Inuvik (Feb 11/05) - Hats, shoes, coats, snowpants, homework and even food, all of these items and more can be found in Sir Alexander Mackenzie school's (SAMS) lost and found box.

S"Right now there's a mystery bag that nobody has touched," said Val Robertson, administrative assistant at the school, who enjoys a view of the box from her desk. "Everything is in there, from soup to nuts. People's lunches, a coffee table book, you name it."

SAMS student Logan Simon stands in the lost and found box after searching in vain for his missing running shoes. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

Unfortunately for SAMS student Logan Simon, spotted walking around the school in his sock feet, the lost and found box did not contain his missing running shoes.

"I checked but they weren't in there," he said before continuing his search elsewhere.

But for every failure, there are many success stories. Just ask Grade 1 student Kylan Shea, whose snowpants were located after they were missing in action for a week.

"I wasn't surprised at finding them in the lost and found but my mom was," he said.

According to Robertson, the contents and volume of lost and found items depends on the season.

"You can see its physical presence change," she noted, speaking of the box as if it were some mythical beast rather than a receptacle for SAMS students' misplaced and forgotten items.

"After spring break there's little use for lost and found and it basically becomes a giant shoebox."

Senior custodian Rosa Kayotuk agreed.

"You should come and see it at the end of the year when there are shoes sized two to 12," she said, proving that even adults are capable of losing items to the Pandora's Box that is the lost and found.

So what happens to unclaimed items?

Every three months the good folks from Inuvik Works pick up whatever hasn't been claimed and deliver the goods to the Next to New secondhand shop.

Watch out for those lost lunches, though!