“Quickly Becoming a Community”

by Caciques Nick Manning and Lizzie Ayoub

No sense of the word “time” exists any longer. Days seem like two, and any social barriers between our newly forming relationships have been crushed by our optimism and spirit as we strive to learn just how well we can define the word “community.” A certain comfort is being reached as each student begins to feel connected, accepted, and wanted. This strong sense of togetherness makes my still fresh experience of this beautiful place seem like an old friend. In every conversation I have with somebody I haven’t met, I feel his or her genuine self, and a unique personality unhidden by social awkwardness. Already I have a wealth of memories that I’m sure will stick with me for a very long time, making what has been one week seems like a month. Continue reading →

“Not a Normal Day”

On a normal March day, a teenager will grudgingly drag themselves from bed to face the grey world, chew uninterestedly on whatever cereal is in the pantry, and run to school while trying to figure out what piece of homework they forgot this time. Well, not at The Island School; here your children were up at 6:00 am, ready to go for a morning exercise at 6:30, and prepared for a demanding schedule. The sun was still rising, the wind pushing orange clouds across the sky, as we began to run. The air was cold, unfitting in our tropical surroundings, yet each and every individual ran wholeheartedly at the uninviting water, ready to swim across the stormy length to the other side. We ran and swam together, tripping, helping one another, waiting at each shore until we were whole as a community. Continue reading →

This video clip was real life footage taken by Mario yesterday!

“Octopus’s Garden”

By Christie Ledingham and Mario Sacca

As we swam through the clear blue waters of Fourth Hole Beach, many of us witnessed the incredible beauty of Bahamian reefs for the first time. We watched while colorful fish such as grouper and sergeant majors darted in and out of coral, hiding from us and then reappearing when they realized we were only spectators. Each fish we saw was more impressive than the last. Near the end of our snorkel, everyone was getting cold and exhausted when we heard Damien and Mario call, “Quick, quick, come look at this!” As we rushed over, we could see Mario pointing to an apparently empty spot on the sand. When we looked closer, we were amazed to see an octopus. Continue reading →

“A Still Young Community”

Rain greeted us this morning. With it came a dewey smell that lingered throughout the day, rejuvenating the hot air with a “just washed” smell. Though ominous clouds hovered, the rain waited patiently, allowing us to wander to the Boy’s Dorm beach during exploration time and start a volleyball game. Uneven teams, no scorekeeping, and amateur players at best made volleyball a fun—and funny—way to pass time and get to know people better. As people dove for the deteriorating ball and coined new phrases [read: bro-tate], I caught myself laughing for the first time since I arrived at The Island School. And not just laughing because everyone else was, or because I was feeling nervous, but because I thought people were really and truly funny, and I was having a good time. I was finally enjoying myself. As I looked around, players were congratulating each other on good plays, encouraging team members who were struggling, and minimizing people’s mistakes. I then realized this was not only a group I was excited to get to know better, but also one that I wanted to get to know better. No one was forcing us to play—we wanted to.

Joseph, a Haitian immigrant who has worked for The Island School for almost ten years, said yesterday that if we were okay by 4 o’clock today, we would be fine for the rest of the semester. Well, Joseph, if you asked me how I was feeling at 4 o’clock today, I probably would have said excited, but I also probably wouldn’t have meant it. However, if you had asked how I was feeling  at 6 after playing volleyball, my answer would have been, “I never want to leave!” 

By Cacique Sarah Becker

The first Caciques have the most enjoyable duty.  The structure of the community is still young and new ideas and habits are settling into the minds of The Island School’s new students. Sarah and I were challenged by faculty members to do something wild and new, or start traditions that would continue for the next 100 days. Although our time working together and brainstorming was limited to 24 hours, we hope that the future Caciques will only get better at questioning, as well as improving our community. During morning circle, we led the count-off, directed the anthem, and sent people on their way to breakfast. But at dinner circle, we had to pass of our Cacique-dom to two others who we believed to be worthy of the task. All day we observed our fellow classmates, trying to decide who to pick, and getting nervous for the evening. As we passed Mario and Christie the cacique book, commemorating our Cacique pass-off, we were confident that they will do a tremendous job making this place more enjoyable for all of us.

By Cacique Jon Vredenburg