Rural Practicum at Tok School in Tok, Alaska: What goes on?

Even in mid-April...

the snow is relentless!

But on a nice morning, students occasionally walk in via snowmachine (snowmobile) trails through the adjacent woods. This is a lovely walk through the boreal forest.

Inside the School

Home of the Tok Wolverines.

Typical of an Alaskan School, a stuffed version of the mascot greets visitors. Not some cotton stuffed thing, but the real deal, crafted by a taxidermist!

The trophy cases are located throughout the school and are all packed full.

The flagship of the Alaska Gateway School District is also an athletic powerhouse!

The cafeteria doubles as a performance space for the music program! The acoustics in there are pretty great! I only wish they had been able to give us a demonstration :)

There is even a foldaway stage hidden off to the side. An efficient and creative way to get multiple uses out of the same space!

This is the Monolith, a space where community members, retiring teachers, graduating seniors, etc. can purchase some space to leave their mark forever upon the school they love.

The REACH Academy is the correspondence school. It has the second largest enrollment in the district and its offices are housed inside Tok School. There are several employees that service these remote students on a daily basis.

Traditional classrooms abound. No smart board or fancy tech required; these kids are still getting a top-notch education. Of course, this doesn't mean no-tech! check out this fancy little robot used for telecommuting students from other schools in the district!

In Alaska, nothing beats a classroom with windows! In Tok School, every classroom has windows. I know this seems a little silly, but believe me, missing those two or three hours of daylight in December or January makes a difference!