Yearly Archives: 2012

Educational Programs

Camden Hills Regional High School’s Week on Eleuthera

Hello everyone,

Camilla, Cole, and Rebecca here, reporting from Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport, ME. These past ten days, we were lucky enough to be a part of a twelve-student research group who went down to The Island School to work with professional scientists on specified topics of interest. Broken into three four-person groups, we developed and executed our own methodologies in order to collect data.

Field work was a major part of our experience. Spending three full days in the field, principle investigators helped us in conducting field research, analyzing data sets, and synthesizing a presentation which was then given orally to the rest of the group and Island School staff. From snorkel transects off the coast of the Schooner Keys to seine net corralling in jellyfish-infested mangroves, swimming with sharks to tagging sea turtles, we learned both the principles of research and how to have fun conducting it.

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Aside from research, we were exposed to many other quintessential Island School activities. Each morning, we started off the day with Continue reading →

Alumni, Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Francesca Forrestal (F’99)!

Fall 1999 alumna, Francesca Forrestal is a research assistant with ISSF and a PhD student at the Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at University of Miami in the Marine Biology and Fisheries Division. She recently wrote and published an article on the ecological effects of farming blue fin tuna as part of her research on ecosystem effects of bycatch in tuna fisheries. Be sure to read the full article here! Congratulations, Francesca!

Events, News

Welcoming Chris Brown and the Golden Knights Back to The Bahamas!

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This past Wednesday South Eleuthera hosted a homecoming for local hero, and Olympic Gold medalist Chris Brown, and his three teammates, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller. The four men, nicknamed “The Golden Knights” toured Eleuthera starting early in the morning in North Eleuthera and worked their way up the island before reaching Weymss’ Bight park for a ceremony and celebration in their honor.

For The Bahamas, the gold medal was their first in the 4×400 relay race, with the four quarter-milers finishing ahead of the United States, covering the mile in just over three and a half minutes. The ceremony was emceed by The Island School’s own Danielle Gibson, with presentations by Kalin Griffin and others, followed by performances including the Rum Runners.

After the official programme, the athletes availed themselves to supporters by signing autographs, posing for photos, and discussing their memorable triumph. Thanks to the Golden Knights for allowing some Island School, DCMS, and CEI folks to pose for their own “golden” moments.

Deep Creek Middle School

First Day of Summer Bridge at DCMS

School started this morning for Deep Creek Middle School seventh graders. 14 new students showed up in their starched uniforms, shy but ready for the changes of a new school. DCMS brings in grade sevens for a two week summer bridge program to help them get oriented to the school, teachers and their classmates.  We spend time teaching them the core values, expectations for community behavior, how to do chores, basic organizational skills and how to participate in community meeting.  Teachers also give introductions to their classes and the session culminates with their first field trip and swimming lesson at Wemyss Bight Beach.  School for grade 8 and 9 starts on September 3rd.

Deep Creek Middle School was opened by The Island School in 2001 as a way to give back educational opportunities to the local community.  Check out our webpage at www.dcmsbahamas.org to learn more.

 

Alumni

Sterling Wright (SP’12) Wins Bike Race in Nevada

Last weekend, Spring 2012 alumnus Sterling Wright participated in the 7th annual Lamoille Hill Climb in Lamoille Canyon, Nevada. It is a grueling race that climbs 3,000 feet over the 12-mile course. Sterling not only completed this difficult ride, but also finished in first place! Unlike the other cyclists who wore skin-tight biking shorts, Sterling chose to wear a pair of loose swim trunks and an over-sized Island School bike jersey that had belonged to an Island School faculty member worn during the Ride for Hope that occurred during Sterling’s semester. Congratulations Sterling! Your athletic feats never cease to amaze us. You can read more about Sterling’s race here!

Educational Programs

Shark Week and Flats Week at CEI

Early Monday morning Shark & Flats week were off after a busy camp exploring the mangrove flats ecosystem in South Eleuthera.

The flats week students not only worked alongside our Flats researchers all through the week, but also had the opportunity to go bonefishing with some of the local fishermen of Rock Sound and Savannah Sound. In doing this, they got a taste of some of the local ideas in conservation of the mangrove flats ecosystem and protection of bonefish as well as other species that spend all or just part of their life there.

The Shark week students spent a good amount of time in the field setting longlines and drum lines for juvenile lemon sharks and their predators. They were very successful in tagging and recapture of juvenile lemons, having caught 7 in one day at a nearby creek. They were also able to use their findings to relate to other juvenile lemon shark studies from the Bimini Biological Field Station.

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On the last day, both shark and flats presented to their fellow campers and Continue reading →

Educational Programs

Educators Dive Right In at Annual Teachers’ Conference

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Last week, The Island School welcomed 22 teachers from around the nation for a firsthand look at our organization’s mission and philosophy and how experiential education can be harnessed in and outside of classrooms worldwide. They took the campus by storm, diving headfirst into our mind-body-spirit mentality by participating in morning exercises, thinking critically around the Harkness table, and sharing stories, ideals, and teaching strategies with one another under the stars. They took in the beautiful, crystal clear waters of Eleuthera through snorkeling trips, SCUBA diving, and kayaking; spent the afternoon learning and working alongside researchers at CEI; and explored the rest of the island on their very own Down Island Trip. The week was capped off by a group coffeehouse, which had people singing, dancing, and reading manuscripts.

In the end, all had a rewarding, insightful, and career-affirming experience on the Cape, with some remarking that, “it was the most inspirational conference I’ve ever been a part of.” We are excited to move forward building partnerships with these teachers and their schools and hope to see some of their students down here for the semester or a visiting program – so that we all can continue to effect change onward, upward, together.

Stay tuned for information regarding next year’s Teacher’s Conference!

Alumni

Peter Meijer (SP’05) Representing IS Abroad!

During a recent trip to the Caribbean, Peter Meijer (SP’05) made friends with a very curious iguana who seemed to want to know more about The Island School–or thought Peter’s toes were food! Way to rep those IS flip flops, Peter! If you have any photos of you doing cool things in your Island School gear, send them to alumni@islandschool.org!

Uncategorized

Cancer Society of The Bahamas Annual Race 4 The Cure in Tarpum Bay

On Saturday August 4th, the Cancer Society of The Bahamas held it’s annual Race for A Cure in Tarpum Bay. The purpose of the event is to raise funds to assist the efforts in cancer awareness, education and cure. Held on the same weekend as the annual Back to the Bay Homecoming, many locals and visitors came out to support the cause. Among the participants were our very own from the Island School and DCMS! We are proud to announce Dr. Joanna Paul placed second in her division (while pushing a stroller with Mara!!). Kalin Griffin placed second and Lindsay Erbaugh third in their divisions and DCMS student Tyler Leary placed 1st in his division. Way to represent The Island School, Deep Creek Middld School, and Cape Eleuthera Institute in support of cancer awareness in The Bahamas!

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Educational Programs

GWU Online High School Seines, Tags, Flies, and Soars!

The second half of GWUOHS’s time here on the Cape was filled with adventures in and out of creeks and bays, down island, and – most challengingly – along our very own loop! Wednesday morning, students joined The Island School Summer Term to complete part of the Monster Run Swim course. Having no real mental or physical preparation for such an intense morning of exercise, it was incredible to see all 7 push themselves in ways not even they believed they could, and all were extremely satisfied, elated – not to mention relieved – to come back to campus and touch that flagpole. Not to have it seem their efforts were a fluke, they were back in the water on Thursday, running and swimming through Current Cut while completing a Govia– we tip our swim caps off to them!

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After brushing off the sand and salt on Wednesday, the group made their way to both Cotton Bay and Continue reading →