Where Does the Time Go?

Six Mile finally
 thawing out! 

As incredulous as it seems to me, spring has sprung in Alaska, the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and somehow the calendar reads April. An even better indicator of spring was Six Mile starting to thaw out this week! The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Recovering from the accident has been seamless for the most part. Though I was worried about their reactions, my students loved my battle scars and are sad to see them go. I on the other hand am ready for the whites of my eye to be white again. My memory still frustrates me as I continue to have times when people tell me I’ve had a detailed conversation with them that I simply don’t remember having. Most of these conversations took place within the first two weeks of the accident, and hopefully with time my memory will improve and get back to normal. Just this morning, I had to re-read my last blog post because though I remembered writing it, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it contained. 

After the accident, March was a blur of a month that consisted of quiet days spent trying to be good and let my body heal. I did however travel quite a bit in March, and counted nine flights! Two weeks ago I spent some time observing in Newhalen for a class I am taking and then spent the rest of the week in King Salmon for some training (where I was spoiled with fresh fruits and a restaurant!). I am looking forward to getting to take advantage of the longer days and hopefully I can start to get outside more as the light is bothering my head less and less with each day. I’ve also been having some anxiety over going on honda rides, so I have been easing back into this. As much as I’d prefer to get outside and be more active, the necessity to relax has helped me get homework done for classes that I am taking. Most of these courses are self paced so I am hoping to get them done before summer so I can spend all my time soaking up the sun and adventuring around the east coast. 

Flying into Perryville 

As for school, I had been originally planning to follow up February’s first blog with a second check in during that month, but I’ll try to recap the important things so as not to ramble on and on. The week before the accident, I was able to travel to our southern most village, Perryville, with the basketball team for the last sport’s jamboree of the year. It was so much fun to visit this village as it is incredibly beautiful, and the school is a short walk to a black-sand beach. Our students loved the beach as much as I did, so it was painless to get them to go on walks. 

Another big thing that happened before the accident was that I was offered a contract for a third year in LPSD. After much thought and some great talks with my employers, I signed on for my second year of teaching special education in Nondalton. I simply am not ready to say see you later to this amazing place that I get to call home. Being away from family and friends is difficult, but I feel so lucky to be experiencing this adventure and feel that this is where I am meant to be right now. I am looking forward to see what next year holds, and hopefully this third year will give some more family members (and friends?!) time to come and experience some AK love! 

Showing some AK
 love in Perryville

April promises to shower some of that love on my sister Nikki and my brother-in-law Frank when they come out to Nondalton in just19 sleeps! I am so excited to see them and to get to show them where I live and work. Sam also has some friends that will be coming this week and then at the end of the month, so it will be a month of sight-seeing and showing off our villages. We were also gearing up for two weeks of state testing, but after an unfortunate error from a construction worker in Kansas, the Alaska Department of Education called off testing for this year. I wasn’t sad about this and I am excited to be able to spend that time working with students instead of watching them stress over tests. 

Somewhere in AK
during my month of flying!

Another school year is quickly coming to an end, and at last count there are only 33 school days left (31 for me thanks to my visitors) before summer officially begins! I am looking forward to getting home to visit everyone, and I’ve also been dying to get down to Florida to meet a very adorable little lady who was just born at the end of March. Let’s hope the rest of the school year passes by quickly and without anymore unexpected adventures! 

Crash, Bang, Boom

All smiles after the accident

Sometimes life presents us with obstacles when we least expect them. One such obstacle appeared in my life last Friday and will continue to remain with me for the rest of my life. After a week spent in a beautiful village for a basketball jamboree (I’ll back track to this in a later blog entry), I was ready to get home and take advantage of the lasting daylight. As I hadn’t been for a honda ride up to Lake Clark in awhile, I thought that would be something fun for Sam and I to do. Man was I wrong about the fun part..

After going no further than a mile or two, Sam and I were in an accident, and the rest of the night is a blur. From what I barely remember and from what I am told, we hit a ditch at just the right speed to screw up our path and send the honda flying. Though I don’t remember, I apparently grew wings and flew off the honda a few feet and came to a painful halt not far from it. Sam was pinned under the honda with one arm free and we think the adrenaline of the event caused him to be able to push the honda off of him to call for help. With a very confused Paige in tow, Sam guided us back to the village where we met up with our health aid who quickly took us to our clinic. 

Ready for surgery!

Truth be told, I don’t remember the accident, and I barely remember the rest of the night. One thing I know for sure is that Sam and I are very lucky to come out of this in the condition that we did. As scary as it is to think about, I realize that I could’ve hit a rock and not woken up. I could have broken multiple bones or have been paralyzed. But I wasn’t.. Those who know me know that I’m the type of person who believes that this happened for a reason and that someone was looking out for us and wanted us to walk away from this incident. Regardless of this belief, Friday was by far the scariest night of my life, and I don’t even remember most of it. 

Luckily, our health aid is a very capable and skilled man who took our health very seriously and asked all the right questions to learn about mine and Sam’s injuries. I even had him on the phone with my sister (a nurse) at one point, and he was considerate enough to ask her if she thought he might have missed anything in checking us over. Though we normally would have been taken to the hospital that night, medivacs are quite costly and our injuries didn’t call for immediate attention. Unfortunately, this meant a very painful night for this girl. It also meant that a great friend gave up her own sleep to wake me up every twenty minutes to ask me questions and ensure that my brain was still working properly. I only got one question wrong (I think), and we’ll blame it on lack of sleep.. 

Out of it at the hospital:/ 

The next morning, our health aide came to check on us and to let us know that he had secured us a flight to Anchorage where we would be taken to the hospital for treatment. While I normally stay awake on bush flights, I slept through the entire flight, and missed some great sight-seeing as we flew through an area known as “The Pass” which I’ve never flown through before. Oh well, that is life.. Conveniently, the air field is located right next to the hospital we were going to, and the plane was able to taxi right up to an awaiting ambulance. Talk about first class treatment;) Adding to the firsts, I took my first and hopefully last ride in an ambulance and was wheeled into the hospital on a stretcher.

Momma Bear and Big Sister

Over the next few hours, I was pumped with fluids, taken for a CAT scan, and had X-rays taken right from my room (technology is an awesome thing). My injuries include a concussion with loss of consciousness, a subconjunctival hemorrhage (a.k.a blown blood vessel in my eye which led to severe bruising and a half-red eye), a sprained wrist, and some bruising. I’ve since been told that it’s important that I don’t have another traumatic brain injury (sounds scary, right?!) in the next six months as it could lead to a more serious condition. After I was poked and prodded, I was reunited with Sam who had been diagnosed with a broken collar bone and told to schedule surgery, and we were sent on our way.

Luckily for me, I have an over-protective Momma and big sister who were fortunate enough to be able to hop on a few planes and meet up with us at the hotel soon after we were released. I spent the next two days in a fog, connecting with those I haven’t talked to in awhile and feeling incredibly thankful to have survived with only the injuries I received. My mom and sister even had some time to escape and sight see which I was happy about since they flew all the way to Alaska! Nikki was even able to map out some spots she wants to visit with her husband when they come to visit in just a few weeks. 

Taking advantage of
a trip to Alaska:)

The past week has truthfully been a blur, and my concussion has not left me unscathed. Friends can tell you that I normally remember very random things and have a great memory, but this week my memory has been tested. I’ve been guilty of asking Sam a question right after I asked him it a first time, with no memory of asking it the first time. I’ve also repeated myself on phone calls and have gotten to the point where I ask someone if I’ve already told them the thing I wanted to tell them. These minor inconveniences are things I will gladly live with if it means that I get to live. 

In the past week, I’ve been told time and again this week that a helmet should have been on my head, and I know this is true. To be honest though, hondas are the village equivalent to cars and helmets are not typically seen as necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that they are important and save lives, as am I devoted to purchasing one and hoping to never need it’s protection. However, unlike many people might think, we take hondas out as a mode of transportation and sometimes it is easy to forget how dangerous taking a short ride can be.

This past week has reminded me that life can end in the blink of an eye. The kindness of friends, family members, and complete strangers has brought me to tears and has had me counting my blessings. I am thankful to walk away from this accident with the injuries I sustained, and hope that the next few weeks are calm and filled with healing. Thank you to those of you who have called, texted, emailed, or reached out in any other way. Your thoughts and prayers stay with me and have helped get me through some tough moments. 

*I was incredibly saddened to hear about a recent tragic passing back home due to an ATV accident. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the young boy who was lost. 

February's Festivities: Part 1

My flight to Anchorage

I’ve been told by many veteran bush teachers that February is one of the most difficult months to live in Alaska. Why? It’s cold, it’s the middle of the school year, and everyone is still getting back in the swing of things after winter break. Mainly though, it’s because people have been cooped up due to the lack of daylight, and everyone is capable of snapping when the wrong word is said. If you don’t believe me, come on in and say good morning to any one of our secondary students and their responses will be all the proof you need. Luckily for me, I got to hop on a plane and head to Anchorage for ten days at the beginning of the month. 

Not a bad way to start the morning!

The first few hours out of the village are an overload to the senses, so I was happy to just be able to go to lunch with a friend and take in the city. I got spoiled my first few days in town because I stayed at Kitza’s (my former principal) house in Palmer which is far removed from the city feel of Anchorage. Also, she and her husband, Michael, treat me like one of their own so I got a fresh latte every morning without needing to leave the house! Then, with keys to one of their cars in my hand, I was able to spend two days shopping and running some errands. I even got to go to a “big” school to visit another friend’s classroom and to have lunch with her daughter who is one of my favorite little ladies. 

Unfortunately, the trip to town wasn’t just for getting pampered and visiting with friends. A few days after I got into Anchorage, I was scheduled to have a cyst removed from my foot. I’ve been having issues with my foot for almost a year now and my physical activities have been limited. In November I went from running six days a week to being put in a walking boot and told by my doctor to stop cold turkey. Not being able to run definitely doesn’t help shake off the February cabin fever, so I was ready to get this

surgery over with. However, I was a bit nervous as this was the first time I’d gotten surgery that my Dad wasn’t with me for, and he was also 4,300 miles away. Thankfully all went well and I was in great hands before, during, and after surgery. With any luck I will be up and running in just a few more weeks!

I'm told there is a race
to the top of the pointy
peak of this mountain!

When Miss Kitza cleared me to be released from her care, she took me back into Anchorage where I met up with two other special education teachers from my district. The second portion of my trip was to attend the Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC), but the ladies and I wanted a few days in Anchorage beforehand. Knowing that I’d be up and moving during the week, I lounged my weekend away while resting my foot, and was once again cared for by these two great friends. By Monday morning I felt ready to start moving around more and being more productive than I’d been all weekend. 

The ASSEC conference lasted three days and it was information overload in the best way. There were so many sessions that were useful for first year special ed. teachers that it was hard to choose which ones to visit. I am so glad that we were given the opportunity to attend, and I brought back a few tips to try out in my classroom. It was also nice to catch up with the other teachers from my district who were there, and to meet one of our newest teachers who was hired in January. I think the girl time might have been the reason this part of the trip was as entertaining and as fun as it was. 

Pulling these ladies along the
 ice during our honda struggles

However, as if it was a dream, my time in Anchorage quickly came to an end and before I knew it, it was time to get back home. I was only home for one night before my friend Caitlin and I hit the “road” and headed to Newhalen for carnival weekend. In true village fashion, our trip to Newhalen was an adventure in itself. My four wheeler is a finicky little thing that decided to die on us while we were on our way to meet Sam and the girls Caitlin was meeting up with. A local got it restarted for us and we took off on a short-cut across a frozen bay. A few seconds after we’d gotten on the ice, the honda died again. Of course, I instantly panicked and pictured our demise, but Caitlin quickly convinced me that the ice was too thick for us to possibly break through and logic told me that the water below the ice was very shallow. But still, I wanted to be off the ice as quick as possible. When Sam and the girls got to us, they had to push me and the honda across the ice and down to fish camp (Keep in mind I was one week post-surgery, in a boot, and on the ice. No one was letting me get off that honda).

Office dominoes challenge

On the way, I heard some screaming from the girls behind me and turned to see a plane barreling towards us. I don’t know exactly how far above us it was, but I could see the pilot’s eyes which means he was too close. We were terrified that we were about to witness a crash, but Sam was certain the pilot was just having a good time. One of the women who works in our school was able to confirm this a few days after the fact. Maybe the pilot thought it was funny, and I bet he loved our reactions, but it certainly didn’t make us laugh at the time. 

Moving tic-tacs between
plates with chopsticks! 

Once that adventure was behind us, we finally got to Newhalen where I had a surprise birthday party awaiting Sam at our friend’s apartment. It was just what we all needed after our usual 40 minute journey took more than twice as long. Though it was frustrating for my honda to not be working, the rest of the weekend took my mind off of it. Carnival was filled with basketball games, visiting with friends, fun activities, and lots of food! It was a great time, and I was happy that we didn’t have school on Monday simply because I got to recover from my two weeks out of the village. 

Knocking over cups using panty hose,
 a tennis ball, and her head:)

While I wish I could have continued recovering throughout this week, I had my online night class on Tuesday and on Wednesday night we hosted a “Family Fun Night”. Though we were worried about a small turnout, we had almost 50 people show up (I think there’s about 160 people in my village total) to compete in “Minute to Win It” games. It was a great time and filled with lots of laughter and ended in a nail biting tie-breaker which lead to an even more intense second tie-breaker for the win.

The past few weeks have been busy but so great. However, all of the fun is kicking my butt this week and I have been hitting snooze too many times each morning and coming home from school exhausted every night. I’m looking forward to having a quiet Friday at home tonight and then for some girl time with friends who are coming up from Newhalen this weekend. I would say that I think the rest of the month will be calm and productive but, if I've learned one thing from living here, it's to expect the unexpected! 

Come on back in two weeks or so to see what happened during the rest of this action packed month:) 

Jam-Packed January

Traveling back to AK with friends:)

It seems as if months have passed since I last wrote an update on life here in bush Alaska. I believe that most of that has to do with the three week long winter break that we just returned from. Over the few weeks that I was home, I spent time in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Getting the chance to visit with the people I love helped to rejuvenate and prepare me for the second semester. I am thankful that our school district allows for a longer winter break so teachers can travel down to the lower 48. However, as much as I loved getting home and hated to say my “see you laters”, by the end of break I was ready to get back to my quiet little village.

Sunset over Iliamna Lake

Since I have been back, things have been going really well. Marathon shopping is becoming easier and easier with each trip, and as always it felt great to get home and unpack. During our first week back, I was worried that my students would need time to get back into the routine and that they would be bouncing off the walls. However, my kiddos jumped back into school life with great attitudes. I guess I’m not the only one who was ready to get back to school! They kept up the great work throughout their second week, and I’m hoping this positivity doesn’t fizzle out too soon. 

A bonfire to fight
off the "Monday blues"

One thing that has kept my writing group motivated and excited about writing is sending letters back and forth to their Pennsylvania pen pals. My aunt and I have been working with our students to send letters between our classes. On today’s mail run, I got a box with our names on it and I am excited to share it with my students tomorrow. We didn’t have school today, and I am just a little bit ashamed to say that I eagerly opened the box to see what was inside. I did however tape it back up so that my students will never know that I peaked (let's keep this information between us). They are going to be thrilled to get their package tomorrow and to begin writing back to their pals! 

As for non-school news, I was hoping to come back to a very cold Alaska, but sadly the temperatures here have been pretty warm. I was envious of the snow fall that the east coast got this past weekend (although I don’t envy the problems associated with that much snow at once). Unfortunately, the lake thawed out quite a bit over break and we are back to crossing back and forth with a boat. Hopefully things will freeze up again soon. Even though crossing isn’t as easy, I have been able to get down to Newhalen and spend time outside adventuring with Sam and friends. 

Not too shabby 

Having fun on Whistlewing Bay

This past weekend, Sam and I went on a honda ride with friends to a place called Whistlewing Bay. I’ve never been there so it was fun to visit a new place. After we picked a spot out of the wind, we set up some targets and did some shooting. Over winter break, I finally made the decision to purchase a gun to take out on runs and walks around the villages. Living in Alaska has been an incredible experience, but I have spent many runs and walks feeling uneasy and hyperaware of my inability to fend off possible predators. Knowing that wolves had been around my village over winter break was the final factor in my choice to make this purchase. I have been working on becoming more comfortable with my gun and learning the ins and outs of owning one and taking care of it. This weekend was a nice chance to practice shooting, and it was fun to be able to get out with friends to do so. However, there was only so much shooting that my friend and I could do before we found other things to keep us occupied while the boys continued their target practice. I was just as happy to take in the scenery, snap some pictures, and enjoy the fresh air. 

A beaver lodge we
found on our adventure

As if I didn't have enough of an adventure during the day, I felt my first earthquake Saturday night! It was such a strange feeling and, to be honest, I didn’t even realize it was an earthquake for the first few seconds. It was a gentle rumble that shook the walls and everything in the room. I would say it lasted at least 30 seconds, but then again I wasn't concerned with timing it. While I didn't feel that I was in any danger at all, I certainly don’t want to feel a stronger earthquake, or any earthquake for that matter, anytime soon. Luckily, there was no damage in the villages, but I have heard that there was more damage throughout the state. 

Unfortunately, this weekend also brought with it sad news as we learned of the passing of a young student in one of our schools. My heart aches for the family of this young boy, but also for the teachers at the school site. All teachers get attached to their students, but when you have less than thirty students in your entire school, connections are much deeper. A loss like this will be felt throughout our district, especially in the northern sites. 

The Northern Lights!!

While the weekend ended on a somber note, it also reminds me to count my blessings and further proves that we never know when our time will come. My students and I have started off the year, and will continue, enjoying and celebrating the little things that life has to offer. During our first week back, the village celebrated Russian Orthodox New Years and someone set off fireworks the next morning. The student who was in my room at the time quickly shut off the lights and we spent a few minutes by the window watching the show. Later that day, another one of my students chose to forego free choice time on the iPad to go for a walk down to the lake to watch the sunrise. I was so proud that she chose outside time over screen time, and happily obliged. Finally, my favorite moment from last week was when the teachers and I were greeted at school by a rare morning sighting of the Northern Lights. We stood outside and couldn't help but feel blessed as we watched the lights danced through the sky. 

A sunrise walk with a sweet student

I am continuously reminded how incredibly lucky I am to be living where I live and doing what I do. I wish I could share this experience with more people, and I am eager to be able to share it with some family members who will be visiting later this semester (be prepared for an obnoxious amount of pictures during that time). I am looking forward to the rest of the semester and hoping that it passes by without too many challenges. Stay tuned to hear about the rest of my adventures in the next few months, and stop by in two weeks to hear about my upcoming trip to Anchorage!

*This link leads to a page where funds are being raised to help the family who lost the student with funeral costs and other expenses. Any donation will help during this tragic time. 

https://www.gofundme.com/8fy69jx5

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

My perfect little tundra tree<3

One more sleep. Just one more sleep followed by a short few hours at school before winter break officially begins! I think it’s safe to say that students and teachers alike are ready for some time off. I know the teachers in Nondalton are ready to relax while our students are excited to spend their daylight hours outside playing in the snow. 

Last weekend's ride to Newhalen

With the winter solstice coming up, we are down to about six hours of daylight. The sun rises at about 10:15 and sets a little after 4:15. Students spend five of those hours inside at school while teachers spend almost all six of those hours inside working. On the 22nd, the winter solstice will occur and we will slowly start to gain back minutes and then hours of daylight. Oh how I am yearning for the days of the midnight sun. It will be refreshing to get some sunshine back on the east coast, and maybe I'll get a tan with the weather that has been occurring back at home! 

One of our 4:15 sunsets

While the east coast is getting hit with warm weather and isn’t looking promising for a white Christmas, Alaska has already seen two good snowfalls this year. We’ve had almost triple the amount of snow that we had all last winter, and it’s only December! I am looking forward to seeing if more snow piles up during the few weeks that I’ll be roasting on the east coast. With how cold it’s been, I have already felt the pain that improper gear can cause and I am going to need to upgrade a few of my cold weather items over the break. 

Bear Creek Trail, Iliamna

Last weekend, Sam and I went out on a snowy adventure to get some fresh air and spend some time outside. While the trail we went on was breath-taking and incredibly peaceful, I was desperate to get home. I think the temperature was five degrees when we left, but with the wind it felt like negative 10 or worse. Halfway through the ride I had lost feeling of my toes and I spent the entire ride back coming to terms with the fact that I would never feel my feet again. However, after putting some hot hands in fresh warm socks, painfully soaking my feet in lukewarm water (that to me felt like one million degrees), and then having Sam sit on my feet for awhile, I finally regained feeling in all ten tootsies. Have no fear, the number one item on my shopping list over break is a pair of Alaskan native approved “Bunny Boots” (google the picture for a giggle, but know that my feet will never be cold again). 

A snow covered Six Mile Lake

Aside from being the weekend that I almost lost the use of my toes, it was also my first lake crossing of the winter. Two weeks ago the lake officially became thick enough to safely cross, and many people have been riding snow machines and hondas back and forth between here and Newhalen. Considering the fact that everything makes me anxious, it shouldn’t come as a shock that crossing over a frozen lake causes a mini panic attack no matter how many times I’ve done it. To make matters worse, it was snowing both times that we crossed and I was convinced that there was a hole in the middle of the lake that we could not see and that we would surely fall through (my anxiety gets the better of me sometimes). Rest assured that there are no holes and the ice is both solid and thick. While it might make me nervous, the lake being frozen makes for much easier travel between mine and Sam’s villages so I am hoping that the freezing temperatures stick around for a few more months! 

I found some time for crafting!

As for school, the past few weeks have been busy with end of the semester wrap-up. In addition, I very recently took over the title as the Nondalton FAMILY Grant Coordinator. The purpose of the grant is to help develop and strengthen positive interactions between pre-schoolers and their families while also helping prepare little ones for kindergarten. I am excited to take on this role, but the past week has held with it long nights of hosting family meetings, reviewing materials, and getting student records prepared and organized. I have also been trying to get work together for the first few weeks after break because I will be taking an online course beginning in January (more to follow on this later) and I want to be able to focus my energy on that when we return. However, I am ready for a few weeks of not having to do any paperwork! 

Our decorations for
the winter program!

As a nice goodbye to this semester, we held our winter program tonight and the whole community came out to support our students. The younger elementary students sang Christmas carols, the upper elementary students preformed a mini-play along with the reading of a book, and our middle and high-schoolers created skits to perform their own version of “A Christmas Carol”.  It was a fun time, but I was happy to get home to finish up packing and last minute things. Weather depending, I am supposed to hop on a plane tomorrow afternoon and then spend the weekend in Palmer (which is about 45 minutes north of Anchorage) with some great people. However, tomorrow is calling for a few inches of snow and it's possible that we will not be able to fly out of Nondalton. I am feeling so happy that I am not flying out of Anchorage until Monday night. With the weather conditions being so sporadic, travel from the villages is not guaranteed so it’s nice to allow for some buffer days in case you get weathered in or out of a village. Fingers crossed that we can get out tomorrow, because I am looking forward to seeing my friends, shopping, and going to a restaurant. 

My current outdoor decor

Oh, what a wonderfully chaotic semester it has been. I have had days that I never want to forget and I have also had days I wish I could never think of again. I have been on many adventures and have created unforgettable memories with people who I am lucky to be able to call co-workers and friends. My semester has been one unknown after the other, but what a ride it has been. With all that has happened in the past five months, I cannot begin to imagine what the next five will hold. My hope is that the second semester will bring with it a little less stress and a lot more adventuring!

I would like to wish anyone reading this a very happy holiday season and say thank you for continuing to follow along with me as I tackle my first year teaching special education in my tiny Alaskan village!  Stay tuned if you want to find out what Alaska has in store for me:) 

My Miss Paige

My little artist at work

My writing group has just left my room and I rush to heat up my travel mug so I can make tea to get me through the afternoon. I’m wondering for the hundredth time why I thought it was a good idea to stop drinking coffee, but I grab a bag of tea and push the thought from my mind. As I get back to my room I have two or three minutes to update my classroom behavior system, add a few more items to my to do list, and if I am lucky I even have a chance to check my email. All the while I am thinking of where the day has gone and if I’ve actually gotten anything across to my different groups. I could sit there all day trying to get caught up, but from my classroom at the top of the steps, I can hear the front door of the school open. I pause and wait, listening to the clock as the seconds tick by. Then I hear it, the clumsy footsteps of a little one in snow boots, and all thoughts and worries leave my mind.

"I'll miss you buddy"

Each day, when one o’clock rolls around, I must step out of the role of elementary school teacher and into the shoes of a pre-school teacher. If you don’t believe there’s a difference, just ask the secondary students next door and they’ll tell you how my voice changes and how many times I clap my hands or say “good job!". Everyone knows that I love children, but I never thought I’d be teaching 3 year olds, especially not in the same day that I work with students in elementary and high school. Most days I feel that I’m just hanging on by the seat of my pants and there are many days in which my students teach me more than I can hope to teach them. My two 3 year olds (a boy and a girl) keep me on my toes, and I have to have a new activity ready every five minutes (sometimes every 3) to keep up with their tiny attention spans. However, they also teach me patience (so. much. patience.) and provide me with constant laughter. I’m often exhausted after our 30 and 60 minute sessions, but most days I am sad to see them go and wish that I was able to work with them longer. Today was one of those days.

It was five after one and I was worried that only one of my students would be joining me today. It had been a long day, I was frustrated with some of my students from earlier in the day, and my pre-school sessions go by much quicker when both students are there. The roads have been icy, so I was hoping that they were just running behind, but as the clock ticked by I thought my bundle of energy would surely be absent. But then I heard the front door open, followed by those clunky footsteps. Seconds later, she rushed through the door exclaiming “My Miss Paige!”, and my day turned around. Three little words paired with the look of excitement on my student’s face, and my day was instantly better. 

My adorable little nurse

As I watched my students play together, I reflected on how they have grown since August. While I can’t always see it in my older students, my little ones show me progress each day. Whether it be recognizing the first letter in their name, being able to match a number to a set of objects (today we counted/matched up to the number 3), or running around the table to push in my chair after I stand up, I can constantly see their brains at work. I celebrate every accomplishment as if my students have just won the lottery and they probably think I’m crazy, but at least they clap right along with me! As my little lady and I worked on how to cut paper with scissors, I could almost pinpoint the exact moment in which the gears in her brain shifted and her hands and eyes teamed up to showcase some awesome fine motor skills. Today was a great day in Miss Paige’s room. 

I wish I could describe it, but getting to work with these youngsters fills my days with happiness. Each day is an adventure and while I never know what I’m facing when they walk through the doors, I know our sessions will never be boring. My pre-schoolers continue to remind me of the innocence of children and I hope that I provide them with a learning environment in which they feel both safe and cared for. These two small children have had such a large impact on my life, and I hope that I am able to help do the same for them. Tonight my heart is full knowing that I am someone’s “My Miss Paige”, and for that I am thankful. 

Non-Stop November

Getting ready for a morning
flight from Port Alsworth

I’m going to start sounding like a broken record, but I just cannot seem to wrap my head around how quickly this school year is going by. The days seem to blur together and before I know it another week has gone by. One thing that definitely makes the time pass is traveling, and the last time I wrote I was gearing up for a volleyball jamboree. While I did coach volleyball for one student last year, I knew my lack of coordination was no match for coaching our school’s nine players. Luckily, one of our high school teachers called dibs on this one and I happily tagged along to make sure our students didn’t cause too much mischief. With some snow on the ground and more in the forecast, we made our way up the lake to Port Alsworth.

Six Mile's first freeze of the year

It was exciting to go there because I’ve not yet been to this site, and I am determined to get to as many of the villages in our district as I can. I was blown away by the beauty in Port Alsworth, not only outside, but in the school as well. This village just opened the doors of a new school this August, and it is an incredible building. I can honestly say I have never seen such a student friendly and state of the art school anywhere, let alone in rural Alaska. Students and teachers can write on the walls, they have almost sound-proof study rooms attached to the classrooms, and the classrooms in the main hall have windowed walls that are basically like garage doors that open and close. I bet students that dislike school would want to wake up and race into this building each morning. 

A great night in Kokhanok

The only flaw that I found was the fact that the lights in the school gym were activated by motion. I suppose it’s important to note that all of the girls slept in the gym and I’m not exaggerating when I say that on the first night we were awakened every half an hour by a loud click and bright lights coming on. It was a long night and thankfully the controls were switched for our second night because we had some cranky students and chaperones after the first one. Other than that, we had a fun two days in which volleyball matches were non-stop from 9:30 in the morning to 9:00 at night. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I was glad to see that a few of our students went out of their comfort zones to try a new sport. 

Bundled and ready
for adventures

My next stop was Kokhanok where I joined a few other special ed. teachers for some training on one of the assessments we use. While the training was necessary and helpful, I was much more excited to spend Friday night visiting with the staff. We all gathered for pizza that had been brought up from Naknek and had an intense Catchphrase tournament. As I looked around the room, I couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that only in this environment do we gather with so many different people that we normally wouldn’t and have so much fun. I wish I could have stayed longer, but unfortunately it was a short visit and I had to get home the next day. As it always does after traveling, it felt nice to be able to sleep in my own bed. 

Taking a look at the rapids
on the Newhalen River

While I was able to spend the rest of the weekend recovering from traveling, I woke up sick on Monday morning and spent the rest of the week fighting a cold. My students couldn’t help but laugh at how funny my voice sounded. On the day I was feeling the worst, I had my first formal observation of the year and a special ed. meeting so I stocked up on tea and made the best of it. I was able to get some rest on Thursday, and sick or not, I was counting down the minutes until I was in Newhalen for the weekend. My friend Kelsey was going to be visiting from Kokhanok, and although I’d seen her briefly during my trip there, I was looking forward to a longer visit with her. 

Getting his workout in!

Unfortunately, it had snowed quite a bit this week and the road between our villages made for a less than smooth trip for Kelsey and Sam when they came to get me. In addition, the lake froze up last week and while two people crossed over safely mid-week, it is not something to mess with and we will wait until the path has been marked. The good this is that the lake flows into the Newhalen River and we are able to cross by boat where the river begins. However, ice builds up on the sides of the river and it can make for a difficult time to get a boat into the water. Not only that, but they had to shovel out snow from the boat before they could put it in the water. Sam and Kelsey were cold and tired by the time they picked me up and we were all soaked from the snow on the ride home, but the excitement of the upcoming weekend kept us all in good spirits. 

A beautiful trip across the river

I can only speak for myself, but I had a great weekend visiting with Kelsey, Sam, and the other teachers. Saturday was a nice, clear day and we spent it outside riding around on the honda. We got to show Kelsey some must see spots in Newhalen, and even though I have been to them plenty of times, it is always fun to see how they change with each season. Our days just keep getting shorter so it's nice to spend the weekends taking advantage of the daylight while we still have it. It felt so refreshing to get outside and soak up some sun! I think we were all tired today, so we had a lazy morning playing games and getting some Christmas shopping done. I was bummed to have to get home this afternoon, but we had a much easier trip than the one on Friday and for that I was thankful. 

Another see you later after
a great weekeend

This weekend was just what I needed, and I am so happy that I was able to visit with a friend who I never get to see. We have a short week ahead of us and then I get to go back to Newhalen for Thanksgiving and a long weekend. It’s hard to believe, but there are only 18 days of school, 10 progress reports, 3 IEP meetings, 2 days of parent-teacher conferences, and a Christmas show standing between me and winter break. But who’s counting, right?