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!

As with every school, keeping things light and creative is an essential element of daily life!

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

And that's the truth! Thank you Tok School for welcoming us into your community!

The Journey In!

 

Tok is about four hours from Fairbanks where we began.  I have been to Tok many times over the years, but I never tire of the breathtaking views along the way! 

We have arrived!

We met with the principal of Tok School, Jason Roslansky, Sunday evening.  He showed us around the school, full tour took about 35 minutes.

Tok School is heated and powered in no small part by a biomass (wood pulp) burning plant.  It offsets their energy bills by about 30% according to Mr. Roslansky.  Much of the biomass is harvested on site, but some is brought in and donated by the local Department of Transportation or Electric Company crews after they have been clearing out sites for various projects.

Some of the generated heat warms a greenhouse in which many things are grown that are used to supplement the school's fresh foods in the winter months.  Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, kale, etc. grown by students, harvested and prepped by adults, and then used to feed students.  Very cool.

I am set up in an air handler room (basically a storage room).

 

I found an old nurse's or physical therapy table with a padded top, built a fort around it, and moved in.  

I shower in the ref's locker room, use the toilet in the teachers' lounge, and have no access cooking facilities.  I do have a microwave that I can use, though!

 My sleeping quarters are located upstairs in the back of the library.  A quiet and rather pleasant place to be.

Willie (my friend and fellow traveler) is staying down the road so I am alone at the school in the evenings and early morn.  I took a walkabout the first evening and found some lovely ice to crack... a couple real good ones in here!

Goodnight Tok Folk, see you in the morning!

The Destination

Tok (pronounced like "toke" rhymes with "folk") is the Gateway to Alaska.  The first town with facilities after crossing the border into Alaska from the Yukon Territories, Canada

About a four hour drive from Fairbanks, Tok is a small town reminiscent of a gold-rush community that has adapted to tourism and the local forestry industry.  Complete with a grocery store, several local shops and businesses, a couple restaurants and a few hotels and motels for weary travelers passing through the area.  Less of a destination than a stop on the journey, Tok is a friendly town that is welcoming to outsiders of all stripes and types.