It’s back-to-school time for western Nunavut

Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay is the last of the western Nunavut schools to start up — this summer several of its custom-made windows were broken by vandals. (FILE PHOTO)

It may feel like summer never came — or went too fast. For students in the western Nunavut community of Gjoa Haven, Aug. 2 marks the start of the school year.

Students in Gjoa Haven schools are, in fact, the first in the territory to return to the classroom for the 2013-14 school year.

And, as other schools in western Nunavut’s five communities prepare to welcome students, the Kitikmeot School Operations expects few problems — although vandalism this summer at Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay saw a number of custom-made windows damaged and requiring replacement at about $2,500 each.

A major plus as school gets underway: teacher turnover in the region is lower than in previous years, said KSO’s executive director, Jonathan Bird, in an interview from Kugluktuk.

“We have 17 new teachers [out of more than 100] in total across the region, which is a lower number than normal. It’s been a fairly stable year,” Bird said.

All schools in the five Kitikmeot communities are fully staffed with teachers, with the exception of one vacant position in Cambridge Bay.

However, there has been a verbal agreement made with a teacher for that position, Bird said.

It was “a relief” not having to recruit more new staff members this year, he said.

“We’re never in a dire situation — [but] I don’t want to jinx it right now because Cambridge Bay has a later start in August, and sometimes you get late notices, family situations come up last moment.

“There’s always a possibility that you receive that last-minute resignation notice,” Bird said.

Most new teachers are coming up from the south, Bird said, but new teachers from Nunavut are also being hired..

A major “challenge” remains finding local teachers who are willing and able to teach Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun.

“It’s a tough combination to find the proficiency in the language and an individual who wants to teach,” Bird said.

“It’s becoming more of a challenge to have folks want to teach the language. Right now, we’ve got the pieces in place that — but yes, the Aboriginal languages will be taught,” he said, adding hiring priority is given to teachers from Nunavut who can teach the languages.

Qiqirtaq (Kekertak) High School in Gjoa Haven will recieve a new Inuktitut teacher for its language specialist position, a teacher who is already known to the community.

“This is the first year that I haven’t had to hire very many teachers. It’s a lot better [than] in the past,” said the high school’s principal, Paul Cipriano, adding that he would usually have to hire five or six a year.

“Up here they are used to teachers coming in and out, but if you have longer staff, it’s better for the school environment,” Cipriano said.

Gina Pizzo, principal at Netsilik School in Taloyoak, said she didn’t have to hire any new teachers this year.

“I think it’s getting to be that way more often because we have so many local staff. So it’s nice to have years like that where you don’t have any turnover because it helps with consistency and teachers know their students,” Pizzo said.

School starts in the Kitikmeot are listed as follows:

August 2: Gjoa Haven, Quqshuun Ilihakvik, Qiqirtaq (Kekertak) High School in Gjoa Haven;

August 6: Taloyoak, Netsilik School;

August 8: Kugaaruk, Kugaardjuq School;

August 16: Kugluktuk High School;

August 19: Kugluktuk, Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik; and,

August 26: Cambridge Bay, Kullik Ilihakvik and Kiilinik High School.