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...

FUN!!!

Having the greatest time out on the river!!!

Okay, we had 2 professional development days.  But outside of work, it has been awesome.  I went out with Mock and Rile twice.  The first time I went to the Bering Sea for the first time (actually on it!!!) and we saw 2 whales.  Well, the spouts of them.  They never surfaced close enough for me to see them exactly, but it was awesome!!!!

Mock's Camp

Mock and Me

I was trying to get a picture of the whales' spouts

Beautiful sun on the Bering Sea

Then we went out again Friday.  I say 3 moose swimming in the river.  How awesome?! It brings my total moose count to...8 I believe that I have seen...?

How cool?!

It gets onto the land

And climbs up the hill

On our way home...East side

West Side...They are literally ( ;) Jess) taken seconds apart

On Saturday, I went to Stella's camp.  OMG So Fun!!!  We made dry fish and strips.  It was a blast.  It was nice to get out of the village, hang out with Stella and her family, and do some work that was Native work.  I can't explain how wonderful of a feeling it was to be there.  I'm feeling so blessed that I'm being welcomed into the village so much.  Thank you Eskimos!!!

Riding in the boat to camp

The scenery on the way to camp

We brought Stella's brother, Happy's, dog with us

The main house at camp

The view from the house.  To the right is where we cut up the fish and the smoke house

Stella making the brine.  She was a witch with a caldron!

K hanging up dry fish

Stella's mom is an elder...and is awesome at making the dry fish and strips.  It seemed like she didn't even try...it was so natural for her.

Smoke house

Stella's sons, Brandon and Stephen, and nephew, Justin, cleaning and gutting the fish.  They would do it in the water so they could then drive the guts out into the water to dump them so that the moose and bears wouldn't come to eat them at camp; and because it smells on land when they rot.

Cutting and filleting fish

What we began with.  170 fish.  We did 122 that day.  Dry fish and strips.

Stella filleting...she got fired.  She switched with her mom because she was making the fillets too thick :)

I was able to do one dry fish.  It was an honor.  Most of the time I got the fish out of the buckets, cut out the bellies, got the fins ready, gave them to Stella's mom, she filleted, I took them to Stella, Stella made it into dry fish, then I salted and hung the fish.  It was an awesome and hard process!!! :)

I'm Home

I have had so much fun in the short amount of time I've been home.  I was out on the river on Tuesday. We went to the Baloonawik (yes, I'm sure it's spelled wrong) which is basically a slew that leads to a meadow.  It was so beautiful.  Then we went around Emo, and out to the coastline.  Mock made me walk on the ocean. :)  Basically I walked on the mud that has a little water on it.  It was so pretty and awesome.

J sharpening the spear's point in case we see seals

The boat by the coast

The coast of the Bering Sea

We then went back home but stopped on the way to have a fire to dry off.  (it might have been raining basically the whole time we were out) So we took off our coats, rain gear, and sweatshirts and hung them on a line we made and started a fire.  Of course, the white girl didn't hang her coat right, it got caught in the wind, and it blew onto the fire.  It now has a lovely melted hole in the back and arm.  Mock wants me to throw it away.  I think it's an awesome keepsake :).

J and R throwing spears 

Then we kept on our way home and caught a duck, two beavers, and saw a lot of birds and 3 moose.  They were beautiful.  Mock really wants me to shoot a moose this year, but I don't see it happening.  I'm not really quick enough to get one...

My turn to throw a spear...I wasn't as good...but in my defense it was my first time.  They've been doing it since they were born.

I've been trying to unpack my house and classroom.  I haven't had a lot of motivation.  I've met all the new teachers - they all seem really nice and I'm looking forward to the year.

Yesterday I went to one of my students/athlete's birthday party.  He just got back to Emo yesterday (on his birthday) so his mom planned a big party to see him again.  He was away at camp for 24 days.  His family missed him a lot.  It was very nice of his mom to invite me.  She said that they haven't had a teacher to their house in about 15 years, so I felt very honored.  They treated me so well and kept making sure that I had plenty to eat and drink and that I had a seat.  I just wanted to go and celebrate - not be a big deal.  It was nice to see my student again and all his siblings and family.  He is going to Mt. Edgecombe this year (a family tradition - they all go when they reach high school) for high school.  I will definitely miss him a lot.  He is an awesome kid that has a lot of potential.

This is the student's whose birthday it was (on the right :) )

Eating dinner at his party with some of his friends and siblings

His mom, Darlene, and cousin

I haven't had internet until yesterday, so that's why I've been hidden.  I'll post again soon.  Tom just picked up all my meat :).

Heeellllllloooooo

So, for all of you who keep saying to me (as I am standing next to you!) that I need to update my blog (::cough:: Tim) here is an update.

I've been in Michigan since May 29.  Soo...not a lot of Alaska to report...

I leave on August 1, and get to Emmonak August 5.  I wanted to spend a few days in Anchorage to go shopping for the year.

This summer I have pretty much finished everything that I wanted to.

• Saw Jamie, Mary, Ella, Gracie, and Livy in Ohio (met baby Cameron!)
• Saw my friends in Flint
• Saw my family in Jackson
• Went to visit Julie in Baltimore
• Took Alicia to Washington, D.C.
• Went to our family cabin in Charlevoix
• Crashed the aunts/uncles' weekend on Mackinac Island :)
• Went parasailing
• Rented a Jet Ski
• Saw all my nieces and nephews
• Saw the prison in Jackson (j/k)
• Went shopping

Now it's back to Alaska for another year. :)  Thank you so much to everyone for the kind words and wishes this year and summer.  Thank you also for the donations that I will be taking back with me.  I'm so excited for another great year!

Jackie

NYO State in Anchorage

So, we went to Anchorage for States in NYO.  I took two of my students, C for 1 foot high kick and A for Alaskan high kick and 1 arm reach.  I HAD A BLAST.  I was a Coach/Chaperone/Driver/Bank/... The week started off with A and C and I leaving Emo an hour late (due to weather) and playing "spot the moose" in the 207 on the way to Bethel.  It took about 1 1/2 hours to get to Bethel from Emo in a 207.  Usually it takes half that time.  We got to Bethel and decided to go get food at the restaurant near by.  On our way, I stepped in a puddle, didn't see that there was a floating layer of ice on top of it...and fell on my butt.  Not only did I fall on the ice, but I fell in the 3 inches of muddy water.  And yes, I did just check my bag with my other clothes just minutes earlier.  Yay.  The kids thought that was an amazing start to the trip.  We then flew in a 737 to Anchorage.

Moose and Cabins for Camp

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb

We got to the hotel, checked in, and got started.  I had the bright idea of having a key to every one of the rooms without chaperones in them...I thought it was one of my better ideas.  So, every night I was up every 2 hours checking rooms.  However, I didn't need to.  They were all good.  I didn't have any incidents.  I was so worried about having girls and boys in a big city, in a hotel, and ones I hadn't met before.  They were awesome.  The biggest problems we had was them complaining that they were tired or that they didn't want to wait.  If that was the worst thing we had to deal with all week, then I think we could handle that!

We went to restaurants throughout the week.  We went to Chinese, Red Robin (Yum!), Chuck E Cheese, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Food Courts at the malls.  We went to Walmart every night.  And we went to the mall I think 3 times.  Some of them went to a movie, but I wasn't able to.  I was the chaperone who went to the dance so they went to a movie during that if they didn't want to go to the dance.  It was nice to see the kids interact with all the other kids from different cities.

Thursday I woke up, watched the kids in the pool, and then went to get supplies to make a banner.  I was making the banner right up until they had opening ceremonies.  It was great to see all the 450ish athletes together on the floor together.

The girls playin in the pool

A and C racing.  C won with his gangly arms:)

We started competing on Thursday afternoon and A got 2nd in the state for Alaskan High Kick!!!!!!!!  This was right after he sprained his foot doing this event.  We then had to go to the hospital to get it checked out.  Thanks A.  We had a fun time at the hospital...we had eaten minimally all day, had a lack of sleep, and were exhausted.  We went from being nervous for Alaskan high kick, to excited we got second, to scared that he hurt his foot, to frustrated we were at the hospital, to giddy we were in a small area, to angry at each other for not being polite, to hyper for eating at the vending machine, to annoying to the PA, to YAY IT'S NOT BROKEN AND WE'RE GOING HOME TO BED!!!!

88" on Alaskan High Kick

Tied for 2nd place!!!

My 2nd Place medal and I at the hospital:) (he was off getting his X-rays - that's the only way I got it from him...)

Friday morning I went to the coach's meeting and learned a lot about the events.  We had A's 1 Arm Reach that day.  He got 6th place.  He got out and had to do a reach off for 4th or 5th place, but I didn't know that, so he wasn't warmed up.  It's okay, we'll get it next year.  We went to Chinese for lunch that day and Red Robin for dinner.

62" at 1 Arm Reach

Bloopsie (the other Female Chaperone/Coach) and me

A & C

Bloop and me

Saturday morning was another coach's meeting and C had 1 foot high kick.  I kept the height from him so it wasn't messing with his mind.  He made 104" easily (this is as high as I've ever seen him go).  They then moved them to the middle stand.  A judge came by and told him "Okay.  It's at 106" now, so that's where we're starting."  I was TICKED.  Why would you tell him?  Tell me, his coach.  I didn't want him to know.  So, he was very nervous about making that high of a height.  He got out there.  He got 4th place.  4TH IN THE STATE!!!  YAY!!! 

104" in 1 Foot High Kick

He just missed it...

4th PLACE!!!!

Overall, it was a great time and a great opportunity.  I keep getting texts from the athletes from other schools and pictures.  They wouldn't let me go when we hugged goodbye and they keep yelling at me that I need to come and teach at their schools.  I was told we did a great job by the athletic director and that they were all impressed.  I'm hoping I get to coach next year!  Thank you to everyone for the good luck's and the hopes.

Looking at pictures/videos from the week

My lovely Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay, and 1/2 Emmonak Kids

All the athletes

My medal kids and me