Before the Break

We can all collectively breathe a huge sigh of relief that December 21 has come & gone and the world did not end for the umpteenth time.  The Mayan Apocalypse, which so many believed in, did not materialize.  I'm willing to bet that new Doomsday Dates are already being created.  With every passing year, I wonder when this trend will finally end?

            

After the Christmas Concert, there really wasn't much to do for the last remaining week in my music classes.  True, we continued looking at non-Christmas music but it was somewhat of a challenge when parents began pulling their kids out of class for Christmas trips.  This drop in attendance usually happens across all classes.  You just have to be prepared and go with the flow.

            

In English class, we began to study the classic play Macbeth by Shakespeare.  I remember studying it when I was in Grade 11 and preferring it over the other three Shakespearean plays I studied.  In Grade 9 it was Twelfth Night; for Grade 10, Julius Caesar; and in Grade 12, Hamlet.  Before my students even opened the book, I made them do some background research on Shakespeare, the Elizabethan Era, and how witches were perceived during that period of English history.  With that out of the way, we cracked open the new books and began reading the play. 

            

What I liked about these new books were that they contained pages that dissected the texts so that it would be easier for students to understand what was being said.  Reading & understanding the language of Shakespeare is the biggest challenge for students because it's written with words & expressions no longer in common use.  On top of that, Shakespeare really enjoyed incorporating wordplay into his dramas, meaning there's much more to read.  We decided that after reading each scene, we would go back and analyze it as a class.  At first, it was a little difficult but the more we read, the better my students understood what was happening.  By the time school broke for the holidays, we had read the first three acts.  Only two more to go in January.            

The staff Christmas party took place on the night of Saturday, December 15.  Romeyn, the vice-principal, and his wife graciously decided to host the event.  This year, the teaching faculty voted for Thai & pizza.  What I found surprising was that the combination actually worked.  It was really nice to see teachers outside of school hours and to talk with them about the way the semester turned out.

            

Every year, the high school staff organize & prepare a Christmas turkey lunch for their students.  This year, the lunch took place on Tuesday, December 17 but preparations began a week earlier.  Feeding four hundred students is quite a challenge and can only succeed if there is coordination and teamwork.  Staff were given specific duties with what foods to prepare (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, Jello dessert) and how to setup the cafeteria and main foyer with tables, chairs, and cutlery.  Since I taught all day, I could only help after school.

            

When the big day arrived, classes were called down twenty minutes before the lunch bell.  My students were out the door before I could say anything.  I guess, the food was that good.  And it was.  Following proper etiquette, I received my serving after my students.  The turkey was a little dry but good.  The stuffing on the other hand was delicious, especially with the gravy.  It would have been nice to have some wine but I had to settle for juice boxes.  I had second serving of turkey & stuffing before sinking my teeth into the Jello dessert.  I'm glad I didn't eat breakfast.  Of course, I assisted in the cleanup of the cafeteria and main foyer.

            

The turkey servings didn't stop there because 795 Iqaluit Air Squadron had scheduled it's Christmas Dinner on the same day.  The centre of the parade square had been set up with tables & chairs in a U formation the night before.  The Legion next door provided the food.  I wore a black suit to the occasion as did the officers.  The cadets also came formally dressed for the event.  The food was good and I surprised myself by having two servings.  When everyone finished eating, the cadets participated in a raffle for various prizes.  The Commanding Officer, Captain Chubbs, concluded the dinner portion of the night by thanking everyone for attending and wishing everyone a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year.  The parade square was then cleared of tables & chairs, as well as swept.  Then everyone gathered for the taking of a squadron photograph.  What followed was a dance for the cadets. 

            

By the end of the week, most teachers were showing movies in their classrooms because attendance was quite low.  The last day of school was Friday, December 21, and it was a half day, meaning there were only morning classes.  And let's just say the high school looked nearly empty.  With the Christmas Holidays here, I'll be spending mine with the family in Ottawa, just a 3-hour flight down south.  I'll also be catching up with old friends from high school & university.  It'll be nice to relax because it feels like I have been working non-stop since September.  Have a safe Christmas and I'll see you all in 2013. 

  Happy New Year!