KA'A'GEE TU/KAKISA - Students at Kakisa Lake School got the chance to show off their finest work during a Fall Fair held at the school on Oct. 12.

Grade 2 student Maverick Simba-Canadien entertains the crowd during the Kakisa Lake School fall fair on Oct. 12 - photos courtesy of Nicki Crawley

"They were proud of me," said eight-year-old Sadee Simba whose mother and brother both attended the event.

Almost the entire community paid a visit to the school to show their support, teacher and organizer Linda Urban said.

"We only have 50 people here (in Kakisa) and the school was jam-packed," Urban said. "It seemed like everybody was here."

All eight Kakisa Lake students, along with students from Louie Norwegian School in Jean Marie River, spent part of the day creating displays for their best pieces of schoolwork, Urban said. They spent the rest of the day each cooking their own lasagna, along with garlic bread and salad made by the group.

Some community members who had made a recent trip to Hay River also brought back a surprise for the event - pizza and cake.

"That was a total surprise, but it was really, really nice," Urban said.

In the afternoon, judges awarded first and second place ribbons to each piece of schoolwork. Students and their parents then came back to the school to look at the displays and eat together. Students also played fiddles to entertain their guests.

"It's a celebration of excellence through their work," Urban said.

The displays were made up of 16 different categories, she said. Students showed off their best stories about ravens, model tipis, handwriting activities and other items.

Visitors also participated in a scavenger hunt where participants had to research the displays to find the answers to questions.

Simba said she showed her mom and brother the story she had written about ravens and the pictures of trees she had drawn.

Schoolmate Tarek Leahy-Chicot said he showed off the tipi he had made out of canvas and sticks.

"It's good for everybody to come and see our work," he said.

Urban said inviting parents and community residents to the school helps forge a bond between the community, the students and the school.

"If the children see that the teachers and the parents and the community are working together for one objective, they're really proud and excited," she said. "They're both really important in the child's life."

Showing their work to their parents can also help kids develop a sense of pride in their work.

"The children can come and show what they've done to their parents and it becomes important, they see their parents are really interested in what they've done," she said. "There's a real connection between the school and the home."

The next fair will be called "All Things Scary" and will take place near Halloween, Urban said.

Chicot said he is looking forward to making "spooky stuff" to display.

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