As a school we travel through the Yukon twice a year to meet and connect with our students and their families. This is such an amazing trip as we establish and enhance relationships along the way. It is so wonderful to see the variety of cultures and personalities. Our students are such wonderful and unique people. We truly cherish this experience. Sharlene, Christine and I are going to take turns writing each day about our journey.
In Math, we learn about statistics and charting. We decided to keep a running tally chart to illustrate the wildlife we have seen along the way. We will update this overview as we travel:
Bears: 28
Moose: 13
Buffalo: 50
Mountain Sheep: 15
Rabbits: 2
Gophers: 4 seen (1 not seen, but clearly heard)
Elk: 3
White Swan: 2
Squirrels: 10
Porcupine: 2
Marmot: 2
Lynx: 1
Fox: 1 (with prey in his mouth for breakfast)
Mountain Goats: 2
Chipmunk: 1
Day 1:
Like I (Gerri) menitoned, the first leg of our trip started at 4:00am (not that I am complaining lol) and we arrived in Whitehorse this evening. It was nothing short of spectacular. The scenery and wildlife along the journey were majestic. We may have stopped along the way to take a few pictures to share.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a grade 6 student and his mother. We hadn't met this boy yet, but we were able to meet his mom last fall. He lives in a very remote area, so remote that he has to fly in and out. We were very lucky that he happened to be in Whitehorse, as we were not able to arrange for us to fly to his community. I (Gerri) have been teaching this boy all year online and am very thankful for the experience to meet him in person. What a great start to our trip.
Please enjoy the pictures below :)
Day 2:
The girls and I (Sharlene) dropped Norbert off to get a rental car for the day to do some administrative duties, while we ventured out to the surrounding area of Whitehorse.
Our first stop of the day, after Tim Hortons of course, was to see a family with two children. Unfortunately, we missed one of the siblings as he was in Portland playing soccer on a select team. We did however, visit his sister who was very excited about the elective edynamic veterinary course.
With such excitement, we were already behind our set schedule. I really hate being late!! ... Set back into the countryside, on our way to Carcross, we visited a family that truly loves the outdoors. We got to work with a couple of our students with their language arts and math. They are excited about trying some of our teaching tips and utilizing the internet a bit more (such as IXL math) to support their learning.
From there, we passed the Carcross desert on our way to Tagish for our next stop. This family of three students welcomed us with a wild game lunch. Tasting mountain sheep was a first for all of us - it was very tender and tasty. Over lunch we shared many stories including those of travels and how they are able to participate in classes regardless of where they are. "Thank you very much for lunch and your hospitality!"
Running late, our next family graciously met us in town to save us time. This family was really pleased with the program and the progress made over the year. Along with their excitement for learning, they are now looking forward to a summer filled with visits from family mixed with camping trips.
Christine and I visited one of our grade ten parents, while Norbert and Gerri visited another family. With both families we were able to learn more about the students' needs and answer questions. It's great to hear how they successfully balance a cross-enrolled program where they take courses at their high school and with us.
As I write this, Norbert is finishing up the last of the visits for the day.
Please enjoy the pictures below :)
Day 3:
Off to another early start this morning we began our day with a breakfast at Timmies, followed by coffee at McDonalds. Our first visit takes us out west towards Haines to visit a student of mine (Christine) who has a passion for dance and animals. After some reading and math discussion we got a tour of the animals on her farm with a special visit from 'Shooter' ~ her horse and best friend.
Back on the road again, we prepare ourselves for the long drive up to Dawson City. The drive is met with intermittent stops for road construction. Quick stops in Carmacks and at Pelley Crossing allow us to visit the local schools to say 'Hi' and drop off some eDynamic course information.
Back on the road .... our animal count continues to grow with our newest and most unique animal being the white swan.
The road north to Dawson City is a quiet, lonely road riddled with potholes, which Gerri desperately attempts to avoid. After several hours we reach our destination. After a quick bite to eat we head out to visit the first of three of our families in Dawson City. A 'tin man' marks the home of two enthusiastic young boys who share the highlights of their school year and stories of their travels. They are excited for the opportunity to explore our online courses in the upcoming year.
Please enjoy the pictures below :)
Day 4:
Last night we stayed in Dawson City in a cozy hotel, the Aurora Inn. The hotel was very nice, as it felt more like a house...Our room had three little wooden beds, we kind of felt like we were in the fairy tale, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Christine and I (Gerri) may have stayed up a little late catching up on some computer work..."Sorry, Sharlene."
We started our morning off with a great breakfast at the Riverside Bistro on Frontage Street. We then dropped Norbert off at the highschool, as us ladies ventured just outside of Dawson City.
Our first stop was a grade 7 boy that I taught this year online. He greeted us with blue hair and a great smile. This boy was such a great addition to our online classroom this year, contributing to class discussions and letting his character shine through. The visit with him this morning, was very much the same. I helped him with a few math problems, as we laughed and learned together.
From there, we travelled further into the great outdoors to a family of two girls. Believe this or not, but we were actually half an hour early...look at us go! This family is originally from Czechoslovakia and now have their own placer mining claim. These girls dazzled us with their kind smiles, poetry, piano playing, singing, reading aloud, and so much more. Our visit was so wonderful, that we were no longer early lol.
After our two morning visits, we drove back into Dawson City to pick up the boss man and then began our venture back to Whitehorse. This time, Norbert was in the drivers seat and I must say that I am certain he hit more pot holes than I did yesterday.
We enjoyed a nice supper together (actually at supper time). After supper, the four of us went for a nice walk along the river. Norbert is meeting another student now, as I write the blog. Tomorrow is a super early morning, as we are departing before 7am to make our way to Dease Lake.
Please enjoy the pictures below :)
Day 5:
Sharlene here... Last night was another short one, not only because there is almost no darkness, but also because once we get back to the room in the evenings we open up our computers to take care of a few things. It was however, a beautiful morning to set out early from Whitehorse - in fact 6* degrees warmer than Fort St. John.
Our first stop of the day was in Teslin to top up with fuel. This quick stop gave us our closest bear encounter so far (he many not have been real, but definitely cute). We had a great visit with two of our families at the Watson Lake library. I was excited to see the great progress made by one of my students, and to hear about her family's trip planned to Germany and France leaving tomorrow. Unfortunately, she said there wasn't enough room for me in her suitcase.
The road from Watson Lake to Dease Lake was quite the adventure with its winding trail through the rocky mountains with no shoulders on the side of the road. In Dease Lake, we enjoyed a meal with Norbert's friends, Monique and Cathy at the Rumors cafe, followed by dessert at Monique's house. Thank you Cathy and Monique for your hospitality.
Even though the days and drives are long, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with my students and families! It has also been great to collaborate with Norbert, Christine and Gerri on the road. There are always so many great educational discussions about what we hope to accomplish and improve upon in the future.
Please enjoy the pictures :)
Day 6: We can "bear"-ly keep count......
Our wildlife count continues to rise ~ many more black bears ~ as we venture out on our last day of student visits. As we head south from Dease Lake (leaving Norbert behind for visits at the College), the hour drive to Iskut, BC. takes us through the brilliant green wilderness showing signs of early growth and young wildlife.
Our first stop just before Iskut is to drop in and see a family who is no longer with us. The two children shared what they have been up to and how well they are doing. I (Christine) is pleased to hear that they are doing so well. With a quick 'See you soon' .... We are on our way.
As we approach Iskut we find a small community nestled at the base of a mountain ~ BEAUTIFUL!! Here we visit a young man with a winter passion for hockey and snowboarding and a summer passion for hiking and hunting with his dad. He shared some hunting stories and his excitement for hockey tournaments in Whitehorse and Prince George. There is a lot of travel required when you live so far from a bigger community.
Travelling back to Dease Lake we remembered to pick up Norbert. He sure was happy to see we didn't forget about him! :) Back on the road, we decided to have a few lunch snacks. After eating our "travelling cuisine" of meat, cheese, crackers ... Norbert decided to help with cleanup. Being on dish duty he attempted waterless cleaning only to lose his grip on our makeshift cutting board as it flew out the window of the moving vehicle. This gave us a good chuckle :) Yes!... We stopped, turned around and picked it up! We wouldn't want to litter.
We chuckled and reminisced as we found our way back to Watson Lake. Unfortunately, our last family was unable to meet with us in Watson Lake. We will try to catch up with them next week. A few hours and many more animal sightings later (check out our numbers...), our drive ended at Liard Hot Springs. Once there, we rewarded ourselves with a relaxing soak in the HOT hot springs and a good night's sleep. There was no service in this area so I was unable to post to the blog .... instead, I had to wait until we were back in Fort St. John ~ sorry for the delay to those who are following each day!
Please enjoy the pictures :)
Day 7:
Kilometers Travelled: 5205 kms
Sleepless Nights: Many
Early Mornings: Every Morning
Early Mornings: Every Morning
Travel Costs: Approx. $4000
Seeing Our Students' Smile: Priceless
We left the Liard Hotspring early Saturday morning, arriving home around supper time. It was a very long journey home; our boodies perhaps a little sore and tired. We truly appreciated the hot springs Friday evening and were thankful to be home in our own beds Saturday night.
As a staff, we try to travel to the Yukon once in the fall and once in the spring. This is such a great opportunity for us to meet with our students and help them with any of their learning needs. As we drove home on Saturday, we discussed this trip, our memorable moments and perhaps a few bloopers that we would like to share with you.
Memorable Moments:
- All of the warm welcomes we get from our students and their families. The excitement in the students' faces and smiles when we walk in.
- As we drove up a long driveway, we saw a girl bouncing on a trampoline as we came into sight. From there, the girl ran excitedly into the house...The best part, it was a mom of our students.
- Being able to observe the students' progress and their growth in learning and in life, from our last visit.
- Hugs, high 5's, fist pumps we give/get from the students in appreciation for all of the hard work and effort we all put into their learning.
- Hearing about our students year: their learning, extra curricular events, family moments, and so much more.
- Running out of space on our tally sheet, as we counted all of the wildlife along the trip.
- Norbert's quiet, "Whoop," as the cutting board flies out of his hand and window.
- Norbert's $5.00 a bump rule: He would announce to the driver that they owed $5.00 every pot hole we hit...Trust me, a few of us would be broke if we paid up. Lol
- Gas Cap...Hmmm Norbert again lol. Perhaps the gas cap was not placed back on the tank two times after gassing up. No worries though because Norbert had us ladies to teach him 'Gas Cap Return 101'.
The Value in the Trip:
- The opportunity to communicate face to face with our students and their families, connect with everyone and further develop working/learning relationships.
- On our travels home, we came across a distance education graduate, as she shared the importance of meeting the teacher in person.
- The opportunity to help students and parents with their learning: sharing strategies, tips, trouble shooting, and so much more.
- Assessment opportunities, which enable us to develop future student learning plans, to meet each student's individual needs.
- Meet new people and help them with any of their learning questions, needs, and so forth.
- The collaboration and generating of ideas that we participate in during our time in the car are such a value.
- We discuss learning/teaching strategies.
- Goals for the building and school in the future.
- We work on generating personal development ideas to enhance our teaching.
- We have discussions, contributing our thoughts and opinions.
- The warm welcoming nature of the families, reinforces the importance and value of these trips!!
At school, we are nearing the end of the year. Teacher's are super busy presenting course work, assisting learning, marking, registering students for the upcoming year, and all of our other responsibilities. However, we know and appreciate the importance of these trips and are thankful to be a part of such an amazing journey. The trip is beyond busy, and yet it goes by so quickly for us. At times, we wish that we had more time to spend with the families in person, but know that by making these visits, the families feel even more comfortable to contact us for support and discussions. What a journey!
As teachers, we truly appreciate being a part of this wonderful, community building experience.
Thank you to all of the families for their hospitality and smiles!
We look forward to seeing you again.
Please enjoy the pictures :)
