The Sister School Exchange program is getting busier by the day! Most teams are finishing up their prep work and getting ready to travel. Snowmachine helmets are heading towards teams to keep them safe, assignments are being submitted, parent meetings are happening, and packing has begun for travelers.
This is an example of a culture bag from one of out teams out of Juneau. These are three items that represent the student and what cultures he belongs to. Teams often share these items with each other as a way to get to know each other better. It is no easy task to represent your cultures with just three items!
A portion of the SSE curriculum asks students to explore why people choose to live in their community. Through these discussions students identify the strengths of their community. They also participate in activities which focus on what makes their community’s culture unique. Below you see an example of a list created by students explaining what makes Juneau unique.
You Know You Live In Juneau if…
...you own a pair of XtraTuff rain boots
...your car has a cracked windshield
...you have either gone on or own a boat
...you never trust the weather station/app
...you only have to commute 40 minutes tops
...you support the arts
...you have seen the glacier
...there are four different froyo shops
...there are too many drive through coffee stands
...you have the smallest Costco in the world
...you spend more money on rain jackets than purses
...you usually see someone you know in the airport
...your play gets a standing ovation...every time
...venison or halibut is often on the menu at friends’ houses
…you drag your random stuff to the bottom of your driveway and throw a free sign on it
…you use the term “out the road”
...you are used to the rain but still hate it
...you drive 10 minutes to get to the glacier
...you eat fish for most meals
...your relatives only come to see the Glacier
...pretend to be a tourist
...you’re not surprised by four enormous ships in your backyard
...you know how to say thank you in Tlingit (gunalcheesh)
...you buy raffle tickets from every sport and activity
...there is always someone you know selling something at IGA
The team from Manokotak has just wrapped up a week in Palmer visiting Colony Middle School. Some highlights included: volunteering at a soup kitchen, going shopping, getting to know their host families, and watching “Black Panther”.
Click on the image above to visit the team's blog.