Beaver Island Field Trips

When you live on an island in the middle of nowhere there are going to be a few adjustments.  There are adjustments in your personal life (like paying $2.50 for every bag of trash you throw away) and in your professional life (like teaching classes of less than ten kids).  One of the aspects of being a teacher that can take some adjusting is how one travels to and from field trips.  You see, there are very few ways to get off of Beaver Island, and air travel is the only year-round option.  So, when your class (or club/sport if you coach) needs to go somewhere you must travel.

Last Friday, my class took off on the airplane for the first of two annual elementary swimming trips. I took these trips with my class last year too, but somehow never managed to post about it.  It's definitely a post-worthy experience though because there are few places in the United States (with Alaska being the exception) where air travel is the norm for school functions.  Not only are we flying, but we are flying in small 6-8 seat airplanes. 

In the morning, my class and I showed up at the airport approximately fifteen minutes before our flight.  No TSA, no security lines, and certainly no need to arrive early. We simply showed up and hopped on the plane.  The kids in my class are all true islanders and think the airplane is the "normal" way to travel.  Honestly, trying to get them all to wear seatbelts once we reached the mainland was MUCH more difficult than throwing them in a teeny airplane, mostly because seatbelts are unheard of on the island. 

Once we went "across" (the local slang for leaving the island) we made our way to the swimming pool. The 1st-3rd graders get to go to Charlevoix Public Pool twice a year for swimming lessons, which is super crucial on the island because they all swim in Lake Michigan non-stop and many of them wander to the beach by themselves during the summer. After swimming, we all went out to eat at Subway, which is another exciting, new experience for the kiddos.  There is no fast food on the island and a few of my students didn't even know what Subway was. I had to explain the menu to them and ended up doing all of the ordering because of the confusion, which was fine because they aren't used to being around strangers in the first place and many of them were being pretty shy. 

The way home was similar to the way there.  No lines, quick departure, and smooth flying.  Taking trips like this one is incredibly important in teaching students how to successfully live off and on the island.  There are many experiences that our students just don't get to have, even simple stuff like placing a food order, and these trips are their opportunity to try out some of these new experiences. It's definitely a skill building event, albeit a rather expensive one!

Your turn...Have you ever traveled by small airplane?
Currently listening to...Act Naturally - Buck Owens

Virginia is for Lovers (and Washington DC is too)

We had a late spring break this year, probably because school doesn't get out until the end of June - yuck.  Last year, Cody and I were in Alaska getting married over break, and the year before that I was visiting my sister in Hawaii.  So, as you can tell, breaks tend to be kind of a big deal around these parts. I think it might be a teacher thing.

My sister (the one I visited in Hawaii) recently got relocated by the military from Hawaii to Virginia. As sad as she and her family were to leave Hawaii, this was a BIG exciting change for our family because it meant we'd all get to see each other more than once every two years.  I was super excited to have the opportunity to go visit her, my brother-in-law, and their three kiddos over break this year. I was excited to see them, but also super excited to get to visit them in an area of the country I've never been to before.  Visiting Washington DC, which is close to their house, has always been a bucketlist item of mine, so this was an awesome opportunity to visit family and cross something off of my list.

Early in the week, we had a girls day out (me, my sister, and my oldest niece) and headed to DC for the day. We went EVERYWHERE. We saw the White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, two of the Smithsonian Museums, WWII Memorial, and a few other places too.  There was so much to see and do that we managed to walk eleven miles without even realizing it...well, at least not until none of us could walk the next day, but at least we did it! It was such a blast.  I was amazed too at how easily accessible DC is.  It's a really well maintained city in terms of cleanliness and was easy to navigate for non-locals.  I'd highly recommend a visit if you've never been.

The rest of the week was spent primarily in Virginia. My sister and her family live in a nice little suburban community outside of DC.  There were lots of parks and historical sites nearby to hike and explore. We also spent two days visiting Fredricksburg, which was a super cute town with great food and shopping. We did a lot of eating and antiquing there.  Everything was so quaint, historical, and interesting.

However, my favorite part of the trip was hanging out with my family! My nieces had all gotten so big and playing with them in the afternoons was a blast. I got to see their schools, watch soccer practice, jump on the trampoline, and snuggle on the couch in the evenings.  It was some pretty serious quality time.

It was a much-needed trip for me.  Hanging out with family is always something that I cherish because Cody and I are constantly living so far away from everyone. In fact, I haven't lived near my family since 2008 and Cody since 2012.  I hope to have a repeat of this fantastic visit this summer. Here's to hoping!

Your turn...What did you do for spring break this year?
Currently listening to...Buddy Holly - Weezer

Cherishing These Days

These days are awfully busy on our little slice of island.  We are officially 6 weeks from our Beaver Island moving date (June 18th) and 10 weeks from our Alaska moving date (July 18th), which means that our days are being spent making lists, purging our clothes, selling furniture, booking plane tickets, and a million other little tasks.  My to-do list seems to be a mile long and no matter how many items I try to cross off it never gets any shorter.

With all the busyness we are trying to cherish the things that we love about the island, while we still can.  There are definitely things about island living that we will miss.  One of the big things is all of the outdoorsy activities.  We hike almost every weekend, and we often find ourselves at one of the amazing beaches to watch sunsets or climb the dunes. There's no shortage of nature to enjoy.

Last weekend, we took a spin around the island in our beat-up car (also one of our favorite island activities) and got out at lots of beaches and trails to walk around and play in the woods.  The footbridge is one of my favorite stops because it leads through the woods and out onto a big, deserted beach. It also just looks incredibly cool because it leads into some pretty thick forest and passes over a gorgeous creek.

We've never seen another human out at the footbridge beach, and it's far from town or any type of recognizable civilization.  There are a few beach houses in the distance, but nobody ever seems to be home. It's about 15 miles from our front door to the footbridge, which is a 30ish minute drive on the rough, unpaved roads on the island.  We spend most of the time bumping along, emphasis on bumping, at 20mph to get there.  The dogs are always anxious to get out of the car and run around on the beaches, undisturbed by other animals or people. They can really cut loose in places like this.

There are so many little gems like this one on the island.  Places where you can relax and be totally undisturbed.  Places where nature seems mostly untouched and you're just a visitor, not an invader. It's definitely something I am going to miss.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite local gems in your town/area?
Currently listening to...Closing Time - Semisonic 

Pilot Point, Alaska

So far, I don't know a ton about Pilot Point (aka PIP).  Mostly, it's just hard to find information about the village because so few people live there.  I did stumble across this blog, which is written by someone who previously lived and taught in the village. I've also talked to the principal quite a bit and the current teacher who I am replacing.  Honestly, I'll be pretty stoked to get to the village and start learning more about it firsthand.  That's always my favorite part of moving somewhere new anyways.

One of the things that I do know is that there are between 65-80 people living in PIP. This will be a HUGE change from our lives in Juneau, a town a 30,000 people.  It will be a smaller change compared to our lives here in Northern Michigan on Beaver Island, which boasts only about 300 year-round residents.  PIP is only accessible by airplane, another non-adjustment for Cody and I because we haven't lived on the road system since 2011.  However, that, coupled with the low number of people, will make it the most isolated place we've ever lived.  The isolation is probably going to be one of the biggest adjustments to our lives, and we are certainly thinking about how our lives will change (for better or worse) because of this isolation.

Because of the small population, the school is in danger of closing almost every year.  In Alaska, a school must have ten children enrolled to stay open.  Pilot Point will have 11-14 children enrolled this year, in grades K-11.  The school only has two teachers, and they must work very collaboratively to serve the wide grade ranges.  I'll primarily be working with elementary students for core academic subjects, and I'll also be serving as the sites Head Teacher (think added responsibility when the principal isn't on site and lots of paperwork). Another random factoid that I've learned, thus far, is that there are three school-owned teacher housing units.  There is a one bedroom, a two bedroom, and a four bedroom. The one bedroom is strictly used for the principal or other itinerant staff when they travel to the village. All of the houses have basic furnishings (furniture, washer/dryer, etc) and are located only steps from the school doors.

Businesses are hard to come by in the community, but there are three establishments: the grocery store, the post office, and the medical clinic. The medical clinic sounds similar to the Beaver Island Rural Health Center that Cody and I currently use.  There is a medical professional on-staff, but you have to be flown to Anchorage for anything serious (on BI we have to be flown to Charlevoix). As, for the post office, mail will be slooooow.  Think, like, ordering something and waiting six weeks for it to arrive.  Lots of planning is going to be needed for holidays and such. All of our household goods will have to be mailed to PIP from Beaver Island in Rubbermaid totes WAY in advance.

The information I've gathered so far has definitely been eye opening.  No matter how much we learn, I do not doubt that this move will be a huge change and adventure for my family.  At this point in our lives, we feel totally up to the challenge and overwhelmingly excited to get moving on everything.  It'll be fun to share this new adventure on the blog, and I hope everyone is looking forward to the shift in content!

Your turn...What are some interesting facts about the town that you live in?
Currently listening to...Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream

Lake and Peninsula School District

In my last post I announced that I would be accepting a job teaching in the Alaskan bush for the upcoming school year.  The school district that  I will be working for is the Lake and Peninsula School District.  I'm super excited to be joining the LPSD team and thought I might share a little bit of the information that I've learned about them, so far.

1.) LPSD is located on the Alaska Peninsula.

2.) None of the communities in the district can be reached by road.

3.) There are three national parks and two national wildlife refuges within the districts geographical boundaries. 

4.) The main office is located in King Salmon, which is where I used to live, but none of the district school sites are located there. 

5.) There are about 10,000 brown bears living in this region, which is more than the number of people. Eek! 

6.) Wolves, wolverines, moose, caribou, otters, whales, red fox, harbor seals, and sea lions are just a few of the other animals that call this region home. 

7.) The yearly staff inservice will take place at Katmai Lodge in Katmai National Park in early August.  I visited Katmai National Park in 2010 and wrote about it here.  It's also the place where the infamous Grizzly Man documentary was filmed. 

8.) The district operates on a standards-based system.  For you non-teachers, this means that students master skills/standards and move on to new grade levels, as opposed to receiving traditional grades. This allows for more flexibility and individualization.  Last year, the school I'm currently teaching at adopted this system, so I'm feeling pretty confident about using it. 

9.) Winters are not as extreme as they are in the interior region of Alaska. In fact, the winters will be milder than the ones we've grown used to experiencing here in northern Michigan. 

10.) Fall and spring are very muddy seasons and require a good pair of rain boots.  (Thankfully, Cody and I invested in Xtratuff boots when we lived in Juneau.) 

11.) Housing is provided to all teachers, with basic furnishings and utilities included. 

12.) Many people get around on ATV's or snowmachines because there isn't a need for cars at most sites (no roads). 

13.) Hunting and fishing are very popular because families in the villages still live very subsistence-focused lives. 

14.) Berry picking is another popular hobby, which I am stoked about because I love berry picking and canning. 

15.) There are thirteen schools in LPSD and I'll be working at Pilot Point!

Your turn...What are some unique things about your job/job location?
Currently listening to...Big Black Nothing - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Chasing My Dreams to the Alaskan Bush

It has been over two years since I wrote this post detailing Cody and I's desire to pack up and move our entire lives to the Alaskan Bush. Anyone who knows me knows that this has been a dream of mine ever since I took that fateful job in King Salmon, Alaska in 2010.  That summer opened my eyes to a demographic and lifestyle that I frankly did not know existed in the United States.  In that odd environment, I thrived.  I loved the simplicity, the minimalism, and the community feeling that is brought on by cultural connections and the hardships of a unique lifestyle.

Years have passed since I wrote that post and many things have changed.  We moved away from Alaska after spending a few years living and loving in Juneau.  We headed back to Michigan, the state of my birth and the home of many family members.  We moved here with every intention of settling down and trying to assimilate back into life as lower 48 residents.  The problem being that we didn't move to a place that screams "civilization."  Instead, we moved to a remote island that felt more like the Alaskan bush than Juneau ever did, which meant that the urge to live rural never went away.  It just intensified.

With that, I've spent the last two years wistfully thinking about the dream that I gave up.  It seems that I will always have that "what if" feeling when it comes to Alaska.  Because of that feeling, I've decided to take the leap.  I've accepted a job, which is both terrifying and exhilarating. The job will be taking me all the way to the Alaska Peninsula, near the Aleutian chain.  Cody and I will both be working for the Lake and Peninsula School District.  The village we will be living and working in is a tiny fishing village, only accessible by bush plane, with less than 100 residents.

I am excited and terrified to leave my little bubble on Beaver Island.  I love my students and my job here, but it all boils down to that "what if" feeling.  Could I live forever knowing that I'd never chased my dreams? The answer was a resounding "no."  So, here we are.  Packing up our lives, yet again, and heading north for another great adventure.

Your turn...What is one of your lifelong dreams? 
Currently listening to...Juno - Tokyo Police Club

Animals at School

Beaver Island is such a rural place that we can often get away with things that big, urban schools cannot. One of the many hilarious things that we are able to get away with is bringing pets (and other animals) to school.  Our principal brings her black lab with her to school everyday.  The kids take her dog to recess, to lunch, and all over the school with them.  They've been begging me to bring Specks and Luna to school all year.  Luna is still a little too crazy and a little too skiddish to be out and about with children, but Specks is the perfect candidate for a school dog.  He hasn't worn a leash in years, he's a former service dog, and he loves children.  Last week, I decided that the time was finally right and brought him in for a visit.

He had a blast! I let him stay for 1/2 the day and then I sent him home at lunch with Cody.  The kids read him stories on the carpet, played fetch with him, and gave him roughly 1,000 belly rubs.  It was heaven for Specks and a great treat for the class.

Later that week we had another animal visitor.  Our school's music teacher has a farm and they recently had a baby goat born.  She offered to bring the baby goat, which we then affectionately named Bud, into the classroom for show and tell.  Me being me, I offered to babysit the goat for a few hours.  The goat was only four days old and the kids had to be very responsible to help care for such a little baby.  It was a fantastic learning experience.  Plus, isn't Bud ridiculously adorable?!

Your turn...Do any cute animals ever visit your work/school?
Currently listening to...Teenage Wasteland - The Who