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Good teaching tool
Kivalliq News a hit in classroom

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Chesterfield Inlet (Oct 09/00) - The Kivalliq News has become a popular teaching tool at Chesterfield Inlet's Victor Sammurtok school.

Principal Walter Raniowski says he's been successfully using newspapers in the classroom throughout his teaching career.

He says newspapers make a good textbook for providing students with a bevy of general information.

"Kivalliq News has generously contributed to the reading skills of students at Victor Sammurtok school by sending us their newspaper every week to be used in the classroom," says Raniowski.

"The newspapers give our students up-to-date news on what is happening in the region and provides them with good, interesting material with which to practice their reading skills."

Raniowski says a school can use a newspaper to help in teaching language, sports, arts, social studies and geography.

He says The News is especially beneficial because it is also translated into Inuktitut.

"Having the Kivalliq News every week not only helps out students understand the language better, it encourages them to write and maybe even send letters back to the editor.

"Eventually, I'd like to see our students use the paper to create ads in Inuktitut for a combined language arts/arts lesson."

Students at the school have enjoyed their lessons using the newspaper and look forward to its arrival every week.

"I like reading the paper whenever it comes," says Grade 9 student Dominic Simic. "I also like looking at the pictures of people I know and I have often wished to see my own picture in the paper."

Raniowski says the benefits of having the newspaper in the classroom are already evident, and he hopes this year marks the start of a successful partnership.

"We hope that the Kivalliq News will continue to be used as a good reading textbook for the next few years here in Chesterfield Inlet."