Crazy Hair Day!

Today was crazy hair day.  I thought you might want to see the newest picture of what my students did to my hair... :)

The Middle School Math teacher and I on Crazy Hair Day!

This is so true...

Laura and Flat Stanley!!!!

I'm doing a lot of GED tests after school, and helping some of my kids with the Credit Recovery Program.  I love to be teaching all day long.  When they're excited for everything, it makes me so motivated.

PS, Michigan people: 17"?!?! That is national coverage that you got 17" of snow?!  We got 3 feet last week!!!

My First Potlach

Oh my goodness...I had so much fun at Potlach.  Where to begin?! My friends were all annoyed with me before we even left because I was so excited.  How could I not be?!  The thing I most looked forward to since I've moved here!  Laura, Sara, Nathan and I walked to the Community Complex.  We got there...and there were a few snow machines...

The city plowed another "driveway" for them to park.

We got into the Complex and they were handing out gifts.  So, the chain of events of the Potlach is like this:

1. The elder of the family introduces the kids who are doing their first dance and the parents of the kids.
2. They start an assembly line to bring in all the gifts the family will give away to the community.
3. The family presents the gifts first to the kids, then to the rest of the community, giving away a TON of stuff.
4. The kids do their First Dance.
5. The adults of the family do a few dances.
6. They take a break.
7. They start the whole process over again with the next family.

Some of the kids passing out gifts to the community.

The complex was packed!  A lot of people come from around different villages for potlach

So, we walked into the middle of one of Laura's students' First Dance.  He is in kindergarten and was so cute.  Then we got to watch one of my student's first dances, along with 4 of her cousins at the same time.  It was so nice.  She looked adorable!  She's shy and doesn't like pictures taken of her in school often, so of course I told her I'd take a million of them!

One of my veteran girls, dancing.

A woman from Alakanuk made score signs.  The reason why they used to dance was so that they could battle.  Instead of killing each other, they would dance to see who the best village was.  So she thought she'd be funny and say Alakanuk was winning...far from it!  My kids were amazing!  Go EMO!

My student's grandfather (the elder) introducing her to the community.  Her dad is behind her in the torquise.

She was standing and being presented with gifts.

They had to stand there for a while and not talk to anyone, they were just presented with the gifts.

Dancing her first dance!!!

She and her dad dancing.

 

I wanted to show the difference of what the boys look like compared to the girls on their first dance.  Also, the elder is speaking in Yup'ik.  I was very pleased to hear that the ceremony is done in their Native Tongue.

I loved watching this dance.  You can see everyone moving together.

Laura and I were given generous gifts.  It's more custom for the people of other villages and the elders to get gifts (hats, gloves, scarves, socks, pop, water, dish clothes, spears, fish nets, shovels... a lot of different gifts they've made and/or bought throughout the year getting ready for potlach).  Laura and I got pop, water, candy, bandanas, and cups.  It was very generous of them to give us gifts.  We really appreciate it!

I'm now at home reading The Da Vinci Code, trying to finish it and not have to go to school and do work.  However, I'm afraid I will have to work at some point soon.  I want to reorganize my classroom and do a lot of paperwork...ew.  Oh the life of a teacher!

BTW! Laura and I are thinking of going to Hawaii at the end of the year.  Yay!  She has connections!  It's pretty cheap to fly there from Alaska, so we're excited!

Here are some pictures of the snow.

The boardwalk on the way to school.  It's about 2 1/2 feet deep here.

These bars are usually up to our elbows. 

On the right hand side is the bike holder.  It's about 3 feet high.  We lost about 3 stairs, also, because they're under snow now:)

P.S.  can anyone notice the difference in the pictures with my new camera versus my old?  It's amazing!!!!  Thanks Ma and Pa!!!!

Ahhh....Friday....

So excited that it's Friday.  I gave my first GED test and it seemed to go well.  The kids have been really tired and upset this week.  I think it's because of Potlach starting and Valentine's Day.  I've been worried about them and making sure we take it a little easier on them.

I received my contract for next year today.  :)  I have 30 days to decide whether to sign or not.  ...I'm leaning toward yes...don't be mad Dad... I feel like I'm really making a difference here and it's a lot of fun.  The kids are great, the community is awesome, and I like how small it is.  Maverick and Goose might not be happy to fly again...but oh well.

I'm reading The Da Vinci Code right now.  Sara gave it to me and said that I have to read it.  She does that with a lot of books but this is the first one I've actually read.  I think it might be because Jessie did the same thing to me about it.  It's been good so far.

Tonight is Potlach.  I'm so excited.  I have been waiting all year for this.  I've been asking everyone if they're going.  It's interesting to see what families go, which ones stay, and which ones will do the second one.  This one seems to be the bigger one.  I'm hoping to go to Kotlik's Potlach at the beginning of March because my friend, Lara Leigh, is doing her first dance there.  She teaches SPED too.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the blog.  I guess I should have waited this long before, too.  Everyone seems more excited! :)  Love you all!

I'm Alive!!!!

Yes, it's official, I'm back.  I tried to explain to Mom tonight that I don't really have time...or Internet to ever update the blog.  Between teaching, grading level tests, doing GED tests, making IEP's, meetings, yearbook, and all the stuff going on in the village, I HAVE NO TIME!!! I've had so much fun since I've gotten back from Christmas Break though.  We've had a Junior High Basketball tournament, Girls' High School Basketball tournament, and Boys' High School Basketball tournament.  I've been to them all and taken about 1000 pictures at each weekend (no exaggeration).  Mom and Dad and I got a new camera for me for Christmas, so it's the new fun thing to do around here.  I've let the kids in yearbook club try my camera out for a few minutes if they stay seated and right next to me.  They love it.  I have so many great shots of the kids and community.

I decided to adopt a really cute puppy a few weeks ago.  I named her Arora (Rory).  She was outside the school and all my students told me I should take her home...so I did! :)  Laura was so excited...or not.  A couple weeks later we sent her to an animal shelter in Anchorage.  She has a good home now. :)

Rory

A couple weekends ago, Robin (a Native who is an aide in Laura's kindergarten room...and a very fun person) took me on a snow machine ride to Alakanuk.  It was so much fun!  It was my first ride (officially on the snow machine...I was on a sled before).  We went and Robin played ball in a City League pickup night.  It was fun to watch them all play.  (Before you ask, no I didn't play.  They all know better than to let me play ball.  The kids laugh at me constantly for the way I shoot and dribble the ball.  I'm getting better though!  I can make baskets if I'm a few feet away now!  Before I couldn't make any baskets!)

On the Yukon River, going to Alakanuk with Robin.

This weekend we have Potlach.  It's a celebration of everything that the Natives have.  The kids are saying that they are celebrating the spirits (animals and things).  They will have tons of food, tons of Eskimo Dancing, kids will have their first dances, and lots of people come from the surrounding villages.  It's supposed to be a sight to see.  It's the thing I've been waiting most for since I've been here.  Flat Stanley is going to come with us! :)

I'm having my students Skype and Pen Pal with Aunt Connie's 5th grade class.  They are loving it!  We're working on their writing and learning about other cultures at the same time.  I'm going to have my kids do media projects soon where they are taking a part of their Yup'ik Culture, and taking pictures and videos and then they will explain it to Connie's class.  They and I are excited about it.  I think it will make a lot of things make a lot more sense to everyone.  I'm having them do Food, History, Language, Jobs, After School Activities, Mythology, Travel, Families, and Hunting/Fishing.  It's very exciting to think of how good they're going to do on this project.

The person who's in charge of the GED courses asked me to be the test proctor.  So I have yet another job! :)  I will start either this weekend or next week giving the tests.  I'm excited to meet more community members and see people excited about still learning.

I am doing yearbook on a regular basis after school.  The kids seem excited to be able to pick all the pictures that are going into the book.  I have some very enthusiastic kids helping out with it.  It's even more exciting that they get to take the pictures.  We have quite a few digital cameras the school owns, so I let the kids take them on the trips they take for the different clubs.

We've had a lot of snow the past few weeks.  We've been weathered in, weathered out, and just plain weathered.  It's very amusing what they WILL actually fly in, though:).

Snow drifts by the airport.

I had my first taste of Aduguk (Eskimo Ice Cream).  It was actually all right.  I took a small bite with a lot of berries...then Laura made me take a big bite...that wasn't as satisfying.  It tasted more like the fish in that bite.

First bite!

The prices at the store are awesome.  One of the teachers said he was just going to buy the cheap honey this day (and it really was by a few bucks).