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INUVIK - The sound of silence can be achieved in Sir Alexander Mackenzie school by the sound of clapping hands.

At the most recent assembly, the Gizmo Guys performed for a packed gym full of students.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie school teacher Kim Stringer gets the students' attention by clapping her hands in a rhythm, which is echoed by the students who are paying attention. Stringer said the idea came from former teacher Gerry Woolridge. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

To get students' attention in an assembly, teachers have tried a number of techniques to gain control of the room.

At the Inuvik elementary school, students have learned to repeat a rhythm of hand claps.

Students from Samuel Hearne were also in attendance for the gathering, which made the room even noisier.

Grade 6 teacher Kim Stringer sat in the middle of the room, raised her hands and with a simple sequence of clapping sounds, had the attention of hundreds of students.

Stringer said the sequence doesn't really matter, so long as it's easy enough for the kids to repeat.

"I'm not very musical, so I try and keep it simple," she said.

"A few years ago, Gerry Woolridge started clapping to get the attention of his students," she said.

Woolridge was a cornerstone of the school during his time in Inuvik.

He and his wife held various positions, including music teacher and vice-principal.

Stringer said Woolridge's musical background and his connection to the student body made the technique stick.

"The students responded well to the clapping when he first introduced it," she said.

She said the rhythm of the clapping is what gets the students' attention.

"He would clap out a rhythm and the students would reply by repeating it," she said.

"It would mean their attention was now focused on him and what he was doing."

Woolridge left two years ago, but his technique is still being used in the school.

"Since he left, I sort of took over the role," said Stringer.

She said it's been easy to get the attention of the students because they were all members of Woolridge's music class at some point.

"The older students remember it," she said. "The younger ones see what they are doing."