Embarking to Port Alsworth

WOW!!

       I cannot explain how awesome this has been but I definitely will try! After I finished packing everything, Chris, Levi and I waited to board our plane. We waited about an hour and a half because there was a huge rain storm that had knocked out power around Anchorage. The storm also caused some minor flooding around the area. We then boarded a Bush plane which carries 9 passengers, 1 pilot, and 1 co-pilot. Since Levi was taller that anyone else on the plane, he rode co-pilot for the entire flight. After about an hour flight and a few stops in between, we landed in Newhalen where Chris and Levi were dropped off. I was asked to pick up my luggage from an open wooden box and take it with me to the next plane. This plane was even smaller than the last one I was just in. It was a pilot and me who were then off to Port  Alsworth in a two seat Bush plane! This was truly an amazing experience as I was able to see all the mountains, scenery, and the beautiful blue lake water. Lake Clark which I flew over was just breathtaking! I was curious of why the water looked like something you would swim in at a tropical beach and the response I received was that it was caused by a glacier.
       As soon as I arrived to the site, I was greeted by a very nice lady with a pickup truck. I was taken a few feet down the road and shown my housing. Mind you I flew in on a runway that was made of gravel and rocks. I immediately met my two roommates Asha and Katie. They were very welcoming when I walked into my new home for the next six weeks. I have my own room with a comfortable bed which is very nice after house hopping for the past 8 weeks. Asha made me a sign that welcomed me through the front door, and another sign that was posted on my door with hand written Bible verses. Quickly after arriving, my co-op Becky invited me to come to her house for dinner with her and the 3 foreign exchange students living at her house. I soon found that her and husband are believers. This was very encouraging and uplifting to know they were believers. Yet again the Lord has worked on my behave to provide such a Godly influence in my teaching career. The community is a Christian based community and on this site there is a Christian camp that runs during the summer. There is also a church that is fully running and I will be attending on Sunday to see how it is set up.
       Everywhere I look I see mountains that are covered in snow. I have encountered a fox, 3 moose and a beautiful dark sky filled with stars. Today for fun we watched one of the bigger planes that has flown into Port Alsworth take off. It was pretty incredible to stand on the runway and have an airplane fly directly next to you! I have joined a ladies Bible study with about 17 ladies who attended this week. I am eager to see what else the Lord has in plan for me while I am here.
      Now, onto the teaching aspect of the trip (the reason I am actually here). Today was only my second day and yesterday I walked around to each classroom and met almost all of the students in just a few short hours. There are only two buildings in which the students attend class. There is a gymnasium which is not that big but is perfect to have because of the weather here. The school has cross country, basketball, and volleyball for sports. It is pretty interesting because at times this reminds me of when I went to North Rome for my schooling in K-12th grade. Everyone knows everyone and everyone is either related, adopted, or family friends. It is such a warm and friendly community to be involved with because everyone takes care of you and makes you feel as comfortable as possible. I was able to teach for almost the whole day which was amazing because it was only my second day here. I have 5 students in my class who are either in Kindergarten or 1st grade. I have two more students coming back within the next few weeks before I leave which will give me a total of 7. I worked with 2 students individually with reading, writing, and math. My co-op teaches Kindergarten, 1st, 1-3 science, and 3-5 Social Studies. It is impeccable that she maintains 3 different ages groups or more at one specific time. In this school, the students work on their grade level and the curriculum is centered around common core standards but also based on where the student is individually. There are some whole group classes but that is just because there are not enough teachers to work with all the students on an individual basis for every subject. There are 3 seniors this year, but I do not know how the graduation process is done. In our Kindergarten and 1st grade classroom my co-op and I split the students up based on grade level. Today I taught the Kindergarten class all morning and in the afternoon I have the two 1st grade students for writing. I love this style of teaching because the student is getting exactly what they need in order to push them to the next level. I am looking forward to immersing myself more with the curriculum and the students over the next six weeks.

View from plane

View from plane

Where I flew out of with Chris & Levi

Levi and Pilot

Airplane view

View from plane

Bush plane where I flew co-pilot

Bush plane 2 seats

View from Bush plane

View from Bush plane

Airport landing strip

 

One of the largest planes leaving Port Alsworth