About Aqsarniit Middle School

Welcome to Aqsarniit Middle School, where you will always be greeted by many eager students and teachers. Aqsarniit Middle School is one of the largest schools in the territory of Nunavut. With a population of over 300 students from grade 6-8 and 40 staff, there are 6 classes of each of the grades as well as one French Immersion class. The school overlooks Frobisher Bay where there is a wonderful, large outdoor area for the students to explore, meet and play.


The majority of the students at Aqsarniit are Inuit, so culture and community are very important to their every day school routine. Aqsarniit Middle school is a busy learning place where students are encouraged to learn traditional ways of Inuit culture and language. Each class has Inuktitut classes each day and there are several elders in the school who work with groups of students on traditional cooking, arts, games and on the land experiences.


The students at Aqsarniit participate in many local, national and International days. Orange Shirt Day, Pink Shirt Day, Terry Fox Run and Pride Week are just a few examples of some of the organized days. They also welcome a variety of in-school visitors and experiences which enhance their learning experiences.


When you join a class by distance learning at Aqsarniit, you will notice the beautifully light-filled round rooms. There are two units in the school, one in each common room. Often a provider will be joining both rooms, which can create a bit of a challenge in managing session participation. Once connections are made, please ask both classes to mute their microphones. The rooms have big echoes, so when dealing with two classes, please address one class at a time, for example, "Top Floor, what do you think?" and ask the teacher to unmute the microphone and respond. The teacher may need to clarify the response and they are always happy to facilitate any question and answer sections of the session. Due to the satellite connection, please note that there can be up to a 2 second time delay in the data reaching the students.


Aqsarniit learners are always eager to participate in sessions which involve building, art and creativity. Due to the design of the room, some physical movement sessions can be limited in space, but with enough notice, accommodations can be made to the rooms to allow for additional space. Many of the students are English Language Learners so some of the teachers have reminded our presenters to slow their pace of speaking to support understanding.

We hope you enjoy your visits to Aqsarniit Middle School!

Inuit Societal Values (IQ Principles)

Many of the lessons at Aqsarniit Middle School are based in the Inuit Societal Values, otherwise known as I.Q. Principles. These principles guide the Inuit in their daily lives:

• Inuuqatigiitsiarniq: Respecting others, relationships and caring for people.
• Tunnganarniq: Fostering good spirits by being open, welcoming and inclusive.
• Pijitsirniq: Serving and providing for family and/or community.
• Aajiiqatigiinniq: Decision making through discussion and consensus.
• Pilimmaksarniq/Pijariuqsarniq: Development of skills through observation, mentoring, practice, and effort.
• Piliriqatigiinniq/Ikajuqtigiinniq: Working together for a common cause.
• Qanuqtuurniq: Being innovative and resourceful.
• Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq: Respect and care for the land, animals and the environment.

Simple Vocabulary in Inuktitut

English - Inuktitut (Phonetics)

Good Morning - Ulaakut (Oo-lah-coot)

Good Afternoon - Unusakut (Oo-nah-sa-coot)

Thank you - Nakurmiik (Na-koor-meek)

You are welcome - Ilaali (Ee-lah-li)

Polar Bear - Nanuq (Naa-nook)

Seal - Nattiq (Naa-tick)

Caribou - Tuktu (Took-two)