S.O.S.

Out for a walk in King Salmon

After my whirlwind trip to Pilot Point, I spent the weekend at my district’s “home-base” in King Salmon. As I would be spending the following week in Naknek, it hadn’t made sense for my to fly home just to turn around and head down south again two days later. Though there are often people coming and going at District Office, I was the only one there for the weekend. On Saturday, I was able to have dinner and a nice long visit with my friend Kasie. Though she used to visit Pilot Point monthly when I lived there, we’ve not seen much of each other since my move to the north. It was great to sit down and catch up over a delicious meal at one of the local fishing lodges. I then hunkered down and got a bunch of things crossed off my to-do list on Sunday. 

Family reunion at Eddies:)

During the day on Monday, I worked at District Office and was planning to grab a ride to Naknek at the end of the work day. Some co-workers and I decided to grab lunch at Eddies, but little did I know that I was in for a big surprise. When we sat down, there was a group of men sitting at the table next to us, one of whom was in uniform. Being lunchtime, Eddies was busy and menus were hard to come by. The men at the table offered us theirs, and as the man in the uniform handed his to one of my friends, I felt that his profile looked very familiar. I wracked my brain trying to think of how I could know this man, when it hit me. I spent the rest of the lunch considering whether it was possible for my cousin to really be seated at the table next to me, at the only restaurant in town, in rural Alaska. When the men got up to leave, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw his face and the name badge on his uniform. I quickly called his name and was excited, yet also in shock, as I got up to
greet him. Have I mentioned that I hadn't seen this cousin since I was about eight years old? Though I knew he and his family had moved to Anchorage over the summer, I hadn't known that he would be visiting King Salmon. I then learned that he was just visiting for the day, and thought about how this was one of those "small world" moments. Had we gone to lunch just thirty minutes later, our paths would not have crossed! I still find it hard to believe that we were both in King Salmon at the same time, and I feel grateful that I was able to run into him.

Just another airplane picture

While I was busy having my family reunion, many of the schools from my district were sending their 7th-12th graders to Naknek for our first SOS Meet. In the past, there have been a few different events held in the fall for academic and athletic purposes. While it may sound like a distress call, the SOS (Sciences, Occupations, and Sports) Meet was held to combine the different activities into one jam-packed week, as opposed to holding a few shorter events. As we now have an SOS Meet and an AA Meet, my friends and I joked that we need to stop letting the person in charge name our gatherings. All joking aside, last week was a busy and educational one as we spent our days in sessions where students were led in activities by upcoming teachers from the University of Alaska. During my first year in the district, I was able to see the development of a collaborative effort between my district and the University. It has been great to watch this relationship strengthen and to see the effect it has had on our students and their understanding of, and interest in, the world around them. 

One of the rainbows
from our flight

During the week, teachers and other chaperones were put in charge of groups which contained both LPSD students as well as students from Bristol Bay School District. Bristol Bay School was also where LPSD students and staff were housed for the week. It was fun to be able to work with students from my district that I don’t often see, and also to get to know some of the Bristol Bay students. As our AA meet is usually the first time that 7th graders are allowed to travel, the SOS Meet allowed them to have an earlier start to their traveling for LPSD events. It was easy to differentiate between which students had been to a jamboree before, and which had not. Some classes that we attended included “Choreography”, “Amazing Glaciers”, and “Beauty of Nature". Throughout the week, students made “flubber”, learned how to identify a variety of birds, competed in different track and field events, and took part in a few other interesting activities that were relevant to the communities in which we live. I think it is awesome for our students to have the opportunity to attend events such as the SOS Meet, and I was glad to be a part of the fun. 

Some artwork on
the Alaska Peninsula Highway

While I enjoyed the daily classes, as the coach of our school’s Cross Country team, I had most been looking forward to the day of the race. It was a bit chilly and windy outside, but other than that it was a great day for a run. Due to some students needing a modified course,  I was able to get some fresh air and walk the course with a colleague. This allowed us to be able to cheer on students as we saw them along the path. Though none of my students placed, it was exciting to watch as the top three runners for both boys and girls came running across the finish line, knowing that they would get to travel to Anchorage to attend the state championship in a few weeks. At the end of the day, I considered it to be a victory that my students got out, participated, and put effort into completing what they had started. 

We were excited to get home!

By Friday morning, I think everyone was feeling the wear and tear of a week’s worth of long, tiring days and nights spent sleeping on the floor. With last year’s jamboree in mind, and the fact that we got stuck for two extra days, I wasn’t getting my hopes up for an early flight home. We watched as most of the other schools took off early in the morning, and then we awaited our call to load up. We made it as far as getting packed up and seated in the van before we were told that our plane had been running behind and that our departure would be delayed by about two hours. Thankfully, the weather was favorable for flying which meant we actually were able to take off about two hours later. Our flight home was a calm one, and we even got to see a few rainbows along the way. After more than a week away, it felt so comforting to touch down in Nondalton. 

We hiked to the top
 of the peak on the left

Though I had enough time to unpack, I quickly had to gear up again for my weekend commute down to Newhalen. I was ready for a relaxing weekend, but was also hoping to get outside to soak up some sunshine. It is becoming just a little bit darker with each passing day, and I know that our days will soon be darker for much longer than they are light. While it wasn’t the sunniest of days, Sam and I got out on Saturday to take a ride on my favorite trail. We took Bear Creek Trail all the way up to the base of Roadhouse Mountain, which we had planned to hike to the top of. However, we soon saw that we were not alone and spent some time watching a brown bear sow and her cubs traipsing along the mountain-side. It was my first up-close bear sighting near home, and even after they had gone over the other side of the mountain, I was a bit anxious that we might run into them on our hike. My desire to hike won out though and, after allowing the bear family to move on, we made our way up to the top of one of the peaks. 

Walking on top of
Roadhouse Mountain

Once we made it to the top, Sam’s GPS showed that we had climbed 2,313 feet up. I couldn’t believe how incredible the view was, and I loved that I was able to see Sam’s village and my own, at the same time. We took in the scenery and enjoyed the peacefulness, but didn’t stay long as we could see rain clouds approaching the mountain. We carefully made our way back down (the rocks were steep and a bit unsteady), and I think we both felt accomplished when we made it back to the honda. On our ride back to the village, we were able to see a bright rainbow which I had an overwhelming feeling was a sign from our friend Ryan, letting us know he had been with us on our adventure. 

A Rainbow from Ryan<3

Believe it or not, as it is mid September, I am typing this after having just taught my first Monday of the school year. Our first few Mondays were teacher inservice days, and last Monday had been the first in which students were to be in school. However, because of the SOS Meet, I had another Monday out of my classroom. It feels strange to be six weeks into the school year, and to be just now experiencing my first week in which I will have students for the entire week. To be honest, the hardest thing to believe is that we are already in our sixth week of school! Let’s hope it passes by quickly and without issues, because Miss Paige is in need of a hibernation-style nap, and it is only Monday..

Pilot Point: Round Two

My morning flight! 

When I left Pilot Point about a year and a half ago, I was uncertain as to whether or not I would ever return. As much as I love this little village, it is not an easy place to come visit unless you have a specific purpose for doing so. Luckily for me, the itinerant special education teaching position opened up in Pilot Point last spring, and I quickly asked to be considered to fill the spot. My summer was spent knowing that this possibility was on the table, but not wanting to jinx it by talking about it to many people. A few weeks ago, I got the official notice that I would be taking on the role for this school year, and I could not have been happier. Though the reality didn’t hit me until earlier this week, I have been looking forward to returning to my first Alaskan home since the opening was brought to my attention. 

Another day, another plane

Yesterday, on Thursday, I had an early morning commute and I honestly became rather anxious as we began to land. I was overwhelmed with many different emotions when the plane touched down, and as I got my bags. My time in Pilot Point was filled with many challenges, but also brought with it triumphs and incredible memories. Fortunately, I was a bit early and had to wait a few minutes for someone to come pick me up. This time alone at the runway allowed me a moment to take a deep breath and focus myself on what I was here to do. As eager as I was to return to my “kids”, I couldn’t help but worry that they would not be as excited to see me. After all, I had left them to work in a different school, with different students, and I would not have blamed them for being unenthused to see me. 

However, all of my worries washed away the moment I stepped into the school and saw the faces that I thought I might never see, in person, again. I have gotten to Skype with my kiddos a few times since I left, but watching as they ran across the gym to greet me is a sight that video calls cannot come close to providing. I hugged them all close, and did my best to answer the many questions they threw at me. Seeing as how no one else has told me, my kids were quick to inform me that in the past year and a half, I have gotten taller, my voice has changed, and my eyes have become a different color. In that moment, I wondered if they truly remembered me;) The rest of my day was spent observing in one of the classrooms and accepting the numerous random hugs that students offered me as they passed me by. My afternoon in the school was a much needed tank filler, and it made my “engine” run on high for hours afterwards (that one’s for you LPSD counseling team!).

Loon Lake 

Last night, during a long walk around the village, I was able to process all of the emotions I was feeling. In addition to my positive feelings about returning to the village, I was able to reflect on and fully come to terms with something that has been with me since last winter. I don’t know that I have mentioned it in a previous post, but in February I received news that one of my former students had been killed in a car accident. While I was in Pilot Point, this student was on an independent track as she neared the completion of her schoolwork. I might not have taught her directly, but I spent time with her, tried to keep her motivated, and shared her excitement as she reached the finish line. My heart aches over the loss of this young girl whose future was bright, and who had so much life ahead of her. It has been bittersweet, and healing, to return to a place that was once a home we shared. 

Sunrise over Loon Lake

After a low-key, hug-filled day today, I again went for a walk around the village. On today’s walk, I was joined by one of the new teachers and a few students who wanted to tag along. It was nice to be able to visit with them outside of school and to soak up a little more time with them until my next visit. Being the itinerant special ed. teacher requires me to make monthly visits, something which seemed to please my former students. I am hoping my future visits all go as smoothly and positively as this one. Tomorrow, I will fly to King Salmon where I will spend the rest of the weekend. I am looking forward to visiting with some friends and grabbing a meal from Eddie's or D&D; or maybe even both! On Monday, I will meet up with Caitlin and my Cross Country runners so we can enjoy a week in Naknek at Bristol Bay School. Stay tuned to hear more about our district’s first SOS (Science, Occupation, and Sports) Camp! 

Village Hopping

One of the many
sights along the way

Another weekend brought with it another exciting adventure. After school on Friday, Sam and Racquel (our district’s newest guidance counselor) boated up from Newhalen to pick Caitlin, Emily and I up for a trip to our district's northern most village, Port Alsworth. We were looking forward to the trip as none of us had ever boated up there and only a few of us have been to Port Alsworth before. To get there, we had to boat up Six Mile Lake into Lake Clark. There are a many cabins along the way and it was fun to finally see the places that my students so often tell me about. We even made a couple pit stops along the way, just to stop and enjoy the scenery. 

Sunrise by the fire

After making it to Port Alsworth, we were invited to listen to a concert that two members of the band Kutless were preforming. Though I had not listened to them much before, I was aware that Kutless is a very well known, famous even, Christian rock band. I’m not sure how they became connected with Port Alsworth, but members of the band had stopped by last year as well, so they seem to enjoy their Alaskan getaways. It was surreal to be in a small room with less than fifty people, in a rural Alaskan village, listening to them play and hearing of their most recent trip overseas. 

Just some friends from Newhalen,
Nondalton, and Port Alsworth

Once the concert had ended, we met up with a few of our friends who are also teachers in our district. After visiting for a few minutes, we looked outside and simply could not resist the beautiful weather. Our original plan was to spend the night in the school, but we had camping gear with us in case we had to stop on the way home for any reason. We made plans with our friends to meet up the next day and hopped back in the boat to find a place to spend the night. About a mile north of the village, we found a little spot on the shore where we were able to make camp. Before long, we had everything set up and had a fire going to make a late dinner and to help us stay warm. I myself have never been camping before so it was an exciting, yet somewhat nerve wracking experience. I kept fearing that a bear would smell our food and come looking for us, but luckily we never saw one!

The Northern Lights
with my favorite<3

One thing we did see after being out by the fire for a few hours was a show being put on by the Northern Lights. Caitlin, Emily, and I had seen them the night before while we were in Nondalton, but that was nothing compared to this. Aside from our fire, we had no light pollution and therefore we were able to see them brightly and clearly. We watched them dance in the sky until we couldn’t keep our eyes open and then settled in for the night. I had a tough time sleeping soundly because our sleeping quarters were rather crammed, and also due to the fact that every little sound I heard put me on alert. I am used to hearing salmon jump in the water, but hearing that every few minutes led to a restless night. 

So pumped for
my burger and fries!

On Saturday morning, we watched the sun come up while sitting by the fire and then packed up camp to head back to the village. We spent a few hours at school before heading out to “The General” for lunch. This is a seasonal lodge and restaurant, but is no hole in the wall. Walking through the door felt as though we were stepping into a contemporary rustic cafe in Anchorage. We almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves as we looked through local-made art and jewelry that they had for sale; we were then salivating over our choices on the menu. I know it has only been a few weeks since I have been out to eat, but a cheeseburger and fries (that I didn’t have to cook) has never tasted so delicious. 

Tanalian Falls

After eating more than our stomachs could handle, we met up with our friends Abbey and Asha for a hike up to Tanalian Falls. Our eight mile (round trip) hike seemed to fly by as we all caught up along the way. I have wanted to visit the falls for a long time now, and was bummed to have been in my “boot of shame” (pre-surgery) last year when I was in Port Alsworth for the district’s volleyball jamboree. My excitement grew when I could hear the roar of the falls, and my heart skipped a beat when I finally rounded a corner and saw them. Once again, I was amazed by the sight in front of me. After climbing around for a bit, we decided to hike a little bit farther to Kontrashibuna Lake, which proved to be incredibly serene place to stop and rest; it was a spot that I would frequent if I lived in Port Alsworth. 

Kontrashibuna Lake

Once we had made our way back to the school, we were all feeling accomplished and in great spirits. We all would have liked to explore more and visit longer, but we had to make our way back down to Nondalton and Newhalen that afternoon. We had checked the weather and had also spoken with a pilot who had recently flown over the lake, and we were prepared for a bit of a choppy start which would quickly became calm water for the remainder of the trip. However, when we got out on the lake we all knew that it would not be choppy for just a short time. The waves were at least five feet tall and showed no signs of calming down (yes, we were all wearing life jackets). The first forty five minutes of the ride were ones in which I planned my escape route (kicking my shoes off and swimming to shore), should we take on water and need to make it to safety. Sam kept calm and in control though, and we eventually made it to calmer waters. Had we been in real danger and not just in unfavorable conditions, we were close to shore and could have easily pulled over to wait out the worst of it. However, we all just wanted to trudge through and make it home to warm, dry clothes and comfy beds. After the scary patch, my knuckles were white and my whole body tense, but I had also been at the front of the boat where the view is different and you feel every bump more strongly than in the other seats. I was overjoyed when we finally made it back to Nondalton to drop off Caitlin and Emily, and again when we were finally in Newhalen and done with our travels for the day. 

Our path for our weekend adventure

After our incredibly long and eventful 24 hours, I was perfectly fine with spending the rest of the weekend relaxing and being rather lazy. It has been rainy and dreary outside which helped us decide to stay indoors and not go out on adventures. I also needed to rest up as my next two weeks will be filled with long, busy days. I am excited to finally be able to say that I will be the itinerant special education teacher in Pilot Point this year. This role requires me to travel down to PIP once a month to monitor student progress, and I have been anxiously awaiting my trip down to my first Alaskan home! I will be there this week from Thursday until Saturday, and then I will spend the rest of the weekend in King Salmon. Next Monday, all of the 7th-12th graders in the district will fly down to King Salmon and then head to Naknek for this year’s first SOS Meet (more to come on that soon!), and also for the annual Cross Country jamboree. As long as the team doesn’t get weathered in Naknek for two extra days like we did last year, I will be back home next Friday. I am hoping the next two days pass quickly so that I can start my week of traveling, and finally get back down to Pilot Point!