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Burying Old Man Winter

Students get back to playground at recess

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Mar 26/03) - The sounds echoing across the hamlet of Rankin Inlet this past week were one sure indicator that spring may be finally on its way.

NNSL Photo

Mikilaaq Manernaluk gets ready to hit the slide as Cecile Noolook and Tara Angidlik await their turns. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo


The squeals of laughter and booming young voices served notice local students were reclaiming their playground from Old Man Winter.

Like all Kivalliq kids, students at Leo Ussak elementary school in Rankin Inlet spend the vast majority of winter recess times inside the school.

Vice-principal Sarah Ayaruak says regularly scheduled recess times see the school's younger students take a break from 10:20 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

Grade 3 and 4 students take the next 10 minutes and, for the past three months, most of that time has been spent inside.

"We have a school policy here at Leo Ussak elementary school that prevents our kids from going outside for recess if the temperature, with the windchill, reaches -40 C," says Ayaruak.

"That can be a good part of the winter here in Rankin."

The school does its best to provide indoor activities for the students during winter's coldest months.

Teachers from the different grades will team up to run various activities in the school gym, such as relay races and ball games.

Students who prefer not to take part in the gym activities spend the 10 minute recess time in their home classrooms.

Ayaruak says as a whole, there's a definite difference in the behaviour of the students during months when they're not able to get outside to break up their school day.

She says the outdoor recess time provide a break from structured class schedules for both the students and staff members.

"You see the difference in the way the kids conduct themselves, especially in their attitudes sometimes, because it's too long for them to spend the entire day inside the school.

"Anyone with experience with young kids knows how easily they can become restless."