by Caciques Kelly and Nathan

This morning we woke up to an early run-swim, in which all the south dorms were timed. The north dorms worked together to cheer them on, as they, in the previous morning, had completed the run-swim themselves. This was a great activity because of how it brought us all together. As we begin to move into classes and start our research projects, support from the community in every aspect is crucial in order to succeed in academics and leadership. We saw leadership taking place during the run-swim today.  Leadership is part of our vision and what we, The Island School, believe in accomplishing. Today, we were introduced to our History, Math, Human Ecology, and Art classes. Though all of these classes were interesting, we will learn something different from each of them.

In History we learned about the importance of cultures and what makes up different nations using the key word “multicultural.” There are three main classifications for categories within each culture; concrete, behavioral, and symbolic. In Math we discussed the thinking process and how to problem solve. In Human Ecology we learned how many Earths would be needed if every person worldwide had our ecological footprint. And finally in Art we talked about what it means to see something not just what it looks like, but what it means and how it acts. These classes will help us determined our personal goals and interpret different achievements for ourselves.

Today as Caciques, we had our work cut out for us. For me, Nathan, reaching the finish line of the run-swim reminded me that he will be challenged here, but I will surmount my obstacles. For me, Kelly, taking some time with my friends to run 3 miles during exploration time was a great way to relieve stress and focus on my goals.