Halloween

 November 1, 2025

Good morning-----well, it is November already, and 6 weeks until Christmas Holidays, but who is counting!!

We had a terrific Halloween day at school--it wasn't over the top, but very manageable.  Regularish class in the morning, and then an afternoon with the costume parade, class room door decoration contest and the choice of gym activities, story reading, face painting or movie.  I did the story telling, and my room was full to the brim of excited students of all ages.  I read the Robert Munsch book, BOO.  You should have been there--total focus and total participation at the repetition parts--really loved it.

I am so glad I brought my own books for the fall because there is NO library in the school.  It was totally dismantled last year, all the books given away, put in the garbage or burned because the library was thought to be a waste of space, and because it wasn't being used very much.  This is the trend in the north.

It is believed that the computer is much better tool for learning.  All fine if the internet is working.  

Our first dusting of snow last night--and more to come this week.  It is a little late coming--climate change.  They are saying that the ice might not even come this year.  If it comes at all, it may  not be thick enough to make snowmobiling  safe. Who knows how the wildlife will manage.

The northern schools have beautiful soap stone carvings, and many historical pictures as a permanent reminder of the Inuit past.  I love walking around the school, and studying the pictures.  The history is all so recent.  The pictures are from the early 30's--I especially relate to the ones from 1948.  There are pictures of families living in tents, made from caribou skins pictures of people living in igloos made of ice and snow.  All in my generation.  While those folks were just surviving, I lived in a very nice house at 949 Foul Bay Road in Victoria, and my mother made sure that I had all the advantages that living in a city brought.  Every day, after school I had the opportunity to take music, dance and art lessons as well as being involved in cultural activities that included borrowing books from the library,  visiting the museum, attending live concerts and theatre as well as just enjoying the parks and ocean at our door step.

Meanwhile, in Nunavik, people were just trying to survive.  Reflecting on The Great Dog Slaughter of the 50's, 60's and 70's  you will get some idea of what it was like here.  Look it up.  You will be shocked.

I finally received my new music books.  I got a Christmas Collection, Gospel, and Big Band stuff.  Some of it is very easy, some, very hard, but all great fun!  I have to say the back up group is awesome!!  The soloist is so so, but at least she is trying!!

Happy November!

This is afterschool--light is amazing,

The boys love the aprons, and they loved the pizza that they made.

1957---yup, still living in an igloo.

1955 summer--canvas and caribou tents.  This is the same spot that you see from my deck--look at the island.

1963--this was a party at the Hudson's Bay Trading post building.

This is the Inuit way.

1949 hunting the seal by kayak.

Our beans are producing!!  We started this plant from a red bean.  You can see the hydroponic garden in the back ground.  It is doing well.  We have tomatoes, lettuce and carrots.  They will be potted soon, and then we will have the growing lights from the  big frame.

Yahoo.  This little boy is starting to chatter--the music, the poems and the constant support is helping him to find his voice.  Apraxia be gone!

Happy Halloween