Cable Ready Kip

9-4-08

by Kipling Layton, Jr.

As with moving to any new site there are adjustments and glitches that have to be worked out. It doesn’t matter if you are a first year teacher or if you have spent years in the bush. One thing that most educators in rural Alaska think they need to survive and feel somewhat civilized is a television. Oh - AND access to channels. In Eek people have four choices to make it happen, provided they have a TV.
The adventurous viewers simply purchase an antennae. The most popular ones are usually referred to as rabbit ears. You hook them up directly to the TV. We put up with a pair when we lived in Newtok a decade ago. With them attached to our set we received two channels, one was ARCS and I forget the other one, although PBS rings a bell.
Anyway, there wasn’t a set programming schedule for the prime time shows viewed on ARCS. Every hour was different and usually it was a ‘tease.” A show would begin and get you hooked for a couple of minutes then it would switch to another program. For instance, if a crime show was on you would see the crime before the screen changed to something else. You were left without knowing how one show would end and how the “new” show began. Rabbit ears are appropriately named for rural areas. The two ears translated to two channels and two shows.
If you look around the village you will notice another kind of antennae. They are the larger ones on the roofs of some homes. I’m not sure if they pick up more channels, but the reception is probably better.
A second option is to subscribe to the local cable network through the corporation. They run a cable to your house and you pay a monthly fee. It isn’t a bad deal. There are forty channels including HBO for a reasonable fee. We got the information and are keeping it handy as it prevents us from having to adjust our own satellite.
The third option is what Irene and I chose for the moment. We had cable run to the teacher housing from an existing satellite and hooked up with DishNetwork - mainly because we already had a DVR receiver and an account with DishNetwork. The cable was run in an hour and two weeks later we had eliminated what we hope were all the problems. I helped a lot. The maintenance man would tell me what he knew was the problem and I would proceed to let him know what I thought was the problem. It never would have gotten fixed if he had listened to me.
Then one morning last week our TV screen was black and “no signal” was prominent in the middle. I asked our neighbor if her TV was getting reception and it was. I fiddled with the cable hook-ups that evening and still got nothing. It was time to break down and call DishNetwork. Maybe I shouldn’t have because do you know what that sweet innocent female customer service representative had the nerve to ask me? “Is your TV on channel three?” It is now.
There are advantages to all of the above choices. If you only have two channels and your programming keeps getting switched it sure helps to keep your mind young trying to imagine the ending and the beginning of programs. Using a well-established reliable local cable network sure saves you headaches. Having your own satellite will enhance your problem-solving skills and show you (or just me) how easy a fix can be.
The fourth choice is to forego television all together. I know a few people who don’t care for TV. They either do not want the expense, don’t care for modern shows, or would rather watch DVD’s on their computer. To each their own in the fictional, reality, true, infomercial, soap opera, game show, news, comedy, movie, history, cartoon, children, home/garden, or sitcom programming to name a few modern outstanding choices. It is a great way to waste time, but why listen to me?
(Don’t forget to check out Tundra Teacher Tales in paperback or ebook form. Simply log onto www.booklocker.com/books/973.html).

New Home, New School Year

8-29-08

by Kip Layton Jr.

Howdy All! Irene and I are back from summer vacation and now live in Eek. I guess that is appropriate after a personally scary spring, but all is pretty good now. I haven’t used my cane in a while and am probably close to as fully healed as I will be. It feels great to be back in the administrative saddle.
The first week of school was a success. There are things to tweak, but not much. It actually went smoother than I thought it would. We had some problems with scheduling, classroom materials, and the usual stuff, but nothing major. Of course, the most confusion took place the first morning back while a member of the LKSD School Board was visiting the school. My good luck continues.
We had parent conferences Friday to go over their child(ren)’s spring test scores and how things are so far. The turn out was close to 100% due to technology. The students had to bring their parents to school so they could sign a form in order for the student to be issued his/her laptop. What a coincident it happened to correspond with parent meetings… ummm.
The district had two new four-plexes built for teacher housing, one in Eek and the other in Kwigillingok. They are nice. Irene and I arrived July 29th with the intention of moving in and getting our unit set up. I had been emailing and letting the district know our plans, but some things are beyond anyone’s control.
It seems the closer we got to the 29th the further away the final inspection date became. Before leaving Texas for Anchorage, the inspection date was July 31st. In Anchorage it turned into August 6th. By the time we got to Eek the date had manifested to August 10th. We were to stay in the old administrator’s house until we could live in the new place. However, we were allowed to move furniture and personal items into it, we just weren’t able to live there until the final inspection was complete.
Now, I’m not a construction person or an inspector of such, nor do I intend to present myself as one. That is why all I could see that needed to be done was the installation of three ranges and leveling a couple refrigerators. At the time I had trouble understanding why the builders left with so little to finish. It was like someone leaving a few drops of milk left in the carton. Just spend an hour to complete things and then be on your way.
One thing I do like about LKSD is that most departments will work with the sites to accommodate or come up with a solution or compromise satisfactory to all. They were able to arrange the final inspection for Monday, August 4th. On the 2nd a couple people come out to prepare for it.
It turned out that there were a bit more tedious items to fix than I imagined. I only saw the obvious. They had a detailed list of items to check off. It was an unfair advantage that made sense. With the help and encouragement of Irene I was able to stay out of their way. Therefore, we were able to spend our first night in our new home the night of the 4th.
Now that things have settled down a bit and the confusion has subsided I’ll let you in on a few items that stood out (in no particular order of sense). The students are patient, well behaved, and pretty much know the routines and what is acceptable. The staff is very competent and knows what they are doing. Eek is a quiet village. Irene is a good interior decorator. I’m almost able to find everything in the kitchen now. We can see the mountains on a clear day. The mosquitoes and gnats are still a problem. Frozen food for the school is still delivered during commercial fishing days when only the site administrator and his wife are around to put it away. It only takes a week for me to “break” a four-wheeler. Lastly, I noticed the time so I’d better close this column so it can be published on time.
Talk to you again soon.

Another Year – Another Move

Finally Back – If only for a Month

5-6-08

by Kip Layton Jr.

Howdy All! I finally made it back from Christmas Break, or in my case – breaks.
It hasn’t been fun, but thanks to my wife and the Lord we made it through the trying time. It could have been a lot worse falling sixteen feet. After breaking my left femur a few places, roughly ten bones in my right foot, and topping it off with a compression fracture of my back, I’m still walking.
I met a few people while in rehab that fell half the distance I did and they were paralyzed. I had a Guardian Angel and now a second chance. It can change a person.
I find myself more thankful each day and tend to go with the flow more now. It has always been my belief that life can change in an instant, but to actually experience and survive one of those “changes,� makes one more appreciative of everything, especially the ones you love.
Even though my wife has since grounded me for life (no more climbing), I am so indebted to her. For three months I was practically bedridden. She would have to help me put on my back brace to get out of bed. She was my wheelchair holder, chauffer, and shower helper. She brought me coffee and breakfast every morning in bed. She never complained. “In sickness and health,� she would say. God, I Love Her!
My parents and our son Patrick, and his wife Marcia surely helped make the ordeal smoother. From helping find a place close by the hospital for my wife to stay to building a wheelchair ramp at our house to “babysitting� me so Irene could have a break to just plain being there and supporting us. “It’s what family is for� I heard them say.
That is the key – family in time of need.
One never truly knows what they can endure until they are tested. We passed this test and I’m just glad it wasn’t the final exam.
Now, there isn’t much humor you can find in some situations, but a couple things do come to mind from my accident. After I fell my left leg hurt tremendously. I knew it was broken. I felt my left foot swelling up. One of my thoughts was, “Dang, two different legs!�
Then after the paramedics arrived and had me on the backboard with my neck in a brace one of them said they were going to straighten out my left leg. I shouted, “NO!�
He calmly responded, “It will make it feel better.�
“No, it won’t,� I corrected him.
He ignored me and began to pull slowly as I yelled. He kept on until it was straight and strapped down. Then I took a deep breath and said, “Oh, thanks. It does feel better.�
I can’t think of much other humor that took place during that time, but while passing time in an airport on the way back to Alaska I spotted a magazine article on the front cover of a hunting magazine that just about gave me a hernia from laughing after I read it.
The title? “2008 Deer Gear – 80 items that will make your fall a success.�
I didn’t buy it. I felt my fall was pretty successful.

Getting antsy, adjustments,
keeping me in line

2-5-08

by Kip Layton Jr.

Five weeks have passed since my accident. This week I’m seeing the Dr. about my legs. In almost four weeks I’ll see a neurosurgeon for my back. Then I hope all is good to begin therapy. I’m beginning to get anxious and Irene knows it.
She won’t leave me alone for a long period of time. At first I believe it was to make sure I didn’t need anything. I still need a lot of help, but I’m beginning to move around better and have become adept at maneuvering the wheelchair.
I’m also trying to tackle new things. I think Irene is now more afraid that if she left me alone for a long period of time that I’d try to do something I shouldn’t…or not watch what I’m doing and get hurt again. It is amazing how well she knows me.
Therefore, she has made a “deal� with me. She told me that if I don’t behave myself she would “paint my toenails purple.� I can’t reach my toenails with the brace and cast and I’m unable to put a sock over the toes sticking out of the cast. I am now behaving myself.
I do wish I was able to help Irene more. All I can do now is cheer her on. It isn’t easy watching her keep the house in order and take care of me at the same time. However, I’d do the same for her.
Even though Irene said, “I feel like I’ve aged 20 years this past month,� she has also stated something like, “I remember us saying in sickness and in health.� I couldn’t agree with her more.
There have been some adjustments, but not as many as I thought. We had to move a chair in the den so I could wheel around better. Our son built a wheelchair ramp into the house and he took the door off to one of the bathrooms so the wheelchair could fit through. We have a shower chair for me to sit on to clean up. The showerhead was replaced with a handheld showerhead.
The toilets inside the house are too low and won’t accommodate my extended leg. So, we got what they call a “bedside toilet.� It is similar to a honey bucket with a toilet seat, four adjustable legs, and two handrails. It is designed to be put by the bed in case the person needs to use it. We didn’t want it in the bedroom so, we put it in the garage. I now have a temporary two-car garage bathroom containing a pool table, freezers, workbench, bar-b-que pit, and other manly garage junk. It may sound ideal, but believe me I am only trying to find some humor in this situation…he…he.
I may not write every week while recovering, but I’ll try. Hope everyone is well and stays that way. See y’all soon enough.

Hi from Texas

1-29-08

by Kip Layton Jr.

As you know I am still recovering from a fall while hunting in Texas. It will be a while, but I sure wanted to extend my thanks to all who are praying for me, helping out in Atmuatluak during my absence, and those who have emailed or called.
I now wear a brace on my right knee, a cast on my right foot, a permanent metal rod in my left femur, and one of those “turtle shell� back braces when I sit up. For the next few weeks I’m not allowed to put weight on either leg. Therefore, my life is in bed or in a wheelchair until then.
It hasn’t been the vacation I had planned, but technically it has been a “break.� Or better yet…breaks.
I know I had a Guardian Angel looking after me because some things can’t be explained. Even though I broke my back, there wasn’t a spinal cord injury. I’ll walk again. My cell phone was within reach after I fell and I was able to call Irene for help. My wife seldom goes with me hunting, but she did this time and was at the ranch house when I phoned. I fell with my rifle, but didn’t get shot.
This type of accident and injuries is a first for me. Sure hope it will be my last. I believe there is a reason for everything. Sometimes the reason is obvious, but at times you have to search or guess. I’ve been told and tend to agree that this accident is a sign for me to slow down and not be as risky. Others think it may indicate my hunting days are over and for me to “let the kids do the hunting now.� I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I do know that this accident will change me somehow.
One obvious thing is that I have lost weight. It seems to be within my “ideal weight.� However, I do not recommend this weight loss program to anyone. There are less painful ways to drop the pounds.
I do have to mention that I am blessed with such a wonderful wife. Without her, I don’t know how I could have made it this far. I’m what one would call pretty helpless at the moment. Irene helps me in and out of the bed and wheelchair. She fixes and brings me my meals. She gives me an injection twice a day. She helps me get dressed. She does so much for me. It makes me feel guilty at times.
My parents also help out whenever I have a Dr. appointment or when Irene needs to go somewhere they get to “baby sit� me.
Life does have its ups and downs. Presently, my body is down, but soon enough I’ll be back up. Then it is up to the Dr. as to when I’ll be able to return to the Delta. Meantime, I’ll keep in touch now and then.

Have faith and live with it

12-25-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Merry Christmas and Happy almost New Year!
As another year comes to a close I again feel happy to have survived it. I haven’t experienced nearly as many death-defying adventures as I have in the past. My desire of knowingly tempting fate has drastically been reduced. My body’s limitations have become more pronounced recently and maybe – just maybe – I’ve grown a bit wiser.
Risk is a four-letter word that I had used quite often, but it has pretty much faded from my vocabulary. It has been replaced with two others - slow and easy. Life is better that way. I may not be able to literally stop and smell the roses in rural Alaska, but I do improvise. I pause now and then and smell whatever I want whenever I want to. It doesn’t take much time, especially when it is cold outside.
There is always something to do at work or home to keep me busy, but I’ve realized something after 46 years on God’s Green Earth. No matter how stressful or frustrating your work is you can’t get it all done in a day. It took God almost a week to finish project Earth. With the demands of our present society it is easy to get overwhelmed – and even harder to remember that you will get the important things done each day. Things do come together in the end, especially if you live on faith.
However, you need to prioritize your undertakings. For instance, the first item on God’s list when He tackled the impossible Earth Project was to turn the light on. It is still on. You just have to open your eyes.
Look around you and at first you will notice both bad and good. Now peer a bit closer and you can make out the good in everything. Sometimes emotions will blind your thinking and all you can do is dwell on the negative aspects of the situation and how it affects YOU without regards to others.
Take today, December 15, 2007, for example. I’m in Nunapitchuk chaperoning the Junior High Basketball Team. A few weeks ago, I had told the coach and site administrator that I would be happy to chaperone when needed. It turned out that this was the time and what did I do? I immediately thought of how my helping out would affect my schedule and my plans. My enthusiasm wasn’t very high, but then someone told me that if a certified teacher didn’t go, then the trip would be canceled. The other teachers had plans or didn’t want to go. I felt a bit guilty and agreed to go.
Now that I am here, all is good. I had never been to Nunapitchuk before, but have always wanted to. I’m glad I came. So yep, be careful of what you say. You have to live with it. It is like I tell my students, “You said it. It was your choice. So, quit whining and live with it.� It is good advice that I also need to remember.

I need a break

12-12-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Recently I’ve noticed that I am not the only one anticipating the Christmas Break. The students are also looking forward to the mid-year recouping period. We teachers are trying our utmost to get the kids to finish and/or make up their work as the semester comes to a close. Their young brains seem to be overloaded at times with schoolwork and excitement, but they still function rather well.
It isn’t easy for me to comprehend their energy. My ancient mind seems to fossilize now and then which gives them ample opportunity to flex their creativity and remind me that I am not as smart as I may think.
For instance last week we began incorporating a few Seasonal Crafts into the lessons to help the blah décor of the classroom. On one of the walls there are two old chalkboards separated by a narrow window. Using tape, a teacher aide covered the chalkboards with colorful paper and edged it with a stylish border.
Mid-week one of my students had finished his work and proceeded to color a design on a sheet of paper. When he was through he pointed to the papered wall and asked me if he could staple it up there. I was assisting another student at the time and without thinking I blurted, “Sure.�
A couple minutes later he called my attention to his success. His paper was stapled to the wooden trim of the window. Before I could ask him why he chose that particular spot he smiled and informed me that, despite what I thought, you can’t staple paper to a chalkboard.
There is also a large paper Christmas tree taking up a good portion of another chalkboard located on a second wall. The kids have been decorating it with hand made construction paper ornaments. At first they only cut out circular shapes and colored them. Then they progressed to gluing beads on the ornaments before taping them to the tree.
It was evident early on that the tape could only hold so much weight. The top of the “ornaments� would fall forward. It was only a matter of time before they fell off. It was time for Kip to come to the rescue.
I had remembered a trick that makes paper a bit sturdier and thought it might work. If the ornaments were not as flimsy then they would stick better. That was the theory. I squeezed some Elmer’s Glue in the center of a newly cut-out ornament, wet the index finger of my right hand, held the edges with two fingers of the left hand, and then with my the moist finger I spread the blob of glue all over it. The idea is that when the glue dries it will form a clear, waxy film. Thus, reinforcing the paper.
It looked like it would work until I pried my fingers from my sticky masterpiece. The thing immediately curled up. Apparently, glue contracts some when it dries. I can still hear them laughing at me. I didn’t understand it. I guess the teacher who showed me the process long ago knew some trick that she willingly did not care to share.
I had my shot. It was now the student’s turn to demonstrate her problem-solving skills. She finished another ornament, grabbed a glue stick, walked to the paper tree, rubbed some glue directly on the tree, and then pressed her ornament firmly on it.
Yep, after a week like that I feel a break is in order.

The Slanting Tundra Life

12-4-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Things change so much in our neck of the world. Nothing seems to stay on an even keel, including the tundra’s permafrost.
We, who choose to live in homes (or the end of a school building in my case) built on the ever-unstable tundra, know our residences sink and rise throughout the year. It is a given.
Presently, my “house� has sunk into the tundra a little on one end. I have to put 20 oz. bottles in the refrigerator door. Otherwise, they fall over if I place them on the shelf. Two closet doors are hard to open, but one storage room door doesn’t scrape the vinyl as much as it did in the fall. Although our dining table’s legs are loose, the table is pretty stable. I have it against a wall on the down slope of the house.
Cooking with a round skillet on a stove that tilts to the left is fun. Until recently, I had the skillet handle to my left. That put extra weight on the wrong side. I had to lift up on the handle a bit when frying food so the oil would be evenly distributed. This allowed me to use the whole skillet bottom to cook instead of only the left half. Then I got a bright idea. I turned skillet so the handle to on the right. The handle weight evens out the skillet enough so I don’t have to hold it at all.
Sometimes pipes freeze and rupture. Sometimes you are unable to unlock a deadbolt without lifting or pushing down on the doorknob as the seasons change. But there are also a few good things that are discovered while living the slanting tundra life.
Thanks to the snow you find air leaks – at least I do. After the storm I went to our back porch arctic entryway and saw snow inside. That itself isn’t a surprise. It happens. The odd part was that now I have more housework to do. The light in the arctic entry is not bright. I had done a “man cleaning� of the place (swept the floor) when I first arrived. Now, thanks to snow blown in, I am able to see the various spider webs above the door and in the ceiling corners. The snow adhered itself to the webs. It now looks like I have snow starfish living there. Now I have to sweep the walls and ceiling.
Although probably not possible, it would be nice for contractors to know which side a building will sink over time. Then they could adjust their construction accordingly. All the doors could be mounted to swing toward the inevitable slant. Refrigerators and such would be installed against the “lower wall.� Heck, maybe they could invent stove burners that can be adjusted to help the pots/pans stay level when cooking. These are just some thoughts on how to solve an unsolvable problem.
For now and probably the foreseeable future the tundra will continue to shift with the season temperatures, even during mid-season. Two weeks ago we experienced winter storms, freezing temperatures, and snow. Excitement was building in anticipation of driving a vehicle on an ice road to Bethel. I was getting used to which doors opened easily. Then last week it warmed up and rained. A good percentage of the snow is gone now and the river isn’t as frozen. I’m sure that has set peoples’ travel plans back a few weeks.
I’m not complaining at all, just stating a few facts of bush life. You have to be flexible and have a sense of humor living “out here� because things do change, sometimes pretty rapidly. So, be safe this winter/spring season.
(Be sure and check out Tundra Teacher Tales in paperback or e-book at www.booklocker.com/books/973.html. Also: Tundra Teacher Tales blog at www.tundrateachertales.blogspot.com).

Seasonal thoughts

11-26-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

I sure hope that your holiday season began with a large and delicious turkey on Thanksgiving and spending time with the ones you love. Did you put the shopping on the back burner – at least until the sales started – and actually talk to others during your family gatherings? Because a good, in-depth conversation affords you the opportunity to spread the joy of giving by letting people know exactly what you would like to receive.
Seriously though, the best gifts cannot be bought. They are free, never-ending, and very fulfilling. I’m referring to love and respect of your fellow neighbors. This includes the realization that everyone is different in his or her beliefs and personality, each have their own reasons for believing the way they do. However, sometimes things are taken too far.
Christmas vacations, feasts, and parties are now “Holiday� vacations, feasts, and parties. Celebrating the Birth of our Lord may be dwindling, but by golly the commercial aspect is still there. Exchange of gifts will take place as always. I’m not knocking the giving at all. I too take part in buying things for others and receiving gifts as well, but I do my best not to lose sight of what Christmas truly means to my family and me.
A recent article I ran read on the Internet centered on the objection of Santas using the phrase, “Ho, Ho, Ho.� Apparently, it seems that some people have the idea that the young kids who sit on Santa’s lap will immediately think that Santa is referring to prostitutes when he says, “Ho, Ho, Ho.� Instead, it was suggested that they use “ha, ha, ha� in place of “Ho, Ho, Ho.� I guess they figure it is better to laugh at kids (ha, ha, ha) than speak the universally recognized “Ho, Ho, Ho� which, by the way, is an interjection used to express joy or surprise.
I’ve seen articles that are banning Christmas cards in schools. It deals mostly with the religious aspect of cards, but one school came up with a lame reason. They said that it was best for the kids to make one big card together. That way kids don’t “waste paper on lots of little ones.� Thus, they are saving trees and doing their environmental duty. I think that one big impersonalized card would use just as much paper as several small personal, loving, expressive cards addressed and given to the ones they love.
There are other things that are stir controversy, but none more than when religion, politics, and money come into play. Christmas time seems to incorporate all three of them. That makes it a hot and vulnerable topic.
Christmas is considered a holiday and people celebrate this time of year in various ways. If someone wishes to display crosses and manger scenes around their home or have a menorah in full view, then that is their right. We don’t have to conform or change our ways. If a person does not wish to take part in a school play or eat certain foods that is also their right. Let’s not judge or punish personal beliefs that are perfectly legal.
It is impossible to make everyone happy. I’ve tried for years. The impossible is apparently built into my character, as I will most likely continue trying to please everyone. However, in doing so I won’t compromise my personal beliefs – and I don’t expect others to either.
This is still America and whether you agree or not, it will always be a Nation that was founded under God. We have (and He allows us) the freedom to believe or not believe in a higher power. So let us keep the freedom and not impose policies and laws that hinder our inalienable rights.

Yep - Winter is Here

11-23-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

It looks like winter is finally here. Although it took a while this year, the signs of an impending winter have been around for a few weeks.
The boats have been out of the river for a while. But that didn’t stop subsistence gathering. I’ve witnessed people fishing through what seemed like very thin ice. There was one dedicated man I noticed almost daily ice fishing. One day he sat on what looked like an overturned bucket on the ice jigging for fish while water flowed down the open center of the river. A few days later there was a net strung under the ice. Around the same time it looked like he was standing on water. Apparently he was standing in a few inches of overflow fishing again.
As the temperature began to drop and others began venturing on the thinly frozen river to try their luck, I wondered and asked, “Why the rush to gather food? They would have all winter to fish.�
I found out that this particular river in this area freezes solid. You can’t fish it in the dead of winter unless you are fishing for river bottom. People have to travel a few miles to fish. When that happens I just might feel comfortable enough to walk out on the “river.�
Another sign that winter had arrived is the ability for people to travel across the tundra by snow machine or even four wheelers. Add the holiday season celebrations and it is good for villages. Instead of only attracting the local population and people with enough money to pay for a flight to the various events, people from surrounding villages are able to make the trip and enjoy the festivities rather inexpensively. Several people can pile into a sled pulled by a snow machine and the fuel cost can be split between them. That leaves funds for a good time and brings in more attendees. It is a good thing for all.
The ability to make runs to the trash dump is another item worth mentioning. I’m not exactly sure where the dump is for Atmautluak, but I’ve heard it is up river and then a good walk from the shore. Spring, summer, and fall you have to put the trash in a boat and then haul it over the tundra to the dump. It isn’t an easy job when the river is open and quite impossible when the river is in the process of freezing up. Therefore, the trash had been piling up for a couple of weeks. Not anymore. The trash has now been taken to the dump cross-tundra style.
Hunting large game is simpler during the winter months. Hunters can put all their gear in a sled and head out. When they wish to make camp they just stop and set up. They can also pull right up to a catch and not have to pack the animal out on foot. It is convenient, easier, and usually more productive.
Winter does bring its share of difficulties. No season is exempt from their share of difficulties. I don’t carry a whole slew of emergency items on my person (except when traveling), but I do like to have a lighter and a flashlight with me at all times. The lighter comes in handy if locks are frozen. The flashlight is good for the short winter days. They do tend to be of use.
Almost daily you see or hear someone banging on a snow machine or four-wheeler. It is a given that bearings, axles, tracks, or the like will freeze up at some point. The best way to loosen them is hitting the area with a heavy tool like a hammer. Most of the time it works without damaging the equipment, but guys like fixing things that way whether it does the trick or not.
Yep, winter is among us. Let’s all be safe and look out for one another.

Lore Learning

11-13-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

The other day we were clearing Yup’ik books and materials off a shelving unit in my classroom. The items were being moved to one of the Yup’ik First Language rooms in another building. During the ruckus one of the special education aids found a few copies of a very interesting and enlightening book. She set them on my desk to show me.
I immediately picked one up and thumbed through it.
You old-timers may remember the work and even may have had a hand in putting the book together. I think it is fantastic. It is titled, “Yup’ik Lore – Yuut Qanemciit, Oral Traditions of an Eskimo People – Yupiit Cayaraita Qanrutkumallrit.�
The copies are blue, hard back, first editions published by the Lower Kuskokwim School District in 1981. The books are filled with over 250 pages of stories collected by Bethel Regional High School Students between 1975 and 1980. The students had taped Elders from Bethel and surrounding villages as they told stories of Eskimo history, culture, customs, Eskimo know-how, myths, legends, and plain short stories. These were then collected, transcribed and organized in a book. “Yupik Lore…� appeals to kass’aqs as well as natives; even numbered pages are written in Yupik while the odd numbered pages have the English translation. You open the book and have the same information in two languages. Not bad.
As always, if one takes the time to listen – really listen – to an Elder a lot can be learned about how generations survived in the unforgiving bush. The book is interesting. Below are some things that were written and what I learned.
I now know how to get rid of a ghost by placing my hand on its head and with only the weight of my arm to push it into the ground. If I use any force the ghost will just pop back up. Hope I never have to use this.
Spears, bows, and arrows were the way to catch game at one time. It was more physical and intricate than using a gun. I’d starve.
Aged urine was used to wash clothes. Then they’d rinse them with water. It stated that “They got just as clean as if they had been washed in soapy water.�(p. 135)
Of course fur and skin clothing and footwear was all the rage at the time. In fact, it was the only style of the day, and for good reason. I own a hat made from beaver fur. My head has sweated when I’ve worn it outside in 20 below weather.
Food was scarce, but more nutritious in those days. People were careful not to waste food. It was a huge chore to go out and fish, trap, and hunt to feed a family. Things changed. The “…diet now includes white man’s food, (and people) act as if they don’t have to be too careful about food� because “Today people act as though everything were readily available to them…� (p. 111). I believe there is truth in that statement.
A neat winter survival tip I learned on page 139 was that if you fall through the ice and into water then “dip your hat or mitten in the water and then slam it hard on the ice. When it stuck to the ice (you) could use it for support and get yourself out.� The writing also advised to drink urine to warm you or someone else up that is freezing.
These are only a few of the many, many tricks of the Eskimo captured forever in a superb book. There is so much more information hiding in the pages. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but will. The trick for this kass’aq is to remember the valuable advice if I ever need it.

Voc. Ed. in Atmau

11-6-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

It is difficult for a lot of the schools in rural Alaska to offer vocational programs. Buildings and equipment are expensive and qualified vocational teachers are at times hard to find, but now and then luck can be on the side of education.
Thanks to a grant a vocational instructor is “making the rounds� to a few villages in LKSD. I’m not exactly sure how the particular schools were chosen. All I know is that Atmautluak was one of them and will have a vocational program until around Thanksgiving.
Driver’s Education and Small Engine Repair will be offered. Originally, welding was to be offered as well. The students were to learn the trade using a simulator, but there was a problem getting the machine to Atmautluak. That is okay. If you can get two out of three things accomplished in the bush you are doing good.
The courses will not be based on the hours a student spends in a classroom as semester-based subjects are, but rather to receive high school credit one has to master the objectives of the class. Technically, they are like the district’s phase system – a type of standards-based curriculum.
These vocational opportunities will not take away from a student’s daily class schedule. It will only add to it. They are offered in the evenings and on Saturdays. This will also help the students be responsible and follow through on their decision. Oh, and I hear a few adults in the community would like to take part in Driver’s Ed. I assume they will have the chance. However, I don’t think I will be one of them.
As it is, people who have had the pleasure of riding with me while I’m behind the wheel probably wonder how I even survive when I’m driving by myself. They are not with me watching where I’m going (or to tell me where to go).
When I do have passengers, they usually have the seatbelt tight, hands securely gripped on the door handle or dashboard, and their eyes are looking out for me (or them?). I continue to be in awe at how large a person’s eyes can get and how much stress a heart can take. Anyway, I’d hate to sit through the class and be reminded of all my faults. For me, I don’t see the point. Besides, my license is still valid. Why mess that up?
I’m not sure if adults will be allowed to go through the Small Engine repair course. I didn’t ask. Maybe I should. Although I wouldn’t be the teacher, the students could learn a lot by having me work on an engine – mainly how not to fix it.
To say I’ll probably keep my distance from the classes and not be nosey would be like…well…lying. I know I won’t be able to resist checking out the equipment and engines, but I’ll try to keep in mind what my wife tells me when we go shopping. Whenever we enter a store “just to browse� that has items displayed on open shelves she states with a loving smile, “Look, but don’t touch anything.� She is keenly aware of how well coordinated I can be.
In regards to the small engine repair class - if I were to touch one of the engines that needed repair, I’d probably total it. It can happen with me and that’s no lie.

Halloween Happenings

10-31-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Happy Halloween Everyone!
Each new village I move to has their own way of recognizing this scary time. I hadn’t really thought about what would be going on that day, but leave it to the students to remind me.
A week or so ago I noticed some Halloween artwork displayed in classrooms and the hallways. I began to feel my students were left out and it was my fault. Therefore, I started planning some activities that would bring my classroom up to par with the others.
Soon there were a few things on the wall. That was a beginning.
The next day a couple of my students asked me, in as few words as humanly possible, “What you Halloween?� I said, “What.� They repeated, “What you Halloween?� Again, I responded, “What?� It wasn’t that I couldn’t hear them; I wanted to make sure my almost deaf ears were listening correctly. I resorted to asking one of the teacher aides what they had said. She told me they had said, “What you Halloween?� I’ll never learn to just keep my mouth shut. Finally I got what they were asking. Translation: do I have a costume and what is it? You gotta love their vocabulary. I do.
I told them that I was born in my costume and grew scarier over the years. That got a laugh, but it didn’t satisfy them. In reality I had no idea. I wasn’t planning on wearing a costume. So, I guess I’ll go to school dressed as a teacher on Halloween. That will teach them.
At a staff meeting last week the issue of a Halloween Carnival was on the agenda. We had wondered what, if anything, would take place. From my understanding (which I hope is right) the Atmautluak Tribal Council will host a costume and a pumpkin-carving contest amid some games and other activities at the school. There isn’t a door-to-door trick or treat. Instead, the whole community gathers in the school gym after the event and forms a line. Everyone goes down the line with a bag to trick or treat. Each person puts something in the bag. It sounds good and I would imagine keeps safety in check and gets everyone home at a reasonable hour.
One of the new teachers asked how many would be there? We were told that there could be 200 – 250 people. I immediately wondered to myself if I had enough candy, but that thought was put to rest when another teacher spoke. Apparently others were thinking the same thing. He suggested that you be one of the first to go through the line collecting goodies. Then you simply stand back in line and hand out the candy that you got. He provided us with a good laugh and solved my problem in the process.
I’m looking forward to experiencing this community’s way of celebrating Halloween. However, November 1st is a school day and the buildings will be full of kids on a “sugar high.� Am I a happy camper about that? You bet – because I’ll be on the same high. It will be sweet!

First Trip as Coach Kip

10-23-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

This year I volunteered to coach the school speech teams. The whole junior high speech “team� (consisting of one student) and I recently returned from a district competition in Bethel. It was my first time as Coach Kip, but the student’s third year competing.
The trip went really well. It helps when the student you are responsible for is himself a responsible, respectable young man. Some people (yes, even teenagers) are trustworthy.
During the coach’s meeting at the LKSD district office my “team� hung around and visited with friends from other villages in the lobby. We then located a quiet place for him to practice his speech for there was a lot of competition.
Roughly 150 students from 18 or so villages were entered in the various English and Yup’ik speech categories (Humorous, Expository, Dramatic, etc), all vying for first place in their group. The competition consisted of four rounds spread over a couple of days. During the first three rounds the students performed their speeches in front of two judges behind closed doors.
The judges used a rubric to score the students and only the ones who scored in the top third in each category moved on to the third round. Then the field is narrowed down to only a few. They proceed to the final forth round where they perform their speeches one more time in front of judges AND an audience of students and coaches. This round determines who places first, second, etc.
My “whole� team had made it to the third round and he was happy. He told me that it was the furthest he had gotten in any of the competitions he had entered. He may not have made the final round, but his attitude sure earned him first place in my book. From the beginning, he didn’t wish ill will on anyone – only the best.
A couple hours after the final round there was an awards ceremony complete with a pizza dinner. It was followed by a dance at Bethel Regional High School – a dance so different than I remember when I was their age.
I recall that the males were on one side of the room and the females on the other. The dance floor separated the two genders. The males spent their time trying to get the nerve to go ask a female to dance while the females would gently sway to the music wishing for an invite to dance. Eventually, most would find himself or herself on the dance floor with a partner. However, there were some people by the end of the night that didn’t dance at all. They went to the dance, stood around, and then went home. Believe me, I know.
Of course the coaches and other adults chaperoned and monitored the entrances to ensure a safe environment for the event. That wasn’t any different, but the dance was. People congregated on the benches and couches socializing while others danced – with whomever or went to the dance floor alone and had at it. If they wanted to dance they simply would. If they chose to socialize, that was fine too. It didn’t matter. I was in awe and somewhat envious of their carefree attitude. They attended the dance to have fun and by golly they did.
In mid November I, as coach and the male chaperone, along with a female chaperone will escort the high school speech team to Bethel for their competition. The only difference with this trip is the team is coed, but I’m not worried. The team members have shown me through their actions that they respect each other and authority, rules, and policy.
I’m looking forward to accompanying the high school team of young men and women from Joann Alexie Memorial School in Atmautluak to Bethel for their speech competition. It should go just as smoothly.

Time for School

10-17-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

The first quarter of the school year is coming to a close. It is a time to reflect on what the students and I have learned and what skills should be addressed again. Because in life you will make mistakes and not understand some things that happen.
Ready? Let’s go to school. Below are today’s schedule, objectives and synopsis of what will be covered. Classes begin now.
Period 1: Government – Fairness/Equal Distribution of Funds
For the second year in a row our school met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as set forth in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. This dropped us back to a level zero. We are good to go now. Although it isn’t required to make a School Improvement Plan, it was done anyway. Writing down and working toward goals works, so why stop now?
The government recognized and rewarded our achievement by taking away thousands of dollars from the budget. That will put a damper on the very programs that helped us get knocked off the school improvement list. We are expected to continue the upward rise in test scores without the money. Makes sense – government wise.
Period 2: Science – Effects of the Weather
When it is a warm day some students seem lethargic. They are tired and it takes some encouraging to get them on task.
However, wake up to cold temperatures and you have kids that are full throttle. They are constantly on the move. I assume they are trying to stay warm.
Period 3: Mathematics - Time
The art of telling time should be reviewed, as some students only know portions of hours and minutes through the day. They don’t have a problem with knowing how late they stayed up before going to bed or how little sleep they had. They have also mastered knowing when a class is over, when breakfast and lunch start, the exact time school is let out for the day, and when any extra-curricular activity they may participate in begins.
What should be emphasized for some are the times that classes start so they are not tardy.
Lunch-30 minutes (most eat within ten)
Period 4 – History
We all know that history is the past. The students know that too. What we may want to do is to let them in on the old saying that, “History repeats itself.�
If you wore a light jacket last year when it was 25 degrees and you were cold all day, then the same will happen again unless you dress more appropriately. If you run on a slick boardwalk you will eventually fall down. If you push another person, they will push back. If you don’t do your assignments, you will not get good grades - and so on.
Period 5-Language Arts
Although frustrating to learn at first, reading and writing are a necessity. You will use these skills until you die and in everything you do. To get a driver’s license you need to know how to read road signs and the written test. Purchase a certain candy bar or pop requires reading. To hook up a dish receiver cable you should know how to read the connection labels.
Writing has changed. As a teacher I find that what is acceptable grammatically now wasn’t when I learned. The present generation was raised with technology from birth are bilingual. True English is their second language. Their first language seems to be Email Lingo/slang comprised of mostly short acronyms.
Period 6 – Elective – Free Choice
Yes, times have changed. It seems as though anything to save a second and/or make it easier to multi-task is now acceptable. Do I feel out of touch? Sometimes. Do I wish to dramatically alter my ways to “conform?� Not really. It is their generation.
Our generation grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s. We too were misunderstood and even shunned by some in the generation that proceeded us. It is a fact of life. The best lesson we can teach is to respect others’ differences, and pursue your own dreams. It is your life. - Your choice.

Getting Used to Me

10-9-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

One of the things I was told when I took the job in Atmautluak that there is a TV satellite dish that the teachers can tap into. All we’d have to do is run cable to our home, get a receiver, order programming, and pay our own bill. That eliminates any misconceptions or bill discrepancies. It is fair and logical. Not a bad deal.
A couple of weeks ago it was time to run a cable to my house. We (meaning the site administrator while I watched) first drilled a hole through the outside wall and inserted a co axle cable. Then “we� put an end on the cable. The site administrator (SA) went outside to connect the cable leaving me to attach the other end to the satellite receiver.
We tested it, but couldn’t get a signal.
Thinking the cable was bad; we found another cable to try. After we switched them we went into my house. He put a new end on the cable, crimped it and then began to connect it to the back of the receiver. At that time I chose to open my big mouth without thinking. As I watched him attach the cable to the back of the receiver I happened to say something like, “We didn’t have it there last time. We put it here,� I said pointing to a different outlet.
I thought he was going to faint. I thought about it myself. He kindly explained that I had put the first cable where a TV Antennae should go and that the connection with the word “Satellite� written by the satellite symbol was where the satellite cable goes.
He connected the cable in its rightful place and we gave it a shot - still no signal. The SA then went to his house and hooked up the cable to an unused splitter.
Back in my house we saw the familiar bright red line on the TV screen meaning no signal. Then he pushed a button on the remote and it worked. We were only picking up the odd numbered transponders, but at least we figured the cable was okay. He explained that for some reason that splitter won’t allow even numbered transponders. That is why they don’t use it. But, he had an idea to take care of the situation.
I was going to Bethel soon so he asked me to pick up another cable. At the present we were using two different lengths of cable to go to a main junction box where all housing cables begin. He told me to get one long enough to go all the way to the main junction box. Using one long cable instead of two would be better. I measured the distance and phoned in the cable order so it would be ready.
Apparently, I heard “new cable,� but not “main junction box.� I came back with enough to run the same way we had run the other two. Thanks to me the SA’s brilliant idea became void. But, at least we had a new cable to run halfway.
While we were at it, the SA logically decided to go ahead and run three cables to take care of all the housing. That way we only had to do it once. He found and tested three cables. They all worked beautifully. Two of them were the ones we had originally strung to my house. It wasn’t my place to say anything, but I couldn’t resist. I laughed and told him, “It will take you a while to get used to me.�
He didn’t dispute that fact.
After installing the new cable to my house and running the other three cables it was time to test my receiver again. We were in front of my TV looking at the familiar bright red line showing no signal.
We were at a loss on why nothing was working and the SA was heading off to go hunting. He showed me where he connected all the cables and basically said he would leave me with it to figure it out. Talk about faith. With my help it had only taken us four hours to do an hour job – unsuccessfully.
Nevertheless, he left to go kill something leaving me to scratch my bald head. I guess I needed a good scratching because I ended up figuring it out. I don’t know how I did it, but I got a good signal to my house and also a neighbor’s. My all-afternoon hour job was done.
Maybe one theory to my success is that I am used to me and know how to handle myself.

A Friend’s Passing

10-2-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

I had a column in the making, but it will have to wait for another time. I just got word that a friend of mine, Alexie Nicholai, passed away this morning, September 28, 2007. He was around my age.
The odd thing is that I was just talking about him to someone this afternoon while waiting at the airport in Bethel to catch a flight back from a CPR training I attended.
Now, I’m not going to write about thinking of my own mortality. We all do that from time to time. Rather, I’d like to reminisce a bit about Alexie.
I first met Alexie when I was site administrator in Oscarville from 2000-2003. He was the maintenance man at school and as far as I know he still held that position. He’d work hard and make sure things were running smoothly. All the while he’d be upbeat and have the attitude that he could fix anything. Generally, he could.
People say it is best to keep boss/employee relationship as it is and not grow into friendship. That has always been one of my weak spots and it has brought so many good people in my life. Our friendship grew. He’d invite me to steams, rescued me when I did something dumb, and gave me the confidence to travel by snow machine to Bethel on the frozen river or tundra.
Since Oscarville doesn’t have an airport one has to either cross the river to Napaskiak and catch a flight or use the river to get places. After winter sets in you can travel on the tundra. However, during freeze up or break-up the river is basically closed – or so I thought.
Alexie and others who grew up in the area would somehow make it to Bethel during those times. He casually explained it to me one time, “You (Gussaks) are stuck. We (natives) are never stuck.�
He also taught me that distance is seen differently between the cultures. Getting from point A to point B may be “within walking distance� or “just right over there� to him, but it could be three miles.
Alexie would use the term “a bit� frequently. “I’ll be there in a bit,� is one thing I remember. I use the word “bit� often now. It can refer to five minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. No one knows and that is what makes it great. If no one can put a time limit to “bit�, then you can’t hold a person accountable for not being on time.
Even though I haven’t run into him for a few years the memories have always been there. Alexie may not have known how he touched our lives and left an impression, but I believe he does now.
One day we will all meet our demise. No one knows when that time will be. It can be five minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. So to Alexie I say, “I’ll see you in a bit. You may not be within walking distance, but you are just right over there.�
Irene and I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family to Alexie Nicholai. They will always be in our thoughts and prayers.

My Blooming Flower

9-25-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

“I never win anything,� I complained to the guy sitting next to me as I wrote my name on a ticket and dropped it in the container with the rest of the entries. We were at a special education inservice in Bethel and I was about to swallow that sentence.
My name was the first one drawn and I got to go pick a door prize from the many on a table. All of them were wrapped and a triangular package caught my eye. It was flimsy when I picked it up, but I have always been told, “Your first choice is usually right.�
Remembering that line I proudly walked back to my seat knowing I made the right decision. Then I tore off the wrapping and unfolded a fuzzy, green, plastic, blow-up flower with a clear back and a suction cup in the center.
I figured you blow the thing up making it look like it was in bloom, moisten the suction cup, and stick it on a window. Now, when I put stuff in or on a window it is to show the item to those outside. If I did that to my flower only those indoors would get the whole blooming affect.
I took a couple of pictures and sent them to my wife. She didn’t seem all that interested in keeping my beautiful flower. Then I emailed another teacher who had won not one, but two door prizes. Her reply basically said that “it would bring out (or get me in touch with) my feminine side.� That was all I needed.
There had to be something more to it. I’d have to ask people and actually show it to them to find out. I could have simply wrote a short email to the special education department for an explanation of my fabulous prize, but that didn’t occur to me until now when I got to this point in my column.
The flower rested comfortably out of sight in a closed file drawer for a few days. Every time I opened the drawer I’d see it and wonder what it’s purpose was. I couldn’t very well give it away if I didn’t know. Besides, I might want to hang on to it if I found out it had a useful function.
An answer came during a meeting at school. I don’t recollect how the subject came up and now I don’t care, but I ended up showing the flower to the group. After a few laughs I got a surprise. I came away with a logical explanation. Someone told me that it might be a bath pillow. I could stick it on the edge of the tub and rest my head on it. Now the fuzzy, green, plastic, blow-up pillow had a use – and it was mine.
I’ll have to try it. A nice, long, hot bath (minus my feminine side) will probably feel good.

Here’s some Good News

9-18-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Through the years I’ve been in the Kuskokwim Delta I have lived in, visited, or just seen from the airport several villages and school sites in LKSD. They are Oscarville, Napaskiak, Napakiak, Akula, Akiuk, Nunapitchuk, Atmautluak, Chefornak, Kongiganak, Kwigillingok, Newtok, Nightmute, Toksook Bay, Tununak, Tuntutuliak, Mekoryuk, Kilbuck, and Bethel Regional High School.
Others like Kwethluk, Eek, Kipnuk, Quinhagak I have only seen from the air while flying to other villages. Then there are the two that I’ve heard a lot about and have wanted to visit – Goodnews Bay and Platinum.
September 7, 2007 I was presented with a last minute opportunity to accompany the Atmautluak Cross Country team to Goodnews Bay for a meet. The planes would pick them up in thirty minutes. I didn’t think twice and was ready to go in fifteen. The planes arrived were on Bush time. They landed about forty-five minutes late. That was fine with me. I was still going.
It was a windy, turbulent take-off, but after we got a few hundred feet in the air it was a pretty smooth ride. I sat in front. It is neat up there and I can watch the radar and see where we are in relation to our destination.
About an hour later the mountains came into view. I glanced at the radar and to me it looked like we were veering off course. Being a nosey person and knowing that the pilot has the training and license I asked him why we seemed to be “off course.� I can’t remember his exact words, but it boiled down to avoiding the unpredictable winds that whip around the mountains. It worked for me.
A few minute later we landed. As we climbed out of the plane the wind and rain met us face-on. We quickly threw our luggage in a waiting SUV and were driven to the school. After we got settled and ate dinner I investigated the school, met their new staff and visited with the ones I knew who were still working there. Before long it was lights out for me.
The next morning we were greeted with a wonderful breakfast and time to spare before the Cross Country meet would begin. While the teams and coaches walked the course, I decided to check out the village, beginning with the store.
I hadn’t got far from the school when a villager offered me a ride. Again, I didn’t have to think twice and hopped on his four-wheeler.
The store in Goodnews Bay was impressive. It had such a great variety of items. I could have easily gone broke, but I restrained myself.
After checking out the store I slowly walked back to the school snapping digital pictures along the way. It didn’t take much imagination to see how beautiful the place is when the rain and clouds are gone and the sun is shining.
The Cross Country competition began around noon. I’m glad the kids were running and not I. The course’s route took them up and down two mountains, to the airport, by the shore, and back to the starting line. I think it was around 2 miles. I got tired just watching them.
Soon afterwards it was time to get ready to catch our flight back. It was one time that I kind of wished we had gotten weathered in. There was more I wanted to see and do in Goodnews Bay. I didn’t have the chance to walk the whole village or the beach. Neither was I able to see Platinum due to the low clouds.
Maybe I’ll get to go back to Goodnews Bay at some point. Maybe I won’t. At least I have the memories and a few pictures. I can reminisce and think about it – probably more than twice.
(Tundra Teacher Tales is available in paperback or an immediate E-book download. Go to www.booklocker.com/books/973.html. Also check out www.tundrateachertales.blogspot.com if your little ole heart desires).

First Bethel boat trip

9-11-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

It is a fact that one’s survival rate in Bush Alaska not only depends on the weather and other factors beyond your control, but also the company you choose to have an adventure with.
Last week I got the opportunity to go from Atmautluak to Bethel by boat. It turned out to be a nice trip with splendid company and an alert, safe driver. Quite opposite than if I were at the helm.
We met at the boat about 11:30AM on September 1st. I was bundled in my winter coat, as it was the coldest day so far since I arrived. Having told them I didn’t have a life vest, they were gracious enough to supply one for me.
I got into the boat, picked up the life vest, put my arms through it, breathed in and managed to clip the top strap. With my heavy coat underneath it was a bit tight, but would have to work.
From the air the river resembles a snake forever making an “S.� It looks the same from a boat. We were constantly turning left or right on the surprisingly smooth water. I was told it takes about an hour-and-a-half to get to Bethel and we enter the Kuskokwim at Napakiak.
That turned out to be about right. It took a little longer to get to the big city of Bethel, but we had four adults and three kids in the boat. We also had the pleasure of a small rain shower between Napakiak and Oscarville.
The driver slowed down a moment while we unfolded a tarp and put it over us. Then he throttled up and left us to fight the thing to keep it down and not have it blow out of the boat. But we were staying dry.
After docking at the Brown Slough we went shopping. I lugged my box full of food to the boat stopping a few times to set it down and rest my arms. A short time later the others showed up. We loaded all the groceries, piled into the boat, put on our life vests, and sat down.
The ride back was different – at least from my observation. Within thirty minutes the kids were asleep. The youngest one caught my eye. His mom laid him on his back with half his body on her soft backpack. As he was drifting off to nautical dreamland his left arm would raise up whenever we bounced over the wake of a passing boat. Then slowly fall down again. His eyes never opened. Before long it ended and his arm stayed put. He was out along with the other two kids.
Atmautluak came into view about 5:30PM. We had made it back without getting lost, breaking down, or sinking. It may have had something to do with me being the furthest from the engine.
I thanked them for letting me tag along thinking it would be the end of their kindness. I was wrong.
Not only did they refuse my offer to pay for some of the gas while we were in Bethel, they even put my box of groceries on their four-wheeler and delivered it to my house. Someday I will figure out how to repay them.

New School Year Obstacles

9-5-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

Every year I, as with many teachers, look back at the end of the first couple weeks of school and wonder how I survived. Not that there are 30 kids to a classroom in rural Alaska like some urban schools, but there are unique obstacles to overcome in isolated villages.
Therefore, I made a short list addressing a few problems and offering my expert advice based on personal experience. It is far from complete, but here it is in its non-entirety.
First, don’t sweat. I mean it. A daily bath isn’t always guaranteed. Especially, if a water pipe broke the day before school starts and you have to haul water from the river each day for three days. That was a bummer. I sweated carrying five-gallon buckets of water. A shower was in order, but couldn’t do it without running water.
Instead, I relied on my vast bush experiences to get me through this dreadful time. My solution was to pour the river water in a wash pail (large plastic salad/serving bowl in my case), set it in the bath tub, get in the tub and give myself a steam bath wash without the steam. The Westerner term would be “sponge bath.� It’s cold and you may feel like a penguin after a refreshing swim, but at least you won’t stink up your classroom.
However, there is the issue of clean clothes. I got lucky. Only had to hand wash under clothes one time. I was down to my last shirt and jeans when the water line was fixed.
Secondly, be sure to draft a preliminary class schedule. If teaching Special Education like yours truly, be aware that it will change – several times. I had to consider the other teachers’ schedules and disrupt their day as little as possible. I’d say I’m on my tenth draft by now, but perfection comes with practice.
Thirdly (and in theory) you should get a good night’s sleep to begin each day alert and ready to take on the daunting task of teaching. In reality, sleep may only be a short snooze and alertness can be faked depending on the strength of the coffee. It depends on the individual.
Fourth, know your students’ names. Connect them with faces - their face. Kids are pretty forgiving and politely tell you their real name when you get their names wrong. But there is a limit. I’ve noticed the limit of forgiveness for calling someone by a different name is around four times. After that it is best not to attempt the name of the student. Kick back a while. Either someone will call the nameless student by his/her name, or they will hand in their assignment with their name printed on it. It works pretty well unless they speak and write their name in Yup’ik.
The fifth and final thing I’d like to address about the beginning of a school year is have some sort of organization for remembering things. I try to write items in my planner or on the small note pad I carry in my pocket. I spend the first few minutes of the day compiling the information into one daily list. Then I rip out the used note pad sheet(s), throw them away, and begin my day.
Just make sure that you have transferred all the information you need before tossing them in the trash. That way you don’t have to think of something else when you get to the “fifth and final thing� in your column.

Prodigal Teacher has returned
Tundra Teacher Tales

8-28-07

by Kip Layton Jr.

It has been two years since I wrote Tundra Teacher Tales from the Kuskokwim Delta, but I’ve returned and I am teaching in Atmautluak. The journey back to LKSD turned out like it usual – from speedy and stressy to slow and relaxed.
Within ten days (while in Texas) I inquired about a job with LKSD, was hired, mailed some boxes, and was on my way north. When I got to Anchorage the speed of life went down a gear. I still did a bit of shopping and shipping of the items from Anchorage, but there was no rush. And you know what? I still got it all done with time to spare.
Then, as usual, the pace slowed quite a bit more when I landed in Bethel with a list of things to do before going to Atmautluak. With what little time I had, I didn’t think I would get it done, but somehow I did. Now I’m in the village where the word speed doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary. It is a nice change.
When I made reservations with Hageland they had told me that the Atmautluak flight leaves at 5:00PM. We left at 4:50PM. “That’s cool,� I thought, “It is only 18 miles away. I’ll be there by the time we were scheduled to leave in the first place.�
I got to quit thinking.
We’d been in the air a few minutes when I spotted a village on the tundra. As we flew over it I turned around to the native lady sitting behind me and asked, “What village is that?�
“Atmautluak,� was her response.
“Thanks,� and I turned back around.
It turns out that the airline’s regular route does take you to Atmautluak, but after it stops Kasigluk and Nunapitchuk first. Their route is plainly printed in this paper and elsewhere. I should read more.
Oh well, I got to Atmautluak at 5:45pm. Found out that the store closes at 6:00pm. The Site Administrator told me to run down to the store if I needed to, pointed to where I’d be staying, and said that he and the airline agent would unload my luggage. That was nice.
After the store I got my keys and headed home. Then I opened the front door.
The place I am staying in was a teacher’s house for a time, but was used as a classroom last year. I guess you could have called it a “School House.�
It was basically a classroom with a kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, storage room with a chest freezer, and a small back room with a full bed set. However, within a few days the classroom materials, metal desk, work tables, white board, etc. were out and it took on a homely look with some furniture and a queen bed.
There is only one thing missing – a wall. The house had two bedrooms, but they took out one wall for the classroom. So when you enter the house you see our bedroom. It is like an efficiency apartment with a back room. That is okay. A new wall will be built soon. You can’t have everything at once out here.
The most convenient thing is that my “house� is located at the end of an older school building. My classroom is right next-door. All I do is open my door, walk two steps and open the classroom door. I don’t even have to go outside. Perfect for the occasional blizzard.
Like always when one makes a fast move their packages don’t tend to do the same. Therefore, I borrowed a pot, pan, and sleeping bag from other teachers to get by. After a week, I am down to just the sleeping bag. A few boxes had arrived, seven haven’t. In them are sheets, a shower curtain, and other things, but it is now home for a while. I had packed a large and small towel in my luggage so I wouldn’t have to drip dry after a bath (remember, no shower curtain) or dry my hands on my pants.
So far I am enjoying Atmautluak, the people, students, and staff. The post office and one of the stores is within a hundred yards or so of the school. It’s not a bad deal and when Irene (my wife if you forgot) arrives, all will be good.
Meantime, I’ll just keep busy teaching and writing.

Adios

by Kip Layton, Jr.

It is time.

This is it.

I am writing my last column for The Delta Discovery while living in the Kuskokwim Delta. After seven years with LKSD, it is time to move on. Following our summer stint in Texas and a July Las Vegas vacation, we are off to the small community of Clarks Point. It is one of Southwest Region School District’s sites and is situated in the Bristol Bay Region.

During my tenure with the Lower Kuskokwim School District, we have lived in three different villages. All of them unique in their own way. We will carry with us so many memories, experiences, and lessons about living life on the tundra. I wrote about the coastal village of Newtok when we left for Oscarville in 2000. In May 2003, we said good-bye to Oscarville and hello to Kwigillingok, another village inches from the ocean.

Now it is time to bid farewell to Kwigillingok and its residents. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The people and students are great. We will miss everyone.

We’ve been told that they will miss us also. In fact, several people have asked me, “What would it take to get you to stay?” It is a good feeling to know that we apparently touched peoples’ hearts enough for them say such nice things.

They also showed their appreciation and love in other ways.

Irene and I were given a hand made book titled “Kwigillingok School and Living” by Kwig 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders, 2005. It consisted of colored drawings of Irene and I in our house, me going to the steam and flying away, the school, my office, and other things that went with the title. I will cherish it forever.

During the graduation ceremonies, the Valedictorian included something I had once told him in his speech. It was a line that I didn’t think had that much impact, but when you are in the education field sometimes you have to simply and bluntly tell it like it is without a bunch of hoopla. I said, “Do you want to graduate? Then get to work.”

He remembered and excelled. Things like that make me proud.

I had a speech in my back pocket in case I was asked to speak. That didn’t happen, but they did briefly put me in the spotlight of the ceremonies. One of the men that frequently steams at the same steam house I do called me up to the podium. He presented me with a Certificate of Maqinertuli — Certificate of Hottest Steamer: Kip Layton.

The certificate was perfectly designed. The background was a fire red on top fading to a hot orange and then to a warm yellow glow on the bottom. There was a picture of the steam house on the left and one of me stuffing my face at lunch on the right. Centered below the pictures are the words:

From: Kwig Steamers

Alvin Jimmie, King

Tommy Andrew

William Igkurak

Peter Jimmie

Ben Daniel

Owen Lewis

All I could say was Thank you, smile, and hold it up for all to see. I will definitely miss steaming with the Kwig Steamers.

I didn’t get to hunt and fish as much as I would have liked while here, but the weather and personal schedules don’t always jive. Although I did go bird hunting last year and experienced dip netting on a frozen river this last winter.

It has been fun and it looks like I will continue to be in touch. I’ve talked with Greg Lincoln, the owner of The Delta Discovery, and there is a good chance I will write from my new home in Clarks Point come August.

So until then, I wish everyone well.

Do and become

by Kip Layton, Jr.

I am writing this column at 5:00pm on May 14th. The activity at the school has finally slowed down a bit. A couple of big-time annual events are taking place this weekend.

In three hours, the Kwigillingok High School Prom will begin. Around six o’clock everyone will go home. The students will return with a rhythm at 8:00pm and won’t stop shaking until Midnight.

The event time is different this year. If I am not mistaken, the Prom is an hour longer than last year. In addition, we happen to have a real live professional DJ to rock the gym tonight - Pat DeSmet from Bethel. People have told me today that it is the first time a DJ from “outside” has been to a Kwigillingok Prom.

The dance hasn’t even started, but I feel the kids will love Pat. He arrived with roughly 1,000 lbs. of equipment and lights. The show he puts on in Bethel is the show that he puts on in the villages. He doesn’t shortchange the rural communities. Word may travel quickly through the village berry vine, but if no one knows that there is a DJ on premises by eight o’clock, then they will.

Pat and I were talking outside the gym earlier and the students had music blaring inside on the court. The music was kind of loud and I indicated as much to Pat. He stated that it would be much louder tonight. I figure everyone that is sitting half a mile away on their couch at home watching TV tonight should be able to at least feel the vibrations.

I’m sure as the dance progresses; the midnight cutoff will become only a suggestion.

************************

Tomorrow the Kwigillingok High School Class of 2005 will graduate at 2:00pm and it should be interesting. The maintenance men put the stage together yesterday and students decorated the gym. Today, there was significantly less work taking place. Most of the work was done Friday and it being Saturday, a lot of the students that usually help out went hunting.

Also absent are several community/staff members who usually take a hold of the ceremonial organizational reins. But they’re attending a funeral today in Bethel. We are hoping they return this evening to lend a hand in the morning. The aftermath of the Prom has to be cleaned up and the gym has to resemble a mini auditorium by mid afternoon.

I’m keeping the faith that things will go fairly smooth despite all waiting until the last minute on a variety of things. It is amazing how things do come together out here, even if it was with seconds to spare, but it is still nerve-racking. Heck, I can’t even picture there being a rehearsal with the little time that’s left.

I think everyone will watch an unrehearsed graduation. The trick is that whatever happens make it look like it was planned and practiced.

************************

I will probably be asked to speak. Therefore, I have put together a short speech. I’ll close with the following highlights of the speech and direct it to any class of 2005.

To all graduating seniors everywhere I say congratulations. You are holding a High School Diploma. It took eighteen years to get it. Make it worth the wait. Be what you want to be. Live your dreams. Go off to college or stick around the village. Join the military or be in the Guard. Go to a trade school or join an apprentice program. You can do all this without losing your roots. Just don’t live your life stuck in neutral. Go out. Do and be happy while always remembering that it really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you “Become.”

Time Still

Passing

by Kip Layton, Jr.

Lately, hunting has been on my mind as much as the students have. Since I do not know exactly where to go for a successful hunt or how to get there in this dangerous time between thaw and total breakup of the ice, I work. That is, unless I am invited to tag along with a knowledgeable person.

I anticipated an invite last Saturday to go bird hunting. It never came. I phoned the person’s house about 1:15pm that day to see if he was going. It turns out he had already left. I was not really a happy camper, but then again I knew he had a good reason for leaving me behind and I would ask him when he returned.

That night in the steam bath, he told me why he didn’t invite me. He said that they went across several open water lakes on their snow machines. He didn’t tell me that I would have sunk or he didn’t trust me or that he didn’t wish to spend his time pulling me out of a lake. He didn’t have to say. He had read my articles and he knows me. I believe snow machines were named that for a reason, snow. They are not named “water machines.” Yep, this friend is knowledgeable.

The only thing that I didn’t care for is that he had the audacity to mention he caught twenty birds. That was just plain mean. I sure hope he enjoys them. I bet he didn’t even think about me at all. I had worked on my fabulous four-page site administrator checkout list on and off during the afternoon - and I thought about him out there.

That was April 30th.

Today is May 11th and still no hunting trip. It seems to be a busy time for all. I went to Bethel last Friday and stayed overnight to take care of some check out items at the District Office. I returned Saturday afternoon.

Sunday Irene and I celebrated Mother’s Day and my Birthday a day early.

Irene left Monday for four days of classes in Bethel. That doesn’t mean I will relax. She has packed most of her stuff for our move. I need to stuff some boxes with a lot of my stuff.

Hunting may not happen until next week. I have honey-do lists this week and the Kwigillingok School High School Prom and Graduation are this weekend.

Then, the following week is the last week of school and I will spend a lot of time desperately trying to keep kids in school and wait until after school lets out daily to go hunting.

Finally, I will finish help packing and mailing our final items.

Time will pass fast and if I am unable to go out on a hunting trip or even a fishing trip before Irene and I leave, then at least I can cherish the memories of past ventures hunting on the tundra - where time moves a bit slower. In fact, it stands still.

If only I’d followed

my own advice

by Kip Layton, Jr.

In my last column, I had mentioned that a late winter snow blast along with high winds graced our presence. It had begun Thursday. The wind speed slowly picked up throughout the day. By Friday morning, the winds had increased to gust upward of 60mph.

I figured the wind was wailing as I went to bed because I had woke up a couple of times. The bed was moving. It seemed Mother Nature was trying to blow our house off its pilings.

We had experienced it before so I didn’t worry about it. Besides, I couldn’t hear a thing. It was just me, our dog, sleeping through what seemed like a silent earthquake. What more does one expect from Alaska?

Until I put my hearing aides on in the morning, I didn’t realize how hard the wind was blowing. I could hear it whistling through the cracks around our back door and blowing the squeaky boiler vent flap open and shut. There were also the creepy unidentified noises coming from the attic. The sounds made the house seem like one big wind chime that was being blown against an old tin barn that happened to have a trapped scared cat inside.

About 7:30a.m. I decided to try to walk to the school. I went out the door and down the steps to the icy snow. My shoes would not get a grip on the ice so I went back into the house and stretched my shoe chains over the smooth, worn out soles of my favorite shoes. Then I went back out.

The chains helped my feet get a grip while taking baby steps on the snow. I had to keep leaning my body forward into the wind. It took a lot of leaning. In fact, I bet I was one degree for every year I have lived (I’m 44) before I was able to increase my pace. All was well until I got the bright idea to try walking on the clear boardwalk.

It was classic “two steps forward and one step back” sort of trip. The boardwalk was a lot slicker than the snow-ice I had just left.

After a few minutes, I couldn’t take it any longer and made my way back to the snow. The school building was only a few feet away now and served as a nice wind block, but only for a short distance. Finally exhausted, I made it to the school steps.

I grabbed the handrail and pulled myself up each step. A teacher was heading to her house and was opening the door as I came up the stairs. She was nice enough to hold it open for me. I don’t know if I would have had the strength to grasp my keys, let alone pull the door open against the wind.

The phone was ringing when I got to the office. “Are you having school today?” was the question, and a logical one at that. I told him I would announce it on the VHF after conferring with the local school board chairman.

The chairman and I talked and decided to go for it. We would see how many students showed up and announced for them not to walk to school. They needed to get a ride to school.

Most people ride up on snow machines or four wheelers anyway so we figured it would be fine. It was. We had a whole slew of kids arrive. School was in session. It looked like it was to be a good day.

Then, after doing his morning rounds, my maintenance man asked me, “Is the snow machine still by your house?”

I told him it was and we went about our business.

Later that morning I was relaying my morning walk experience to some students. I told them how I slid on the ice, went back up and put on some non-slick gripping chains, then leaned into the wind and fought my way to school. What I didn’t realize was how utterly unobservant and ignorant I can be at times until I was way into the story.

The snow machine that was parked by our house came to mind and I began to laugh. It was parked at the bottom of the steps that go up to our house. I had walked right by it in the wind. In fact, I almost had to hold on to the attached sled to keep from falling.

My morning would have been easier if my brain apparently hadn’t been blown away. All I had to do was start the snow machine and ride to school, just like we told the kids to do.

Plan? Schedule?

What gives?

by Kip Layton, Jr.

I sit here on April 21st, one month to the day from the official start of spring, looking out the window at 45mph winds and blowing snow. Nothing beats a spring blizzard to get me thinking.

My lovely wife made just made it out on a plane about 11:00 this morning. The storm rolled in about noon. She is in Bethel for a couple of days and I was thinking about what she said a few weeks ago. The weather was iffy at the time and she had plans to go to Bethel. She came up with, “I am scheduled to leave...” instead of, “I am leaving on...(the time and flight).”

“Scheduled” became our new travel word to summarize our plans whenever anyone asked because you are not flying until the plane actually lands, you board, and it takes off. Therefore, I decided to analyze the difference between scheduled and plan and how they affect life in rural Alaska - from my perspective.

But first, let’s define their meaning from good ole Mr. Webster.

According to the dictionary schedule means “A list or written chart which shows the times at which events will happen.”

This is an easy one. Most everyone has a schedule of sorts. A lot of them are formed around certain routines and timelines. For instance, there are things people wish to get done before going to work such as having a cup of coffee, brushing their teeth, and of course, getting dressed.

The only things that I routinely schedule on a daily or weekly basis are meetings with parents, students, staff, and the like. Other than that, I just have a “to-do” list to refer to. It is hard to make a schedule that easy to follow. Circumstances change so much.

I am constantly canceling and postponing meetings. Villages may be small and not all that populated, but chores abound that put a damper on making appointments. It can be a frozen pipe or no babysitter to not having a ride to the school or a snow machine that won’t start. There are a variety of things that can prevent people coming to the school. Or a student may need extra help with schoolwork and that can put off a get together with them or a school staff member.

In my book, that wipes out the “shows the times at which events will happen” and only leaves “a list or written chart” as the definition of schedule.

But if you ask yourself, “How does one design a schedule that fits Webster’s interpretation?” The answer would most likely be, “Through a plan of course.”

Plan is defined as “A scheme or method for achieving something.”

In the education field, I’ve tried both methods and schemes. Depending on the situation each has worked its magic, but sometimes trying to plan a schedule and follow it can be an illusion. When the day is over you usually see something different in the end that is contrary to what you expected to happen. As you reflect on the outcome, it is almost impossible to know exactly how it happened. It is tricky.

Through it all, I do my best to stick to a rough schedule that I planned, but that doesn’t mean it is what He had scheduled for me in my life plan. What gets me through and keeps me sane is knowing that no matter how I perceive my situation, I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I am supposed to be doing at every moment in time.

That is not an illusion or scheme. It is His method, His plan, and I am on His Schedule. And every once in a while we are in sync.

Anticipation and

knowing the basics

by Kip Layton, Jr.

This time of the school year is filled with anticipation for all, but for different reasons.

The sun has been bright for a few days and the daily temperature has risen slightly. Irene went to Bethel last Thursday and told me that there were still trucks on the river and she didn’t see any open water. So, it isn’t enough to make a significant impact on the ice melting yet.

But it does have an effect on attitudes.

It is getting harder to get students to school on time as they stay up late. I guess after they go home after curfew, they stay up until dark and then go to sleep. It is hard for them to wake up at dawn (7:30am). We are encouraging them, but the closer summer gets, the harder it will be to get them to school on time.

The darn seagulls don’t help. They arrived back in Kwigillingok last week and a few days later someone told me they saw a flock of geese. It is just a matter of time before we will have to use a GPS to track down tardy students. Like me, they would rather be hunting on nice days and will go out to the tundra instead of going to school. But unlike me, they don’t get paid to go to school. So in a way, it makes perfect sense.

The students are not the only ones antsy. I am too. In fact, I went to the post office the other day just to drive the snow machine and enjoy the day. The village speed limit is 20mph. I went maybe 10mph. It was a good ride.

On the way back, I had to play. The seagulls had landed on a frozen lake I drive over to get to the post office. They were gathered kind of off to the left of the path. As I passed them, I begin to think that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I turned the handle to the left and sped up to twenty mph and headed directly toward the bunch.

I knew there was no way I’d hit them. It wasn’t my intention. My goal was to just have some fun. And a tiny bit of childish fun I did have. The seagulls were kind enough to prolong my stunt and didn’t fly off until I was pretty close to them. I think they knew what I was doing and flew only a few feet off the ground as I plowed through the area they once stood. It was fun.

Can’t you picture me driving a four wheeler or running through a group of bears after we move to Clarks Point? Well, if you ever do happen to get that picture then please have me see a psychiatrist.

You might want to make the appointment early because I have just somehow been committed (no pun intended) to have the privilege of something I have never done before in my seven years living in bush Alaska.

Never before have I chopped the wood and lit a steambath, but tonight I got the invite to do just that.

Yeah!

It is only fair since I use the steambath frequently. I should have been offered the opportunity long ago to experience the complete Eskimo steambath through making it and then baking, but no one had been kind enough to offer the axe to me. Either that or it took seven years for someone in the Delta to trust me with swinging it.

Oh well, Irene and I have only five weeks left before we take out. I guess I need to know the basics before we leave Kwig and strike out on our own.

The countdown

has begun

by Kip Layton, Jr.

Word travels fast, but I thought that I would speed it up a bit.

If you are not aware by now, I will not be with LKSD next year. We are moving to Clarks Point, Alaska where I will be the Principal/Teacher of their small K-8 school. So, I guess it is countdown time on my six-year-old column, at least written with the local Kuskokwim Delta perspective.

Clarks Point is a village fifteen miles from Dillingham in the Bristol Bay region. Who knows what educator/columnist (me?) might move in and start the words flowing from a different perspective. But the way it is now; after this column, I have six more. My last one while living in the Kuskokwim Delta will be published on May 25, 2005.

While our new place will still be by the water, the weather will not be as extreme. The house we will be living in is situated on a bluff and comes with drinkable running water, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with flush toilets, washer/dryer, and other modern conveniences.

I’ve heard from a few people in Kwigillingok who have been to Clarks Point or the surrounding area. Every one of them has told us we will like it there, but have also warned us of something I haven’t really thought about living on the desolate tundra.

There is an old southern saying, “Walk tall and carry a big stick.”

But from what I can gather, when Irene and I take walks through the trees and unfamiliar territory of Bristol Bay, then the saying should be amended to, “Walk loudly, sing, and carry a gun.”

I’m told we could encounter bears and if my singing doesn’t keep them away, then the sound of a rifle blast just might.

There is more to say about our move and what we will leave behind, and I will think of stuff as the weeks go on. Meantime, there is a lot to do.

We already have boxes full of items ready to mail to Clarks Point. There would probably be fewer packages if I had answered “yes” to Irene’s question; “You want me to pack your stuff?”

She is so much better at “weeding out” things than I am, especially my valued possessions I use once every few years. My question is, “Why?” We are moving to a larger house. There is plenty of room for all my important junk.

I’ll tell you why. Because there is no reason I should be hanging on to some things that I do, and I know that. I don’t know if she knows I know, but one of Irene’s strengths is to remind me of reality at times, junk is junk. Junk isn’t “valued possessions.”

And every time we move, I am reminded how little I make use of some dust-ridden items and it would be a good idea not to pack them. I do see her point, but I still choose to whine a bit before I part with the item. It is my way of saying good-bye to my unused valued possessions.

Testing...testing...

by Kip Layton, Jr.

We are right in the middle of the dreaded “Test Week” in schools. Students in third grade through grade twelve are taking mandated tests. It is one of the necessary evils of education.

It is the government’s required method of measuring student progress nationwide that will be used in what they think are valid statistics. Granted the tests do give an indication of what students are learning, and I can understand why they chose to have schools administer the exams, but as with all systems, nothing is full proof.

The new Standard Based Assessments (SBA) and the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam (HSGQE) are noble efforts and a way to see “on paper” progress. The data is helpful in finding a particular area of weakness that needs to be addressed and the strengths will also appear in the results. If analyzed and used correctly, the scores can enable a school to focus on their particular needs to improve learning.

But are the tests an accurate measure of student progress? That is debatable and always will be. That is what makes our country so great, not everyone thinks or believes the same thing. There are opinions everywhere. I guess that is why the governments think so highly on written tests for measuring progress.

Let me explain. Personally, I believe the best way to see if students have learned something is to watch them perform, but there are also problems with that. Students cannot “perform” everything to be measured and observance is so subjective. Some instructors are more lax than others in “observation scoring.” The learning objectives may be the same, but the key word is “measurable.”

Some people state that the tests only show how well a student takes a test. That may be true for some, but until something else better comes along to measure how well students are doing, then we will continue to use the present tests.

There is a lot more to say on this subject, but space is limited so I will close with the following.

I hope that all students in the nation that are participating in the fun take the tests seriously and do their best. Kwigillingok School is a Level 2 school for the second year in a row. This means the school met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) last year. Therefore, it remained at the same level.

If we do not meet requirements this year, then we go to level three. There are five levels and each level brings with it more state and government interference. So much that I have heard of schools at level five being forced to start over. Basically, the whole staff is “let go” and if there is a Yup’ik language program in place, it is out. It isn’t a pretty sight.

But if we make AYP again this year, we are off the chart completely. In other words, not leveled. And somehow, the government looks at being out of balance (unlevel) as a good thing.

A Cultural Tour

by Kip Layton, Jr.

Every year Kwigillingok School has Cultural Heritage Week. It is an attempt to help carry on traditions and have students learn and make Yup’ik items that they are not able to otherwise.

There were ten or so Elders instructing and guiding students. Each had their “Specialty” and they were used accordingly.

Let’s back up and take a tour. We will start at the gym and walk down the hall that heads south. On the first floor, it is divided into five classrooms and a library. Some classes take place upstairs, but not during Cultural Heritage Week. This wing houses kids beginning their “transition year” from Yup’ik instruction to English delivery and continuing until their graduation.

The first classroom on the right is vacant of any cultural activities this week. It wasn’t needed and we stored all the laptops and other items that would tempt the students to not do their projects.

As you can see, the next classroom is used for Beading. Notice those women over there? They are known in the village for their knowledge of how to make bead bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry. They are teaching this group of novice beaders how to make sturdy and stylish accessories they can be proud to wear.

This next, and last classroom on the right is a bit more active. If you go into the room, you will see two women elders helping a slew of female students. They are working away helping each girl select material, cut out the pieces, and sew a beautiful Qaspeq (pronounced “‘kus puk”). They are nice, loose-fitting, comfortable shirt (okay, blouse) and can be made with or without a hood to cover the wearer’s head.

Now we will turn around and head North and investigate the rooms on the other side of the hall.

First one empty of activity, but full of desktop computers.

The second “room” we come to is the Library. It is bustling with male students cutting out their Qaspeq (a shirt in this case). The boys will continue to another project while the elder women sew the pieces together.

The last room before we get to the gym has fur flying. Kids of all ages are learning how to make Eskimo yo-yos, slippers, mittens, and even baby boots. Women elders also guide them.

There are two activities going on in the gym. A group of students are making fish traps from chicken wire while others are working their physical bodies with a bit of NYO instruction.

Before we head outside, take a left after we get through the gym and let me show you what the younger (K-3) ones are up to.

Did you like what you saw? I bet you could have bought one of those birdhouses or large beaded necklaces. But that is okay, at least you know the proper way to play with a genuine Eskimo yo-yo.

Now, get your coat on. It is a bit chilly. Don’t forget your sunglasses. The glare is intense. We are headed outside to another building. I’ll show you what is happening inside.

Here, we have a couple of men leading these boys in the fine art of making an Uluaq and building sleds. Last year, the boys also produced harpoons, but not this time.

Maybe they will next year.

Okay, that is...oh, wait! I almost forgot two things.

First, if you had peeked through the small window on the kitchen door as we passed, you would have seen the cooking group stirring up various dishes. The kids were having fun. I assume you’d also see a smile on the instructor’s face if the flour was washed off.

On Monday, a group of students, along with a few elders and a certified teacher went on a “Tundra Travel” trip to learn about survival, etc. This was supposed to happen every day, but plans had to be changed. The village lost two elders last week and travel is restricted by tradition in times like these out of respect.

The whole thing is going well and will be topped off with a little western culture. The kids will dye eggs before going home for the weekend.

So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Come back again, you hear?

(Irene and I extend our condolences to the families and their relatives who lost their love ones last week. We will keep you in our prayers.)

Eagles at rest

by Kip Layton, Jr.

Well, it’s over. The Kwigillingok Eagles High School Basketball team’s season has come to an end.

March 12, 2005 the Eagles won the District Championship and earned the right to compete in the State Tournament in Anchorage. We were soon to find out that that was the easy part. Getting to Anchorage in time was going to be the team’s greatest challenge of the year.

For some unknown reason the State tournament begins five days after the District Champion teams were determined. It may work in a city environment where all one has to do is hop in a car and drive to the stadium for practice or competition. But in rural Alaska, it would be best if there was at least a week between the two tournaments.

Let me use Kwig as an example.

The team flew home Sunday morning, March 13th. The boys were happy, but worn out. It had been a long three days of intense play. Now it was time to make sure they arrived in Anchorage in time to practice Wednesday, March 16th for their first game Thursday morning at 8:00AM.

It seems someone else had the bright idea of Spring Break the week of the State Basketball Tournament, and do you know where everyone goes who decide to travel east out of Bethel? I don’t either, but almost all fly. And their first stop is Anchorage.

I know. I know. Anchorage is big enough to handle a few tourists from the Delta. That wasn’t the problem. The dilemma was enough available seats on the plane to accommodate twelve players, a coach, and a chaperone.

The earliest that the Eagles could fly would be Wednesday evening. They would arrive in Anchorage around 5:00PM. This would prevent them from practicing and observing other teams’ tactics. That didn’t seem fair, but it was the best that could be done. All seats on earlier flights were full.

Monday, March 14th was filled with the coach trying to get earlier flights or more seats on planes to get the team to Anchorage a bit earlier. By noon, he had a few options that would conceivably work - provided everyone was able to get to Bethel.

Tuesday began with fog and low flying visibility, but the boys came to school with high hopes. They all brought their luggage. As the day wore on, hopes were fading except for the coach. He said, “I never give up hope.”

Morning turned into afternoon and afternoon into evening. By 4:00 pm, everyone knew they wouldn’t get to Anchorage that night. It was now a “Let’s just get to Bethel” type goal. But evening turned into night and night into Wednesday. The bad weather continued to haunt the boys.

Phone calls went around and around from the local airline agent, to the airline in Bethel to the coach. The airline wanted to fly, but FAA rules prevented it from launching. Everyone was just waiting for that minimal window of opportunity and they told us that 8:30PM was the deadline to land a plane in Kwig.

Time clicked on and I went home 7:15 PM. I had my hearing aides off so I didn’t hear the phone, but about 8:15 Irene told me she thought she heard a plane. I checked the answering machine and sure enough, there was a message from the coach saying a plane was coming to get 9 people. The others would leave in the morning.

I walked to the school and asked some students gathered outside if the plane did land. They confirmed that eight players and the coach were gone.

Thursday morning Grant Air sent another plane and picked up the rest of the team and a chaperone.

They finally made it into Anchorage Thursday evening and were able to play their first game at 9:00PM that night. ASAA was nice enough to switch a couple of games as the Eagles were originally scheduled to play Thursday morning at 8:00 AM.

The Eagles were defeated their first game and ended up playing their second game early Friday morning. They lost that game too.

It had only been about 37 hours since the first players left Kwigillingok. They played on a strange court without practice or rest and only lost by a few points each game. By the time the second match was over, I bet every Eagle felt like they had been plucked.

But I learned some things last week. I have always been a pretty good finagler, but I think I’ve met my match. Some things the coach had in the works were unbelievable and top secret. If only the boys had made it to Bethel by Wednesday 4:30PM, they would have flown to Anchorage right away.

Kwig’s basketball coach doesn’t give up. He may take a battle break when the sun sets and go home to sleep for the night, but he wakes up ready to continue the fight the next day.

It is my opinion that if the “Weather Gods,” as the coach put it, were not in control, the overall results might have been different. Had the Eag