Our first formal introduction to the school, and my boxes have arrived!

I would love to post photos, but the internet here is very expensive if we go over our allotted band width, which we have already done twice! So I will wait until the wireless is set up at the school, then I can add some photos.

The walk to the school is a bit less than 10 minutes, and has a slight uphill slant on the homeward leg, so I can get my basic exercise in daily. The community is built on some gently rolling slopes, so there are lots of small hills to build up those glutes! Anyhow, we had a brief staff meeting and went to our classes.

Kelly and I asked Tim, our principal, if he was amenable to a switch in subjects. She has a Social Studies teachable and I am Science/Math. She was given high school Math and then Science and Gym, while I had Social Studies! So I am now the grade 10/11 high school Math teacher, with grade 7 Language, Math and Science in the afternoon. We are both VERY happy with the switch. Best yet, I get to go to a week-long conference in Cape Dorset in late September!

Many of the teachers in the school are Inuit from Sanikiluaq, and the reason for our subject/grade changes is that the focus is to teach in Inuktituk, in order to ensure that the language and culture survives. They have been so incredibly warm and welcoming to all of us, and are helpful in pointing out cultural items and naming them for us. Kelly and I are hard at work trying to learn new words, and forgetting them faster than we can practice! I did learn that Tunga Sugit means Welcome (tunga sugitsi to more than one person). Nahkutip is Thank you and Ulolli is You're welcome. I will try to verify with Margaret Lawrence to get the correct spelling.

My remaining boxes came today, HURRAY!!! and my last missing suitcase yesterday, so I have absolutely everything I need. Our phone is hooked up, our satellite is ordered, and we have internet. Life is good! And we are about to place a food mail order, so our fridge will be well stocked. I have to admit, prices on bread, milk and eggs are very reasonable. A quart of milk was only $3.87. so we are far from starving.

I'm off to eat dinner, and then relax before the final flurry of planning begins. Wish me luck getting my many boxes of resources to the school! TTFN!