All posts by islandschoolblog

Alumni

Alums Who “Donate Once and Give Back Twice”

As CONCHtribution 2011 comes to a close, we’d like to highlight a few alums who have not only donated to the Cape Eleuthera Foundation Annual Fund, but took that act of giving a step further by making a difference in their community. Here are a few alums who have “Donate Once and Give Back Twice”:

Madeline Hansen (S’07) is helping to build and organize a winter solar greenhouse on her college campus, College of Saint Benedict, in central Minnesota so students can have an opportunity to learn while growing food for the campus cafeteria. So far they have secured the majority of funding and have created all the building plans. Now, they’re just waiting for spring to come to tie up loose ends and start building! Good luck, Madeline!

Tom Weaver (F’06) and his friend have been running a bike co-op at Colorado College. They were granted some money from the school, with which they bought all the major equipment one would find in a bike shop. The co-op is open a few hours every week and Tom and his friend teach CC students and Colorado Springs community members how to fix their own bikes. All the bike mechanics at the co-op are volunteers. Tom says, “Our philosophy includes how fun it is to ride a bike around town, the convenience a bike provides to run nearby errands, the exercise benefits, and the very low carbon impact in the grand scheme of things.” Great work, Tom!

Brit Hastings (S’06) participated in a service day Continue reading →

News

Welcome New Head of Island School, John Schatz!

The Island School is proud to announce a new head of school starting in the 2012-13 school year! After an extensive 18-month search, John Schatz has been hired to be the next Head of School. John has a long history with The Island School semester program. He joined a pioneer teaching team back in the fall of 2001 as a mathematics teacher. Outside the classroom John was head of the boys’ dormitory, sea kayaking guide, research advisor for a number of different projects and in his final year he ran the daily program as Dean of the School. John is remembered well as the teacher/mentor who was always there to challenge and at the same time support the community.

After four years of committed service to The Island School, John went on to receive his Masters in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College and taught at several private schools. Continue reading →

Uncategorized

Farming for the Future

On a beautiful Eleuthera afternoon there was a small gathering in the fields of corn at Apple Hole Farm to celebrate a big partnership between Edrin Symonette and Cape Eleuthera Island School. Among those gathered was long time Cape Eleuthera Island School mentor, Mr. Philip Miller, currently Undersecretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources. The partnership includes an initial investment of $5,000 by Cape Eleuthera Island School and is a celebration of the cooperation already in place that brings fresh locally grown meat from the fields of Apple Hole Farm to the dining tables at The Island School. Josh Shultz, CEIS Agriculture Manager, and Emery Long (F’04), Sustainable Chef at The Island School, have been working closely with Mr. Symonette to bring fresh, local, healthy foods to the table. Perhaps more importantly, the partnership will continue to educate future leaders in The Bahamas and students from around the world about the importance of reviving local agriculture and supporting local farmers wherever one lives. Continue reading →

Uncategorized

Don’t Know What to Get Your Island Schooler This Holiday?

Then look no further than The Island School’s brand new online gear store! Here we sell bags, hats, mugs, water bottles, and more! The Island School also sells items from the Lighthouse Collection like woven blankets and Thatcher Spring neckties. These can be ordered through the Lawrenceville office by contacting Scott Aland (scottaland@islandschool.org). Stay tuned for our online apparel store, coming soon…Happy Holidays (and happy shopping!) from The Island School!

Uncategorized

The Island School Finishes Top 5 in Cans for Kids Project

Over 50% of the aluminum cans in the world are recycled but the statistics are much lower in The Bahamas. Cans for Kids has realized that the country has come to a point where they must address the garbage problem. Lack of landfill space and a growing awareness of that fact that Bahamians need to move away from that practice has brought the importance of recycling to the forefront. CFK realizes that it’s more and more necessary for Bahamians to conserve raw materials and energy, too!

Cans for Kids is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 by Ginny McKinney to recycle aluminum cans in The Bahamas. The net proceeds are used to help finance children’s programs in The Bahamas. The Island School has been donating their cans to the organization since the fall of 2009. At the end of this most recent quarter, The Island School was among the top 5 earners, recycling 375 pounds of aluminum cans. We hope to continue this level of participation in the future!

Alumni

Kelly Duggan (S11) Reflects on IS and “Giving Back Twice”

Island School has given me leadership skills and confidence I need to take control of my own education. These skills are useful in the classroom, in the field, or during extracurricular activities.

After Island School, I focused more on the courses I was passionate about. I became happy and eager to go to class and do the work. I was even willing to do more and go deeper into matters on my own time because of curiosity and fascination. I had a new mindset of being excited to learn. “Education” took the place of “school” in my vocabulary. I forgot about a letter grade and focused on the information in front of me. I thought about how I could use that information to pursue my dreams and make a change in the world.

One big idea at the Island School is “leadership affecting change.” Currently, I am volunteering at Newport Hospital in the Emergency Room. Continue reading →

News

F’11 Parent and Educator Gives Thanks

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Steve Murray, Headmaster at University School in Hunting Valley, OH, recently returned from a trip to The Island School where he was visiting his son James (F11) during Parents Weekend. In addressing the University School community in his Thanksgiving Assembly Comments last week, he reflected on his time on Eleuthera, reminding us all that we have much to be thankful for. You can read the entire address here.

Alumni, CEI

CEI November Shark Expedition

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The Geronimo, an experiential education vessel operated by St. George’s School from Newport, Rhode Island, under the direction of Captain Stephen Connett, conducted shark research cruises from the early 1970′s through to the mid 1990′s throughout the western Atlantic. From autumn 1979 through to spring 1981, regular seasonal surveys were conducted in Bahamian waters focusing on a shallow bank known as “the bridge” that connects the southern tip of Eleuthera to the northern tip of Cat Island. The data resulting from these surveys, representing a snapshot of Bahamian shark abundance from over 30 years ago, have never been rigorously analyzed or published. Edd Brooks, manager of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at CEI, is collaborating with Stephen Connett and Jeff Stein (University of Illinois) to recreate these surveys over the next two years, with the goal of identifying potential shifts in the diversity, abundance and demographic population structure of sharks in the North East Exuma Sound over the last 30 years. The first field season took place earlier this month and Edd, Jeff, and Stephen successfully completed surveys of the bridge with the assistance of two Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholars, Ann Marie Carroll and Brandon Jennings, Stephanie Liss (former CEI shark program intern and graduate student at University of Illinois) and Christopher Koch. Christopher, an experienced captain and diver, has supported the Shark Research and Conservation Program since his daughters, Hanna and Melanie, studied at The Island School in Fall 2006 and Fall 2008, and offered to return to Eleuthera once again to help on this exciting expedition. Just goes to show that IS alumni aren’t the only ones that can come back to The Island School and CEI–parents can, too!