Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 09/01) - Strange squawks, low-pitched booms and sputters echo in the halls of William McDonald school. The sounds lead to the music room, where a Grade 6 class is trying out musical instruments for the very first time.

Grade 6 student Vanessa Otokiak tries her hand at playing the trumpet. The PAC committee at William McDonald raised $8,000 to purchase instruments for the Grade 6 music program. Students have the option of learning to play the trumpet, trombone, clarinet, flute or drums. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

Their faces contort as they blow into trumpets and trombones with all their might. But they won't stay at this beginner's level for long.

"It's amazing how quickly they learn," says Belinda Fraser, the school's music teacher. "By Christmas they'll be performing."

Music is just one of the hands-on classes at William McDonald, a school tucked behind the Fire Hall, where 288 students in grades 6, 7 and 8 spend their days.

About 40 per cent of adolescents in Yellowknife go to William McDonald.

The students here are neither children or adults so programs are developed around a "middle school philosophy." To prepare them for high school, teachers expect students to become more academically responsible. However, since students at this age are very physical, they still respond best to experiential, project-oriented learning.

"It's one of the key ingredients in getting kids this age to enjoy learning," says school counsellor Trudy Murray.

Social interaction is also crucial because, for the first time in their lives, friends become as important as parents and academics.

Art, home economics, industrial arts, music and outdoor education --where students learn Northern survival skills -- are all part of the curriculum. And just under 30 per cent of students are in French immersion.

Character education, an educational philosophy making waves in the United States, is also practised at William McDonald. As part of this, students volunteer at Aven Manor and the Salvation Army and then write about their experiences.

"It makes things a little more real for middle-aged kids," says principal Gord Breen, who has taught in the North for 18 years.

The school also has a photography club and an extensive sports program -- there are 21 sports teams -- and some of the coaches are certified referees.

"We've got real sports-minded people," says Breen.

But the rejection sensitive adolescents sometimes face when trying out for sports teams isn't a problem at William McDonald. "If you come out and play, you're on the team," says the Grade 8 girl's basketball coach Andrea Lyons-Kewley.

Students are clearly proud of their sports record.

"We have more than 70 banners in our gym," says Grade 8 student Chris Gillander. "The most in Yellowknife."

Jamie Bastedo, co-chair of the parent action committee, says the PAC has an increasingly positive relationship with staff and administration.

Bastedo says his own kids like the variety of programs offered at the school.

"Suddenly, this whole world opens up," he says.

But Bastedo is concerned about tight scheduling at William McDonald. Besides a lunch break, students have just four or five minutes to rush from class to class.

"They could take the lid off the pressure cooker and reward kids with a more relaxed schedule," he says. "Then they could relax and have a snack."

"Imagine leading your day like that," he adds.

Over a three-year period, the PAC raised $8,000 to purchase musical instruments for Grade 6 students.

PAC also held a forum on sex education, and got involved when lead levels in the water became slightly elevated.

The committee is now working on getting some outdoor equipment for the school. Bastedo says a lack of challenging outdoor equipment is a one of the school's weaknesses.

School council

"I've heard that people running for student council make so many promises, get voted in, and do not keep them."

In 1982, this was part of Andrea Lyon's speech to her fellow students. Two weeks after the new William McDonald school opened, she became vice-president at the first dance of the year.

Now, Lyons-Kewley is the librarian at William McDonald. She doesn't, however, fit the stereotypical image of school librarian. "I don't like silence," she says.

Almost 20 years later, Angela Gzowski, this year's president, made a similar speech. Like Lyons-Kewley, Gzowski refused to make promises she might not keep. "I cannot promise you anything," she says. "But I do promise to definitely mention these things at the meetings."

Lyons-Kewley coaches volleyball to 40 Grade 8 girls including Gzowski.

She is gearing up to take the team to the University of Alberta in December. They will stay in university residences and learn new basketball moves from the university's team.

"They get to be university students for three days," Lyons-Kewley says. "At this age, kids don't realize what university and college is like. It opens their eyes to what else is out there."

School counsellor Trudy Murray says the trip is a good example of how the school weaves an emphasis on learning into social activities.

"It's a right of passage," says Murray.

"I'll be honest, most of them are interested in going because mom and dad won't be there. But they come back saying that university is an awesome place."