Normally at this time of year in the Web we are still buried under a few feet of snow. As we leave our homes after the March Break we leave towns that are melting and even some that have seen the last traces of the snow. We return to the Web and feel as though it were the place that Spring forgot. Back to wearing mitts, winter boots, scarves and the lot. Then the real winter blues will set in.
Often times I'd return to the Web and then my boys would give me updates on how they were doing with the garden. As they speak i would look out my front window as a skidoo speeds past on the lake out front.
A sigh felt deep down to the bottom of my feet would escape as I would long for Spring.
But it would seem that Spring has not forgotten about the Web. Now for those of us that live "south" of the Web, its great news. We can put on lighter spring jackets, break out the rain boots, and for me, flips flops in the school. It makes us feel that the world is not so cold.
However, there are several things on the downside with this early Spring in places like the Web. It means the winter road is unpassable. In fact I just heard that out school bought a brand new school bus, but they were only able to drive it to Summer Beaver, so there it will remain until the net Winter Road season. So we should see out new bus sometime next January depending on how long it takes to get over 17' of ice thickness. It also means that no more goods can be shipped, that means fuel for the next winter, food, building supplies and the list goes on.
It also means an early arrival of the sand flies. They are those tiny little flies that swarm about you getting caught in your hair. They fly into your nose, mouth ears and its the most annoying part of being in the bush.
I always have plenty of bug spray but it does not seem to make a difference to these guys they swarm and pester and bite anyway.
For those of us not from the community we don't think of the things that will impact them, we think of what impacts ourselves, and usually that is the bugs. We figure "whats a few bugs" and for us the early arrival of Spring in all her guts and glory is welcome and are glad from the reprieve of the -45 C days and eagerly take out the summer clothes in breathless anticipation.
For me its even better. I return today to the Web after March break and a 3 day conference, to be there for 16 days, and return home for 4 days of the Easter Celebrations, back to the Web for 4 days and then we have the Awesome Goose Break which goes for 2 weeks. Many teacher envious us, but there is a trade off here too. In order for the school to close for those 2 weeks we extend our school day by 1/2 hour, so we work until 4 PM. But then I figure there is no where else to go in the Web, so what is an extra 1/2 hour right? And actually I have worked in the Web one year when they had eliminated the 2 week Goose Break and we ended our day at 3;30, it was awful, I find the kids needed the 30 minutes to get their work done. So its a half dozen of one and 6 of another, so they say.
For me, I feel mixed about April; it is great to be home for almost the entire month, in total there are only 9 instructional days in April....YES only 9, and the day before Goose Break is often 1/2 day, and the Thursday before Easter is given way to classroom parties...so that makes it 8 instructional days. YIKES! Then when we return in May, we have to really work hard to get kids back in the school mode. Not an easy task, often teachers will spend the first week re-establishing the routines, and if it is warm and sunny outside, it is harder to keep them engaged. Many times recess come and we discover at the end of it half the class has run off.
So go the pitfalls of teaching the end of the school year in the Web!
