7-1 Humanities Semester Reflection

Tuesday, December 18th, 2018

Homework:
-Share the Math & Science assessment that were sent home yesterday (Math: MIA Fractions & Decimals, Science: Landform Rubric).  
-Go into PowerSchool with your parents, look up the Math MIA to see the comments that are included. These comments go through what you are able to do and what areas still need practice.

Semester Reflection

Friday, December 14th

Reminders:
- Bring a mug for hot chocolate on Monday
- PJ Day on Monday

Thursday, December 6th

Thank you to all students and families who were able to make it in to conferences.  Several parents mentioned that they could use some guidance on how to check grades through PowerSchool.  I made up a little "How To" sheet that might be helpful and have put a link to it below.

Checking Grades on PowerSchool

Wednesday, Dec. 5th

We are looking forward to seeing you at Student Led Conferences.  

Reminder:
- There is no School tomorrow or Friday
- Please bring in donations for the Sock Drive

Math:
- The 15 questions for adding fractions practice are under the Math-Tasks tab.  There are also practice games under Math-Resources.
- If you want to review simplifying fractions, or converting improper fractions into mixed numbers, check out the 2 review resources under the Math-Resources tab (Gr 6 workbook and SpyGuys)

The following notes are class notes collected from 7-1 and 7-2 for the novel A Stranger at Home
- students were given several opportunities to collect individual notes, and should compare these
notes with their own for clarity

Chapter 1:

Olemaun came home after being at residential school for two years

She wasn’t used to her families food or language; she only remembers

a few words of her own language

Her mom didn’t recognize her; her dad does

Her dad calls her Olemaun - she likes this, and says it feels like, “a beautiful

dress that was far too big for me to wear.” (p. 9)

She is now 10 years old

Her mother gave her a parka that she had when she was little

She asked her father about going back to Banks Isl. and he said no

Chapter 2:

She woke up early at the school, and still woke up early at home

She tries to make bannock, but she has forgotten how; she burnt it and wasted ingredients,

so they had to go back to the Hudson’s Bay Co., she uses baking soda instead of baking powder

Her dog almost bites her hand because it doesn’t recognize her

A stranger appeared, and she called him a devil - Duvilak

She wanted to play with Agnes, but her mother pulled her away - forbids her to speak English

Chapter 3:

Olemaun started to pray at the dinner table, her dad refuses to pray

She and her sisters go fishing

She tries to impress her mom by catching fish, she has trouble but she catches

less and smaller fish than her younger sister and mother, she is disappointed,

Maybel catches a ten pound trout

While fishing, her mom and sister laughed about fishing trips she wasn’t a part of

Chapter 4:

She asks her dad if the stranger is the devil and he says no

Agnes tells Olemaun that she is not allowed to play with her or any children

that know the white ways (from the school)

P. 55 “My tears fell into the ocean, and I wished my spirit was in those tears,

because then I could follow the current back to the place where I belonged.”

P. 55 “His massive shoulders were slumped forward and his entire body breathed longing”

She enjoys hunting for eggs in the traditional ways of her families

Olemaun thinks that the stranger is homesick

She thought that the Dubalik wanted to smile but had forgotten how

Chapter 5: 

Olemaun’s feet hurt because she is used to wearing shoes at school

Her mom wanted to learn to read and write, but she was frustrated very quickly,

her mom didn’t understand the point of trying to write her name

Olemaun doesn’t know how to teach her mom because her Inuvialuktun is limited

An elder spoke to her and then yelled at her, but she could only say sorry,

she didn’t understand

She had nightmares about residential school

She didn’t understand the people that were getting angry with her

Stoic: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their

feelings or complaining

Olemaun’s feet are tender and bruised after running along the shore,

she puts on her grey stockings and canvas shoes from school

Frustration fueled her running

Chapter 6:

Dubilak left, and Olemaun is sad about that

Shared the rock with mothers name on it

She started to pray but her dad got mad

She got her family scent back so the dogs would play with her

She saw children outside, they taunted her about her language and

shoes - she wanted to play with them

She gave Agnes “Gulliver’s Travels”

Her friend agnes ran away for a full day, and two days to walk back

She felt betrayed

Olemaun’s father apologizes

Chapter 7:

Her sister’s got dolls and she got a sled

Her family builds a cabin - instructions in Inuvialuktun - bondings

A shimmer of pale light illuminated the snowy hill between us and the lake

Christmas - Family residential school - sleep, nicer meals, nice plates, less chores

Her father was hired by the RCMP - routine checks on towns and trappers

Chapter 8:

Her younger sisters are going to residential school - her dad is making her

go to protect her sisters - her dad’s words floated around inside her

Trip to husky lake - she took her own dog sled

Hunted and fished - her dad broke the news that she would have to go back

Sad and mad about going back - but wanted to make her sisters understand

On the boat the sisters got afraid - mom cut their hair

Note - Lena written on it - wants Olemaun to help her read

Agnes escaped again - Olemaun didn’t get to say goodbye

She saw the Dubilak again, on a barge

Themes

People change

How had Olemaun changed - how did she adaptation

Residential school - erasure of culture

Facing herself - Margaret v. Olemaun - she had to find herself again

Didn’t fit into the society - judgement - shame -

People who came back were changed

No one recognized her

Lonely - not the same as her family

A stranger in her own house because of language - clothing, food, hunting

Her family treated her differently - schedule - wake early vs. sleep in