Visiting the Other Villages

On Monday Amy and I went to Alakanuk to bring a high needs student his equipment.  He moved to Alakanuk this school year.  It really changes the dynamics in our program without him.  We'll miss him so much!!!  Stella drove Amy Jo and I over there with her boat.  It was so entertaining to see all the stuff in the boat.  I told Amy Jo that this was full-on Bush life.  Amy Jo was able to see her mom and dad while we were in Alakanuk.  They're teaching there and lovin it so far! :) Her mom is teaching kindergarten, and her dad is teaching 7-12 social studies.

Stella driving the boat

Most of the stuff we put into the boat

Amy Jo on her first boat ride!

Amy Jo and her parents

We had our first day of school on Tuesday!  We were so excited.  It didn't go all too bad.  We have a newly remodeled elementary side and they're building a new gym and high school for us, so it's all really new in our school.  So the fact that we got through the first day without too many hiccups, it was impressive.  They have taken our special education room in the elementary to give to the 5th grade teacher.  We learned 6 days before the start of school that we lost a classroom due to the remodel.  They had to use it to do construction.  So at the last minute Tom (our principal) decided to move our sped room on the elementary side to "the cave" as we've named it.  It is basically part of the hallway that had a half wall, that now the workers have closed in completely.  It's amazing.  Amy Jo and I just laugh.  I think it was the best decision for the entire school to put us in this area, instead of taking a classroom away from someone else (since we have the high school room too), but it just stinks because it's a cave... At first, Amy had 2 lights in there.  And not large lights...lights that are about 3 inches in diameter and are 2 stories about you... it was dark - hence the cave.  Then, she finally got furniture in there and found out she has no light switch.  They framed in the switch.  Now, she tried to lock the door and they put the door on backwards.  You can lock it from the inside, not the outside.  So we can't secure anything in the room.  It's amazing.

They're starting on building the walls

The walls are in

However the door is on the wrong way...

It was so exciting to see all of our kids again and see them excited for school.  I gave them homework on the first day, and needless to say they were not happy.  But I won't be back to school until Tuesday, so it would be a whole week lost.  I told them they didn't need to start it until today. :) It's just reading a book and writing in a journal.  No biggie.  However, they think it's a biggie.

Today, we traveled to Mountain Village for our annual sped-teacher-the-first-week-of-school training.  We will be here until Friday night.  There is no drinking water.  It's straight from the river.  So, it's a bit brown when shower, wash your hands, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth...it's amazing.  Soooo...I think I'm going to be dirty for a little bit.  It's exciting to see all my sped friends here again in Mountain. Phoebe is here at the training.  She got engaged this summer.  She is very excited.  They're getting married July 14 next year.

Me, Dianna, Amy Jo, and Alondra heading to go berry picking

There were a few rainbows tonight :)

I went berry picking a couple hours ago!  It was awesome.  It's one thing I have been looking forward to because I've never been.  Phoebe, Alondra, Amy Jo and I went.  It was fun.  We just walked down the road a few hundred yards and found some berry bushes and went picking.  Now I'm excited because I'm staying where there is Internet, so I'm able to catch up on everything.  So I'll talk again soon!

Amy Jo picking berries

Phoebe picking berries

Me picking berries while Alondra photo-bombed...