Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!! I hope everyone enjoys their holiday break. First of all, this past weekend I went home to Atmautluak to attend a funeral for one of our community members. His name was James M. Nicholai. It was such a beautiful funeral, because he had become Christian before he died.

My family had their annual Christmas dinner this Sunday. We cooked turkey and exchanged presents. Although my sister Faith wasn't there, it was an okay dinner. Faith and her kids are in Bethel to celebrate Qerrat'aq Isaac's birthday, that was on the twentieth.

During this weekend, Carl and I decided that we wanted to hold Slaaviq at our home in Atmautluak. It was an exciting announcement because my older sister Rita said she would help, and that my younger brother-in-law would help too. So exciting!! I'm going to go into Anchorage to shop for Slaaviq needs, and I can't wait!

I had much needed break from interning here at Kasigluk, Alaska. It was such a demanding semester, with full-time interning at the Akiuk Memorial School, and finishing my homework at night. Sometimes I would go home so exhausted and mentally drained. I would like to thank the community of Kasigluk for welcoming me and making my family welcome here. It's been so heart-warming, although I miss my mom and her cooking, I think it has been so great here. The staff are great and the environment is also so encouraging. I can't wait to get my own classroom.

I hope everyone enjoys their holidays, and God Bless to Everyone. Pray for us!!

Traditional Hunting and Fishing

This is a time when our world is changing. Wow! I have never been so challenged as I have been challenged before. I am so grateful for all the help I received in my internship year here in Kasigluk. I got tremendous help from my school district in getting acquainted with the phases and indicators I need for my math methods class. Wow!! I can't say that I'm grateful enough... I have been so busy in trying to raise my children and pursuing my degree. I can't wait until I graduate and thank all the most helpful people that helped me to try to understand the methods I will use. The content is no problem and sometimes I get anxious to acquire my teaching degree and to get my own classroom. I want so much to teach, but I need to finish working on my classes in order to get there. I love the students because I know how they feel. They are all so motivated as Native Alaskans and they must be taught to believe that they can do all things with and through their culture and language in this common world. Gee, it makes me shiver and gives me so much anticipation to push a little harder and to make most of it regardless of technicalities I encounter every day. I spend my time, honest money at the local stores and subsist off the land and still' I motivate myself to do what is right for myself, my children, and My Students. I want to sing to the tunes of drums to celebrate Yup'ik Life and Song. Gee, I'm getting ahead of myself. This picture is of my son. He is well trained in hunting and fishing. He provides meat and fish for my family and that is so much more than common seat time in school. What he is learning is how to write so he can write articles on hunting and fishing and express these ideas into the common world. I could tell he is going to be an honest man. I give myself a pat on the back because I have reminded him that his life and his lifestyle is more valuable than a standardized roadshow, that most people believe in. Nah, I can't wait to get into the classroom. Be determined my Akulmiut people and you can do the same. Keep your heads high and listen to your elderly. Your unique and that's so much special than the common world. You can live through the common world, just stay in school and learn as much so you can to survive the trials by triumphs you made for yourself and not by anyone else.

Atmautluak 2008 Graduating Class!!

Angnirnaqvaall' ukuuni qaqiiciilriani kalikartangluten high school diploma-mek waken Joann Alexie Memorial High School, Atmaulluarmi!! Congratulations to the graduating class of 2008!! Nasektaq Tikiun, Akiq'aq Nick, Nupiig'aq Jacob, Uyang'aq Nicholai-llu. They worked hard during the year, and now they are college bound. This an impressive bunch of students, so colleges of the U.S. heads up HERE THEY COME!!

Winter Deep

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and stayed warm. I anxiously completed my final exams and papers and our semester was finally over. Now I registered for four classes to fulfill my scholarship requirements. This semester I am going to take ED 201, ED 204, EDSE 422, and JRN 308. The excited part was that I only had three more courses to take but I took extra to fulfill my scholarship through LKSD. I have to have 12 credits in order to qualify for LKSD. It also ties me down to LKSD for five years after I graduate and become a certified teacher. Ala-i, I am getting nervous about my intern year! I feel like I'm dumbfounded and unable to believe that I'm almost done. What if I'm not a good teacher? What if I'm not ready? These thoughts have been on my mind for quite a while now. I love teaching and being with students at my work, but what about in a classroom? I had the pleasure of teaching kindergarten as an associate teacher one year, and I wasn't pleased with myself because I was dull. For one thing, I can't sing and another thing I don't play. Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students learn from playing and singing. Now that I have thought about the grade levels I think I want to teacher 3rd through sixth grade students. I really need to find a mentor teacher to do my internship year with. I am going to be placed anywhere if I don't find a mentor teacher. I have had a few in mind but they are out of town or away from their desks. Believe me, I'm saving it for the last to find one. I'm scared!