Short Weeks are common

Indeed after arriving at school spending 15 minutes in the main hall doing the smudge and informing students about our field trip this week in Fort Frances, the Native Language teacher also notes that there will be no school on Friday in commemoration of the signing of Treaty #3.

So then I ask myself, do I want to go back to town again this weekend and next weekend????? Oh the pondering but I have firmly decided i can best use this extra day off to get my classroom back in order. There will be other short weeks here in the community, and I will be able to take the opportunities to head home then.

I think the teaching staff was more excited about the news than the kids. Honestly these guys love being at school. 2 students are actually saying that we should not go on the field trip as we would miss too much class work....ahhh precious.

I believe these students are thrown off when school is closed  for different reasons power outages, broken water pipes, -50 C weather or after a death in the community. The latter of these is a bit more disruptive because of the time lost and the emotions of those affected. The school closes for 2 days the wake and the funeral day, but the students need to understand that this time is used to honour the deceased community member and show respect for the family.

We find this odd in our large communities, as we are not as close and connected to those that live around us, our families are often far flung and we are disconnected from some, but here the entire family lives here or in the neighbouring towns of Fort Frances and Atikokan, the loss of one person is felt by everyone.

Although it makes it a challenge to get kids back on track when we have short weeks for whatever reason, its all apart of teaching here in the bush!

Only in the Bush

Well here is something unique to lac La Croix, Pay day Friday, or as the locals say with excitement "Half Day Fridays".

      Now there is a very good reason for this. If you recall the community is 76KM in from the highway and then another hour from Fort Frances Ontario. The community members need to take their pay cheques and head to Fort to deposit, or cash them, then do their grocery shopping. Because there isn't a store here in the community.

      So the big question you hear from community members on Wednesday and Thursday, "are you going into town on Friday" Not all of them have vehicles and many do not drive. SO they begin to plan their Friday carefully.

       Now for me I don't go to Fort I head home to Thunder Bay, a 3 hour drive, and then I lose an hour going as Thunder Bay is an hour ahead, until Daylight savings time. Its  a long drive, but it makes it easier to work away from home.

      So now the big question is will I even have any students this morning, If I don't then I get to leave shortly after 9 am, and that has be just as excited as the locals about Half Day Fridays!

Teaching in the bush!

Now for those that are familiar with my Webequie Blog, will know that was a very remote reserve, a fly in and definitely in the bush. But I am now in Lac La Croix First Nation, not a fly in but the drive off the main highway is just over and hour, mainly because it is a dirt road with more twists and turns than a colonosocpy.

Anyway, I was amazed yesterday when we had to cancel recess. It was 28 C out, and it was an incredible beautiful day. But there were hundreds of wasps on the playground and the kids were getting stung, so we had to have indoor recess. Today thankfully there is a nice breeze that is keeping the wasps away. although my EA and I just googled it, and bright colours attract the wasps so I am send a note  home suggesting that parents avoid bright flashy colours until the frost comes.

But that is the perils of teaching at a school that is in the bush. The community is at the bottom edge of the Coquette Park region. We are deep in the bush. We have Hydro here and of course the road that takes us back to the city life.

We are in a sense very isolated. If there is an emergency here we must have air ambulance come. Like I said its a long winding road. 76 km of dirt road that it is impossible to go more than 60km for very long. However, the bush also has something that the city schools don't have. Unique field trips. Just a few moments a go Mak (pronounced Muck) informed me that our field trip next Wednesday  is we are heading into Fort Frances to learn to filed dress a deer. I know most children in Thunder Bay would faint, but its part of life here and the skill is important to have.

I do have to say that I enjoy deer meat, and I am looking forward to learning this skill. My EA has also told me we will be taught how to clean ducks and other game birds. There are some days when I am surprised that I get paid to do this job, because there is always something so cool happening for me as well, not just my students.
I really am looking forward to the Spring Field trip when we get to go on a fishing and canoe trip. I am heading to Thunder Bay this weekend to find my gear, I might even fish from the shore in front of the teacherage next week, just to get the feel for it again. Whoever said you can't have your cake and eat it to, obviously didn't have a job like this one.
Cheers everyone, talk to you soon my blog hogs!