Students gone/Teacher cleans up classroom

I have taught my last class in Salluit... this time. We had our party this morning, then report cards, then gifts to them, then good-bye. This has been a very good class. I had tuaght the Gr.6's for two years so students like Tunu and Miss P are very dear to me. There was a hhigh drop out rate in the Gr. 6's this year. I don't think it was my teaching but that the older girls are less and less interested in school. The dropout rate here is 89% and those numbers start early.

After our party I sent the class to the hall and then called them back one by one for a chat and to give them their gift from me. I only had 11 of the 18 in for the morning. I encourged them to continue to think of themselves as very special. It was a tad painful to say good-bye to Tunu... he is such a great kid but the north is hard on boys like him. We have lost a great many fine young men.

I tired the patience of my fellow teachers this morning. I opened each door and threw in handsful of candies . That got all their students up out of their seats and running around. I was able to do it very quickly so many did not know who the scamp was, but my laugh gave me away.

My boxes have left for the south. My little house is now rather empty. Man oh man I live in clutter. Now to start a new pattern... I don't believe I will have much success as 2806 is full to the rafters now.. and I just shipped 16 cartons back. Sara will not be happy.

The ice is gone from the bay. It started to break up on Friday and by Sat the ice was gone. The high tides and strong currents stripped the bay of it's ice in no time at all. I was taking pictures every few hours... that meant that I was charging up the hill to get the perfect view. I took the last photos at 11pm.. a beautiful pink and blue sunset reflected, along with the mountains on the other side of the bay, in the open water. I am on my 2nd digital card of 512 pictures. Printing these off will be a fun time... a bit expensive as well.

There are several flowers in bloom in Sallluit. They start the process long before the snow is gone. I was down on hands and knees getting "the perfect shot" most of Saturday. I even saw a bumblebee. The blueberry plants are in bloom as well as many flowers that I don't know the names . I was recharging my batteries ( for the camera) twice a day. Twice when I was in a great spot people came by that I knew so they could take photos of me amongst the flowers. This was no Chelsea Flower show but it was exciting.

I will be packing up the classroom for the next two days. Then a bit of camping out of town. Most of the teachers are leaving on Friday but I am staying on for a few extra days.

I will write more of the last days at school tomorrow.

Pearl's leaving the north .. step #2

The second hurtle to leaving the north, after making the decison and putting in the paper work, is what to do with the stuff I have collected over the past 3 plus years. Anyone who knows me , knows that I do not travel lightly. I would have been the woman on the wagon train throwing out the piano, the box of feathered hats and all the pots, but one, as I worked my way across the Canadian sheild. Man oh man where does the stuff come from?

I have "gifted' my few friends with things I know they will enjoy. George had arrived with a suitcase full of wonderful teas and coffees the end of April. Giving that away, allowed me to get down to the other layers in the freezer. They say tea keeps forever but I would have had to been in Salluit for 100 years to use up all that I was sent. You notice I am not mentioning what I brought up.

I have not tackled the baking cupboard. I keep opening the door and then I close it again. I will have to do something with all the weird things that Pearl cannot cook without. I have giant economy bottles of vanilla, lemon and almond flavouring. I think my Dad buys the commercial sized bottles for me. I have 7 different kinds of baking chocolate. I do make a great many pecan pies... altho lemon is the hands down favourite, pecan does a brisk business. I even started making choc pecan pies just to use up some of the choc.

I sold all my small appliances. Some had only been used once or twice. What a crush at the appliance table. I think I had more stock that the Co-op and Northern combined. The prices were better for sure. What I was not prepared for was people taking the decorations off the wall. I had presumed that if something did not have a large price tag, then people would know it was not for sale. I was wrong.

I sold a ton of food. I had two tables and the sideboard covered with food. A Woolaver does not go anywhere without preparing for several natural disasters. I could easily anticipate fire, flood and snow storm without missing a heart beat. If someone said they liked rolled oats for breakfast then I felt I had to have a lifetime supply on hand. When Gladys said she like the German potato pancake mixes I had several different types shipped in. Not only did I have to deal with my fears but those of my Dad. I have canned meat, canned fish, canned bacon ( Norweigan... it is lovely)canned beans ( as well as a ton of dried beans) and because of the beans I have a gallon of molasses.

Once Dad knew how much the kids liked corn bread he picked up many different types in the southern states he visited. I can just hear him saying: " Let's just drive up to Georgia and get some cornbread mix for Pearl's kids." No one has made up more corn bread than I have the past 3 years. The kids do love it and truth be told they come over t o bake it.

And my little house became a Frenchies outlet. Both parents went nuts finding bargains . I sold everything left for a dollar. I had tried to give away all the down coats, baby clothes, fleece garments... My friends here started avoiding me if htey heard another parcel had arrived.

Things like the big TV went so quickly. I was amazed at how fast that went. The day of the major sale, Saturday, was a very stressful day. Too many people, too much stuff and too much excitement. I have done the Harrods' sale several times but I have never seen anything like this... the grabbing, the pushing, the yelling. I was very glad when it was over. I still have a few things but people are only coming one or two at a time now. That is much better.

Now I must finish the packing. I look at everything , asking if I will really need it down south. I don't want to take many books but there is no where to put them here in Salluit. Kativik School Board does not allow us to put books in the library and there is no library in the village. It seems a real shame for books to come up to the community, all that freight paid, all the fuel burned to get it here and then to have to ship it all down again. I have so many political books that are good reading and I don't want to take them south.

I have a house full of books already in my southern home. Years ago I sold a great deal of "stuff" out of my home.... the kids had left and I was seriously going to sell. I had even got rid of most of the beds. Then some of the kids came back and now all 5 bdrms are full of beds, dishes, and books. So I don't want to take much more down with me. Since Sara runs that house now I expect her to be on the steps searching out good that she thinks are not necessary. She is a bit bossy... but then apples dont fall far from trees.

But I have another ace up my sleeve... the house my parent s bought me in Digby. Just when I was sure it was time to throw out a few more things... they bought me a house. Ain't life grand... messy... cluttered.. but grand.

June First.. Snow

Just when you think it is time to put away the ugly lime green Mountain Co-op Equipement HEAVY winter coat, it snows again in Salluit. The hills are once again covered with snow. It is part rain ,part snow now. Truly cold and damp. Not nice at all.

When Nova Scotia has a mild winter this would be the weather we'd have in Jan or Feb. This is the first of bloody June. I wonder how the little birds are making out? I heard them all last night and again early this morning. Poor little guys. They might want to rethink this move farther north.

The ice is still on the Bay. There is open water near the shore but the bay is still full of solid looking ice. Last Saturday I caught my first whiff of salt water as I walked along the lower streets. I hadn't smelled that in a few months.

I have packed away my winter hats so I have to wear the hood of my beloved coat up now. I thought I was finished with hats and mittens. I do wear my nice leather gloves, that have a light lining. I feel rather smart in such fine leather gloves after several months in my seal skin mitts. When I was a child I would take off my itchy long stockings before it was reallly time in the spring. Up here I think the girls will be in long pants till Aug. The day I was waiting for my brother to exit the airplane here in Salluit a new chap came round the plane wearing shorts. I wondered if he had any idea where he was?

We are still suffering with exams. Luc was waiting for me outside the school at 8:30 this morning. I think he was just a bit early. I think he is of the kind that wants to get it over and done with. There was not another soul but us in the school at that hour. I am always amazed that I am the first one in each morning. I used to come in at 8:00 am but that was too long to be alone in the school. An empty school is a spooky place.

I am still receiving parcels from my parents. The last of the surprises for my class. I hope to have a lunch and party with them on one of the last days of school. Their reward for a year where most of the time most of them worked fairly well. I have one boy registered in my class who has not been in school since Dec. I asked the others to find him and bring him back to school but he says he is only interested in riding his bike. What a pity. He will start the school year again in Aug but will drop out by Thanksgiving this time. he is a very smart boy but his family does not really believe in education, although the mother works in the school.

I am anxious to get the exams over with. I suppose the children are too.