Rankin Inlet (Nov 08/06) - A group of students at Maani Ulujuk high school made a game out of school spirit and co-operation this past week in Rankin Inlet.

Students in the school's Grade 7 and 8 classes were mixed together to form five groups.

Each group had at least one student from each class. The groups were then assigned to a room where different board games were being played.

Mary-Lou Angilik, Seamus Ayaruak, Brent Ford and Kelli Hickes-Makayak, from left, enjoy a challenging board game during a special event at Maani Ulujuk high school in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

School vice-principal Lisa Kresky says the idea of the exercise was for students to work together who wouldn't normally find themselves involved with the same project.

The learning behind the fun was focused on building team and school spirit, as well as developing collaborative skills through working with different people.

"The students were learning as they participated, but the games were also about having fun," says Kresky.

"School should also be a fun place to be, not just work, work and more work.

"Many of the games were academic in nature, such as word and trivia games, and we also had traditional games in the gym, so we had a wide range of activities."

The event will be held five times during the school year so the groups can visit each station.

Kresky says the students really seemed to enjoy the time together. She says it was nice to see kids, who normally never associate, playing games together.

"I had two students playing Boggle who are in separate classes and would never hang out together.

"It was neat to see them enjoying each other's company."

Kresky was surprised by how receptive the kids were to the board games.

She says the games youth play today are fast-paced affairs on their Xbox, Nintendo or home computer.

"This brought them back to a simpler form of fun, and showed them that everything doesn't have to be on a computer to be cool.

"A student asked me the next day if we were doing it again that afternoon, so that tells you they were enjoying it.

"They wouldn't want to do something they really didn't like just to get out of a bit of school work."