Farewell Diomede, Alaska!

 
   The day is Tuesday, May 2, 2021 and I am to depart Diomede, Alaska along with the two other teachers, there being only 3 of us out there.  The chopper had cancelled the day before due to inclement weather and likely would have done the same this day as well had it not been for a bit of nudging by our principal Mr. G.  Only one teacher is returning next year and having spent two years living and teaching on this rock only leaving once to journey home for the summer and then return, it was quite challenging.  For a full 10 months of school it was just the principal and myself out here, myself teaching pre-k through 5th and he teaching 6th-11th as there were no 12th graders.  I survived weeks worth of freezing temperatures in the school when the heat sporadically went out, 2.5 weeks of melting snow to flush toilets and bath in a tote with only sparingly, and the daily question of would our one water tower last until summer thaw in July when the artesian well would thaw and start to flow again. None of the villagers had running water in their homes.  Instead their days were occupied by hauling 5 gallons of water to their homes up broken board walks or ice steps, cutting their own ice to melt for water, and carrying their honey buckets down to empty on the ice.  The children were charming although teaching so many grade levels in one class was not without its own challenges.  I wonder if one day I will return to Diomede, Alaska and while only time will tell I wish them the best in the upcoming years and the brave teachers who venture out to spend a year living on a rock.  You all ROCK!

 

         During our last week of school the students were able to paint a "Hope" sign in the gym to symbolize our strive for suicide awareness and prevention in the community of Diomede and as part of a suicide prevention course I was taking.  (Note: I only feel permitted to show the student's faces because this picture was posted publicly on the bssd.org school website).  My best wishes for Diomede to continue their suicide prevention and outreach program in conjunction with Norton Sound Health.