ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 (edited) My husband accepted a teaching position at an itsy-bitsy school in rural Alaska. The school is basically split into elementary and secondary rooms, and is multi-age. There will be 3 teachers for about 19 kids. Students work at their own pace at their own level and must show proficiency to reach the next level. It's a lot like homeschooling in a big family, really. I am homeschooling Corbin because our school here (a typical suburban PS) would not be able to customize instruction to meet his needs. That won't be true in our new town. Corbin will be able to work above grade level in math, and below grade level in writing, because there are no grade levels. :001_smile: I'll be able to be in the classroom as much as I want (I expect that will be a lot!) and I can use my own curriculum for him as long as it helps him meet the standards. I could even officially homeschool him part-time. He will get to do lots of group projects with the other kids, and since the town is just a little loop, he will be able to play with his friends any time. I never imagined we would have this opportunity. I'm really excited! The only thing I'm not looking forward to is getting perishable groceries since everything has to be shipped in. :001_huh: ETA: Chloe has started blogging about this at http://breakingiceblog.wordpress.com/ Edited April 23, 2011 by ondreeuh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5wolfcubs Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 What an awesome sounding opportunity! I'd start knitting mittens now... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 sounds wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Wow, can we move in with you? :D Sounds like a super opportunity. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 That sounds like an amazing opportunity. Except for the part of groceries being flown in...and the winters, but other than those little things...amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 What an exciting adventure for your family! What will you do with your time w/o homeschooling ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 The idea of free time - alone! - makes my heart skip a beat. In a good way. I still have my 3 year old, although he will be in preschool with a whopping two other kids part of the time. I have no idea if it's 4 hours a week or 20. If it's only a little bit of time, I will ask if I can staff the preschool for more hours. I have SO much pre-k stuff, and our new home won't have room to store it, and it's more fun to do with friends anyway. So between preschool and helping in the classroom, I will be busy. That, and making food from scratch because there is no such thing as take-out. I can't believe I'm going to have to use powdered eggs and instant milk. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Except for the cold weather, it sounds great! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 How far out are you going? It sounds like an exciting adventure. Living in a "big" town in Alaska is an adventure. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Sounds wonderful! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakotajm Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I can't believe I'm going to have to use powdered eggs and instant milk. :001_huh: Too cold for cows and chickens or just not your cup of tea? Seems like a milk cow and a chicken coop would be a wonderful way to spend that free time-better than powdered anyway! This is coming from someone who has both a cow and chickens-but we live where it's temperate. Lakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsieFamily Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My kids as part of our travels are attending a 1 room schoolroom with 18 children aged 5 - 11. It is fantastic. There are two teachers, a principle, a receptionist and a librarian. Five adults and eighteen kids! Brilliant.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Oh an adventure! How wonderful! Congratulations. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Congratulations! I'm so glad you were able to find a great place to live. It sounds like the perfect fit for you. My DH would love for us to move to Alaska! He has some great memories of that place. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 We have 12 chickens now, but I can't imagine transporting them. It actually doesn't get terribly cold where we're going - down to the teens but not sub-zero. We have talked about building a coop once we get there and then ordering chicks next spring, some hardy breed with pea combs. As for a milk cow, I can't even imagine that there. For one thing, there's no easy way to get food for a cow. It's also not a farming community - they fish and hunt. There are no fences in the village that I could see from all the pictures. Maybe a goat would work, but I don't know if I'd like goat milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 We're going to live on the Prince William Sound, east of Anchorage. It's absolutely gorgeous. They get a decent amount of snow, but the winter temps only drop down to the teens. Summers are moderately warm. It's only a boat ride away from the roads and daily flights to Anchorage. I'm thrilled that Amazon is now shipping for free to Alaska again, so we'll get a lot of our groceries that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Congratulations! I'm so glad you were able to find a great place to live. It sounds like the perfect fit for you. My DH would love for us to move to Alaska! He has some great memories of that place. :001_smile: Oh wow! What a grand adventure. Will you be there for a certain amount of time or indefinitely? Quick, get the Land's End catalog out and order all the winter close-out Jackets you can find! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 That's so similar - we'll have 3 teachers, an aide/pre-k teacher, a cook, a custodian, and a secretary. I've heard that Australian bush schools are often run in a similar way. Is your children's school standards-based? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 We'll be there indefinitely. I'd like to stay at least three years so Chloe won't have to move again in high school. GREAT idea about Land's End! I can order a ton of stuff and return what I don't want to the Sears down the street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Exciting! If you have not read it already, you must read "The Year of Miss Agnes" immediately. http://www.amazon.com/Year-Agnes-Aladdin-Historical-Fiction/dp/0689851243/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303536457&sr=8-1-fkmr0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Wow, it sounds like an amazing adventure awaits your family! I mean really super amazing. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We worked in Anchorage for 1 1/2 years and loved spending time in Seward. You have said you are going to have to have things flown in, so I am assuming no vehicle access at all, will you have boat access to your place? We spent 2 days salmon fishing from an area that you could get to by boat or plane. We stayed in a roadhouse (a very rustic form of bed and breakfast) and really enjoyed talking to the 80+ year old lady who ran it. I do hope the pay will be high enough to compensate for the costs to have goods flown in, that was pretty expensive even 3 or 4 years ago. It should be a great adventure. You can get through the long winters if you decide that you are going to do stuff whether it is dark and cold or not. Polyproplyene (sp?) long underwear is great, there is a place called Woolies in Anchorage that has fleece lined wool hooded sweatshirts that are really warm. They work great if you aren't in a windy area. They are expensive but to us they were worth it. We often wore those with long underwear and no other outerwear. I would love to hear about your adventures when you get there, have you though about doing a blog that maybe I could follow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 So cool! Enjoy. (Oh, and there's a ton of recipes for that powdered milk and eggs.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Sounds perfect. You will be surprised on what you get used to. Remember you can freeze milk and many other things. We do this since prices in this town are so high and other towns are quite a ways away. This is what we want to do. We would love to move to Alaska. I am blown away that it only gets to the teens you stated. That is warmer than here. These last few winters have dropped below zero for a few months at a time. Gosh we still are not jumping to high above 40 lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 That sounds like a wonderful move:001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Sounds challenging and WONDERFUL all in one! I think my kids would really LOVE that sort of living. DH and I would become use to it and enjoy it eventually too. We've always said we'd love to live in a village that sounds similar to what you're moving into. I really love the school setting that will be there! I too pray that the money will be enough difference to help pay for the additional expenses such as having stuff flown in vs. running to the supermarket for a sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 That sounds so neat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 does sound nice. best of luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneofalamo Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 wow!! I went to a school for 2 years on the island of Adak, Alaska and it was the best time! Have fun, enjoy the experience and buy a smoker for all that salmon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I would love to hear about your adventures when you get there, have you though about doing a blog that maybe I could follow? Me too! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 The temps were one of the upsides. Dh applied for positions in Barrow (67 days with no sun in winter) and Fairbanks (temps range from -60 to 90). This place is a lot milder. The town just north gets twice as much snow; it all depends on the mountains and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 My daughter is doing a blog! I will ask her if I can link it here. There is a ferry scheduled to come by every 2 weeks in the summer. We can charter a plane or try to fly space available. The best way to ship stuff will be through Amazon super saver shipping. Dh will take coolers to Anchorage when he goes to inservices or the national guard, and bring back produce. We also have family friends in Anchorage who can shop at Costco and mail food to us. I'm really excited! My daughter is less so, because she doesn't want to leave her friends. She is being positive, though. She's busy planning which IKEA furniture to buy for her new room. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I "knew" a teacher who taught in a bush school through another homeschool forum I use to frequent. The bush school sounded very family orienteened and wonderful. I'm sorry I don't remember her name, but if you want to try to get a hold of her PM me and I'll let you know where I use to "know " her from. I'm sure if you asked there or even searched the old threads, you would be able to get lots of info---she shared everything--including how bush toilets work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We're going to live on the Prince William Sound, east of Anchorage. It's absolutely gorgeous. They get a decent amount of snow, but the winter temps only drop down to the teens. Summers are moderately warm. It's only a boat ride away from the roads and daily flights to Anchorage. I'm thrilled that Amazon is now shipping for free to Alaska again, so we'll get a lot of our groceries that way. This sounds very exciting - what a great adventure!! Be aware that Amazon will not ship anything perishable to Alaska - not even to Anchorage! And their definition of "perishable" does not match mine!! Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We have 12 chickens now, but I can't imagine transporting them. It actually doesn't get terribly cold where we're going - down to the teens but not sub-zero. We have talked about building a coop once we get there and then ordering chicks next spring, some hardy breed with pea combs. As for a milk cow, I can't even imagine that there. For one thing, there's no easy way to get food for a cow. It's also not a farming community - they fish and hunt. There are no fences in the village that I could see from all the pictures. Maybe a goat would work, but I don't know if I'd like goat milk. Another problem with chickens and cows (and goats) is - Bears think you're the local take-out!!:lol: Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 How cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We're going to live on the Prince William Sound, east of Anchorage. It's absolutely gorgeous. They get a decent amount of snow, but the winter temps only drop down to the teens. Summers are moderately warm. It's only a boat ride away from the roads and daily flights to Anchorage. I'm thrilled that Amazon is now shipping for free to Alaska again, so we'll get a lot of our groceries that way. Is the change with Amazon a recent thing? The last time I tried to buy any food item it said it wasn't allowed. I do get free shipping on books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Yes, it is new! Now there are just restrictions on perishables, health/beauty (even toothpaste), and some tools, I think. There's a blog about good deals at http://alaskanbargainhunter.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Another problem with chickens and cows (and goats) is - Bears think you're the local take-out!!:lol: Anne This is SSSSOOOO true! Growing up in bush Alaska is quite different. Bears on your front porch and having to fly anywhere you want to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela in GA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Very cool. Very, very cool. I've always been intrigued with the Bush. We live in Fairbanks right now. This is our second time being stationed here. We're planning to retire here, that's how much we love it. :-) On the drive up here I told dh Lord willing, I will never make this trip again. I don't plan to leave. HA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 What an awesome sounding opportunity! I'd start knitting mittens now... :D :iagree: Congrats!! What an incredible chapter of life most of us never get to experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virg Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 That sounds awesome! When my kids are bigger I would LOVE to start something like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 I think this sounds ideal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 What an adventure. I would have voted for Barrow, AK.......just because that is where my best friend moved 2 weeks ago. Your climate might be more mild though with a bit more sunlight in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 What an adventure. I would have voted for Barrow, AK.......just because that is where my best friend moved 2 weeks ago. Your climate might be more mild though with a bit more sunlight in the winter. I'm scared of Barrow after that vampire movie...:tongue_smilie: Sheesh! :eek: Also, Congratulations on the job and the move!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Sounds amazing! My dh and I tried to get a position like this last year. We wanted to do it so badly but nothing worked out for us. What a great opprotunity for your family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 24, 2011 Author Share Posted April 24, 2011 (edited) Whoops, I wrote a message for Starr and then realized that that's not you :) Edited April 24, 2011 by ondreeuh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted April 24, 2011 Author Share Posted April 24, 2011 (edited) It's a lot harder to get a job in Alaska than I thought. They are feeling the budget crunch like other states, and probably have more applicants than ever because teachers from around the country are facing low odds. Dh couldn't even get an interview in Oregon. If you guys want to try again, I'd really try to go to the Anchorage job fair. Some of the little districts do their hiring through the fair. Dh definitely wouldn't have gotten this job if he hadn't gone up there. Edited April 24, 2011 by ondreeuh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 What a neat experience! You are so brave. I think I'd be too scared, even though Alaska is beautiful. Dh wondered what the other people do to support themselves in such a remote area. Is there a major employer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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