The first week went by, and I can not believe that I have only been here 11 days now. It has been such a busy time that it feels like a month or more. Kelly and I are settling into our house very nicely. We have been tidying and organizing, and amusing ourselves watching the power struggle between the two cats. Nermal, all 3.8 pounds of her, loves to sneak up and attack Tigger from the rear. Tigger has now taken to stalking her like a bulldog, slowly marching right up to her and making her run for cover under the nearest bed. Nermal naturally waits until Tigger walks away, jumps on him, and the fight is on again.
I worked with a few community members on Friday night, selling cards for the local bingo that raises money for the Day Care. It will be a very good way to meet the community and get to know people. One lovely elder saw me and came straight over, her face wreathed in smiles. She held out her hand and greeted me in Inuktitut, welcoming me as a newcomer to the community. The teachers are very valued here.
We had a great get-together on Saturday with several of the teachers and the two RCMP officers, Mike and Sheryl. Lots of laughs, which were sorely needed after two very hectic days with the students and many days of very windy, very wet, very cold and very gray days. Yecch! But the sun is out today, and we have been ahrd at work at the school to get things organized, so things feel much more normal.
The first two days of school were wild. With my Math classes, I had a register of 16 students for grade 10 and 19 students for grade 11. I now have about 25 students in grade 10, and 33 in grade 11! It is almost impossible to keep my attendance in order! The students are much lower in language and basic skills than I had hoped, but I am well prepared. My grade 7 class in the afternoon is going to be a piece of cake, although again I have some very low students with many language exceptionalities. My years in Fort Albany have prepared me for working in that type of setting, and I am grateful for the time there that helped me to be ready for this position.
However, the glitches are still getting worked out. My first paycheque arrived...literally. Somehow they did not get the direct deposit information set up, and I have a lovely paycheque with no bank anywhere near me! Plan A, call the bank to find out how I can get the cheque to them. Plan B, cash it and send money orders to cover bills. Plan C, save it and deposit it when I go out for my Math conference on the 24th. Decisions, decisions! And we are working with virtually no supplies in the classrooms until the sea-lift delivers supplies on the 9th of October. Almost no paper, no photocopier, no pencils, no markers, almost no books, missing texts...just another hurdle to overcome. And my last job has not sent my statement of experience despite repeated requests...I have to make a phone call very, VERY soon to inquire as to why that is the case. Grrrr!
I'm actually very excitied about my Math conference. Thanks to Kelly taking the grade 9 class, I get to fly to Montreal on September 24th. I then get a paid weekend stay, and fly out to Cape Dorset on Monday. From there I fly back to Montreal to stay, and then back up to Sanikiluaq. There are no direct flights, and the airlines do not fly daily, so it is a round-about way to get there, but a great chance for some shopping for necessary essentials! I think I will get some pencils, markers, lined paper, folders, and also look for a wire rack for kitchen storage. Woohoo! MWAH! Kisses to Kelly for letting me have the fun!
That's all for today, I am still up to my ears in paper work and planning.
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