Tavvauvusi

Two weeks too busy since our last post to make another one quickly! Throughout the final weeks of our project we were able to make significant headway with our substance abuse and mental health topics in addition to summing up our final projects.

Our circle discussions with each grade focusing on substance abuse were hugely successful in motivating the students to have control over their health. Taken together, all discussions on smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse were very effective in outlining the issues governing students’ decisions and how they would like these dealt with in a realistic way. Examples included the lack of extracurricular activities rather than peer pressure accounting for increased smoking in younger grades. The grade 8-9 girls in particular were dissatisfied they couldn’t run as far as they used to and wanted more sports programs available to them. After watching a graphic series of quit smoking ads, these girls immediately took initiative to make quit-smoking ads for the school. This proved even more effective as an education tool for younger grades, who approached us with questions. Taking all of the information from the mind maps together, we are finishing off developing a structured a program to be implemented in the fall- this would target the needs of all students, including a combined extracurricular fitness program.

The mental health units focused on promoting positive self-esteem, respecting one’s peers, bullying, and anger/grief management. All of these included interactive activities, skits, and circle discussions to help manage stress in the classroom and learn to cope with difficult situations. The students remain very supportive with one another and constantly amaze us with their honesty and forgiveness of eachother’s actions.

The final week included discussion on goal-setting in the older grades. Students were very open to brainstorming concrete actions they could take as a group once we left. Examples included a student government, sports teams, and a student-run breakfast program, all of which are being proposed to the principal this week by the students.

On Friday we were able to see older girls making healthy smoothies for younger students- what an amazing last breakfast for us all! The k-2 class had a super fun time making "Healthiest YOU!" posters by tracing themselves and drawing healthy improvements to their lives on them.

Thursday concluded our project with cooperative games for the whole school (staff included!) in the gym. Following this, we ran a speed-stacking competition and students presented their final movies to the school and parents. As always, hot chocolate definitely accompanied the wonderful final day!

To keep us constantly energized, Friday included a very informative school trip to the Polar Continental Shelf Project. We rode with all students and staff in Qamutiks pulled by skidoos about an hour west of Resolute. We all enjoyed learning about the climate change research- specifically, how phytoplankton in ice cores will be affected by rising temperatures. Students sampled ice cores, snow, understood weather flux towers, and used microscopes to analyze the data. Perhaps even more exciting for them was lining up behind the scientists to hop on their backs all afternoon! More hot chocolate and hot dogs accompanied this fantastic day out on the land.

And with that our project has reached a closing for the year. A final dinner on Saturday to celebrate Julian’s birthday with the climate change researchers and school staff concluded the five weeks.

So much was learned and gained from all community members and staff and so much remains left to digest and share with others. We are grateful for the welcoming community members and staff at Qarmartalik School. Huge thank you again to all those who supported our trip! Our personal perspectives have no doubt changed, which simply accompanies exploring an entirely new region of our home country. Julian left early Sunday and has arrived safely in Ottawa. Simply attached to the north, Sarah will remain in Resolute for two more weeks to replace a teacher on leave for an injury.

Both hot and cold hugs from the top and bottom of Canada. Tavvauvusi- goodbye to you all,

Sarah and Julian

Sun Salutations in “The Place with No Dawn”

We are very excited to launch our extracurricular fitness program. During our physical education section, the older students led discussions on developing a sustainable fitness program. After much debate (and “Sun Salutations”), the students have decided to run lunch time yoga classes and after-school strength training classes, with fitness tests proving surprisingly very popular. It has been very rewarding/ funny to hear, “This is going to be boring, we already know all of this,” transform into “This class was Awesome!”

In other school news, the students have been having a blast learning how to cook nutritious, yet practical meals - a leafy green salad with mango salsa doesn’t really work in the Arctic! Instead, we made very filling Spanish Omelettes. All students were eager to cook, particularly younger students who had not had previous experience cooking at home. It was wonderful to see even grade 7 boys all throwing ingredients in the pan simultaneously. Much positive feedback accompanied the day, including “I am definitely going to make these at home with grandma!” Aside from cooking, students participated in a lot of discussion regarding diabetes and were eager to be challenged in understanding the physiology behind insulin and sugar’s role in the body. Additional time has been spent working with older students in making resumes for summer jobs.

Although other areas of our curriculum may prove more challenging than others, we are excited to carry forward with our last two sections: mental health and substance abuse. After discussion with the principal regarding how to have a positive influence on the majority of students who already smoke, we have agreed to collect our own data from the students through circle discussions. Based on this, we will solidify a structured plan for dealing with smoking to be implemented in the fall.

Aside from our lessons, we are currently very busy organizing a “cup-stacking” tournament for next week along with a fun day of outdoor games and end-of-term project presentations.

Despite the troubled history of Resolute Bay, the community has welcomed us with much warmth and kindness. During the week we were invited to a feast at the Hamlet Gym and to take part in “Hamlet Day.” During both events, the community elders helped us sample everything from raw caribou to whale skin. Upon the advice of several students, our courage stopped short when it came to fermented Walrus! On Hamlet Day, a local family volunteered to pull us out to 12 mile lake via snowmobiles and Qamutiks (a certain type of wooden sled). Upon arriving at our destination, we were blown away (literally) by the sheer speed at which multiple families coordinated to erect large tents serving bannock and hot caribou stew, warm additional tents for babies to play happily, drill fishing holes through thick ice, and launch hunting competitions in the -30 weather. The day “out on the ice,” was full of laughter and good conversation, but also a unique opportunity to gain insight into the lives of our fellow Canadians living proudly at the top of the world!

Additionally, while spending dinner at a teacher’s house on Sunday night, we had a surprise appearance by a local musician of Newfoundland who certainly livened up the room! A man of many talents, he was also part of the Canadian Forces and recently returned from Afghanistan. Conversation and music definitely went on into the evening!

As a side note, Julian managed to fall knee deep into the not-so warm water of the Northwest Passage, and Sarah remains a celebrity on her “walk-around” in town accompanied by her entourage of little people.

Until next time,

Sarah and Julian

Waist deep in snow!

It seems the only day I actually want to bound through the depths of snow, no kids are around. It's like they're bored of it or something. I, on the other hand, am in absolute awe at the site of the blizzard encompassing the town. This morning I walked to school with two kids wearing no hats or mitts (note: blizzard still happening)- "why?" one of them replied when I questioned his motives. I shrugged, they're obviously completely immune to the -25 temperatures. Last night was the first time I slept without a hat, fleece pants, wool socks, and two blankets. Perhaps I am finally adapting too.

Julian and I are excited to say we are well on our way with our lessons! Last week we were able to introduce the concepts of safety with the grade 3-4 class and work with the grade 1-2 class on hygiene (brushing teeth, washing hands). The little ones were definitely enthusiastic and were eager to participate. The energy of them begging to play "simon says brush your teeth!" was amazingly contagious and plastered a smile on our faces for the whole rest of the afternoon. Today we had a full day of teaching and we're both still high from the experience. Our lessons focus on cooperative learning and engaging the students outside of the classroom. We took the grade 3-4 class out to take pictures of risks in their favourite play space- the abandoned "A-Frame" house- and are eager to start collages based on their photos. The older grades are making their own movies based on concepts we discussed on first aid to teach younger grades about the issues. The younger grades are eager to develop their own section of the breakfast program.

Assembly today gave us a chance to interact with more of the community. It was great to listen to the student band and hear about specific leadership experiences at national conferences and within their hobbies of hula hooping and cup-stacking (check out youtube, it's kind of a big deal). The positive atmosphere developed through simple attendance awards and "positive students of the month" in addition to specific congratulations for a first polar bear hunt was successful in uniting the school and community.

Yesterday we enjoyed a breathtaking hike through what the students call the "pocket." A pocket of absolute paradise, that is- a frozen river sheltered by massive snow-covered hills. Did I mention Deb made us homemade bread for dinner that night? Perhaps we're a little too spoiled.

We look forward to taking the students on a camping trip "out on the land" and experiencing more of the true Arctic.

Warm polar bear hugs,

Sarah and Julian

Snow as a sign for spring?

Gorgeous weather yet again! Our cheeks are almost burned from the excitement of being outside with the students. It seems that the community is run almost entirely by kids rolling around in their puffy snowsuits- mornings, evenings, their faces are constantly pressed to our kitchen window and knocking on the door. I took the dog for a walk yesterday and half the students joined in- they think of it as an extracurricular activity now and were sad when they showed up at the door and we were making dinner- "we're all set!" the 5 of them announced, all lined up in their snowsuits.

The past three days have been spent floating between the classes, getting to know the students. What a wonderful school! The recent breakfast program is amazing- all the students gathered together to eat toast. And more toast even throughout the day. It seems you're constantly just talking to toast-filled mouths. Tomorrow Julian and I will start making smoothies for them and hopefully get our health program started with the elementary students in the afternoon- Friday for sure! (the principal has been away, otherwise we would have been well on our way). Having established close relationships with many of the students already, we are eager to get our lessons underway!

Perhaps the biggest challenges at the school have resulted from the 24 hours of daylight. Students are constantly playing outside all night and as a result are offered a mattress at school if falling asleep during class. After a long and productive meeting with the community nurse yesterday, we have a much clearer idea of what needs to be targeted in the community and how best to manage it. We are maintaining a strong relationship with her and will consider her opinion on many new topics addressed with the students.

Aside from school life, we are both eager to begin Inuktitut (language of the Inuit) lessons next monday and I am super excited for parka-making on Friday (trying to convince Julian to join...).

Love from just south of the pole,

Sarah and Julian

First Two Days in the North!

A chilly hello from Resolute!

Three hours after leaving the Ottawa airport we arrived in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. Bright, sunny skies made the scenery absolutely gorgeous on the flight in and the glaciers clearly visible- absolutely stunning and almost as if we were landing on the moon! No sooner did bright colourful houses come into view than we suddenly landed down in Iqaluit. With two hours to kill we poked around and toured a local elementary school where we were pleasantly surprised with the previous principal at Qarmartalik school in Resolute. He shared his experiences in Resolute with us and even let us touch the polar bear skin, recently made in the school. The students' artwork lit up the walls and portrayed mainly traditional cultural animals- absolutely gorgeous!

We then set off in a tiny plane 600 km north of the Arctic circle to Resolute Bay! Although we missed the "warm cookies" (delicious hot chocolate chip cookies) served to us on the way to Iqaluit, the scenery made up for it all. Absolutely gorgeous and difficult to believe it was part of the same country we came from. It was always a surprise when small buildings suddenly came into view in the midst of this never ending white and grey landscape- once in Hall Beach and again in Nanisivik. Our smiles couldn't have been bigger when we suddenly touched down in Resolute five hours later. We waited for luggage amongst the firearms and were warmly met with big smiles from a member of the community. We threw our stuff in the back of the van and after 5 min arrived at the principal's house where we would be staying for the next 5 weeks.

What an amazing landscape! So many brightly coloured houses directly north of the Northwest Passage. We were met with big smiles by Deb, our mom away from home. We couldn't be happier and are so greatly fortunate for our new home. We all enjoyed a nice beef soup and discussed life in the north over dinner. A walk with Deb around the ring road surrounding the community gave us an amazing view of the landscape and community of approximately 270. Our first night in daylight was very exciting and we almost wished it was more of a challenge to keep the sunlight out! The heavy duty tin foil-like insulator definitely did wonders!

Today we were lucky enough to visit Qarmartalik school where we will be teaching for the next five weeks. Again, students' work plastered the walls and made the environment so welcoming! We set up our things and were fortunate enough to meet with some of the teachers. Too exciting for words! We are eager to get our lessons started on Wednesday!

Running and simply wandering around the community has been an easy way to interact with the kids and some elders. Everyone has been super friendly and we are eager to become closer with many of them!

Until next post...

Love from 75 degrees N,

Sarah and Julian