Over the Routine

Life in the village is quickly getting into Winter mode. As such, power is getting a little scarce and we're starting to go on to wood heat. Classes do continue however and I'm finding myself maxed out by Friday keeping assignments, aides and students ready for the day. It would be nice to handle 9 kids for one class but with the different subjects it boils out to 30 different levels for six subjects.

That's my class minus one who was downlake for a cousin's wedding. I have to say that they are quite the bunch; I've already walked into my office with close to 50 coffee mugs on my desk and throughout the classroom as a friendly morning prank.

The World History class just finished their timeline which is pictured alongside the Biology experiment involving getting water poured from glass to glass for four stories (demonstrating that plant cells are truly wonderous).

I had an apartment warming party last night and somehow 27 people molded themselves into my living room and bedroom. Folks weren't too impressed with my trapping stories.

Snow has appeared on the nearby mountains and with the turning of the trees it's quite a sight. It's only a matter of time now before the expected 400" or more inches should fall upon us.

Things Unique to Holden School

1. When students are late to school, simply walk to their chalet and wake them up.
2. Visitors to the Community sometimes walk into the school and take pictures (I can understand the whole one-room schoolhouse cuteness but come on folks, We're not Amish).
3. Coffee Break is designed into the schedule.
4. Poetry class can be held on the grass - without a permission form.
5. Mavis Beacon is the Class Mascot (surprisingly, she's not even a real person).

"First Day"

First thing about Holden that needs to be understood: "hilarity" is one of the features of the charter for the community. As such, you get holidays like "First Day".

To describe it, take a bit of Halloween, a pinch of Mardi Gras and a good amount of "anything goes". It's celebrated at the first day of school and considering this may be our "third" first day for Holden it made it all the more crazy. Folks were dressed up, bands were playing, people behaved in character and the kids took full advantage of it.

The bus drives up Chalet Hill about a block long, picks up the kids and it's a free for all. One chalet made themselves into white trash complete with appliances on the lawn and empty beer bottles while another stopped the bus with setting up a scene of "what happens when the kids are at school".

The teachers were on strike and protested the fact that we didn't want any more kids and nothing really went back to normal until noon.

We're Off

Word came in last night that the Forest Service was allowing families back into Holden.

Once again, books and materials are being packed and we will do another "first day" in our real home.

Guests aren't allowed back in as the fire is still moving up and down the slopes around Holden but the real danger is not to the village but to the road. The argument was made that in the winter the road can be closed to avalanches so it would ok with fire too.

So Thursday & Friday we've canceled school here in Chelan and will start anew on Monday

view from the B&B

First Day & General Musing

We are not up in the village - yet. The forest firefighters are consistent about letting us know that we're "getting closer to going up." Waiting aside, things are made interesting when you have three kids in your classroom, seven that are strung out through out the western United States and you communicate to them via email and cell when suddenly - another student walks in from Nebraska. The parents have generally been supportive and understanding.

I am genuiely impressed with their capabilities and I think, at times, they would be happiest if I ordered them to read and answer questions 1-20.

I have been living, until today, at the Holden Village B&B which is 25 miles up from Chelan on the South Shore. The drive would be by myself if it wasn't for the fact that I am also the bus driver. The B&B is a wonderful place and I'mwondering now if I made the wrong choice in leaving; you would too if you had a former 4 star chef cooking for you and a seemingly endless supply of wine not to mention views of the Lake and the hills. A woman from Stehekin has opened her house to me in Chelan until I move to Holden and I think my car is wondering why I'm driving back and forth.

Classes have taken on a twist as I've had them at Safeway, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, the Vogue and next week the Ranger Station and maybe the Goodwill. The ongoing phrase is "out and about". For lunch, I take my four students across the street to the Elementary where we sit along side the 2nd & 3rd graders.

Getting things sorted out

As many of you know, Holden is still closed due to a forest fire which has-is endangering the only access to the village from the lake. I arrived yesterday and spent most of today discovering that the forest fire has made a mess of things. For instance, students are all over the place. Some are in Chelan, others in Tacoma, Seattle and yes, somehow, Minnesota. Questions like, "When and where should school be open?" are unknown as we have no idea when the fire will be contained. Housing myself and my co-teacher and her family just got interesting as we're approaching Labor Day weekend and everyplace is booked. We may be staying in a house on the lake owned by a woman who lives in Stehekin so that may be covered.

Things are getting sorted out and eventually we'll be back in Holden.

Fire Approches

With the evacuation complete, the full time staffers and fire crews are busy at work containing the blaze that is near Holden.

Hitting the Fan Before I Arrive

News got to me today that Holden was evacuated on account of a forest fire. The village, as I understand it, is not in danger but the only road linking the village to Lake Chelan is. I'm scheduled to start new teacher training a little over a week from now and there is talk that school won't start for another six weeks.

Basically, it's all in limbo.