After four long months being split under two roofs, Ayaprun students were welcomed into the Kipusvik building with a grand opening ceremony Tuesday morning.
Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup’ik Immersion school students returned from spring break, not to the classrooms they left, but gathered together at the newly renovated Kipusvik building. Ayaprun principal Sam Crow says everyone is excited for this day to finally come.
“The children are really excited, all the teachers are excited, and all the parents that came and helped out yesterday are very excited. Today feels right. It seems like March 15 is a blessed day for all our students,” said Crow.
Ayaprun Elitnaurvik burned down in November last year. Since then the district quickly responded by moving the Ayaprun students to the District Office and Gladys Jung Elementary. Kuskokwim Learning Academy Students who also lost their dorm and school have found a place at Yuut Elitnaurviat. Now, with the help of local organizations, parents, volunteers, outside groups and other students, all of the Ayaprun students can begin learning again under one roof.
One parent, Bosco Hooper, says both of his daughters attended Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, the younger one still enrolled. He says it was hard for his daughter to grasp what it meant when her school burned down.
“She was kinda sad at first but she didn’t really understand what was going on at the time,” said Hooper.
Ayaprun student Joette Alexie, or Angukarnaq in Yup’ik, is the daughter of Sharon and Harry Alexie. She was excited about the grand opening and getting back to school. Alexie says her favorite subject is Yup’ik, her native language. The thing she likes most about the new school is how much space there is.
The grand opening ceremony began at 10 a.m. Tuesday. There was dancing, a few blessings for the students and traditional story knife folk tales. Then after lunch, it was back to the classrooms for the children and back to daily life for parents and supporters.
The Lower Kuskokwim School District began leasing the Kipusvik building from the Bethel Native Corporation in December at a rate of $50,000 per month plus utilities. They plan to lease the building for three to five years until, hopefully, the district can build a new school. BNC says business for Suurvik Cinema will continue as usual.
