Spring is in the air...

Salluit

May 22

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Hey remember us!? We are a bit late on the blogging due to some technical difficulties, but were back with lots to share!Last weekend, we had the experience of a lifetime! We were invited by one of the teachers Carol (quite the experienced explorer) to go out on the land. We went out on snowmobiles across the frozen bay surrounded by nothing but blue sky and white mountains. Lauren was taking photos of everything in sight, while Kendra was accumulating more and more layers (it was a little chilly). While keeping watch for polar bears, we headed back filled with excitement over how amazing our trip was.We didn’t have much time to relax before we were taken back out in the opposite direction to go mussle fishing! We rode in the Qamutik (a wooden box/sled pulled behind the snow mobile typically used for transporting tools, equipment….and people) and lets just say it takes proper technique to properly ride in it so you don’t end up with a major headache (Kendra was a natural….Lauren on the other hand…). Once we got home, we ate the mussels we had caught, and they were delicious! The weekend quickly came to an end as we dove right into our last week of teaching secondary classes where we focused on sexual health and substance abuse. For sexual health we taught lessons on puberty, anatomy, negotiating safe sex, STIs, contraceptives, and steps to proper condom use. Our puberty lessons began with seeing who can scream the parts of the female and male anatomy the loudest (we all had lots of fun with this). We used laminated bodies to show physical and emotional changes that occur in girls, boys and both. For our substance abuse, we taught lessons on household products, substance abuse, drugs, alcohol, safe drinking, and smoking. We tried to put emphasis on safe drinking habits, and what we should be doing before, during and after drinking as well as discussing scenarios together as a group. We were given the opportunity to take advantage of a resource was given to us before we taught our last smoking lesson. We one of the videos by Tobacco Has No Place Here, which is an Inuit-based campaign, which focuses on tobacco awareness and education in Nunavut. We talked about short term/long term effects of smoking, the price of smoking and how much we could save (buying a private jet is very popular these days), and we finished off with quitting strategies and the video.In order to provide a comprehensive STI talk for all of the secondary kids at Ikusik, we met with the STI nurse in Salluit. She hooked us up with tons of resources, advice and information on STIs prevalent in Salluit, how to get tested, and the type of testing that is done. After noticing the prevalence of “do-it-yourself” peircings amongst young girls, we decided to touch on the importance of clean and safe piercings . Based on the giggles, questions the students were asking, and the reaction to the visuals we were pretty happy with how the morning went.We have still been making regular appearances at Piguirivik, the elementary school, putting further emphasis on bullying and conflict resolution. We are teaching grade 3 and 4 French classes, and having lots of fun. We are also in the works of developing a resource book for Pigurivik complete with activities and a video in English, French and hopefully some sections in Inuktitut!On Thursday, Ikusik held a special event called “Inuit Games” where we saw many of the students competing in different “Olympic type” activities- our personal favourite, the one legged high kick- we saw some kids with crazy flexibility!After school we held our second girls night, which was movie night themed. We were able to use a classroom, where we lounged on beanbags and watched The Perfect Man. We had plenty of popcorn for snacks, and Bernard surprised the girls with some candy! Friday was PD day for Ikusik and Piguirvik and what better way to celebrate than throwing a pool party? For two hours in the afternoon we played and splashed about in Salluit’s newest addition- the indoor pool! One of the students wanted to take her photos for the photo contest happening in Ikusik at the pool, so we had made a plan to arrange the students in a heart shape in the water…this is a lot easier said then done! As Lauren taught the student how to use her camera, Kendra was trying to arrange the students for the photo. There was lots of giggles and laughing, but we finally managed to get some photos that the student liked.We just finished our long weekend, where we had some time to relax and also do most of our planning for the week. Beginning in grades 5 and 6 classes this week, we are focusing on the theme of respect: how to respect ourselves, others and our environment. With lots of interactive activities, we’ve had a great time teaching these little guys so far.We can’t believe how quickly time flies! With two weeks left, we still have lots to do:Stay tuned for: