The first day of school

JOHN AMAGOALIK

The first day of school for me, whether it was at the Resolute Bay Federal Day School, the Duke of Edinburgh, Samuel Hearne, the Churchill Vocational Centre, or the Gordon Robertson Educational Centre (now lnukshuk High), was always an exciting day.

The prospect of another winter of learning new things, expanding my mind, making new friends, and wanting to do well always made me eager for the first day of school. Most of my friends who went through these schools with me usually remember having the same feelings about the first day of school. Armed with a solid basic education from those early days, the graduates from these schools have gone on to achieve some important things in politics, public service, art, culture, music, and journalism.

Most in my generation had a very strong desire to learn. Our society was going through a very sudden shift, and I think many of us recognized that an education was going to be vital in a new world our people were about to enter. Coming out of our isolation, it was an exciting world of discovery, intellectual challenge, and a feeling of adventure.

Another thing all my old classmates agree on is that we had some very good teachers. They challenged us intellectually, made us do our work and they were very involved in the social life of the community. Many of them were also members of a new generation of teachers who saw us as their equals.

Perhaps because of my strong curiosity, I always enjoyed going to school and doing pretty good. The only time my marks dipped down was when I was being continually harassed by a couple of school bullies. Once the threat was gone, my marks went back up. A feeling of security is very important for a good learning environment. No one has the right to threaten that security of the person, which is guaranteed under the Canadian Constitution. This especially important in a school.

I am lucky to say that most of my memories of school are good ones. I am proud of the schools I attended. I am proud of my good marks. I thank my good teachers. It is my wish that all students of today’s schools be able to say that about their own experiences 30 years from now.