Paulatuk school improves attendance rate by 25% this year

Angik School in Paulatuk, N.W.T.,has always struggled with improving its attendance rate at one point, the school had the lowest attendance rate in the Beaufort Delta region.

"We've been in a battle with attendance for many years. We've even experienced the bottom of the barrel," said Gilbert Thrasher Sr., chair of Paulatuk's District Education Authority.

However, the school has now started to hit its stride, and attendance has increased by about 25 per cent.

Thrasher said that the school has worked hard to build better connections with partners, like the parents.

"When you get a better number of students attending, it's a partnership. And it's good to see some of the partners making it work."

Thrasher said in the past, the school has had quite a few students drop out, but some older students do return every year and graduate.

After opening up the school up to the community, principal Bill Callahan said the RCMP and elders come to the school on a regular basis.

"Our partners have stepped up and provided funding for us to do lots of things," he said.

Callahan said he's been at the school for about three years, and about 75 per cent of about 60 students are attending regularly.

"We want the school to become a central part in the community that's welcoming to everyone."

The school is becoming more a part of the community rather than its own institution.- Paulatuk Mayor Raymond Ruben Sr.

He said the school has rolled out some initiativestoimproveattendance.

There are monthlypizza parties for anyone with 85 per cent attendance for the month, or an attendance increase of 10 per cent that month.

For years, the school has been buying food for Christmas baskets for students with good attendance.It did the same thing for Easter this year.

"We had ninestudent families with 90-plus attendance,"said Callahan.

Next school year, there will be one Grade 10 student enroled in the Northern Distance Learning Program, and the school is hoping the student will inspire others and possibly boost attendance as well.

A part of the community

Paulatuk Mayor Raymond Ruben Sr. said that at one point, there seemed to be a disconnect between the school and the hamlet.

"The school seemed to be separated from the community, the way the administration was running," said Ruben."There was no partnership, really no communication [and now] the school is becoming more a part of the community rather than its own institution."

Ruben said it wasn't a great feeling knowing Paulatuk "was at the bottom of the barrel" attendance-wise, but is proud of the strides the community has made.

He noted that many families "still breathe with the land," and that manyare still going on the land during certain months so it's nice to find a good middle ground when it comes to academics.

"It's good to know that we can still be up there in terms of kids' attendance at the school. We never try to cut them off or degrade them because they want to learn in other areas," said Ruben.

"Not every child is going to succeed academically, so we have to find ways for them to succeed at what they are good at."

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