Inuvik (Feb 24/06) - The Winter Olympics may be across the pond in Europe, but last Friday SAMS students proved they weren't too far away to get into the spirit of it all.

SAMS Grade 6 student Dale Rogers shows his national pride during the elementary school's very own Winter Olympics last Friday. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

Under the guidance of teacher Michelle Ross, 26 parent volunteers and college students in the nursing program, the school staged its own version of the winter games.

They played everything from the dizzy stick biathlon to a unique version of hockey played on snow with plastic bags tied to players' feet.

"The best game was snowshoeing," said Douglas Sittichinli, whose class competed as the United Kingdom for a day. According to Sittichinli and classmate Dayna Polakoff, in addition to competing, students learned a bit about the country they were representing. Nations present at the SAMS Olympics included Canada, United States, Italy, Finland, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Norway, Russia and France.

"And we had to encourage our teammates, too," added Sittichinli.

And in what is supposed to be the true spirit of the games, the emphasis wasn't on winning, but the joy of competition, of course.

"It's about representing your country, having fun and meeting new people," said Polakoff of what she thinks the games are all about.

When asked their thoughts on the real Winter Olympic Games in Turino, Italy, Sittichinli says snowboarding and hockey are his favourites.

"I like all the sports, but especially speed skating," added Polakoff, a member of the Inuvik Speed Skating Club.