in the top 45. He finished with his best ever time, coming in 44th place. Needless to say I was pleased with his effort, however, if he actually put in some effort over the summer this could be higher, so for next year, we are hoping top 15 for him.
The real adventure started on Sunday. Saturday night, the two boys I was responsible for stayed up all night, because we had to be at the airport at 5:00. After we checked out of the hotel, and boarded the plane for Kotzebue, it was time to sleep during the hour and a half flight.
After we got to Kotzebue, we had 8 hours before the flight to Buckland, so we grabbed breakfast, and waited around Bering Air's terminal (much like the terminal in the TV show "Wings" or even better, a doctor's office waiting room). When time came for our 2:30 flight, the skies were too foggy, so the flight was put on hold.
After 2 hours of waiting, we were notified that our flight had been cancelled, and we needed to find accomodations for the night. After a phone call, I got back into the school for another night on a classroom floor.
After sleeping 12 hours, it was time to get back up, and try again, just so I could get back to teaching, as it was now Monday morning.
After waiting for 4 hours at Bering Air, it was again time to hear the dreaded words, "Buckland-Deering, Cancelled" yet one more time. So the only thing to do was to grab lunch, and hang out at the Borough mayor's house to watch TV for a few hours, before returning to Bering Air to wait for the afternoon flight to Buckland.
By afternoon, the fog had finally lifted, and we were waiting the pilots in the waiting room. When a pilot came out, and finally said, "Deering-Buckland, come on," I was glad to actually be getting on a plane.
Nothing was more comforting than to be back home Monday at 5:40, from a journey that started 4 days earlier.
So, the entire week, I was left catching up from missing Friday and Monday.
About the only free time I had this week, I spent watching Air Force hockey on Friday, and I was surprised, and proud to see that my brother scored on his NCAA debut, adding a second goal in his second game!
It took until today to get caught up, but now I am ready to go for yet another week.
I am also waiting for the snow to come again, as it has been in the high 40's, the kids here can't wait to get out on thier snow-gos (snow machines, snow mobiles), and even I am excited to go out riding.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October 1, On the road
After a nice sendoff pep rally for our sole runner going to Anchorage this weekend, the runner and I boarded Bering Air, on a flight from Buckland to Deering to Kotzebue. After an hour or so, we arrived in Kotz, but still had to wait 30 minutes for the final runner from Selawik in our group to leave and head to our hotel for the night. Except in the NWABSD, the term "hotel" really means classroom floor. So as I write this, I'm sitting on the floor of a Kotzebue Middle School floor, not the best accommodations for the night, however, life in Kotz isn't so bad. We ate dinner at "The Empress," A REAL RESTAURANT!!! I had what tasted like the best bacon cheeseburger in the world (It probably was horrible, but when you haven't had one in almost 3 months, anything will do!). Anyways, I need some sleep, early flight to the "Big City" tomorrow morning, leaves at 8:00am! Hopefully I get internet access in Anchorage!
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