Tuugaalik High School

Tuugaalik High School is a grade 7–12 school[2] in the hamlet of Naujaat, which is located on the Arctic Circle[3] in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, northern Canada. The school building was completed in August 2016[4] and the official opening was on 9 September 2016.[5] The school has received a number of awards for its innovative provision of educational facilities in this remote Arctic community.[6]

Tuugaalik High School
ᑑᒑᓕᒃ ᑎᓪᓕᕐᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ
Location
Naujaat, Nunavut

Canada
Coordinates66.533491°N 86.247119°W / 66.533491; -86.247119
Information
TypeHigh School
Established9 September 2016 (2016-09-09)
AuthorityKivalliq School Operations
Grades7 to 12
Enrollment155[1] (2017/18)
Area32,582 ft2

Design and construction

Tuugaalik High School was designed by Parkin Architects Ltd and constructed by Accutech Engineering Inc[4] and AGE Engineering.[6] Construction of the 32,582 ft2 building was completed in August 2016 at a cost of $26 million.[4]

Design

Schools in the Canadian Arctic are designed not only to accommodate the education of children but also to play a role as public spaces and cultural resources within the community.[7] The design of Tuugaalik High School was influenced by Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) guidelines that encompass respect, being open and welcoming, community service, consensus building, resourcefulness and caring for the environment.[3] From the start, the design process was informed by dialogue with members of the community and local officials, and design proposals were presented to them for community approval and consensus.[7]

The agreed design provided a large community gathering space known as a 'Kiva', common in Nunavut schools, providing a welcoming space where elders could be invited to come and share their traditional knowledge with the students.[3] As well as standard classrooms, the design included a science room, library, gymnasium and weightlifting room, plus specialist rooms to provide for practical subjects such as woodworking, carving, welding, engine repair, sewing, cooking and fur preparation.[8] The facilities also included on-site daycare and a special needs washroom.[5] The building design used bold colours representing the Arctic springtime and incorporated natural light, bringing a positive atmosphere within the school,[8] aiming to reduce truancy by creating an environment that students would be excited to attend.[6]

Construction

In spring 2015, the site was prepared by blasting the exposed rock of the hillside.[7] Building materials were shipped by barge during summer 2015 and the building was erected and enclosed before the winter.[7] The structural design elevated the building envelope above ground level to protect the permafrost and to prevent snow from drifting around the building facades,[7] a technique common in Arctic construction.[9] Work continued on the building interior through the winter, and the exterior was completed in spring and summer 2016,[7] ready for the autumn term.

Operation

Naujaat had a population of 1082 in 2016[10] and the school enrolled 152 students for the 2016–7 academic year.[1] The school year runs from mid-August through to the beginning of June, with vacations at Christmas and Easter, plus a week off in February for teacher professional development.[11] An increase in attendance levels has been reported since the school opened,[6] and attendance for 2016–7 was 71.8%, which is above the average for Kivalliq high schools for that year.[1]

In addition to the curriculum, the school also aims to arrange a number of day-long land trips by Ski-Doo and qamutiik towards the end of May each year. These are built into the curriculum for grades 7–9 and enable students and teachers to work together in a different environment.[12] In addition, the school engages with traditional activities, celebrating heritage and culture days, serving traditional dishes, inviting elders as guests into the school and organising an elder tea.[12]

The school has worked to build a cultural exchange with Laidlaw School in Winnipeg; after initial contact in 2019, there were plans to proceed in spring 2020,[2] but COVID-19 has disrupted this. All schools in Nunavut were closed from 17 April 2020 to the end of the school year because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Awards

The school has been featured in a number of publications and received awards:[4]

  • 2017 Honorable Mention Award for Excellence in Educational Facility Design
  • 2017 Outstanding Design, American School & University Educational
  • 2017 Special Citation, American School & University
  • 2017 Honorable Mention Award for Excellence in Educational Facility Design

See also

References
  1. Solski, Lauren (24 April 2018). "Kivalliq Region Socio-Economic Monitoring Committee Meeting" (PDF). Nunavut Department of Education. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  2. Jacqui Kroeker (6 May 2019). "Laidlaw School – Naujaat Exchange in Nunavut on the Arctic Circle". pembinatrails.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  3. "Tuugaalik High School". School Designs. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  4. "Tuugaalik High School (Repulse Bay) - Parkin Architects Limited". parkin.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  5. "Nunavut Hansard, 3rd session, 4th assembly, day 48" (PDF). October 28, 2016. p. 2667. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  6. "Tuugaalik High School - Accutech Engineering Inc". accutecheng.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  7. "Case Study – Canada's Northern Schools - Parkin Architects Limited". parkin.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  8. "Tuugaalik High School: A Winning Design - Parkin Architects Limited". parkin.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  9. Good Building Practices Guideline (PDF) (2 ed.). Government of Nunavut. December 2005. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  10. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Naujaat, Hamlet [Census subdivision], Nunavut and Keewatin, Region [Census division], Nunavut". statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  11. "2019-2020 Nunavut Territorial School Calendar" (PDF). 9 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  12. Darrell Greer (13 June 2018). "Naujaat students get mix of traditional and modern". Nunavut News. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  13. Meagan Deuling (20 April 2020). "Nunavut schools closed to students for the rest of the year – Nunatsiaq News". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
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