Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat

That is the name of my school. I call it M.E., and so does everybody else. It means “little kids school” in Yup’ik. I am a first grader there. We are the “Mushers.” I am a “buser.”


It looks like the comic book room at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, which is the biggest Children’s Museum in the whole world. My teacher is named Mrs. O’Brien. She’s nice.

It was rainy on the first day of school, so we all went under the building for recess! They even have seesaws under there. They have a wooden floor down there too. I looks like a stage. There were all kinds of animals on springs that you could ride.

At Yup’ik class it wasn’t what I expected. We mostly do art, but we do learn some Yup’ik. I can’t remember any words right now. I can’t remember my teacher’s name right now, but I’ll tell you later when I remember.

So far my favorite thing about Bethel has been the three puppies that live across the street. My favorite thing that happened at my school so far was Friday Morning Showcase. It was real fun because I got to sit with Mom and Dad. What I did was watch kids who live near me sing songs, do the pledge of allegiance, and sing the school song. All the kids and a bunch of the kids parents were there.

You can even hear the coyotes or foxes or wolves howl from way out on the tundra. I like Bethel.

I will have my dad type in the school song:

(Sung to the tune of ‘This Land is Your Land’)

Today we’re singing a song for our school
We call it M.E., a really fine school
We greet good friends here, we make good friends here
All kinds of people large and small


M.E. is your school, M.E. is my school
We’re proud to be here, we all love our school
And it’s the finest, it’s where you’ll find us living and learning all we can
We learn together, working and playing
Striving to become the best that we can!
We help each other, just like a brother
Our school is best for you and me

‘till next time
--James