With the cold temperatures and large snowfalls it would seem that winter has already arrived. And with winter everyone thinks of Christmas.
A lot of people in Vavenby have put up their house lights and the town is beginning to look very colourful and cheerful. There are parties, open houses, and bazaars already happening.
On Nov. 17, Vavenby's Strong Start and primary students made Christmas tree decorations out of clay. Strong Start leader Jody Phillips demonstrated how to do it and helped children who were having difficulty rolling out the clay and/or getting their shape out of the cookie cutter.
There were lots of stamps to imprint on the shapes. Phillips took all of the completed decorations to Raft River School to put in the kiln there. The students will complete them at the next Strong Start class.
Kids learn about fish
On Nov. 16 the fisheries and wildlife coordinator for Simpcw First Nation came to the Vavenby Primary School and brought a male and female coho salmon in a large tank in the back of a truck. A smaller tank was set up in the school.
So the students could see how fish eggs were fertilized, the children went outside and watched as eggs were taken from the female and milt from the male. The eggs and milt were mixed in a Ziploc bag and so fertilized.
The eggs, approximately 140, were then put in the school tank. Next the tank was covered to keep out the light.
The class will be able to look at the eggs when they turn into "eyed" eggs, sometime in December. There will be just a tiny hole in the cover to look through, though, as the tank still needs to be mostly covered up.
The cover will be completely taken off the tank in February, when the eggs have hatched. Next the students will feed the fry with food provided by the fisheries and wildlife coordinator. Then, as a class, they will release the fry at the Dunn Lake Fish Hatchery. This is a great hands-on learning experience for the students about the life cycle of fish.
Three dozen attend luncheon
The second community lunch at the Vavenby Christian Church was held Wednesday, Nov. 25.
It was a beautiful sunny day which might have helped bring out the 36 people who attended. There was a great variety of delicious food to choose from.
Guests, filling up all five tables that been set out, cheerfully talked with those around them. The next community lunch will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m – 1 p.m.