Slaavix

The Star

The Russian Orthodox celebrate Christmas on January 7-9. That's because by the time they adopted the Gregorian calendar, there was a difference of 13 days between that and the Julian calendar. The Russian Orthodox church in Alaska has a unique custom called Slaavix or Starring. On each of the three nights of the Christmas festival, the people walk through the village holding a big decorated star. They go to each house where they've been invited and sing carols. Some are in English, some in Church Slavonic, and I think one or two may have been in Unangam. One of the altar boys holds and spins the star during the singing. The last song offers a blessing to the people in the home: "May God grant you many years!" Then the host offers the singers some light refreshment. People stay and talk (and warm up) for a half hour to an hour before going to the next house. On the final night of the Slaavix, the procession ends at the church.

I joined the Slaavix on Friday night. There were song books with the words, but no music notation. I wasn't able to join in singing the transliterated Slavonic and Unangam songs because it was too hard to try to catch the melody and decipher the words at the same time. However, I caught on to the ones in English after singing them a couple of times. I was given one of the song books, and I recorded the music, so I'm hoping some time before next Christmas I can find or create the written music for the songs.

While we were visiting at one home, one of my students handed me a fluffy brown puppy. I was cuddling her and commented that I was looking for a little girl puppy. The hostess heard me and said, "Take her! She's yours!" I was surprised and asked if she was sure. She said, "Merry Christmas!" So I now have a puppy! One of the women standing near me said her son (also a student of mine!) had wanted her to get a dog and name it Kartufala (potato). The pup does bear a striking resemblance to a fluffy potato, so I took the name. She's Tufa for short.

Kartufala

I haven't had a puppy since Beowolf. That was 18 years ago! I'm having to relearn how much work puppies are, but also how sweet and cute they are. She's having to learn everything, from eating dry dog food out of a bowl to walking up and down steps. She's figured out a way to climb onto the sofa without help. She knows that she's supposed to "potty" when she goes outside, but she doesn't understand yet that she's *only* supposed to potty outside. It'll take a couple of months for that, since it's also a matter of getting control of her little body.

Shadow finally meets a dog that is smaller than he is!

Cody and Tufa

After I understood what the whole Starring thing was about, I added my name to those who were being visited on Saturday night. I made a big pot of beef vegetable soup, a cheese spread, and a loaf of sourdough bread. When 30 people came into my house and started singing, it made me very happy. There was so much warmth that these people carried with them. The custom is a lot like going caroling, except done inside because Alaska, and with a much stronger religious orientation. The dogs behaved well for having that many people in their home. Tufa hid first in her crate and then behind the tree. Shadow greeted everyone, mostly to let them know that he was there to help if they had any food they didn't want to eat. Cody left his hiding place on the bed in my office and worked his way through the room until he was near me, guarding me from all the strangers.

It was a lovely way to end my winter break. We return to school on January 11. I'm rested and ready!

Church

Most people don't realize how religious I am. I use the word "religious" instead of "spiritual," not because my faith is supported by any one organized religion, but because my faith is as doctrinal as any religion. It doesn't matter that the doctrines are my own. There are teachings I embrace fervently and devoutly, and there are others that I reject just as fervently and devoutly. However, this post isn't about what I do or don't believe. It's about sharing my faith within a congregation of believers.

While I was in China, I tried to find a church that I could go to. There was a church that I could find my way to without any trouble, but it was evangelical. Evangelism is one of those doctrines I reject. There was a Catholic church, which I probably would have felt comfortable in, but the distance was somewhat prohibitive. Add to that the liturgy being in Chinese, and it just wasn't a feasible choice.

When I arrived here in Atka, I asked about the local church. I knew that one existed, and that it was Russian Orthodox, but that was all I knew. I tried to find out about services, but everyone I asked was strangely vague.

I was finally able to get information about the church, and today I attended the service. The interior of the church was relatively plain, with white walls and brownish-red painted woodwork and trim. The artwork on the walls was framed, painted icons, stylistically similar to medieval paintings, with gold accents. There were six large windows, each topped with a lunette. There were no pews, but there were a few chairs along the back wall. Otherwise, the floor space was empty. Near the center of the space was a table with a large, gold-covered book and candles. There was a little side table with a small bowl and some spoons. The front of the church had a small stage, with steps leading up to it. The wall at the back of this stage area was actually a screen for the altar, with doors. Most of the icons in the church were on this wall/screen.

There were three women, four men, and two children in the congregation, as well as two altar boys, two readers and three choir members. The congregation was separated by gender. In the absence of a priest, the service was led by the readers. Both they and the choir stood with their backs to the congregation, facing the altar behind the screen. At different times, the doors were opened. The bowl turned out to contain something for communion. I don't know what it was, since I didn't take communion.

Nearly all of the service, including reading the gospel, was sung or chanted. The thing that I noticed the most was that some of the music sounded like the opening of the "1812 Overture." I looked it up when I got home, and no wonder it sounded familiar. The opening is based on a Russian Orthodox hymn. Now I get to reteach that lesson, using the hymn as a way to get the kids engaged in listening. The fact that I get to scold them for missing the hymn the first time we listened is gravy!

I enjoyed the service. The setting was beautiful and restful. I could see the snowy mountains and an unusually blue sky through the windows. There wasn't as much spirit or vibrancy or whatever you want to call it, but I suspect that was because of the small numbers of faithful. I'll probably go again, learning to add my faith to what's already there.

Graduation Program

Our curriculum is based on mastery of benchmarks. Students progress through the grades as they master the skills and content at every level rather than when they've sat in class for a certain amount of time. After being here for just a couple of months, my partner and I realized that the school couldn't be set up any other way. Students are transient in ways we don't see in the Lower 48.

The airline that is so poor at delivering mail and packages is also the only way to leave the island--or to return. In October, one of the grandmothers had a medical appointment in Anchorage, but she wasn't certain when she'd be leaving. She was taking two of her granddaughters with her. She hoped to tell me ahead of time, but in the event, I only got about an hour's notice to prepare assignment packets for both girls. I was a bit confused about why the girls were going along. Someone finally explained to me that the grandmother wanted to have the girls seen at the clinic, too, and would wait until the appointments were done before returning. The girls missed two weeks of school in order to see a doctor! Such things are common, and keep kids out of step with their peers. Besides, the most we have at any grade level is 2 students!

The stockings were hung by the chimney
with care

Students will also leave for a semester (or two) and then return. Atka is "home," but they have relatives all over Alaska who will care for them for awhile, allowing them to attend bigger schools with more resources. They always come back, though.

One of these roving students returned in September to attend our school for his senior year. He only needed 2 1/2 credits to graduate: Health, U.S. History, and something in Social Science. I'm teaching Geography this year, so he joined the rest of the class for that course while I gave him completely individualized courses for the other two. We planned his studies so that he finished just before Christmas.

The District pays for everything associated with the commencement ceremony, including a meal for the entire community. The graduate gets to choose the menu, within limits. This year it was burgers and hot dogs. (You can't imagine how wonderful a grilled hamburger on a fresh, soft bun tastes when you haven't had one for 4 months!)

Since we were holding Commencement on December 19, my partner and I decided to merge that event with a little Christmas music program. Apparently, the whole village turns out for the holiday program, too. Given that there's nothing else to do here, I can understand that. However, we ran into a little problem, one that may take a long time and a lot of diplomacy to fix. If you know me well, you know that neither patience nor diplomacy are strengths for me.

There are people in Atka who truly, honestly, do not see a distinction between "school" and "community." To me, the distinction is quite simple: if the teachers are required to be present, it's a school event. If not, it's a community event. Teachers organize the Family Movie Nights; they're a school event. Someone else organizes pot luck dinners (and we don't have to attend); they're a community event. However, I can understand why the other perspective exists. There isn't enough going on here to compartmentalize. The problem comes when religion enters the picture.

I have always been a fervent supporter of the separation between Church and State. In many instances when this comes up, the rights of students to opt out are protected, but rarely do you read about the rights of teachers to opt out. For me, it's irrelevant whether or not I happen to agree with the religious doctrine being taught; it still doesn't belong in school.

For the program, my primary students sang "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." My secondary students, who've been learning to read music and play the recorder, played "Soft Kitty" as a 2-part round and "The Dreidel Song." I chose the former because it made them laugh; I chose the latter because it was the first piece of music they had to read in our music theory text. The highlight of the program was the secondary students reciting "A Visit from St. Nicholas" while the primary students acted it out. I kept it as secular as possible. My partner designed the scenery and costumes, but she totally can't sing. There's no way she could direct or lead a holiday program!

I don't expect to teach Music next year, though it's a possibility. I hope to offer the secondary class a vocational arts class, with segments on sewing, cooking, and small engine repair. The primary class *may* get fine arts again, but their curricular focus in Music is learning songs that every child should know, and they already learned the aforementioned secular Christmas songs. It makes sense to me that our programs would take place at the end of the semesters to highlight what the students learned during the previous semester.

I am already getting not a little pressure to commit to doing a Christmas program next year. There is precedent for an end-of-semester program; our sister school didn't do a December program, but is doing a January one. The pressure is based on the idea that school and community are one entity, and the fact that *every*one in Atka is Russian Orthodox, except the 3 outsiders .

I want to be responsive to the needs of the community, but I don't want to put on a holiday dog and pony show. I've let a lot of things that offend me slide by because they don't require me to *do* anything, like having religious icons decorating the school. I don't want to make a fuss just for the sake of being right. I also don't want to be hassled for doing what *is* right.

I'm now a donor and member of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. I may need help in drawing lines, both in having support and in knowing precisely where those lines should be drawn.

Holiday Season in Atka

I love the light of the menorah against
the blurred backdrop of the Christmas
tree.

It's that time of year. Throughout the land, streets are decorated. Merchants fill their shelves with tempting gifts. Every doctor's office and elevator plays Christmas music. Back at home, houses are filled with the smells of baking. Christmas trees occupy a treasured spot in our homes. Mysterious packages in bright wrapping appear under trees.

Atka provides only a pale imitation of the holiday season. Trees are artificial, if they're decorated at all. No one has a fireplace or mantel to hang stockings from. Given the problems with mail delivery, Christmas shopping had to be done a couple of months ago. There are no merchants, elevators, doctors, or streets. And while we might sing about Rudolph and recite poems about the other reindeer, Christmas dinner is likely to be reindeer steaks from the local herd.

Nearly everyone on Atka is Russian Orthodox. In that religion, the major holiday is "Russian Christmas," which is celebrated January 7-9. The local custom, according to my students, is called "starring."

The celebrants walk in procession starting at the church and moving house to house, carrying a star. They announce that Christ has come, both in words and in song. The star gets spun at each home, which symbolizes the spirit of Christ entering that home. Then the homeowner serves food and drink to the celebrants, who visit for an hour or two. Over the course of an evening, they eat a complete meal. Of course, the schedule of whose homes to visit on which night--and in what order--is set ahead of time.

I've asked one of the local leaders if I can participate this year. I think it sounds like great fun.

On the topic of holidays, I introduced our students to Chanukah this past week. Only one student had ever even heard of the holiday. We watched a cartoon that told the story of Chanukah, then the kids played with dreidels while I cooked latkes. We lit the menorah candles, and then we ate. For the rest of the week, my students wanted to light the candles, even without all the other celebration. It makes me very happy to know that I introduced them to a facet of culture they didn't know before.

A Little Perspective

A colleague on the next island got a pilot to take these pictures of Atka for her. They show better than I could ever tell just how small the world seems from here. The "cul-de-sac" is the "new" village, where nearly everyone lives, except of course the teachers, who live near the school. The buildings along the beach road include the store and the post office. Just at the end of the road, before it turns to the right, is the cannery. It's a seafood processing plant that doesn't actual produce anything in cans, but I guess "cannery" is easier to say than "seafood processing plant."

This is a closer view of the cannery. They employ fishermen who bring their loads up to the dock, as well as people to work on the line. They also take finished product out to the dock where it goes on boats to barges in the next bay.

This is a view of the village from the bay. At the far right is the airport. The red roofed building beside the airport is the school. My house is the one on the right in front of the school. Then come the store, post office, and assorted buildings.

When I figure out how, I'll repost these pics with symbols to identify all the various locations. Meanwhile, maybe this will give you a better frame of reference for how tiny our village really is, as well as how beautiful it is!

Learning to Ride a Bike

The blue building on the right is the airport. The white one
on the left is the school. My house is in front of the school.

There are no paved roads on Atka, unless you count the airport runway. There are maintained gravel roads and unmaintained gravel roads. You could probably count the cars on one hand. Most people get around using 4 wheelers, or bikes in the local vernacular.

I have access to a bike. It was languishing in the garage for a few years, until the District's maintenance guy fixed her up with a bit of this and that. Mostly, she works fine. Getting into reverse is a bit tricky, since you can't really shift into it. Instead, there's a cable running beside the seat that you have to pull on.

The village as seen from across the bay

My friend, a.k.a. the maintenance guy, taught me how to ride the bike today. It's really the only way to get around the island, especially if you want to go where the critters are, i.e. reindeer and sea lions. We drove around the bay, riding in the hills and along the beach. We stopped about halfway at the city dock, which is well-removed from the village itself. I was able to look back across the bay and see the airport, the school, and the village. That's also where my friend took pics of me.

We didn't time our ride too well. The tide was coming in, so we rode through a lot of surf on

I can ride a bike! It's hard to tell that's me under all that
clothing. Of course it's me; I'm wearing purple!

the way back. Other than that, though, it was a lot of fun. Although riding through the surf and chasing waves was a lot of fun, too! I wore all the clothing that I'd been told to get before I got here but haven't needed. Long underwear, top and bottom. A fleece-lined flannel shirt. Jeans. Heavy socks. A fleece jacket. Balaclava (that's the hood that goes over the head and neck). Goggles. Neoprene gloves. I needed every bit of it. I forgot to put my gloves back on after taking a picture; my hands felt like ice by the next time we stopped! It wasn't all that chilly, but even riding at 15-20 mph, the wind was vicious!

An adult and juvenile bald eagle on top of a little cliff.
Probably a parent and child.

Next time I go out alone, I'll take the dogs with me. There's a basket for Shadow to ride in if he has to, but I'm betting he can keep up. Cody can probably keep up, too. Or they can both go back home and wait.

Halloween Carnival

Refreshments table, before donations.
I loved the Purell bottle! The student's
idea, not mine.

Very soon after the school year started, the kids asked me if we would be doing a Halloween carnival. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I told them yes, we'd probably do whatever they had done in the past. If I'd realized that I'd be the one responsible for doing it, I might not have agreed so quickly!

Having the responsibility for staging an event with a history is a delicate matter of balancing how it was done in the past and how logic dictates it should be done. Some concerns are easily ignored, like the suggestion that tickets needed to be red because that's the color they were last year. Other concerns have to be carefully considered. I found some flyers from last year, so I knew the event ran for 3 hours last year. I also knew from, hmm, let's say unsolicited advice from the community, that there were spans of time when nothing was happening. I also heard that some of the games, which are run by the secondary students, had no one attending them.

I wanted the kids to be responsible for putting on the carnival, but also accountable for how it turned out. I cut the hours back to 2. I also refused to have more games and activities than we had people to run them. I made signs that had the name of each game and the name of the student running it. Any student who wasn't at their station would be known by all to be shirking. I had 2 floaters to relieve the kids running the games so that they could play the other games. I changed the way we voted for "Best Costumes," so that everyone got to vote, but I limited the prizes to one in each age category: Child, Youth, Adult.

The kids were part of every decision, whether I made it or we decided as a group. They did all the actual labor in setting up and tearing down the carnival. The student in charge of refreshments baked all the cookies and cakes, made the popcorn, and kept the coffee coming. Some members of the community donated baked goods for the refreshments, along with prizes for the Cake Walk. I encouraged the kids to think of different ways to decorate, that we didn't have to do things the way they'd been done before. I also demanded a higher standard of appearance, like covering tables with paper in black, yellow, purple, or orange, rather than having bare furniture.

I'd say the event was a success. Many of the elders came, although they didn't play the games. They brought things for the Cake Walk, bought game tickets that they distributed to the younger kids, and then sat and watched the community as a whole have fun. When it was time to pull a ticket for the Split-the-Pot raffle, I asked the oldest of the elders to do the honors. We earned something like $350. Next year, we'll do some things differently, but I know what I'm getting into! Now the parents are asking about a Christmas pageant!