A school’s strength is shaped by the bond it has with its community, Nikolaevsk School Principal Sharon Conley wrote in the school’s November newsletter.
Irina Fefelov watches NIkolaevsk School student Natalia Kojin try to follow her example and complete a belt Fefelov began.
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On Dec. 14, a school-hosted community-input day brought the two populations together as several women from Nikolaevsk’s Russian Old Believer community were on hand to teach second- through 12th-grade students how to weave belts.
Her hands flying with familiar movements, Ducia Fefelov measured lengths of yarn, gathered them into the needed number of strands and created workstations for the students by anchoring the yarn bundles to the legs of desks and stools in two classrooms.
Next, Trina Fefelov, Ducia Fefelov’s mother-in-law, took up her post at one of the bundles and the students looked on in wonder as Trina Fefelov’s scarved head bowed to the task her fingers performed — plitioni, fingerweaving.
The gray and pink yarn quickly took the familiar shape of a plitioni paisky, a fingerwoven belt.
Then Fefelov handed the threads to student Natalia Kojin, who quickly understood which strand went where. Within seconds, what Fefelov had begun lengthened with Kojin’s work.
Christopher Kalugin also seemed to take quickly to Fefelov’s instructions, but
Anthony Yakunin had a very different experience. Thinking he was following instructions, Yakunin’s effort unraveled rather than lengthened the belt Ducia Fefelov had started for him.
As hard as the older students seemed to have to concentrate in order to try and get the rhythm of the two different belt patterns being taught — one flat, one round — Serafina Kalugin seemed to have no problem understanding what was needed. Seated on the floor, the 8-year-old instantly took to the task to the wonder of those around her.
Photo by McKibben Jackinsky, Hom
Irina Fefelov keeps a close eye on the belt-weaving progress of Nikolaevsk School student Christopher Kalugin.
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“We know that there are many, many talented community members that have skills that our students would love to learn,” Conley said.
“You may be a seamstress, a knitter, a fly fisherman, a poet, a writer, a chef, a cook, a farmer, an artist, a librarian or may want to volunteer at our school. Our school needs your expertise.”
Anyone interested in sharing their talent or skill with the students is asked to call Nikolaevsk School, 235-8972.
Photo by McKibben Jackinsky, Hom
Eight-year-old Serafina Kalugin's fingers found the rhythm, quickly weaving a belt begun by Ducia Fefelov.
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Photo by McKibben Jackinsky, Hom
Irina Fefelov of Nikolaevsk separates the yarns to be woven into a belt.
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McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@Homernews.com.
