Elder's Thanksgiving

One tradition at Craig High School is the Elder's Thanksgiving lunch. It has been done for something like 30 years here, usually in the week before Thanksgiving. The Elders of the community, which includes Haida and Tlingit Natives, come to the school. The students, with supervision by the staff, prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

To the left is the line waiting for food.  It ends nearly in the
center where the serving line is. You can see the covered
tables with paper placemats. Above, you can see a fish trap
and a mobile of carved and painted fish.

Each grade level has different assignments on the day of the event. The freshmen make placemats. The sophomores make centerpieces. The juniors plan entertainment. The seniors set up and cover the tables, roll the silverware, and make punch/tea/coffee. Members of the student council and the National Honor Society prepare and serve the food. The staff cook the turkeys and hams, mostly because there aren't enough ovens in the school to do it.

Although all of the planning and some of the food preparation happen in advance, most of the work happens on the day of the event. Admittedly, a lot of the last minute tasks exist to keep the students out of the way and engaged while the critical work is going on. For example, the tables are covered, so why do we need placemats? Well, a group of 20 freshmen is a lot like the same number of puppies: they're underfoot, can't be trusted, and not fully house-trained. Keep 'em busy by giving them a task!

There were also crudités and cranberry sauce on the tables.
Pumpkin pie for dessert!

The luncheon was set to begin at 12, but Elders started arriving at 11 or so. The remaining students and staff were dismissed to join the party at around 12. After a couple of (thankfully) short welcoming speeches, the students started serving. Those Elders who were able got in line to be served; those who were unable stayed seated and food was brought to them. The menu was turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, whole wheat rolls, and fruit salad. Once all the Elders were served, the rest of us were called to the line in descending order of age: staff, seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.

I sat at a table of Elders, thinking I might be able to get to know someone. Then someone I know from the local animal welfare society walked in with her husband. I called her name, and they sat with me, also introducing me to the couple who had been sitting there. We had a very nice conversation. It's so much easier when you know at least a little something about the stranger you're with!

As the guests were leaving, and I was walking down the hall to my room, I started talking with a woman whom I had noticed. She has lovely grey hair with a purple streak in it. She also just gives off an air of someone who is artsy. I told her I'd like to get to know her sometime. Within an hour, she called back to the school and left a message with her phone number!

The whole thing was a lovely custom. It was obvious that the Elders look forward to it every year. I hope the kids do, too, especially since they get more responsibility the older they are.

Go Panthers!

In my last entry, I wrote about the things that make being in a small high school in the Alaskan Bush so different. I want to follow that up with the events of today as an illustration.

Our volleyball team was playing in a tournament, which was hosted at another school here on Prince of Wales Island. One of the games was scheduled for 8:00 this morning. Last night, our principal sent out an email to all staff announcing that we were going to take attendance for 1st period, then load the buses and go to the game to cheer the team on.

When I arrived at school, there was a large crowd of students in the hall. People were busy painting each other's faces and decorating banners. The cheerleading coach had some kids go up to the 2nd floor storage and get the old uniforms, which were distributed to the students who were waiting. One student even put on the mascot uniform, a large black panther.

The athletic director spoke to all the students before we boarded the two buses. He told them what the expectations were for their behavior, and emphasized the need for them to return to school ready to work if they wanted to have this opportunity again. Then we all got on the buses.

15 minutes later, or thereabouts, and we were at Klawock High School, home of the Chieftains. The first game was well underway when we entered the gym. Our girls, in green and gold, were winning against the Petersburg Vikings, dressed in black. Maybe you already know, but I didn't, that the girls were playing for best out of 5 games.

Our cheerleading season hasn't started yet, so there wasn't any formal cheering. Our students did just fine without leaders. They had made all kinds of posters to hold up, cheering on their favorite players. They were enthusiastic when we scored, sympathetic when we missed, and polite when the other team scored. They were also incredibly loud!

The Panthers won the first two games, then the Vikings won the next two. It looked to me like the players were tiring during the 4th game, and I really doubted we would win. Amazingly, the Panthers rallied and won the last game. Yay, Panthers!

We arrived back at school in what would normally have been near the end of 3rd period. Instead, the students were told to have their break time, and when the bell rang, report to 1st period. We ran 1st and 2nd period, then lunch, and then 3rd and 4th periods.

I can't imagine a large school doing that at all, and especially not with only 12 hours notice. Our kids handled it well, even including the schedule changes. I love that we can be flexible and responsive to the moment as a school, and everyone handles it just fine.

Way to go Panthers!

The Uniqueness of a Small School

Craig High School serves around 80 students in grades 9-12. Most are white; some are Alaska Native. They have the same hopes and fears as any other students of that age. They have fewer opportunities because of where we are, but like teens everywhere, some make the most of the opportunities available and some don't. Some want to live here forever, and some can't wait to leave. In short, they're pretty average.

What's really different here is the school. Seven full-time teachers offer all the core subjects and some electives. Then a handful of shared or part-time teachers offer electives. I don't know the average class size, but 20 is considered a large class. Our course offerings include digital photography, ceramics, yearbook, drawing and painting, home economics, marine technology (boating), robotics, drama, Academic Decathlon, construction, welding, Native carving, Native Arts, and Spanish. Our students compete in several sports. We have teams in Cross-Country, Volleyball, Wrestling, Swimming, and Girls' and Boys' Basketball. That's pretty good, given the number of people on staff.

With seven teachers, everyone teaches all the same students. We don't all eat lunch together everyday, but everyone eats in the workroom at some point. We rarely have to use kids' last names because very few kids share a first name with anyone else. When that one kid is going bonkers, we're able to problem solve. Someone will know that kid's family outside of school. The kid's said something to someone that might be relevant. The kid is falling asleep in class lately. It's nothing formal, but we try to come up with ideas to help whatever teacher needs it, but also to see if we all need to be consistent in dealing with that student or situation. What a wonderful asset!

Then there's the school building. The lobby or commons is large enough to set up the tables and create a cafeteria, though the tables are only down from breakfast to lunch. When you walk in the front door into the commons, the auditorium is straight ahead and the gym is to the right. To the left is the single hallway with all eight classrooms and the library. There's an unfinished second floor that's used for storage.

There's only one set of restrooms, and they're up at the start of the hallway. They're also opposite the office. Students can't skip class unless they completely leave the campus. No hiding in the bathroom! There's also only one hall. If you're late to class, you stand out like a sore thumb! All the lockers are on that one hall. None of that "I had to go all the way there for my locker, and my class is here, so that's why I'm late." Juniors and Seniors get two lockers, side by side. The Freshmen and Sophomores get one locker each, at the far ends of the halls. Still not a long walk. Our kids don't even lock their lockers. If someone stole something, everyone would know within an hour whose it was and who stole it.

The kids have known each other their whole lives. They have a lifetime (their lifetime!) of memories of each other. Everyone already knows the embarrassing story from elementary school because they were there. Kids don't have to pretend to be someone they're not. Even if the person they're talking to is new and doesn't know anything, after they're seen talking together, all their classmates will be filling the new kid in!

Our athletes normally miss two days of school when they travel to away games. That's why they have to qualify by grades before every away game. If their grades drop temporarily, they can't play until they're back up. It's also not unusual for a student to be away for a week. Sometimes it's for a medical appointment off-island that takes a bit of time in travel. Or sometimes the whole family is traveling "down south" to shop and/or visit. The absences are always excused because that's how life runs here. Athletes and traveling students have to be pretty dedicated to make up all the work they miss. In fact, they usually do it before leaving.

The biggest difference between CHS and a larger school is the sense of caring that fills the hallways. The teachers are few in number, so we've created a mutual support system. There aren't that many kids, either, so while some can be a little mean to each other, the bottom line is that they know they can't be really mean. They have to attend school together, and there's usually only one section of a course. They can't avoid anyone. They have to learn to coexist relatively peacefully. They've done a decent job of it. There are the same cliques as elsewhere, but there's not a competition among them. They're just groups of kids who share some interests.

I recognize that larger schools have advantages. And I know that small schools struggle to offer their kids an education that equals that found in even a small city. I also know that, for me, relationships between my students and me are the most important part of teaching. If they don't know and trust me, they're not going to learn. As much as I loved my students last year, and all the students from all the years, I've never been in a school that felt as nurturing as this one. It's how we take care of one another that makes this school truly unique.

Home Sweet Home

The view from my deck, high tide. At low tide, a lot of land
becomes visible, and it's harder to see the water.

Prior to moving to Craig, I tried to find a place to rent. There are some decent rental properties in Craig, but they were all fairly expensive, and no one was willing to accept someone with 3 dogs. When I saw an old trailer for sale for $15k, I thought it was probably a wise move to buy it. The cost comes out about the same as renting someplace for a year, even with the lot rental. If I stay in the trailer for more than 1 year, it's almost like having no rent or house payment. (I bought the trailer for cash.)

Scamp is playing with her best friend, Lily. See the peeling
sofa behind them? The area rug isn't too bad, but the carpet
beneath adds nothing to the room.

My principal very graciously checked it out for me, mostly to make sure there weren't huge problems with it. However, it's still a 40+ year old single wide trailer, and it shows. The families that have lived here have had more skill than money, so things are in good repair but, well, lacking a bit when it comes to aesthetics. For example, the curtains hang on lengths of pipe, not necessarily cut to fit, and the pipe hangs from a block of wood nailed or screwed into the wall. There aren't any doors on the closets. The carpet is truly ugly, sort of a brown tweed indoor/outdoor thing. And the sofa that was left here is in good shape and very comfortable, but much of the vinyl has peeled off. There are flakes of the vinyl all over from the dogs sleeping on the sofa, getting vinyl in their fur, and then shedding it everywhere else!

The fence and deck are beautiful! Makes the trailer look
shabbier--if that's even possible!

I've done a lot of fixing up already, like getting closet organizers installed in each of the bedroom closets, removing built-in shelves, getting them painted, and then having them installed where I need them most. I got the kitchen painted nearly the first week I was here, from a brown/gold color to a very pale pink. It brightened up the room incredibly. I also had a fence built in the back, along with some remodeling of the existing deck. My next task is to get the sofa reupholstered. My mother gave me a gift which will just about cover the cost. We just have to settle on a fabric.

I've been sidelined this week with a nasty bout of bronchitis, but I'll be back working on my little home--or, rather, paying other people to install my vision of my home!

Back to School

The students have been back in school for a little over two weeks now. My case load is 21 students in special ed, though I don't actually teach all the students on my case load, and I teach students who aren't on my case load. It seems to even out. The take-away from that is that I will have 21 IEP meetings this year--at least.

I teach one section of Pre-Algebra to 9th graders with special needs. It's my biggest class, with 9 students. I have 4 sections of Study Skills that range from 2 students to 5. It's essentially a resource support program for the kids. I keep in touch with their teachers to make sure they're getting the work turned in and guide the students in completing their assignments. I also have a couple of students who take online courses in my room. I don't really have to do anything for those kids except be available if they need help.

Our school has about 85 students. That's up from the 62 they had last year. The graduating class last year had 13 students; we have 22 new freshmen. For some odd reason, we also got a bunch of transfers.

There are 7 full time teachers. The rest of the faculty is shared with the elementary and middle schools. That includes the two Native Arts teachers, the Music teacher, and two Vocational Arts teachers. The full time teachers offer electives such as Drama, Ceramics, Home Ec, and Spanish. I haven't found my "elective" niche yet, since the things I would normally teach are already covered. I'm considering starting an Italian Language and Culture club; if it goes well, I could teach Italian I next year. Or possibly an AP Art History course.

Every teacher in the district and every student in grades 6-12 gets their own Mac laptop, plus a carrying case so it can go home. We have a full-time instructional technology specialist at the high school and another specialist at the elementary/middle school campus. Their primary job is to maintain all those computers. It makes teaching and learning in the school vastly different from any place I've ever been. Most of the differences are good, but all of it is taking some getting used to.

Faculty meetings are truly collaborative. I love that we are able to share concerns about specific kids or situations and work together to solve problems. It's unlike any other place I've ever worked. We really offer a great variety of courses and extra-curricular activities. The atmosphere reminds me of bigger schools, but with a warmer, more personal touch.

I'm very happy here. It's not the kind of teaching I prefer, since it's more re-active than pro-active; I have to respond to what the students bring in each period rather than plan activities for them. On the other hand, I don't do very much lesson planning except for the math class. And the kids are generally sweet and polite. Even the ones who can't help being obnoxious. The universal verdict, from students and colleagues, is that they like me. That feels pretty good, too!

Greetings from Craig!

After a summer that was anything but restful, I finally arrived in Craig a little over 2 weeks ago. I bought a very old, very used trailer before I left Atka, and a new-to-me used car in Oregon while in transit, so I have a place to live and a way to get around. The dogs and I were very happy to finally stop traveling and unpack.

Craig seems huge after Atka, with about 1200 residents. It's the largest town on Prince of Wales Island, though there are several other communities here. There's a grocery store and a handful of restaurants. There are 3 pizza places. I know 2 will deliver, but I'm not sure about the 3rd. Mail isn't delivered to homes here, so everyone has a post office box. If you want to run into friends and colleagues, the post office just after 4 in the afternoon is the place to be!

The school district serves Craig only. I think there are 200-250 students split among the elementary, middle, and high schools; I know the high school has about 70-80 students. The entire district has about 70 employees, from the superintendent to the bus drivers; 35 are certified teachers. A dozen teachers work at the high school either full or part time. I will be teaching special education, with a case load of about 20, which is more than I expected to have.

For such a small school, we offer a pretty good program for the kids. The full-time teachers all wear two hats. For example, one teacher has English and Art classes, while another teaches social studies and Spanish, and a third teaches History, Remedial Language Arts, Drama, and Home Ec. I won't have anything but my "study skills" classes for at least the first semester. That may be true for the whole year, but the principal and I are talking about my teaching either a Humanities course or AP Art History at some future date. Oddly enough, the state of Alaska gave me an endorsement in Humanities, so I'm actually certified to teach those courses.

My home is in decent shape for being a 43 year old trailer. Some things have been very well taken care of. Within the last 2-3 years, a new heater has been installed, a new roof was put on, the space beneath the trailer was insulated, and a new kitchen with stainless steel appliances was installed. However, the people who've lived here in the past have obviously had more skill than money. The curtains are cheap panels or cut up sheets, hanging on lengths of pipe that are mounted on blocks of wood nailed to the wall. I've started changing things to improve comfort or function. For example, the closets have a single shelf with a rod all the way across. I've ordered 3 wire units, one for each bedroom closet. The units plus the handyman to install them won't be more than $300, but it will make the closets much more usable. Of course, then I have to buy closet doors and get them installed, too, but that has more to do with aesthetics. I'll buy some vertical blinds for the living room window that's currently uncovered, but I can wait on replacing the ugly pipe-hanging curtains. Little by little, it'll all get done.

I haven't taken any pictures yet, at least not with my good camera. I'll probably come back to this entry and add some pictures once I take them. One set of pictures I hope to take is the view from my back deck, every day before school. Then I can put them together in a quick video to show how the seasons change. Who knows, I may even get pictures of some of the wildlife--bears, wolves, and black tail deer. I've seen the last in my yard a couple of times. I also watched a bald eagle fly by one morning.

I think I'll like it here, both the school and my house. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. I may have finally found my home.

All the News that Barks!

My life is generally quiet and uneventful. If it weren't for the three dogs who live with me, it would be downright boring. No chance of that happening!

Cody checks to make sure I'm still
following him.

Cody loves his life here in Atka. He's been quite sad since my teaching partner left for the summer; her dog Sam is Cody's best friend. Sam is spending the summer up in the village proper, and rarely comes down to visit. Cody goes over to their old house and searches for Sam, whimpering as he does. I tell him that Sam is gone, but Cody knows he's still around, just not "here." However, Cody is a busy dog with things to do. He shakes off his sadness and starts his rounds of exploration. As long as he doesn't go into the village, he's free to go wherever he likes; the village itself has a leash law. I'm not sure how Cody knows that, but he never goes into the village. Or, rather, if he has ever gone there, no one's told me so.

Shadow has to check, too!

Shadow also has a lot of freedom. The fact that he's roughly 1/6th Cody's size doesn't seem to inhibit him in any way. The only danger he faces is from the eagles. About 2 weeks ago, a friend showed up at my door with Shadow under his arm. He'd found the little guy a half mile down the road, toward the village. He wouldn't have noticed Shadow, except there were eagles circling him overhead. He grabbed Shadow and brought him home before the eagles could snatch him. It's early in the season yet; the salmon aren't running, and the eagles are hungry. For a few days after that, I walked Shadow on his leash. When I let him wander free again, I kept him in sight. As long as he returns when I call him, I can let him be free. If he doesn't respond to my voice commands, I put him back on the leash for a walk or two. It's amazing how obedient he becomes when he again has freedom. I sure hope the salmon hurry up!

What a sweet face! I think she looks like a miniature golden
retriever with a curly tail.

Scamp is now an adolescent pup. She hasn't been well-socialized to humans, mostly because there are few humans or opportunities for socialization in Atka. There is now a group of scientists living in the empty houses around us and working at the school. Scamp has been barking at the strangers. Then she started barking at their numerous vehicles. And then she started chasing the vehicles. I had to walk her on leash just to keep her safe. I kept her on leash in the house, too, because she wasn't responding to me anymore when we were outside.

Keeping Scamp on her leash all the time was exactly what she needed. The strategy is that being under my control at all times teaches her that all good things come from me. All bad things come from me, too. Her life is better when she behaves in a way that pleases me, so she learns to behave the way I want her to. Now when we go outside, she willingly approaches the scientists, tail wagging. She ignores their vehicles, except to get out of the way if they're moving toward her. Inside, she initiates play with me. We play Tug and Fetch. When I tried to teach her Fetch a few weeks ago, she wasn't interested. Now she brings me Ellie, her hot pink stuffed elephant, over and over for me to toss in the air.

Cody and Scamp play rough!

When I take all the dogs out for a walk, with Scamp on her leash, we set off single file, with Cody in the lead. He knows where he wants to go. If I don't head in the direction Cody is "suggesting," he turns around and follows us. He eventually ends up in front again, since Scamp wants to sniff everything and thus slows us down. Shadow trots along behind, keeping me in sight. It's an odd canine version of Follow the Leader.

I've been undecided about whether or not I was going to keep Scamp. Our relocation to Craig is logistically rather difficult. I considered putting her up for adoption in Anchorage, after I got her to a vet for shots and spaying. The biggest problem was - and is - getting Scamp, in her crate, Cody, in his service dog harness, Shadow, in his carry-on shoulder bag, a suitcase, a backpack, and me all onto the plane to Oregon and then from the plane to the car. The trip from Oregon to Craig isn't as bad because we'll be taking the ferry. I finally decided that Scamp is coming with us no matter what. Dogs aren't disposable; the decision to adopt a dog is a lifelong commitment unless something truly monumental happens. Moving isn't that monumental, no matter how difficult the logistics are!

So, my little family will move together in about 3 weeks. We'll have 2-3 weeks of staying in hotels and kennels. That is to say I'll be staying in hotels, while Scamp and Shadow stay in kennels. Cody will spend time in both. We'll be in our new home late on July 31. No more free run of the island; they'll all be on leashes until I can get a fence put in. Not only is there a leash law, but there are black bears and wolves on the island. There are some places they'll be able to run and play, like on the beach. I think they'll be happy there. I think we'll all be happy there!

Spring!

Landscaping by Mother Nature

Spring comes late to the tundra. March 21 is just another day on the calendar. Spring, which is to say less winter, starts in May. The first sign of the approaching spring is that the snow disappears from the ground and isn't replenished. There might be a sprinkling of snow in early spring, but it doesn't stay. The mountains remain white, but the whiteness begins to retreat until only the tops of the mountains are covered in snow. The air temps warm a bit, but not very much. The air feels heavier because it carries more moisture.

Even dandelions are pretty when
allowed to grow freely!

One of the first things I noticed was bird song. The eagles and ravens are here all winter, but the small birds that chirp and chatter were absent. Then, one morning, I heard them. I never noticed their absence, but I was happy to welcome them back.

Beautiful purple spikes
stand above the grasses

Bit by bit, the dried brown grasses give way to new green shoots. The greenness spreads first along the ground, and then up the mountains. Just as the snow creeping down the mountains heralded the onset of winter, the green creeping back up shows that spring is here.

These tiny white flowers
remind me of chamomile,
but I don't know what
they are.

Then the tundra bursts into bloom. My favorite color is purple, so you can imagine how happy it makes me that the predominant flower color is purple. There are also some yellow flowers and some white ones, but the only ones I've identified are the dandelions.

I love the way the silvery-green
foliage contrasts with the
brighter greens of other plants!

People continue to wear boots, since the ground is marshy. They wear jackets, but not heavy coats. The scarves, ear muffs, and gloves are gone until next winter. There seems to be more activity, but that's only because the workers are back at the cannery, and there are scientists working on identifying possibly contaminated sites from WWII. There are just more people!

As spring continues, the temperature may creep up a bit, but most days will have highs in the 60's. Shirtsleeve weather for me, but I guess most people will continue to wear light jackets.

Cody seems to love the change. Every time we go outside, he rolls in the grass. Such a silly dog!

Matters of Life and Death

Life in Atka goes along steadily, day in and day out, without too much to distinguish one day from another. The details of that life might be a bit different from the stereotypical picture of small-town America, but the pace is similar: slow and easy.

Of course, just as anywhere else, bad things happen. Life is filled with disasters large and small. Up until now, the biggest disaster that has happened during my time in Atka was my own eye injury, and subsequent med-evac. Sadly, that is no longer true.

The local seafood processing plant, know as "the cannery," though it doesn't produce anything in cans, is open now for the fishing season. There are line workers in the plant itself, as well as fishermen going out to find, well, fish! There are dynamics at play that I don't totally understand, but apparently the village is not willing to allow the cannery to build housing that is suitable for people to move here with their families and settle down. The cannery, therefore, is staffed with men, mostly young, who work for the season (May to November, roughly) and then leave with a pocketful of cash. Young men who have nothing to entertain themselves with in their off hours. That sounds like a recipe for trouble.

Yesterday, at about 4:30, when they finished their shift at the cannery, 10 men climbed into a van. I don't know where they were going or why they were in a hurry on that gravel road, but the speed estimates I've heard ranged from 60 to 80 miles per hour. As they passed the post office, the driver's leg buckled, causing him to push down on the gas pedal. The van accelerated, hit the edge at the side of the road, and flipped 4 times. Everyone who wasn't wearing a seat belt was ejected from the van through a window.

One man died almost instantly. Another died soon after. A third man also died, but I don't know exactly when it happened. Three people were evacuated to Anchorage. The remaining four, the ones who were wearing seat belts, will end up in an ER in Anchorage for shoulder and back injuries, but I don't know if they're being airlifted or if they're on their own to arrange transportation.

The med-evac plane for the men who were severely injured arrived about 4 hours after the crash. They sent one plane for all three. I don't have a clue how dead bodies are transported off the island.

I spend my time on the periphery of Atka, not quite part of the community and yet affected by it. I'm an observer, but not an impartial one. I care about the people here, especially my students. I'm shocked and saddened by this horrific accident. I have no doubt that the community is shaken to its core. Death may be a constant companion in Atka, seen mostly among the hunters and fishermen, but human death is thankfully rare. When young, healthy people die so tragically and unnecessarily, you can't help but pause and wonder.

It took four hours for the plane to get here, and then another four hours to get to Anchorage. Would that 3rd death have happened if help had been closer? I don't know. We're so used to help arriving in minutes. It's hard to fathom waiting 8 hours to get to a hospital. The island does have an ambulance, and I'm sure it's well-equipped. There are various people trained in emergency first aid, as well as the community health aide who mans the clinic, but even an M.D. wouldn't have been of much use without the arsenal of equipment that even a small hospital has.

As you know, I recognized that I needed to leave Atka based on the behavior of the superintendent. In the end, though, it was the lack of health care on the island that decided me. I don't imagine myself being in an accident, but at my age, and given my state of health, things like stroke and heart attack are possibilities I have to acknowledge. And with my sense of balance, or lack thereof, a fall resulting in a serious injury is a constant worry.

I pray for those who were killed and injured in this crash. I pray for their families. And I pray for the community that has to live with the memory of this event, and the fear it generates, for the rest of their lives. May all find healing and comfort!

Happy Pascha!

Atka's primary religion is Eastern Orthodox, specifically Russian Orthodox. The Catholic/Protestant calendar and the Orthodox calendar are different and calculate when Easter comes differently. Most of the time, there is a week or two between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox Easters. Even though I was a practicing Catholic for several years, I tend to agree with the Orthodox dates because Passover should always precede Easter. It always does on the Orthodox calendar, but not on the more mainstream calendar. This year, most Christians celebrated Easter on March 27; here in Atka, Easter is today, May 1. Happy Pascha!

The village worked hard over the last month or so to pay for a priest to celebrate Holy Week with them. They had pot lucks, cake walks, dart tournaments, bake sales, and raffles. About 10 days ago, Father Michael Oleksa flew into Atka, along with his wife. As a retired priest, he no longer has a parish, which gives him the freedom to go to these remote villages and celebrate with them.

One of his first stops upon arrival was the school. I recognized his name immediately when he introduced himself to me; he was the author of a book on Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska that I had used in teaching my U.S. History course in the fall. As we spoke, I found him to be a delightful man who emanated warmth and kindness. He had brought some egg decorating materials and wanted to know if he could come and decorate eggs with the students. I told him absolutely, and explained what I was doing with them in Art for egg decoration. He returned on Thursday to help the kids with the decals he had brought.

I tried to attend the midnight service on Saturday night, but ran into an odd problem. Father Michael had use of my car during the time he was here. There is a second SUV, but I've never driven it. I thought it might not be wise to drive it for the first time with one eye patched. I could certainly have gotten a ride to church, but the service is 3-4 hours long; I knew I would be leaving early. I couldn't figure out how to get a ride home. Oh well. No Easter service for me!

However, I was determined to be part of the community celebration, so I went to the pot luck luncheon today. I made rice pilaf, since I was pretty sure no one would have made it or even tasted it before. I finally got to taste sea lion and reindeer. The former had an odd, oily taste. It sort of made me gag, even though it really wasn't *that* bad.  The reindeer was dry and chewy. It reminded me of badly cooked mutton. I think I would probably like reindeer if it were better prepared, but I don't think I'll give sea lion another go.

I finally got to meet the oldest man on the island. The kids and I saw his picture among the exhibits at the Aleutian WWII Visitor's Center in Dutch Harbor. He was a young teen when he was sent to the internment camp. My students have said that he has lots of stories, which I would love to hear. Unfortunately, a pot luck luncheon isn't the time for serious conversation.

I had a good time being with everyone, given that I usually feel awkward in social situations, and that I never remember everyone's name or even their faces. Still, I've gotten to know a few people well enough to exchange greetings and hugs. I felt welcome, and that made it a happy Easter.

Barge In

I've described previously how dependent we are on the 3x/week mail planes. They transport mail, freight, and especially people to and from our little island, weather permitting. Unfortunately, the weather frequently doesn't permit, which causes problems. Hearing the plane as it comes in for a landing creates excitement. Everyone who can hops on their bike (ATV) and rides to the airport. They all want to see who or what came in on the plane.

Imagine, then, the excitement when the first barge of the season arrives. Barges only come April to November; the water is too ice-clogged the rest of the year. Not that Atka has any harbor ice, but other spots along the route do. I don't know where exactly the barge originates.

Items that are too big or too heavy for the plane arrive by barge. Vehicles. Lumber. Furniture. Stock for the store. People know what items will be there, and they send crews to the dock to unload it. Once it's here, the barge only stays as long as it takes to unload it. The process takes 6-8 hours. Each different recipient sends a crew of helpers.

If I thought people got excited about the plane's arrival, that was nothing next to the reaction when we got word that the barge was coming. We had visitors on the island, and even they were excited. Everyone seemed to be expecting something. The Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) was getting a new bike. The City was getting lumber for 2 new houses to be built this summer. The store had a ton of stuff coming. Everyone was checking the latest news on how far away the barge was.

The barge arrived around 1:00 on Thursday. Two of my students were hired to unload. Another student had to care for her little brother so her mother could put things away at the store; her grandparents own the store. I was left with 3 students. With no advance notice, I didn't have anything planned that half my class could miss. I sent one student to help in the primary classroom as a Reading Buddy. Another student helped the visitors bake cupcakes for a community meeting. The third worked on Math.

It was a generally exciting event, though I had no reason to get excited about it. Still, it's always nice to get a stress-free, lesson-free, half day like that! They can barge in any old time!

No Sight for Sore Eyes

In my last entry, I promised to explain why it had taken so long to tell you about our trip to Dutch Harbor. The explanation begins last August. I learned that I have diabetes 4 days before I was leaving for Alaska. My doctor didn't want to educate me about my condition because she wasn't going to be able to monitor me. That means that I got no instructions about diet, exercise, or blood sugar testing prior to my leaving. There were no medication changes. All I got was "You've got diabetes. Good luck."

I did the best I could in modifying my diet, but the only tool I had was a scale. I have yet to find two scales that agree on my weight. Besides, the significant number would have been glucose levels, but I had no way to measure that. The clinic here in Atka, as I've mentioned, will only provide acute care for non-Alaska Natives. I wasn't eligible for either chronic care/management or wellness care.

Fast forward to March 5, the day after we returned from our Dutch Harbor trip. I woke up with double vision. I called a friend and asked her to come look at my eyes, since I couldn't see them. Nothing was bleeding or swollen, but my left eye was not aligned with the right one. I called the community health aide who runs the clinic and told her what was going on. Coincidentally, the eye doctor was expected to arrive on Monday. The health aide assured me that I would be the first patient the eye doctor would see as soon as she arrived and set up.

The weather was bad on Monday, and no plane arrived, hence no doctor. I tried all afternoon to call the clinic to see what I should do, but the phones were out, probably because of the weather that canceled the plane. I called first thing on Tuesday, and the health aide told me to come in so at least she could examine me. A friend gave me a ride to the clinic; I kept walking into walls, so I didn't think I should drive! she checked me out, told me she suspected an infection, and sent the data to the doctor who supervises her.

A couple of hours later, she called to tell me that a med-evac plane was coming for me, and I should be ready to leave in about 2 hours. The reason was that the doctor wanted to rule out a tumor, aneurysm, or an infection that was filling the space behind my eyeball. Since there had been no planes for 2 days, and storms in the area, the commercial flight was unlikely to be able to get me to Anchorage. Therefore, the med-evac plane was coming.

This was a Tuesday. I was already scheduled to fly to Anchorage on Friday for my spring break trip. The advice I got from everyone was to pack as if I wasn't coming back before going to Portland. That turned out to be good advice!

The trip was somewhat surreal. There was a pilot, a nurse, and a paramedic, just for me. I was having a lot of pain around my eye; in fact, I thought at first the condition was related to sinuses. Lying down was painful, but the only "seat" for me was a gurney. At one point the pilot said that he wanted to climb higher, since he'd be able to make better time. The medical team checked with me, talked it over, and told the pilot to go for it. When the pain got worse, I got really scared that my eyeball was just going to explode all over my face! Of course, nothing like that happened. Upon landing, I was transferred to an ambulance and taken to a hospital.

Once in the hospital, it was the usual routine of "hurry up and wait." They did MRIs and CTs, which were all thankfully negative. I spent the night in the ER, and was discharged the next morning with referrals to an ophthalmologist and a family physician. The ophthalmologist examined me and told me I have a "partial palsy of the 3rd cranial nerve, without pupil involvement." It should resolve on its own within 3 months.

That Friday, I met my new doctor and then spent a couple of hours while his nurse taught me everything I needed to know to start managing my diabetes. It's not clear that the diabetes was out of control and caused the damage to my eye. It may have been related to my high blood pressure or the interaction of the two conditions. However, it's a vascular injury, and diabetes affects vascular health. I'm now checking my blood glucose levels daily and keeping a food diary, looking for patterns that tell me what I should and shouldn't eat.

I'm wearing a black eye patch. I can see perfectly, 20/20, out of each eye separately, but they won't work together. I sometimes switch the patch to let the left eye get some exercise, but I can't walk like that. Those walls insist on jumping in front of me! And, with my left eye covered most of the time, my left side is covered with bruises from things I walked into that I couldn't see! It's only been 4 weeks, so I'm hopeful the 6 weeks to 3 months duration the ophthalmologist quoted turns out to be correct.

Meanwhile, I'm in the market for a stuffed parrot to wear on my shoulder.

A Trip to Dutch Harbor

(Note: I am a month behind in posting this. March was a busy and difficult month, for reasons unrelated to this post. After I get this one done, I'll post something else that will explain the delay.)

I got a grant from the Aleutian Probilof Island Community Development Association for $12,000. The grant program was specifically intended to promote Alaska fishing and fisheries. I had no interest in that, but I wanted to get my students off the island and somewhere that they could see a museum. There are two museums in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, as well as an indoor pool at the recreation department. So I wrote the grant for the students to learn swimming and water safety, but in our off-hours, we could go to the museums!

We left Atka on Monday, February 29. Two of the students weren't able to go with us, so our group was 8 altogether: 5 boys, 2 chaperones, and me. We had a great time. The kids were better swimmers than I (and the swim teacher) had expected, and they did very well with the curriculum.

Brenna A

People all over Dutch Harbor bent over backwards to make our stay pleasant and educational. Matt Kell, the Grant Aviation manager in Dutch Harbor, worked very hard to arrange a private visit at the Museum of the Aleutians for us. The museum is currently closed due to staffing problems. In the end, we weren't able to connect with the board member who had offered to give us a tour, but I really appreciate the effort that was made.

We were supposed to tour the Wizard, a fishing boat that is featured on Deadliest Catch. We drove all over the area, to every harbor, looking for the boat. Just imagine the surrealism of rolling down your window to tell a passerby that you're looking for the Wizard. Every time I heard myself say it, I had the urge to click my heels together 3 times.

We didn't find the Wizard, but someone had already made arrangements for us to visit a different Deadliest Catch boat, the Brenna A. I had just pulled a muscle in my leg, which wouldn't support my climbing up the ladder, so I waited with a couple of the crew (telling dirty jokes) while the students and chaperones toured the boat. I have a ton of pictures of the inside of the ship, but I won't post them since I'm not sure what I'm looking at.

As we were leaving the ship, someone pulled into the parking lot and got out with VIP badges for us. The kids were glad to get a tangible reminder of their visit. I was impressed that someone had cared enough to think about us.

We got to visit the WWII Museum, which is part of the National Park Service. I knew that the Aleutians had been affected by WWII. Islanders were sent to internment camps for their "protection." I didn't realize, though, that the Japanese army had attacked the Aleutians. The only WWII battle fought in North America was in the Aleutians. The Army/Navy had bases here. In some places, like Atka, they destroyed all the buildings on the island in order to prevent the Japanese from being able to use them. Many people, especially the Elders, died from the conditions in the camps. When the islanders returned home, they had to start from scratch, albeit with help from the armed forces. The tribes have really never recovered.

The boys turned serious as they went through the exhibits and learned about this part of their people's past. I got permission to take pictures of every exhibit, which is part of my plan for having the students create their own museum.  After all, how can you create exhibits for a Museum of Atka if you've never been to a museum?

Two days later, we returned to the museum for a fun treat: we watched "The Martian" in the museum's 35-seat theater. We were even allowed to have popcorn and water while we watched. The kids spent some of their free time at the rec center, which functions as the local teen hangout. They also hung out in their rooms, watching movies and eating junk food, things that aren't possible in Atka. I think they had fun.

It was a good trip and a great experience for the boys. We left one student behind; his family actually moved to Dutch Harbor during the week we were there. In fact, we left one chaperone behind; he stayed behind hoping to find work. (He succeeded, and now his wife is there, too.) I'm now mulling over ideas for next year's grant.

Out of Town Guests

The week of February 22 was busy in our little school. We had 2 visitors from out of town. We would have had a 3rd, but the weather didn't cooperate. I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'll tell it in order.

Our first guest was Eddie Wood, an artist-in-residence. His visit was paid for by our district. He flew in on Monday and started his residency that afternoon with a combined class of both primary and secondary students. On Tuesday through Thursday, he had classes with the primary students and the secondary students separately in the morning, and then the combined classes in the afternoon. He finished on Friday with two abbreviated classes, and then he flew away.

Eddie is primarily a percussionist, but he dabbles a bit in dance and drama as well. On Wednesday morning, my boys showed him one of the men's drumming songs they know. Wednesday evening, the community was invited to a social dance class, featuring a two-step. 9 people attended, including two of my students. (I wasn't able to attend because on my way home after school I slipped on some ice. I didn't fall, but I pulled the same muscle I injured the last time I fell. I'm still nursing it back to health!) Then on Thursday, the students did a short performance for anyone who wanted to attend, followed by Wednesday night's dancers showing off a little.

I didn't attend most of Eddie's sessions, except to take pictures, so I didn't get to observe his process. I got to see his results, though. The kids were very polished and competent. Eddie got good music out of them, so overall, I was impressed. He had a wide variety of instrument, so he was able to match each student to both their ability level and their interest. He would like to return, but he would like to come for 2 weeks next time. I could support that!

Our other visitor was Kirsten Swann, a reporter from an Anchorage-based magazine. An upcoming issue is on education, and Kirsten's editor wanted her to focus on small schools, especially those schools that would close if the legislature changes the minimum size of a school from 10 to 25. Kirsten had seen a posting about Yakov T. Bear, and decided to reach out to Yakov's school.

Kirsten also arrived on Monday. As soon as she got settled, she came over and started learning about our school, especially my class. We had release forms signed ahead of time so that she could interview, video, and photograph the kids. Kirsten was young, attractive, and cheerful. After a couple of days, she fit in with the kids as if she'd always been there. I overheard a conversation between her and the kids about popular music; that's always a good sign that someone has been accepted. Kirsten was one of the participants in the social dance class, and got up to dance with my boys. I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes about us.

Our superintendent was supposed to have arrived on Monday as well, but there weren't any seats available for him. He wasn't able to fly in on Wednesday (and Kirsten wasn't able to leave) because of a storm along the route. Then on Thursday, the plane was needed to fly to Akutan. Since Thursday is an Akutan day and not an Atka day, the make-up flight to Atka was canceled. Joe postponed his trip until March, and Kirsten ended up leaving on Friday with Eddie.

As I write, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Unalaska. My class is here for our big field trip. The week isn't even half over, and already it's a success! But I'll tell you about the trip next time.

Big Trouble in Little Atka

I had finally reached a point where I felt confident about the work I was doing. With the addition of Kartufala/Scamp, my family felt complete. I even ventured to say out loud that I was happy. I should have known it wouldn't last.

I'm surrounded by so much beauty.
Here's the waterfall I see and hear
when I open my front door.

My partner has always been a little high-strung and anxious. She's also been dealing with some very difficult children. And that's coming from someone who specialized in early childhood special ed! She has one student who gives up as soon as her work becomes challenging. She cries and screams. I teach her older sister, and see the results of years of learned helplessness, although without the tantrums.

She has another student who cries, screams, runs away, throws things, and tries to hit or kick when he doesn't get what he wants. Watching his face, though, it's obvious that he's totally in control of himself and is merely being manipulative to get out of a situation he doesn't like. Again, I have the older sibling, who pretty much acts the same way, but at a verbal rather than physical level. The parents are first cousins, so I'm betting that there's some faulty wiring. The only good news is that the kids in the family all seem to be quite gifted.

Here's the same waterfall, frozen for
the winter. Cold, but no less
beautiful.

A week ago, the little boy threw a huge tantrum. My partner called the mom to tell her to pick the kid up, since he was unsafe. The mom ended up blaming my partner for her son's inability to behave appropriately. My partner finished the call in tears, and immediately decided to quit the job. Since it was a Friday, there would be a plane within an hour, and she planned to get on it. I asked her to wait until Monday so that she wouldn't have to leave all in a rush.

Over the weekend, my partner decided to stay until a replacement could be found. Although I emailed the superintendent 2 or 3 times, I didn't hear from him until Sunday. I wasn't part of the discussion of what to do next, though I'm glad the solution didn't involve me at all.

On Thursday, I got a nasty email from the superintendent, scolding me because, according to a parent, I hadn't yet distributed information for an upcoming field trip. The parent information meeting was held on Wednesday evening. He was also scolding me because this parent said I wasn't using the District benchmarks, which inform everything I do in my classroom. When I called him on scolding me without first verifying the information, he said that if I had an issue, I needed to call him or else he couldn't know that there was a problem. Not really sure what he's referring to there; the parent had a problem, but I didn't. I pointed out that he knew that I was upset and concerned last weekend, but he did nothing to communicate with me. His response was that he didn't know I was upset. It takes a special kind of stupid not to recognize that when one half of a team quits, the other half is going to be affected!

I've learned what my limits are in dealing with bad bosses. I'm not able to ignore being treated harshly. (Look up INFP on the Myers-Briggs.) I'm much happier being ignored. And I require a certain amount of acknowledgement for the good things I do, like being interviewed for two magazines based on my class's accomplishments. Winning a $12k grant. Making connections to the community, including monthly Family Movie Nights. Things my boss doesn't seem to know about for all that he's mentioned them.

So, it looks like we are both leaving. Her departure is imminent, while mine is only theoretical. Perhaps the situation can be salvaged. I hope so. I've had such success this year, and so many plans for next year. I love this job, even though it consumes my whole life. I was even happy, for a little while.

Yakov T. Bear

If you're a Facebook friend of mine, then you've already met Yakov T. Bear. What you don't know is the story of how he came to be.

Yakov's I.D. picture

25 years ago, a colleague of mine had her students bring in old stuffed animals or dolls to be handed to travelers. They carried a log book with them so that people could write their names and locations as they had contact with the toys. From time to time something would happen, like a postcard  or a video showing up at the school. Some of the toys were featured on news programs in areas where the toys had gone. In some ways it was a very exciting project, though most of the toys were never heard from again.

With Capt. Chad before the
first flight

Fast forward to this fall. I'm teaching geography. Holy crap! I've never even had a class in geography! As I start figuring out what I'm doing, I start looking for ways to make the class relevant somehow. Why would someone ever need to know latitude and longitude? Well, maybe if they were tracking something on a map. What if we followed something that was traveling, like a boat or a hurricane? Or maybe a teddy bear!

Co-pilot Yakov

I bought a bear and got him a little pilot's outfit and a backpack. I knew that I would be handing the bear first to a pilot, since that was the only way to get him off the island. I also knew that my former colleague's toys traveled farther when they were entrusted to people who worked for the airlines. I was still thinking in terms of what else my colleague had done, until I realized that technology had changed everything in the interim.

In Manakotak

It no longer made sense for the bear to carry a log book. People could just check in on a Facebook page. They didn't need to leave a signature; they could leave a picture. Or a selfie! With the bear! As I thought through each step, like wearing an I.D. badge that would have the instructions, I realized he needed to have business cards so that people could hand him off and still have the email address and URL.

In Dillingham

As for his name, I wanted to name him in part after our school, Yakov E. Netsvetov School, but I wanted to use the Anglicized version of Yakov, which is Jacob. To get his gmail account, I tried every combination of Jacob T. Bear with and without underscores, periods, and dashes. None of them was available. I finally tried Yakov.T.Bear, and that was available.  Voilà!

In Chignik Bay

Once Yakov was ready, I introduced him to my students. Even the high school boys, who would never hug a teddy bear!, were interested in seeing how far he could travel.

Within the next couple of days, Yakov will be on the move again, first to Anchorage and then … who knows!

Puppy Love

Tufa in her playpen

Kartufala, a.k.a. Tufa, is about 3 months old. We're working pretty hard on the house training thing. It's been an expensive proposition to keep her contained. She has a crate, but I also had to get her a play pen. She can climb out of it. I'm waiting for the cover to arrive. Sure hope that's enough to keep her in it.

She doesn't make messes in her personal spaces, but I also have to be sure to get her outside regularly. It's a little hard when the weather's bad, but then she found the spot under my porch that isn't walled in. Now, when the weather's bad, she has an outside potty with a roof. Yeah, she's smart.

Cody and Tufa jaw wrestling

She also has sharp, pointed teeth which she uses. Often. She's learning that it's not nice to bite Momma's face. Hands. Feet. There is also a limit on what things she's allowed to chew. Any of the dozen or so toys lying on the floor is allowed; my slippers are not, especially when I'm wearing them. Of course, she still chooses the slippers. Every time.

This is Buddy. He belongs to the maintenance guy.
Look at his face, then look at Tufa's. No doubt he's the dad.

She's now as big as Shadow. Her tail now curls over her back. She looks just like her father. She knows her name. And "no." You know, the things she hears often. Unfortunately what I hear often is the yap yap yap of a puppy who thinks she might get her way if she barks for long enough.

The pack dynamic seems to be that Cody is the leader, and Shadow and Tufa are equal siblings. Cody and Tufa play a game that's mostly about grabbing each other in their jaws. Shadow gets Tufa to chase him, then he hides so she goes past him. He gets her attention, then gets her to chase him again.

There have even been 1 or 2 nights when she let me sleep all night before waking me to go outside. She isn't very cuddly, but she can be sweet. I guess as she gets older, she'll be easier to live with and to handle. For now, I guess it's a good thing she's cute!

Storytelling

 My class is doing a unit on folk tales, primarily trickster tales. I felt certain that someone in the village must be a storyteller or keeper of the local oral history. I asked around during the Slaavix and was told about a man who was the best storyteller. I called him last week to see if he was willing to visit the school and tell some of his stories. I told him he could have as long as he wanted, up to an hour and a half. I also asked if he wanted all the students or just the older ones. He is a brave man; he opted to have all the students in the audience. Of course, he's the grandfather of 5 of our 12 students!

The storyteller asked for a board on which to draw, so my students got him a portable white board, marker, and eraser. He sketched out a map of the south bay of a nearby island. Then he settled in to tell stories about things that had happened in and around that bay. I had expected to hear stories about mythology, like where the Aleut people came from or how the world was created. Instead, we heard more personal stories about people that he had known.

Some of his stories were from the time when all men were warriors because there were four different groups of Aleuts living on Atka. Some of his stories were from when people who are now known as "Old Man" were teens. Many of his stories mentioned religion, but the Orthodox religion rather than the religion of the Aleut ancestors. All of his stories were interesting to hear. Just imagine a group of students from age 5 to 16 sitting (relatively) still and (mostly) quiet for an hour and a half!  My favorite story was about how his grandmother got her nickname, chiiguyaaka, which means song sparrow.

When she was a young girl, the storyteller's future grandmother went with her family to the summer fish camp on the neighboring island. While she was there, a song sparrow told her that a bad wind was coming and that the people needed to go away. She told the people what the bird had said to her. Some of the people, especially some of the elders, didn't believe that a bird had given her a message because she was only a child, so they ignored her. Most of the people thought that it was a message from God, though, so they traveled to the two nearby camps, which were an hour and two hours away respectively.

Overnight, the wind started to blow. It was a harsh wind. After it ended the next day, the people returned to the fish camp, but it was gone. It was buried under about 12 feet of sand! The people wondered if they should dig down to rescue the ones who had stayed behind, but one of the elders, one who had believed the message, said that the people who stayed behind were dead, and the fish camp was now a burial ground. To this day, there is no fish camp in that spot.

During the last quarter of this school year, after spring break, my students will be working on writing memoirs. The theme of the project is that everyone has a story to tell. I've already asked the storyteller if he will return and tell more stories. I hope that my students will be inspired to tell their own stories.

Old Lessons Retaught

I mentioned in a previous post how I had recognized a melody during the Russian Orthodox service I attended. I confirmed my suspicion that Tchaikovsky used it in writing his 1812 Overture. Today was what I call "media day," meaning that instead of teaching fine arts I present videos, music, or images that relate to anything else I'm teaching. I started off playing a recording of the hymn. I asked the kids if anyone recognized the melody. All the heads started nodding. I asked if they thought they'd recognize it anywhere. Some of the heads continued nodding, especially two of the high school boys. Then I started a video of a live Boston Pops concert of the 1812 Overture, which we had previously seen. As soon as the music started, most of the kids recognized the melody. I let them listen with wonder and pleasure, then asked those who'd said they could recognize that melody why they didn't recognize it the *last* time I played that video. Suddenly listening to classical music became relevant.

Earlier in the day, I had gotten to revisit a lesson from Monday. We're doing a unit on trickster tales from around the world. As we started the unit, I wanted to introduce some literary terms. Among them was "anthropomorphism." The kids got the concept right away. I was sure they had it when one of them used the way I interact with my dogs as an example! They had more trouble remembering the word itself. Well, the home page for The Guardian web site highlighted an article with the headline "Anthropomorphism." I stuck the slide from Monday's powerpoint into today's, and added a link to the article. It was so cool to show a review slide and then open an article with today's date using the same term.

Those events, the times you get to close a circle and make learning relevant, those are the things that make teaching so satisfying!

P.S. I don't have any pictures to go with that story, so here are some pictures of a beautiful sunrise I saw this past week.

The corner of the school

My partner's house

Looking to the north

A little more east

The disk of the sun is just peeking over the mountains

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!