Two students picked for Ontario school
Cape Dorset high school continues to share space and class time with elementary school
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Friday, October 9, 2015
NUNAVUT
Students lives changed when Peter Pitseolak School, Cape Dorset's high school, burned to the ground in early September, but perhaps none more so than the lives of Teresa Curley and Ruth Jaw.
Teresa Curley, right, and her friend Ruth Jaw of Cape Dorset have joined students at Northwestern Secondary School in Stratford, Ont., for the 2015-2016 school year. They were invited after Peter Pitseolak School burned down. - photo courtesy of Teresa Curley
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Curley is 13 years old and was just beginning Grade 7. After the fire, she was approached by her teacher with an offer. Northwestern Secondary School in Stratford, Ont., wanted to take in two students
Curley explains that Paul Finkelstein, the cooking teacher at Northwestern, and some of his students have been to Cape Dorset several times over the past four years.
"He told our teacher to pick two people and me and my friend Ruth got picked," said Curley.
She wasn't immediately certain she wanted to go. She said she does know people at the school, including two students from Cape Dorset already on an exchange, but "I had to think about it for two days."
What made her decide to take the big step?
"I wanted a better education. My dad said yes so I decided to go," said Curley.
Already it's shaping up to be an interesting year. When Curley spoke with Nunavut News/North, she and Jaw had only been in Stratford for just over a week.
"Me and Ruth were on the soccer team and we played yesterday," she said. "I love playing soccer."
Curley and Jaw are also wrestlers, and at Northwestern they will be able to continue with their training.
She's excited about the school year, although the turn of events was unexpected.
She's far from home, but the Internet makes it easy to stay in contact with her family and friends in Cape Dorset.
Back at home, David Webber, superintendent of schools for Qikiqtani School Operations, stated by e-mail, "Considering the tragic loss of Peter Pitseolak School, the students are doing remarkably well. Although many are saddened by the fire, they nevertheless are looking forward."
High school students moved into Sam Pudlat School with elementary school students on Sept. 9.
"Presently under the split shift arrangement with Sam Pudlat School, all students are getting four hours per day of class instruction," he said.
Further, the Department of Education very quickly replaced lost text books and supplies from the central storage in Iqaluit. All key teaching supplies are in place or ordered and on their way. Supplies missing but on order are sports equipment, science lab equipment, musical instruments and other resource supplies.
"Attendance (for high school students) for September was 77.3 per cent with 18 students having 100 per cent attendance," said Webber.
There are approximately 150 high school students in the community.
The medium-term plan is to begin occupying other available buildings in the community and resume full teaching hours until a new school can be built. The Department of Community and Government Services had earlier advised Nunavut News/North that a new school could take up to five years to design and build.
