Yellowknife (Mar 10/04) - Old Man Winter's little temper tantrum couldn't prevent students and staff at Victor Sammurtok school in Chesterfield Inlet from giving it their all during the Inuktitut School Challenge.

He did, however, make them stretch out the activities for a few more days than originally scheduled.

The challenge was sponsored by the departments of education and culture language elders and youth.

Students competed against their counterparts from across Nunavut by coming up with projects that promoted the use of Inuktitut in school.

Teacher Glen Brocklebank says local students and staff members were very creative with the ideas they came up with during the week-long event this past month.

"We had more than 120 people coming into the school for the events and one of the most popular was the 2.75 x 2.75 metre wall hanging we made of our school logo," says Brocklebank.

"Everyone who came into the school that night took a stitch, so it's almost completed.

"We were just in the swing of things when bad weather hit, so we had to add a couple of days, but, other than that, everything went great."

All ages participate

A group was also formed of school staff, elders and parents to come up with a working code of conduct based on the elders' beliefs and values concerning the raising of children.

While the adults busied themselves with the code, another group focused on Inuit games in the school gym.

Chester's athletes who attended the Arctic Winter Games gave demonstrations to show people in the community how to do each event.

The next evening saw another group come together to focus on storytelling and traditional songs.

Into the spirit

"We also had a Spirit Day for students to speak Inuktitut," says Brocklebank.

"Those students who did speak only Inuktitut in the afternoon received one point for their school house.

"The team in the school with the most spirit or house points gets to host a pizza party at the end of the school year."

Brocklebank says the festivities came to a close with a pancake breakfast and a giant sporting event for the entire school to enjoy.

"The whole student body came out to play broomball at the arena," says Brocklebank.

"All in all, it was a pretty cool week of activities."