October

Dealing with some Problems
Over half of these kids need to be taught how to work! Yesterday I received multi-vitamins, newspaper and biros from home.
I am finding discipline the biggest problem with the kids because it takes me too long to get round all the different Grades and I think I am too kind with them. Two more families came in today from their summer fishing settlement which means an even bigger class. Apparently the kids were really rough last year with one kid stabbing another. I don’t know how much I am going to like teaching here. I’ll be able to better judge at the end of the year. The environment, attitudes etc. are so different from Exmouth School.

Winter’s Approaching
It’s also remarkable how quickly the weather changes here. Winter’s setting in now. I am just back from Stephen and Sandra Cook’s house (Pentecostal Principal) after receiving an invitation for Sunday dinner and tea.
New toilets are going up near our School. Tide washed? Ice? Foul? I was freezing cold when I woke up again this morning after being down at Ben’s last night. There was quite a heavy snowfall yesterday morning. It’s cold but not snowing this morning. The mail boat is due this Saturday which probably means Sunday or Monday!
The “SS Bonavista” did arrive this Saturday morning at about 7.00a.m.after all. It had to wait for daylight before navigating the stretch of water known as “The Tickle”. I opened the local dance last night where fisticuffs was brewing but didn’t come to anything. Clive arrived last night but had to return at about midnight. I’ve been having some discipline problems with my Grade 5 who are also not doing their homework. There will be a parents meeting soon about that. Scott has just got a new Parka and a gas lamp from his home at Mary’s Harbour. It will be very nice to have a decent light in the house.

Reflecting About my Teaching
I enjoy teaching the younger children that is up to Grade 4, more than I do the Higher Grades. I think this is mainly due to the poor Grade 5 I have but not entirely so. Teaching is a very difficult job because you have to be so different from one minute to the next. However, it’s a job that I have enjoyed a great deal at times so far. At other times it has been very difficult which has needed great control and patience on my part. I have to take care with the formation of my letters when I am writing on the blackboard because I am teaching the “MacLean’s” style of handwriting. I think the style is too elaborate with flowing lines all over the place.
There is quite a bog, “muskeg” outside Scott’s house now that is difficult to navigate. Yesterday Scott put up a storm door, which sounds ominous. He pots about doing odd jobs like most able-bodied men in this community. Little do they know how much they suffer from their isolation? (Griff Thomas and Mike Vincent, two of my Welsh teachers have “teachers writing” by the way!)
Travel is much easier here in the winter on the skidoos and snow-cruisers. From what I can gather there is a lot of movement to and from Mary’s Harbour and suchlike communities. At the moment there are two wood trucks and a few cars to navigate the thriving Metropolis of PHS !
My list of things to buy for the winter is, pair of nylon, waterproof, insulated trousers; good pair of over-mitts (over the pair of gloves Rita is knitting for me); a pair of sealskin boots if I can possibly manage to get the sealskin (Mrs. Ward has said she will make me a pair); a pair of overboots and possibly a pair of mucklucks.
I had a Sunday chicken dinner and a good tea with Mr. And Mrs. Cook yesterday. A very fine pair; happily married with one child, Jonathan. Pete is due in this week. There has been a great commotion about him out at George’s Cove. It looks as if I will be taking Grades 4 – 6 now. Jo Ward has threatened to take his boy, Jo away from The Anglican and put him in The Pentecostal School in PHS if Pete teaches him!
Received a letter with my pay cheque of $122.90. It’s so great to hear from her. My post here is a very responsible one. Gerry Hill, politician, is due in tomorrow. I now teach Grades 4, 5 & 6 – intellectually semi-satisfied, puff puff – big words! I held the dance last night. Pete came in last Thursday and Clive came in for a brief visit last night.

The Social Life
I just came back from a fifteen-minute visit to the dance where Claude was looking like a corpse! Twelve bottles of beer?!?! I have been playing cards all evening with Rita, Scott and Pete. Apparently, last night, I had a hymn played for me on the radio thanks to Judy Rumbolt who has a crush on me – twit! The dance is great – very clever tap dancing by the men which was great to watch. I didn’t have a dance tonight which was the first no dance night since I have been here. I didn’t go down to the School until midnight, which was too late.
I think Scott resents an education in somebody, mainly because I think he is suspicious of “us” educated types. He’s a nice guy all the same. The men are just about continually talking about the women and me when they talk to me. About Gloria who is a slob and Judy Rumbolt who is I guess near enough a prostitute. This is the “hoary” reputation I’ve read about.
The other day I felt like I was in a western when I was walking down the road. The place has a definite Wild West atmosphere that I didn’t notice at first. I was given sealskin and bottoms from Dick Rumbolt yesterday. Today I gave them to Mrs. Jim Ward who is going to make a pair of boots out of them. Very few people wear them in winter around here now, preferring more modern shoes. None of the twenty-five kids in my class have seen an Eskimo and only one or two can swim, which isn’t surprising because it’s too cold. I bought three tins of seal today for $2.15. I will send Christmas presents off tomorrow. A fifteen year old in my class has great difficulty reading big words so I helped him for half an hour after school when he was staying behind for not doing his homework, poor kid. I have to keep the kids’ noses hard against the grindstone during my year out here, which is a real challenge particularly after my promotion to Vice- Principal. I must try to keep up strict discipline. I tend to let it drop too often by smiling or something similar!
I like Rita’s baked beans (haricot beans in molasses) and pork (that is pork fat!) That letter I received from Will, my brother, was rather cynical and mischievous I thought. I wrote to Alex, Chris (about his plans for entering the RAF), Will and Verity and must remember to send off those three tins of seal meat tomorrow as presents.

The start of winter
Today on the 19th has seen the beginning of the snow, which is quite deep. I wonder if this is the real start of winter.
Clive went back with Vic Penny today. I felt really proud yesterday because I was on the maiden voyage of “The Bella Rosetta”, Ben and George’s new boat. We came back from William’s Harbour in the dark! Phew. I was two feet from the engine.
The church here is taking money from the locals, as if they have money to spare. Mind you, the church plays a much bigger part in people’s lives out here. Well, I’ll go to church on Sunday evening just to keep the locals happy. I don’t feel like being connected with the church in any other sort of way.

Enjoying Myself
I am beginning to enjoy it immensely out here. The people are marvelous with too many to name, especially The Rowes. I hope to start my Geographical Project soon and I have started-up the School Library.
Pete is knuckling down to hard work now – about time and I had moose leftovers for dinner today.
Scott and I sawed up a big supply of wood yesterday. Boy! What a state of mind to be in –Scott that is! Just lazing around the place doing nothing except trying to sing and playing that damned accordion of his. It needs self-control on my part not to say anything to him. He is a nice enough bloke. Apparently he had a better chance than Claude to better himself. Claude took his chance whilst Scott didn’t and I think Scott resents Claude for that. They grew up together. I’m off to the mail boat after “dinner” plus multivitamins.

Winter’s arrived!
The kids were skating today near the School. The ice with running water beneath was only a couple of inches thick. Winter is really setting in now, 24th. Scott has finally fixed his gas lamp. Boy! It was hard working at one end of the table by the solitary oil lamp with cards being played at the other end. I have just written off for $37 worth of goods from the mail-order catalogue:
Two pairs of shoes (snow boots and moccasins) from “Simpson & Sears” and One belt,One thermometer for indoor and outdoor useOne walkie-talkie, One watchband…from the “Quality” mail – order catalogue.
Received letter from Dave and “The Montreal Star” and I have just been down at Mrs. Ward’s with cowboy hat and “singing.” I said I’d sell her my torch before I leave. I will give it to her instead. She was very impressed with it. Received newspaper cuttings from home.

31st…Received letters from Chris and Jane (re. Derby). Also had a belt sent from home? Well, what’s happened?
Pete and I “tailed” a trap up on the High Road. And last night the “SS Strathcona” was here with Mr. Bruce Colborne. He’s a nice, funny kind of bloke but unplaceable. I must remember to write to him.
My furnace was belching smoke a few days ago in my classroom. I had to rush outside and turn off the oil. What a mess!
Scott has just shot a weasel outside the house. A nice white one. It was covered with lice and we brought it into the house. I quickly sprayed my fly – spray all over the place. I hope I haven’t caught any of those lice.
I had beaver for dinner today with Redge and Charles Russell. They’ve promised me the beaver teeth-super-sharp chisels!