Scotland exchange continues with Atqasuk visit

BECKY CRABTREE

November 21, 2008 at 2:26PM AKST

Atqasuk’s Meade River School lobby had American, Alaskan and Scottish flags flying Nov. 2 to 4, to welcome a group of educators from Scotland and to signify the continuing North Slope teacher exchange with Scotland.  

Educators present represented all grade levels and a variety of subjects, including history, science, math and writing.

Although school was closed on Monday because of the blizzard conditions, the Meade River teachers were available all morning to discuss classroom projects and commonalities between the North Slope and Scotland.

By afternoon, when winds subsided, students began coming to school to meet the Scottish guests and to show them around the village.

On Monday evening, school staff hosted a potluck dinner, and afterward, a reception.  Community members who attended spoke and sang in Inupiat, after which the guests sang traditional Scottish songs. Jackie Ross, primary teacher and storyteller from Alford, recited a poem in Doric, the ancient language of Aberdeen shire, Scotland. The event ended with demonstrations of highland dances.

The next day, artists Martin Ayres and Scotty Wilkins led students in a digital photography and film project. Students were given cameras and asked to collect images of items that were important to them. Inupiat music and voices of students were recorded.

A collection of the photos were shown at the Inuit Day celebration at Barrow’s Inupiat Heritage Center. In the near future, a completed short film featuring the students’ images and sounds will be available. In addition, a Polar Pairs Web site is under construction which will allow students and teachers to share pictures and ideas online.

“The Alaska school exchange is exciting. It has incredible momentum and we expect it to continue for years,” said Laura Whitby, facilitator from the sponsoring nonprofit organization, Living Earth.

Meade River School fifth-grader, Andrew Ahtuangaruak, was more direct. He remarked, “This is so cool!”

Becky Crabtree is the principal of Meade River School in Atqasuk