The Last Day

     Today marks the end of my stay in Cape Dorset. This experience has made me grow as both a person and a teacher and I am so lucky to have had this opportunity. Sam Pudlat School is equipped with a friendly staff that has made me feel nothing but welcome, safe, and supported. The students I had the privilege of teaching have a place forever in my heart. They have helped me become more than I thought I could be. Though there were challenges, we overcame them together. Seeing them succeed makes me feel like I've succeeded as their teacher. My co-operating teacher, Heidi, was incredible. She is the teacher I aspire to be. My house family, Jess and Katie (and the babies!) were also wonderful. They were always ready to lend an understanding ear, share a funny story, or give some good teaching  and job search guidance. I can't say thank you enough.

     The last day was filled with fun activities while we were learning. The highlight was going sledding in the afternoon. I posted a small section from the many I took, below. We had a blast. Also, I finished the "Koonoo's Hair" story and read it to the class. You could hear a pin-drop when I read it to them. I had the feeling that my efforts really meant something to them, because they gave a loud round of applause at the end. As a surprise, they had all contributed to making a "goodbye" video for me, which of course, brought me to tears. I couldn't believe the thoughtful and kind words they had to say. As we said our last goodbyes, they clamored for hugs and we had a large group cry together, Heidi included. I reminded them that I hoped it was more of a "see you later" than a "goodbye" because my intention is to apply to jobs as they become available, specifically at this school. So, in closing, thank you all for an incredible journey. Cape Dorset, I'll see you soon.

                                           

Koonoo's Hair

     On the very first day at Sam Pudlat, a student walked into class named, Koonoo. She had the longest hair that I'd ever seen. When I said so, the students got really excited, and for some reason, suggested that Heidi and I write a story about her hair. They didn't know that I loved to draw and write at that time, but it was an idea that stuck with me. I began writing and illustrating a story during my time here for the kids, about and for them. The picture I took is of the real-life Koonoo. I used it to create the cover page of the book. I have since laminated and bound the book, and will take one copy with me and leave the rest for the students at Sam Pudlat. I can't wait to share it with them tomorrow! I'll be sure to post pictures of the reading and of my last day, tomorrow.

     Also, I saw a once in a lifetime event yesterday, but was hesitant to post the pictures. A member of the community shot his first polar bear yesterday. This is a huge accomplishment in the Inuit community. The bear is used for food, for clothing, and for many other things. I did not post the pictures because I know that some people may not understand or agree with what they see, and the photos are graphic. Personally, I respect what they do as a culture here, and felt very privileged to have seen what I did. If you're curious about those photos, ask me and I'd be happy to show you the old fashion, non-social-media version.

KOONOO’S

HAIR

Written and Illustrated by Angela M. Hosking

Playing Imaq Siku with the Students and an Afternoon with Annie Manning Lampron

     My class taught me a new game today! It's called Imaq Siku, and sounds like "ee-mac see-koo". A boy in my class, Jacob, wrote it in syllabics for me, as well. In English, it means "water and ice". The way you play is this: The students stand in a straight line and one area is designated as imaq, and the other area is designated as siku. Our classroom has a perimeter of blue tiles, and the area in the center is white. We used the blue parts as imaq and the white parts as siku. When the teacher says, "imaq" the students all jump together onto the imaq a tiles, and when the teacher says "siku", the students all jump to the siku tiles. You say it quickly, almost like "red light, green light" so that the students get confused about which way to jump. The game is a process of elimination, so as students mis-jump, the are out. The winner is the one who is last standing. 

     After a great at school, I had the privilege of visiting Annie Manning Lapron, a local artist. Annie is very humble, and her husband Pierre was quick to fill us in on all of her accomplishments, because she would never brag about herself. She has received many awards and much recognition, and is well known for her doll making skills. She is known in the Cape Dorset community for her skills at making mittens and kamiks. She also does many other artistic projects that involve beautiful and intricate bead-work and sewing. Annie also makes the best bannock (at least I and many others think so!). I took an immediate liking to Annie and her humor, and hope that if I work in Cape Dorset, I will be able to get to know her much better.

Proud Students and the Print Display

     It took a few hours on Sunday, but I was able to complete the display that my class had worked so hard on last week. When they came in the morning, they were in awe! They said it was the nicest display at the school, to which I reminded them that it was they who had created the artwork. When other students walked by and looked at the display in wonder, my students were quick to make sure that everyone knew it was them who had created the prints. They were so proud of their work, and it made me proud that they could explain to other students how they had gone about creating it. Some students hadn't been to the print shop before, so were happy to have the experience of creating prints. They were especially proud that something they saw as being very unique and special about Cape Dorset, was something that they had recreated (on a lesser scale).

Sports

     Some days, the gym is open for students to come and play sports throughout the day. Two class come for an hour an a half from the elementary school, and that last half hour is used to feed the kids a meal, complete with dessert. I played badminton and table tennis with the kids, and then even got to play with a High School student, Susan Rowsell, who had won bronze and silver in the territorial championships. She was very good, and if we weren't just rallying and playing for fun, I'm sure she would have annihilated me! After sports we had lunch, which is what you see in the photos below. The kids aren't from my class, but what I loved about this extracurricular activity, was that I could make connections with other kids at the school, too. 

                                       
                                                    

Team-Building, Stars Assembly, A Proposal, and a Dance

                                    

     We played a game called "Making Food" this morning. The kids loved it, and I liked that it was a way to show them what consensual touch means, what gentle touch means, and how to be kind to your peers. You sit in a circle, and make a meal on the back of the person in front of you. One person is the speaker, so might say, "Okay, today we're making cheeseburgers. What's the first thing we have to do? Oh, we have mix the hamburg with some spices, eggs, and crackers, and make them into patties". Here, we're turning on the burner knob. It feels relaxing and comfortable. Also, if you don't want to play, you don't have to; there are other activities to do or independent reading. I love that rather than remove physical contact altogether, you can teach appropriate touch.

     Here are two students from my class, Koonoo and Manu. They were the MCs at the Star's Assembly this afternoon. The Star's Assembly is a big deal. Students and parents are invited once a month to come together at the gym for very specific awards to be given out to the students who have earned them. They get a certificate and a little treat (like, a special pencil). Koonoo and Manu practiced throughout the week, so that they would be able to speak smoothly in both the English and Inuktitut parts. They did great, and I was so proud of them!

                                          

     The kids from our class and others who won awards. Jacob won an award for his creative writing piece (I had previously posted a picture of his draft regarding why he likes Metallica music and how the drummer makes the "drums sound like a wolf running") and Nala won for being helpful, kind, and thoughtful to her peers.

                                                   

     Well, the big secret for the last few weeks was that Charlie, our bus driver, was going to propose to his girlfriend of several years at the end of the Star's Assembly! They have several children together, who also go to Sam Pudlat School, and who were in on the secret. Towards the end of the assembly, his four children were called to the front, as Charlie and his (now) fiancee looked on. As they bent down and picked up the papers in front of them, the auditorium rippled in a wave of excitement and necks craned to see Charlie's fiancee's reaction... she said, "YES!". With a whoop, Charlie put both arms and then wrapped them lovingly around his soon-to-be-wife. The kids ran over to their family, and some were crying from happiness. It was so sweet, and think everyone in the auditorium felt so lucky to have witnessed.

                                                    

     As if the excitement of the day wasn't enough! At 5:45pm that same night, there was a movie/dance night at the school. he kids watched a movie for a half an hour, and then burned off some steam in the gym until 8:30pm. At first, there was just a lot of running around, without much dancing, but Lynann and I got up to show them our moves. Pretty soon we had a giant circle of students dancing with us! It was a blast. At the end of the dance, for the last 15 minutes, we did Inuit dancing, which is like square-dancing. The kids were much better at it than I was! We had a great night and I wish I was here long enough to do it, again.

Using Real-life Examples to Improve Understanding of Area

     Today, I included a real-life example of how to calculate area. We had finished with perimeter, but many of my students were struggling to see the difference between perimeter and area. I thought that by creating a real-life scenario, in which they would need to calculate the area, would work.
     Bob is the local fix-it guy in town. Heidi is my co-op teacher, and has a dog named Rowsell. The kids thought it was hilarious that I had used Heidi and Bob as an example and had included Rowsell in the picture, too. As a class, we worked together to solve the question, and I felt much better about the students being able to distinguish between perimeter and area.

Creating Prints in the Classroom and Visiting the Kinngait Print Shop

     

     I taught a yoga lesson which went extremely well. The kids were a bit giggly at first, but calmed down quickly when they saw how challenging yoga can be. As we finished our yoga practice, I had the students sit in a large circle in the middle of the classroom, and asked them, "What is Cape Dorset known for? What makes it special?" Answers were that it's known for it's carvings, it's art. Then a student shot their hand up to say, "the print shop!" This is what I was looking for. I then asked the kids what time of year we were approaching, and what happened in the spring? "Hunting... and fishing!", they replied. Well, when I told them we were making print art to depict a fishing scene, there was about 10 seconds of chaotic, but thrilling excitement. The kids got to work immediately, and focused on their art for over an hour. The outcome was amazing, and the kids were so proud. (Check out the last picture; after they had left for the day, I received a surprise note, written by one of my students on his print art).

     After the day in the classroom making prints, I was able to take a tour of the Cape Dorset print shop. Joamie was our tour guide, and he explained that they have used various materials over the years for making the engraved stencils, and that they do 4 different types of print processes at the shop. As well as print making, they have several carvings for sale, and even walrus penises! We didn't make it to the lithography side, but we will return next week to see the other half. 

        

       

Literacy Night and a Special Birthday in the North

     The day began with an assembly in the gym, as is routine for Wednesday. Important dates that are coming up are given to the students, issues that have arisen in the school or community are talked about, awards are given to deserving students, and birthdays are announced. Well, it was my birthday, today! I was called to the front with other students whose birthdays were in March, and the rest of the school sang "Happy Birthday". I felt very welcomed, and it was hilariously entertaining. We all had a great school day together, and a special treat was brought in: kuanniq (sounds like, goo-awn-aee), which is edible seaweed, fresh from the ocean! The kids were eager to see me try it, and I was very game. I realized that I had it before in soups, and I loved the salty, slimy, crunchy taste and texture. The kids enjoyed some, as well. At the end of the day, some lovely teachers named Ave and Tate had organized a literacy night at the school, An elder, named Hopey (please excuse the spelling), came in to read stories and sing songs in Inuktitut. She had brought a drum with her but told us that this kind of drum was traditionally used in western regions of Nunavut, but not Cape Dorset (they traditionally used a different kind of drum). Hopey had gone to Iqaluit to become trained in the type of drumming you see in the pictures. She was a very interesting woman, and you could see the admiration in the kids' eyes as they listened to her.

(Literacy Night Activity Centers)

(Hopey, playing the drum. She even got me u there drumming and dancing!)

(The kids looking on, as I eat kuanniq for the first time.)

The Day There was a Wolf on the Ice

     This is the view I get on my way to school, Monday to Friday. The crisp air, the rolling hills and liquid sky of blue, silver, and white, well, without being too sentimental, I feel like I'm in a dream- how could I ever have a bad Monday, here?

 

     We finished with perimeter today, and are beginning to look closely at area. I put the display up early this morning, and the kids were thrilled to see their work on the wall when they came in. 

     The kids learned some new spelling words yesterday, and the rest of the week is devoted to review and practice. They begged to play a game called "Sparkle". I hadn't heard of it before, so they were eager to show me. First, they stand in a circle. Then, I call out one of the new spelling words. Then, one student says the first letter, the next in line says the next letter, etc., until the word is spelled out. However, if you get a letter wrong you sit down, and play continues to the next player. When the word is spelled out, the play goes to the next person, who says "Sparkle", and the player to their left has to sit down. It's really fun, they get enjoyment out of spelling while they're learning and practicing, and everyone has a fair chance, while playing. This is definitely a game I will be bringing back to the south to play with the kids in my other practicum.

... Oh, as a sidenote: there was an announcement over the PA today, before lunch. It said, "please go straight home over lunch, as there has been a wolf spotted on the ice." The kids were thrilled and were trying to guess who was going to get the wolf, because this or that towns-person was the best shot. Very exciting!