Book Fair Bonanza

I've been running a book fair in the school library since the start of the week. You know, where you've got tables of books, posters, pens, bookmarks and kids get to buy/order what they want. I wasn't too sure how well it would go over, but it has been exceeding my expectations. So far we're well over $500 in sales and it's only half way. Tonight is parent's night, which will hopefully bring in some of the big money. It hasn't been historically well attended here, but I think the positive image of the school has been growing. I'll be manning the book fair throughout, as the parents follow their children's schedule for a brief look at high school life.

The book fair and book orders were always a favourite of mine, so it's been fun getting kids into it. It's mostly been junior high kids (grades 7-9) and mostly girls, but little things keep surprising me. I made an annoucement over the PA telling kids to save their hard-earned pennies and one girl, taking me very literally, came in with $10.00 in rolls of pennies for books. Another kid came in after school by himself wanting the new Chris D'Lacey epic about dragons (The Fire Eternal), but didn't have any cash. I let him read a bit of it until I closed up shop. He said he'd try and get the money from his Dad and the next day he showed up with a ziploc full of nickels and dimes. He must have busted open his piggy bank and raided the couch cushions for the $7.00.

I'm starting to get involved with things in Inuvik. I attended my first rehearsal of the community band last night. They've only had band instruments here for a year and a half, so this is extra-curricular with about a dozen people, only a couple of which are students and all of which are playing instruments new to them last year. To grab the beginner's spirit (and due to the lack of a working bass) I'm taking up the tenor saxophone again, which I haven't touched in almost 15 years. It felt pretty weird to be holding a saxophone and not something with strings, but I fit right into the beginning atmosphere. Good stuff. Je suis aussi membre de la societe Fracophone d'Inuvik. On va avoir un diner ce Vendredi a l'Hotel Mackenzie. Vive le Francais.

A Bientot