Home Stretch

Time is running out on this school year. Monday of last week I flew out here to Tuntutuliak (Home of the Bluejays) for my final village assignment of the year. I got classes started here and then Thursday after school flew in to Bethel to help out with the Robotics Tech Challenge organized by a co-worker in our department. There were 8 teams from throughout the district competing. Each had designed, built and programmed a robot to compete in the challenge. This year's challenge involved a playing field with hoppers full of wiffle-balls, and different goals with different scoring possibilities. The idea was to create a robot that could release the balls from the hoppers, and then pick them up and place or launch balls into the goals for a score. I got to be a judge and referee for the competition and was quite pleased to see the maturity, teamwork and enthusiasm of our students at work. Unfortunately I did have to give the referee shirt back after the competition ended on Saturday.

Things in Tunt are going fine. My students are doing good work and staying relatively enthusiastic considering that it is springtime. It probably helps that the weather hasn't been particularly springlike. Temps have been in the teens and twenties for the past few days. As it warms up and more migratory waterfowl begin to arrive, things could become more challenging. Right about at that time, though, I should be finishing up here in Tunt. At that point, I'll be heading back to Bethel, and will finish up the year teaching in the Bethel Youth Facility, our local juvenile detention center. I'm looking forward to working there, and note that no matter what the weather, I shouldn't be having any issues with class attendance.

The school year has flown right by and I'm sure the next 3 1/2 weeks will continue that trend. I'm looking forward to seeing the family and friends back home, and enjoying some nice r and r in Wisconsin. Brewer games, cookouts, lakes and rivers beckon!!