Carnival Round Two

Last weekend was one that I had been looking forward to for weeks. A nearby village, Kokhanok, was having their winter carnival and I decided to use that as an excuse to go visit some friends. I knew our school had a day off on Monday so I decided to take Friday off and make a four day weekend out of it; Sam and my friend Cailtin did the same. I was excited to spend a weekend in Kokhanok as I had yet to visit the village and because two of my friends, Kelsey and Kylie, live out here. The last time I’d seen either of them was in the beginning of January, so I was eager to visit with them and have some much needed girl time.

From easter egg hunts to "coffee can” races, Kokhanok lived up to its title of having the best carnival. There were plenty of unique activities to keep us busy and I had a great time getting to take part in them. They even set off fireworks and had a big bonfire down by the lake despite the cold temperatures and strong winds. As an outsider, I feel like there are many times in which my involvement in village activities is not always welcome. However, we were all welcomed into the festivities this weekend which is a reassuring and comforting feeling. Carnival is a time when everyone is just happy and seemingly carefree and it’s fun to watch as the community comes together.

Not only does Kokhanok’s community take part in carnival, but people from Newhalen/Iliamna, Nondalton, and Igiugig flew in for the weekend as well. I think having these events to look forward to breaks up the long and dark winters for the locals. Also, everyone knows someone or is related to someone, so they always know they have family to stay with if they travel between villages. It was great to see some familiar faces from the other villages and to feel more connected to the people who I’m starting to see more and more often. By attending these events, I hope to show that I’m invested in the communities and their traditions. 

While it was a long weekend, it was a great time. I was glad to be able to visit with my friends and take part in another carnival. I was scheduled to travel to King Salmon on Monday, but I almost got weathered in because it had started snowing on Sunday and went into Monday morning. Flights out here travel based on wind and visibility and with all the snow coming down, the visibility hadn’t been so great. However, by the afternoon the snow had stopped and the visibility was just fine so we were able to fly. I wouldn’t have minded getting weathered in Kokhanok, but I was also excited to get to King Salmon. The longer I stay in Alaska, the more villages I have been able to visit, and I am happy to be able to cross Kokhanok off of the list of places to visit! 

Here Comes the Sun

In the past two weeks I have found myself singing this tune many times. After a few months of living in Alaska’s darkest period I have been craving the seemingly longer days and sunny nights that I was greeted with back in August. To back-track, when I first got to Alaska, it was light until around 11:00pm and then bight again at 6:00am. During my last week in Pilot Point (in December), the sun was setting somewhere around 4:30-4:45. My last day in Alaska before winter break was the winter solstice which meant we had our shortest day of the year and that from that point on, we would begin gaining daylight again. 

While I don’t think the darkness really have a lasting negative impact on my daily moods or emotions, I still missed the ability to go out in the daylight after school. When I got to Nondalton and walked home from school the first time, I think I left at 4:30 and by the time I got home less than ten minutes later, it was just about closing in on my window of comfortable walking light. As I adjusted to my new village that first week, I began to stay out later and later each evening; I would go on runs after school, always staying close to home in case it got too dark. By the end of my third week in Nondalton I was able to stay out until close to 6:00 by the time it was getting dark. At first I thought my comfort level within the village was just expanding, but then I remembered that our nights were starting to get longer. 

In Alaska, when we start getting our sunshine back, it occurs quickly. Each day we get back about 5-6 minutes of sunlight (split between morning and night). Two weeks ago when I left my house for school at 7:30 in the morning, I no longer had to turn on my porch-light because the sunlight was starting to come up from behind the mountains. Similarly, at night, it was about 7:00 before it started to get dark. The temperatures were also starting to rise making me think that my first Alaskan spring was right around the corner. (Insert daylight savings time here).

Back when I was in PIP, I’d been asked so many times by family and friends if Alaska turned the clocks along with the rest of the lower 48 for daylight savings time. The answer was and still is yes. So last weekend when everyone else was “springing ahead” and losing an hour, we were doing the same thing here in the bush. However, it really is a win-win in my opinion. The effect of changing the clocks means that we now need the porch-light again in the morning when we’re going to school. But it also means that it doesn’t start to get dark until after 8:00 each night! This is something I have been eagerly waiting for and it has definitely made me feel more energized the past couple of weeks. 

Not only does it get darker later, but we are still gaining that daylight every day. This means that in just a few more weeks it will be getting lighter earlier in the morning and it will be even later before the sun sets at night. I love every second of it! While I’d like to be able to take advantage of this and go on walks or runs that late at night, winter has made its way back to Alaska with a vengeance. The past week has been bitterly cold and windy in the villages, and it makes me want to stay bundled up at home (even the natives don’t want to go outside much!). I’m hoping the cold weather won’t last too much longer before letting me get outside to enjoy my night-time sunshine. 

Decisions, Decisions

Out for a honda ride:) 

When I decided to come out to Alaska in the fall, I thought it was going to be a four month adventure. At the time that I accepted the job, I was told that my contract might be extended to finish out the school year. Varying circumstances in Pilot Point kept me from renewing my contract, but luckily my time in Alaska didn't end there. I gladly accepted a tutoring position in Nondalton in the hopes that spending time in a bigger school with more on-site staff might be a more positive teaching experiene. Once again, I was told that this could lead to something but it was only whispered rumors at first.

Exploring in Newhalen

Last week however, I was officially offered a contract for the 2015-2016 school year as a special education/general education teacher. While it was amazing to be offered a position in my current village, it was not a decision that I made with ease. Being 4,000 miles away from my friends and family is incredibly challenging. On the other hand, it might just be the best possible choice I could make to advance my teaching career. I spent the days and weeks leading up to the offer weighing my options and making more lists than I could count. I also discussed my options with different family members and friends both at home and in Alaska and was overwhelmed by the support that I received. Everyone kindly offered their opinions and advice to help me decide, but in the end I just had to do what felt right for me. 

Down at "The Landing" in Iliamna

This past Saturday I accepted the position! Next year I will teaching special ed for students ranging from pre-school through twelfth grade. Part of my day will be spent teaching reading and math in a reverse inclusion setting. What this means is that not only will I have special education students, but I will also pull in one or two general education students as well. This way of teaching is beneficial to the students with learning disabilities in that they will not feel isolated from their peers. It also helps the general education students learn to be accepting of their classmates. There are many other benefits to this style of teaching and I am excited to learn the ropes.

I am also hesitantly eager to start working with the pre-schoolers who will be on my case-load. It is going to be a challenge, but over the next few months I will be able to ease into the position. Not only will I spend the rest of the school year learning from the current special education teacher, but I will also be able to travel to district office in King Salmon. While there, I am going to spend more time learning about the paperwork side of special education. I am looking forward to this as I have a lot to learn about this aspect of the job. 

I certainly won't get sick of this view in Nondalton!

Up until the moment I told my boss that I was accepting, I was nervous that I was going to make the wrong choice. Now that I have accepted, I am able to get excited about my classroom for next year! It is going to be hard to be away from home for another year, but knowing that my family and friends are supportive of my decision is extremely helpful. As my step-mom reminded me, I won't miss out on anything in the next year that I can't Skype into! Deep down I think I always knew I was going to accept a position because I can’t imagine ending this journey in only a few months. All I had to do was push back the pesky little fears that were holding me back. 

Alaska seemingly rewarded me for my choice by gracing me with my first view of the Northern Lights! On Saturday night, I was able to watch the incredible phenomenon with Sam and the tutor in Newhalen, Caitlin. We watched in awe as the lights danced across the sky and I knew that I had made the right choice. Alaska is my home right now and I am blessed to be able to call it that. Another year in this beautiful state is bound to bring with it more adventures and memorable experiences to add to the collection! 

Ball is Life

Walking around Levelock

If there is one thing I’ve taken away from my time in Alaska it is this: basketball is a way of life. It is a common factor that pulls everyone together; young and old. My students could play for days on end and never get sick of it. That is exactly what I witnessed this week at the LPSD District Jamboree in Levelock (another of our villages). 

Working hard on Miss Paige's lesson

While the jamboree was supposed to be last week, it had been really windy which often keeps plans grounded. In addition, many of our runways were too soft to land on which caused the whole event to be post-poned until this week (not a problem that we have in the lower 48!). I was excited to get to chaperone again and also to be able to teach my first ILead group lesson. Since last semester, I have been on the student leadership advisory committee which helps teach students about different leadership qualities (communication, team-work, etc). At each event, there is a lesson taught to the students to highlight the importance of these qualities. My topic to teach about was communication, and I think it went really well! I'm getting more and more comfortable with teaching middle and high schoolers which is something I never thought I would be doing. The students seemed to have fun with my activities, one of which involved leading blindfolded partners across the gym to find their shoes. 

We even went on a Diabetes walk:)

R.I.P. 

As I watched all of the games in the tournament, I couldn’t help but think about the way the students out here communicate. While they are much like any other teenagers, the students out here are much kinder when it comes to sports than any other high-schoolers I’ve seen in the lower 48. When the ref calls something that the team or player doesn’t agree on, there is no back-talking or anger. The player(s) might ask for clarification, but it isn’t done in a hostile manner. In addition, the teammates work together to play the game and sure they want to win, but they also support their opponents through and through. If someone one falls down, regardless of the team they are on, everyone is there to offer a hand. The games get heated and everyone has an opinion on calls, but when the players step off the court they go right back to laughing together. 

One of many competitions in the week

The week was long and tiring to say the least, but it was great to catch up with the teachers/chaperones that were there. I was happy to get to visit with the tutor, Samantha, who is also from Centenary. It is always great to see a familiar face, especially someone from home! I also feel that I strengthened my bond with the students from my village. This is important to me because I want them to know that I care about them and that I am a safe person for them to turn to if they need me. They are continuing to let me further into their worlds and I don’t want to take this for granted. I am thankful to have been given a few days of out of class time with the players and to get to lead a lesson for all of the teams. On the other hand, I was equally grateful to be able to sleep in my own bed when I got home on Thursday!