Otetiskiwin Kiskinawamahtowekamik
That's the official name of the Nelson House elementary school but since it's so long and no one, not even community elders, can pronounce it, we just call it OK School.
Going to OK School is a lot different than going to Sunnylea. Some students walk to school but most take the school bus. At 8am each morning a really loud siren, very similar to an air raid siren, sounds. This siren acts as a community alarm clock, letting families know that the busses are on the way. The dogs outside the school start howling when the siren sounds. It's really funny to watch.
School starts at 8:30 but the busses are often late so I usually take attendance at around 8:45 or later. There is no penalty for being late here; we don't even record it on the attendance. The school is just so happy that the student has shown up at all! This is because many students don't come to school regularly. I have a few students who only came to school one day this week. I also have a few who will often come to school in the afternoon only. Unfortunately, every class is like this. It's difficult to learn when you hardly come to school. No one in my class knows how to read. They are starting to learn the days of the week and to match each letter of the alphabet with their sounds.
Recess is from 10:30-10:40. At Sunnylea, only 2 teachers are on recess duty but here, there are about 10 of us. Lunch is from 12:00-12:40. Very few students bring their lunches. Some walk home, but most are provided lunch by the school. They are served mac and cheese, hotdogs, soup, etc. Hometime is at 2:30. There are no after school activities because the buses come right away. Also, we share the building with the high school. High school students attend school from 2:45-8:45pm.
