school starts

School began on the twenty-sixth of August.  To prepare there was a Welcome Potluck the weekend before.  I made a quinoa salad that was gone before I made my way through the line.  After food we had dancing.  This was the second dance I have attended in Marshall.  (The first was a memorial dance to make forty days since a community member had passed.) I'm looking forward to dance season this winter, as it would be nice to learn more.

 Dancing ended a bit after ten and there were still plenty of kids on the basketball court.

We had a few workdays and district in-service days before Wednesday.  By the time Wednesday morning rolled around I was very excited and anxious to meet my class.

  It was my first first day of school as a teacher.  Liz, Heather and I took photos of each of us to mark the occasion.

It was a week full of so much learning.  Some on the students' part but more so on my part.  Even after three weeks I always think, "I have to get so much better."  Every day is the opportunity to be the teacher my students' need.  I feel really lucky to have two experienced teachers on the elementary team.  The third/fourth grade teacher is in his fifth year at Marshall and the second/third teacher is in her tenth.  They are such a great resource and always full of helpful ideas.  Plus, there is a great sense of humor to our team that helps make everything a bit easier.

 The clouds are fierce.  This was the sunrise while walking Stella one morning.

At the end of the week Liz and I were taken on a walking tour of town by a few students.  The weather was just starting to slip from summer to fall.

I love the mauve tone of this patch in the lot across from the post office.

 

 Our walk led us down to the beach.

 Boat parking on a little channel off the slough.

 The slough.  We technically live on Polty Slough which a deviation off of the Yukon.  It is still very wide.

 There was a small lot of rusted vehicles down by the water.  I enjoyed the graffiti on this Ford.

 It can't quite remember what this building was, maybe someone's fish house.  I mostly was interested in its construction.

 Drift wood lines the beach.  It is used for firewood in smokehouses.  Generally, I will look out of my classroom window and see a few a few logs making their way along the river.

 The beach had many bits of broken rock and interesting layers.

Much work and time is spent along this shore in the subsistence way of life.

I know I began this post talking about the start of school but becoming educated about my students is so highly important as I guide them in academic education.