A Night To Remember

Sunrise 8:21, Sunset 16:17, -7C

Last Thursday night, our school celebrated graduation. Schools in Nunavut hold graduation in the fall because they need to wait for results from the English exam students write in June. Graduation is always a huge event in Clyde River, but this year's was really special. This was the largest graduating class in the history of the school (12 grads). The impediments to graduation are huge for these kids, so making it all the way is cause for a big celebration. I coordinated the graduation again this year and really enjoyed the process. Here are some pictures of the highlights.


Students prepare to go out into the audience and deliver roses to those who helped them reach graduation. This is a really beautiful and emotional ceremony. I ordered 120 roses from a florist in Iqaluit and was very nervous until I received them safe and sound. It has been quite cold and I was worried that they would get frozen or that the plane wouldn't be able to land.



My student from last year, Kevin, received a special award for volunteerism. Beside him is the Northern Store manager who is telling the audience how the first person you see around town in the morning is Kevin, who voluntarily shovels the school, store and elders' steps. She gave him a gift certificate and, of course, a plastic shovel.

This is Pia, another of my students from last year. She is lighting her candle from a seal oil lamp that has been lit by an elder. This is symbolic of elders passing on knowledge to youth. You can see how the small kids gather around and pay such close attention to this.


This is (almost) the whole group. Pia wasn't available for this photo.

Valedictorians Allanah and Tracy deliver the message from the graduating class in Innuktitut and English.

Parents escort grads up to the stage while the theme song plays. This year's grads chose One Step At a Time by Jordan Saprks. There was very loud cheering and applause as each grad passed through the archway.

Jolene celebrates with her son (graduating class of 2020?)

Ruthie and Clara, ready for the prom. The prom is a dance for the whole community.

White Thanksgiving

Sunrise 7:36, Sunset 17:05

It has been snowing off and on all day and quite a bit of soft, fluffy snow has accumulated. The forecast for tonight and tomorrow calls for more snow and high winds. I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner yesterday in the company of some of the health center staff, RCMP, the couple who managers the Northern store, an electrician who is working on the store renovations and another teacher and her son. The cook was a nurse from Nova Scotia who treated us to a traditional dinner with contributions from the guests. Great food, conversation, stories and laughs.

Earlier today, two little girls threw snowballs at my window to get my attention so that they could show me their new outfits. Green shorts and denim jackets on sale at the Northern Store for $2.00 a piece. "Two, four, six, eight dollars" they yelled as I admired and took pictures. Quite a bargain! Needless to say, they scampered home to get warm after the pictures were taken.

Now here's a story for you. Friday morning, around 7 AM while I was still sleeping soundly, a large polar bear apparently wandered close to my house. An Inuk teacher who lives directly behind me was out on her step having a smoke. Coincidentally, the night before she had won a tag to hunt a bear and was planning to take the day off to go hunting. So, Rebecca (all 4 foot 11 of her) threw on outdoor clothes over her pyjamas, jumped on her brother's skidoo and shot the bear! Then she got dressed and went to school. I have been waiting to see a polar bear since I got here last year, but am not really interested in seeing one face-to-face on my way to school!

There are a number of bear skins out drying in the community at the moment. There continues to be disagreements between government conservation officials and the Inuit about the number of polar bears in the region.

Here is Rebecca with her grade 4 class on Friday. That's her head peeking up behind the kids. Kids in the school sent notes and cards congratulating her on the successful hunt.