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Students march on milestone
Tusarvik School parade marks Nunavut anniversary

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 16, 2014

REPULSE BAY
Students at Tusarvik School took to the streets to celebrate Nunavut's 15th anniversary this past week.

NNSL photo/graphic

Tusarvik School Grade 7 students Idga Kridluar, Rolanda Milortok, Jan Kadjuk and Aaron Sandy Kopak, from left, lead a parade to celebrate Nunavut's 15th anniversary in Repulse Bay in April of 2014. - photo courtesy Julia MacPherson

While the official Nunavut Day is July 9, the territory came into being on April 1, 1999, and the first Nunavut Day was held on April 1, 2000, before being moved to July in 2001.

The celebration parade that made its way around Repulse was the idea of vice-principal Julia MacPherson.

She said with school out in July, staff at Tusarvik wanted to do something special with the students to celebrate Nunavut Day together.

"One teacher and her high school class volunteered to make cupcakes for the entire kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school," said MacPherson.

"We called the hamlet to let it know of our plans, put it on local radio and had the RCMP come to the school to join us in the parade.

"Some classes made signs, and we had our flags all ready, as we met outside the school to begin the parade.

"I drove in a truck with some senior students and we stopped at the hamlet office for a group picture, as well as the Arctic Circle Arch and back at the school."

MacPherson said the students were really into the proceedings.

She said a teacher began shouting, "I love Nunavut," at every stop, and the students quickly picked up the cheer.

"The next thing we knew, at every stop the kids were just screaming, jumping up and down and shouting they love Nunavut at the top of their lungs.

"It was really a good time for everyone.

"I encourage the classes to talk about Nunavut, when it became a territory and why, and how's it's been 15 years already.

"A few classes actually took the time to decorate the bulletin board with artwork, and put information up about Nunavut, so it was really a good day."

MacPherson said Tusarvik has been pushing post-secondary education with its students, encouraging them to go Arctic College in Rankin or to Iqaluit and give it a try.

She said a group of potential grads from Tusarvik travelled to Rankin this past Monday, April 14, to visit Arctic College.

"We wanted them to have a little session at the college, check what it has to offer and just spend the day gathering information.

"It was only for the one day, but, hopefully, it made enough of an impression that some of the students will decide to give it a serious try after graduation."

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