Thursday

Well...I am feeling frustrated now. At first, having so many days where the school was closed was wonderful. It was a real treat to be able to stay home and still get paid. But it has started to happen so many times and I am becoming frustrated with the whole thing. I am trying to prepare my children for the end of the school year with graduation preparations and by finishing their final testing. But it's not going to happen unless the school is open and the children are there.

I really can't point fingers, and say that it is someones fault. the school's closure is usually a direct result of living in a secluded area. The water being shut off is out of our control. This has been the reason for the past couple days of school closure. Another big reason for having no school is for bereavement. Now, I am not sure why we require three days of mourning...but it's a cultural thing. The only person who can change this is the principal. Unfortunately, I have heard (by rumour only) that this is the reason that the last two principals were fired...or the reason why there contracts were not renewed. It can be Carree suicide to step on the wrong peoples toes, and not respecting the three days of mourning apparently steps on many peoples toes out here. We also close the school when there are community meetings, because everyone needs to have the opportunity to go...and they are held in the school gymnasium. Propane leaks, broken school kitchen, and power outages also account for some of our days of missed school.

This week, we will have had a total of 2.5 days of school. Monday and Wednesday the school was closed for water reasons, and Friday the school is only a half day.

Today was sports day here and the temperature in the sun was around thirty. Luckily there was a breeze and the shade felt very cool. I had 7 students, two girls and three boys. We struggled through the day. It was tough for them, being so young and so hot, to participate in all of the events, and I was grateful when I had all of them without tears for parts of the day. I am even more grateful to be home right now.

My house is very hot. I am going to move the bed in the spare bedroom downstairs to the basement tonight so that I can fall asleep as opposed to doing what I've done the past three nights...pass out from the heat!