Gambell is located on the northwest cape of St. Lawrence Island, 200 miles SW of Nome, in the Bering Sea. The city is 36 miles from Siberia (Russia). In other words, I will be closer to Russia than mainland North America! On a clear day, I will be able to see Russia. Gambell is 19 miles from the International Dateline. Average summer temperatures are 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and average winter temperatures are -2 to 10 degrees F. Extremes from -30 to 65 degrees F have been recorded. I don't even want to think about the windchill right now. The Bering Sea freezes in mid-November, and does not completely break up until the end of May.
It will be no surprise that you can only access Gambell by boat or by plane. It is roughly 1 hour to Nome by a small bush plane, or 1 hour 15 minutes to Unalakleet. Mail comes every day if the weather is accommodating.
The people of St. Lawrence Island are Siberian Yupik, and reside either in Gambell or Savoonga. Gambell has a population of roughly 650 people as per the 2000 census, and the school is one of the largest in the Bering Strait School District (with about 160 students). Their particular dialect of Yu'pik is closer to the Russian dialect than the mainland Alaskan, and they have maintained their traditional ways of life more than many other villages in Alaska due to the island's isolation. Ivory carving is a major source of income, and many of the villager's ivory work is featured in major American museums such as the Smithsonian. They lead a subsistence lifestyle based upon marine mammals, and still use walrus-hide boats to hunt. A limited amount of tourism is afforded to Gambell due to the abundance of seabirds in the summer.
Here are a few pictures of the geographical situation of St. Lawrence Island:
The staff at the Gambell school will be almost entirely new personnel, and I am excited to begin a new school year with them. I'm a little nervous, but I am ready for both the good times and the challenges.
Thank you to everyone that helped me along the way, especially those from BSSD. Now the adventure begins!
-Megan
Wow, congratulations on learning your placement. I'm sure your questions will become much more focused from here on in. Hopefully they will give you a contact person who is actually on the island. :) Of course, I am still willing to chat whenever. Take care!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so excited for you. I bet it's a big relief to know where you're going and start planning it. I signed with Teller, and I'm excited to start planning the specifics. I look forward to seeting you at the new teacher orientation...or the welcome wagon! Thanks for all your help :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it is spectacular! I am very excited to be moving to Koyuk. It will really be a good move for me. And yes, you are more than welcome to visit!
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question, the three "garden" villages are Koyuk, Elim, and White Mountain. I don't know that this title is official, but they are said to be the three most beautiful villages in the district. But of course that's all hearsay and opinion. I think UNK is quite lovely!
You get to make up your own street name? That is probably the coolest thing ever, now I see why you wanted Alaska ;)
ReplyDeletePlease just make it a jumble of consonants and vowels that make absolutely no sense, that way we can look like we're 3 when we address the envelope! Or some neat lil' metaphor would be neat to. I can't wait to see what you choose :) I trust it'll be a.mazing!
It worked out to be about a dollar per pound for parcel post. Books are lot cheaper becuase you can mail them media mail. I don't know if it will cost more for your boxes because they're going farther? Let me know when you find out. Good luck with the packing :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I heard it was helpful to drill holes and put zip ties on so that the lid stays on. Also putting packing tape or duct tape around the corners will help from your tote cracking or breaking.
I'm so afraid that my totes are going to bust open and all my stuff will spill all over the place!
Talk to you soon,
Nicole