Academics and Athletics Anonymous

It was a snowy week!

The past few weeks have been busy here in Alaska! This is the first year that schools in the state have switched to the Alaska Measures of Progess (AMP) test which is computer based. This whole school year has been spent preparing for the transition but like any standardized test, the weeks leading up were crunch time. Not only were we preparing for that, but in the middle of our allotted testing window, many of our students and teachers were gearing up to travel to Naknek for the annual Academic and Athletic (AA) Meet (side note- not the best name to give to an event for teenage students who all understand what AA typically refers to). Again, a switch-up for the district because the AA Meet is normally held in Newhalen, but this year it took place at a school that we partner up with often. The two weeks in which these both occurred were quite the whirlwind! 

Blood Spatter Analysis 

Cold Water Survival Training 

After the first week of testing, with the knowledge that I had successfully proctored my first standardized test behind me, I was eager to head to Naknek! From the time I arrived in Alaska I had heard about the AA Meet and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. While it meant spending four nights sleeping on the floor of a school, I was willing to pay the price! To make a long explanation short, the AA Meet is designed for any eligible middle and high-school students to come together and spend a week taking part in different classes/activities. This year’s classes ranged from geocaching and compass orienteering to launching bottle rockets and learning crime scene analysis techniques, and more. As a chaperone, I was able to sit in on all of the different classes and learn alongside the students. The sessions were led by visiting students and professors from the University of Alaska as well as LPSD teachers; the mixture of experience levels and variation in subject matter made for a great week. 

One of the NYO games

While our days were quite busy, our nights were equally jam-packed with events. Nightly activities included a science fair, a talent show, and competitions for the Native Youth Olympics (NYO). The NYO events were both exciting and impressive to watch. I’ve spent the past few days trying to figure out the best way to explain the activities that are apart of NYO but it is a difficult feat. Students have been trying to explain the activities to me since August, yet I still wasn’t able to form a clear picture until I saw them in person. The games are meant to represent different historical native traditions and events; for example, two events signify jumping from icebergs. A few of the events are the “Seal Hop”, “Indian Stick Pull”, “Eskimo Stick Pull”, and “Wrist Carry”. One of the activities requires students to hang from a pole by one wrist while two people carry the pole as far as the hanging person can hold on; one student hung on for an entire lap around the gym! Another includes students fighting for control of a small wooden stick/pole. The hard part about that one is that the stick has been greased with Crisco! Hence the difficulty to explain the competitions to people who have not seen it or who have not experienced native culture*. Several of our students received scores that deemed them eligible to travel to the state NYO competition in Anchorage this week! 

As fun as it was to watch the NYO games, I think the most exciting night of the week for everyone was the prom. The middle school students traveled home a day earlier than the high-schoolers so that the older students could have a fun-filled night to dress up and dance. While most students in the bush wear the same clothes for days on end, this was a night for fancy dresses and dress pants. Boys and girls alike were anxious as they got ready for the big dance. The student government hosts prom and they did an amazing job of decorating the gym to make the night even more special. Pictures were taken, roses were given, slow dances were plentiful, and fun was had by all who attended. Then, in true bush fashion, the students came together to help tear down and clean up the gym afterwards. It was a long end to a hectic week, but everyone contributed and it was a great time. 

Recovering at the beach in Newhalen

Once prom was over, everyone was ready to get home to their respective villages. It had been a busy and tiring week for both students and teachers and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all desperately wanted a long shower (Naknek= sulfur water=gross tasting and smelling= dehydration and quick showers) and then to sleep in real beds. Friday morning was spent waiting on flights and hoping that the random snowy week we had would not keep planes from making it to our villages. Luckily planes to the north were not affected  and when my group got to the runway, there was an open space on a plane headed to Newhalen so I took advantage and hopped on. When I got on the plane I had to laugh because you simply cannot do something like that anywhere but here in the bush.

As I write this, it has been a week since I’ve returned from the AA Meet and I think I am just finally recovering from the lack of sleep and general exhaustion caused from a week’s worth of being with middle and high schoolers during every waking and non-waking minute. Once again I am feeling thankful for each chance that I get to bond with the district’s students and travel throughout this beautiful state. The adventure just keeps getting better with each passing day! 

*I wish I could describe the NYO games better, but since I am unable to, I have included some links for those interested in learning more:

http://www.anchorage.net/articles/nyo-games-alaska

http://www.adn.com/node/1614746
https://youtu.be/0HY6LCaIhi4