by Caciques True and Christie

This morning under the dark sky the entire Island School community convened at the flag pole at 5 am in preparation for the Half Marathon. Everyone was very excited and anticipating the run, whether they were actually running or just on support.  No one seemed to mind the early wake up time. After all of the support crews drove to their designated areas along the course, the sound of the air horn coming from the girls dorm deck set the runners out to a bolting start. Continue reading →

by Caciques Caroline and Marco

As we walked back from our challenging morning exercise, Chris Maxey expressed the need for a rain dance at some point during the day. We couldn’t have agreed more. Our cisterns were running very low, the crops on neighboring farms were in desperate need of water, and all the students wanted rain so they could run outside in the middle of class to enjoy a shower. We planned for a rain dance during dinner circle. We started off the morning with a delicious breakfast of bagels and oatmeal, which gave us energy for our three-hour block of Human Ecology class. We spent our class time working on our group projects and preparing for our presentations next week. In the afternoon, students either went diving or had Literature and Math class.  While preparing our final portfolios in the library, we suddenly heard the sound of rain crashing, splattering, and falling down on the rooftops. Continue reading →

by Caciques Brett McQuaide and Katie Johnson

While writing our applications, many of us knew that we would be kayaking in the scorching sun for eight days. We had heard that we would be shaken out of bed by a Navy Seal to take part in grueling morning exercise, whether it be swimming with sharks or dodging traffic on the road to Deep Creek.  One thing we had not expected, however, was the rare opportunity to see where our meat comes from. After morning circle, every student had the option of participating in the harvesting of two of the school raised pigs. After establishing a respectful tone, Continue reading →

by Caciques Austin and Mia

Thanks for a great Parent’s Weekend! The last four days were an especially amazing as they allowed us to show our families and friends what relationships we have formed and what skills we have gained here at The Island School. Today, Sunday, was our first day after Parent’s Weekend. Most of the faculty joined all 48 of the students on an adventure to the Schooner Cays, a scatter of small islands off the Northwest side of the school. This was a time dedicated to decompression after a long parents weekend. We relaxed, reflected, rested, read, recuperated, rejuvenated, and PREPARED for the week ahead!

The first day of Parents Weekend was a great success. We started off the day with a sleep in and then circled at7:15for a campus clean to get ready for the arrival of the parents. After a long day of cleaning and classes the parents started arriving around five. Our hours of strenuous labor were ritually rewarded by the smiles on our families faces when they saw our magnificent art show. At an evening circle that was bursting at the seams with both happiness and family members, parents got a glimpse of our nightly ritual.

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