Last night over 70 prospective students and their families, recent alumni, and even a few incoming Spring 2015 students gathered at Nicole & Kevin Kelly’s beautiful home (Madeleine S’13, Margaret S’15) in Concord, MA. Attendees learned more about The Island School from speaking with alumni and staff, as well as hearing from S’14 Master Teacher and Thayer Academy Science Department Head, Don Donovan.
This was the largest turn out of accepted students we have ever had at an admissions reception! Ten Spring 2015 students who are eagerly awaiting their March 2nd arrival on Eleuthera met at the reception for the first time.
Ten students from the Boston area who are headed to Eleuthera for the Spring 2015 semester gathered at the Boston reception.
A HUGE thank you to the Kelly’s for opening up their home for the reception. Our next admissions reception is tonight in New Canaan, CT. Email taylorhoffman@islandschool.org for questions or to RSVP.
Student Gavin Siegert chose to make a video about freediving for this week’s Student Update. Gavin has been working on his freediving skills with founder Chris Maxey and our other certified instructors over the past seven weeks.
Students completing work during evening study hours.
When I think of Island School, there are a few words that always come to mind. The Bahamas, SCUBA diving, marine biology, beach, etc. One thing I’ve learned from being here is that there is one more word that should come to mind: academics. The majority of our days here are spent in class or doing homework. That work is not always the type that most high school students are used to, but it’s challenging nonetheless. With so many beautiful places and incredible things to do, hunkering down on Sunday, my one free day of the week, and writing a project proposal for my research project takes a lot of will power. One of the major difficulties is finding a balance between work and play. When everyone else is going out for exploration time, sometimes I need to stay behind for homework to get it done. Sometimes I have to do that a few days in a row, but I also have to remember to find time to get off campus, explore, and have fun. The great thing about Island School is that there are opportunities for adventure even during classes. With the right mindset, SCUBA diving for marine ecology or building a site-specific sculpture anywhere on campus for environmental art doesn’t feel like class, it can feel like an amazing way to spend a few hours. Taking advantage of every situation Island School offers is one way to make the workload and classwork not quite as difficult, and make the experience even more incredible.
Abby Heher
The Deepsea Survivorship team pulls in long lines over the Exuma Sound.
The image of the first time I jumped into the warm blue water during our first field day is still plastered in my mind. Everywhere I looked was a deep royal blue, extending 600 meters below me into an unknown world our research is trying so hard to uncover. At first I was so nervous floating out in the water alone, but as the cage emerged from the bottomless blue pit I could see the 4 Cuban dogfish suspended in the cage, and all of a sudden that feeling of fear was replaced with awe and excitement. I watched as one by one my research advisor guided down the living sharks back to their home in the deep-sea. It is these moments in research that always keep me on my toes and ready to learn. These moments have also given me a love for what we are doing enough to keep my attention throughout our 3 hour research classes spent analyzing research papers and discussing the scientific method. Though it is easily our most challenging and stressful class here at the Island School, it is one that is already the most rewarding to me and so many of my other classmates.
Alexa Hoffman
Eliot on the Cobia.
Before coming to The Island School I had never gone for more than two weeks without seeing my friends and family. At the beginning of my time here, I didn’t miss anyone from home because there were so many new people around me. Still, I was excited for my first twenty minute phone time. Along with being excited, I was nervous dialing the phone to call home. So much had happened in just one week and I didn’t know how I could tell it all in twenty minutes, and explain the things that we do here that my parents and friends wouldn’t understand. As the phone rang, I realized how excited I was to tell all the stories of what had happened. My parents answered and after our happy hellos, we fell into a brief silence. I hadn’t expected this to happen, because I had so much to tell and didn’t know where to begin. I forced them to ask me questions and our conversation grew as I explained what morning exercise was, or as I told stories from 3 day kayak. My twenty minutes quickly came to an end and I had a mix of happiness and sadness as I hung up the phone. Over the following weeks I was always looking forward to my phone time, but as I began to talk to my friends I realized that what I found to be interesting at The Island School was fairly boring to my friends at home. I would want to tell the drama of morning exercise, but to my friends, hearing about an early morning run would be fairly boring. After phone times, I would have a hard time focusing because my mind was taken back to my home, and it took me awhile to arrive back at The Island School for study hours. For the most part I would want to talk longer on the phone and feel like I should have been allowed forty minutes or an hour to talk to people at home. But as my phone time high wore off I realized how much I enjoy my time here. I have begun to notice how I don’t feel as much of a need to talk to people at home, I just need those twenty minutes as a break.
Ben and Sarah Snyder (parents of Abby, Spring 2006) have been long-time friends and supporters of The Island School. In fact, Ben is a member of our Cape Eleuthera Island School Board. They are also long-time educators and administrators at Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, MA. They chose to take a sabbatical this year and we were lucky enough to be on their list of destinations!
Literally diving in, Ben and Sarah kept themselves busy during their time on Eleuthera. From collecting data with students on deep-water shark species and observing coral reefs forty-feet below in Marine Ecology, to helping faculty hone their craft after a class observation and participating in a Teaching Fellow’s Seminar, the Snyders left knowing quite well how busy an Island School student or staff can be. On top of all that, they still managed to find some time to relax and enjoy the warm weather before heading back up to New England!
Caleb Oberst, John Szpak, Nell Gluckman, Kristen Key Szpak, Michael Laham, Emma Loosigian, Katie Leonard, Hanna Mauck, Melissa Buck, Courtney Massey
Last weekend, CEI staff alumna (2010-11), Emma Loosigian married Michael Laham on her family’s apple orchard, Apple Annie, in Brentwood, New Hampshire. Among those in attendance celebrating the newlyweds were a number of staff alumni from The Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Deep Creek Middle School.
Our admissions season kicked off with the first reception in Grand Rapids. Island School alumni, interested students and families, and participants of our Teacher’s Conference gathered at the home of Dave and Bev Verdier, Cape Eleuthera Island School board member and alumni parents of Renee S’03, Travis S’05, and Eric S’09. There was a great turnout at the event and many of our alumni left feeling inspired to continue to spread the world about The Island School in their home towns. Please check out our Upcoming Events to see if we will be coming to a town or school near you!
Maxey with 2014 Teacher Conference participants: Kara Kits (Grand Rapids Christian School), Keith Ver Beek (The Potter’s House School), and Bruce Macartney (Forest Hills Eastern High School).
Throughout the past four weeks, I’ve had trouble acclimating to this new place I now call home. Being from New York City, the Bahamian lifestyle and all other aspects of Eleuthera are very different from my normal routine. Usually there are tall buildings and bright city lights, but here there are SCUBA diving classes, 26 other bunkmates and watching Jaws in the ocean. With that being said, it does not mean that I am not enjoying this place. I think that we all had different reasons to come here. Yet, we all traveled to a foreign country in order to explore and experience this place for 100 days. It is in this idea that we have found an over-arching theme that threads the 51 students together. Even though I’ve been having a bit of trouble here, I have found solace in my peers and teachers. The community here is supportive and caring, and knowing that I have people here to support me is one of the greatest things I could have asked for.
Sachi Elias
Students dive for Marine Ecology class.
Scuba diving has always seemed so exotic and foreign to me. I always thought of it as something for only professionals, and never really considered that it would be me breathing from a regulator underwater. Here at the Island School, however, it is incorporated right into the curriculum. As a result, I am now certified and dive regularly in the clear waters of the Bahamas for Marine Ecology classes. Every time I enter the water, I think of the stark contrast between the sciences I am exploring here versus the ones I would be studying at home. There, I would be sitting and taking notes at a desk: just about as far as you can get from exploring the bottom of the sea. I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to attend the Island School, and to get the full experience of the Island of Eleuthera.
As I am writing this post, I am looking forward to a dive scheduled for this morning. Today, our class is focusing on fish around the patch reefs of a dive site called Tunnel Rock. Previously, we’ve observed coral, algae, and invertebrates in the same area. With six total dives under my belt thus far, I am excited for number seven and the ones that follow, especially the one on Parent’s Weekend with my Dad.
Jack Diggins
Team South Africa representing during the Fall 2014 World Cup.
It was a hot Thursday afternoon as advisories from around the globe met to face off in the 2014 Advisory World Cup. Blistering heat, questionable music, ridiculous dancing and ineffective stretching made it a very unique scene, however, nonetheless competitive. Intentional community seemed to be making its way off the field as the games made their way towards the finals. The favorites appeared to be England and USA. In the semi-finals team USA dominated its opponent North Korea, and secured it place in the finals. In the other semi-final match England began at a strong pace however the unseen underdog Cameroon began to dominate late in the match. Unexpectedly Cameroon defeated England in a nail biting last minute goal. The final match was set and team USA prepared to take home the cup. Again though, tenacity and patience paid off as Cameroon finished team USA in a David versus Goliath match up winning 3-2.
Dean Piersiak
As I immerse myself into the fourth week of Island School, I can say with confidence that my perspective is beginning to change. Cliché, but very true. I came into the Island School thinking I could handle any challenge hurled at me with ease; I was greatly mistaken. I was suddenly transported from a world where I knew everyone and everything that was going on around me to being in a completely foreign setting. The academics at home were something I could handle well; here, I have had breakdowns about my workload and grades. Now, Mom and Daddy, I know you’re reading this and thinking, “What the heck?” and trust me, it was my reaction too. But don’t worry, this is the good part. With these struggles I have begun to understand myself. I know that I am strong enough to handle the challenges, because I was capable of handling Greens Farms Academy, a rigorous but wonderful school, and I am confident that I will end my Island School term with a bang. I have become efficient at knowing my emotions and better communicating them, a skill I will need for the rest of my life. This place has made me a better person already and I am really excited to bring the new and still evolving “me” back home to you. I am absorbing new cultures and new experiences, which were the goals in the first place and the main reason I ever wanted to study abroad. I am proud of who I have become and I want you to know that I am happy here, despite any challenges. Thank you, Island School students and faculty, for shaping the new Samantha.
CONCHtribution, the annual alumni giving campaign, begins TODAY! This year it is running from October 1-October 31, so be sure to make your gift before the end of the month. Our goal this year is to reach 33% overall alumni participation and raise $120,000. Check out the campaign website to learn more about the campaign and to make your 2014 CONCHtribution. Thank you to all of our amazing Island School alumni for your support!
About a year ago, The Lawrenceville Island School Club set out to fundraise enough money to purchase a solar suitcase from We Care Solar. We Care Solar is a nonprofit organization that assembles and distributes suitcase-sized portable solar panels to be used as a source of electricity in schools, hospitals, libraries, and other buildings throughout areas of need in Africa. The cost to construct one solar suitcase is $1,000. When you send in the $1,000, We Care Solar mails you the parts included in a kit, you assemble the suitcase, and then send it directly the area of need, as determined by We Care Solar, to be installed. (To learn more, check out this blog post)
The Island School posed a challenge to alumni that if they raised $500 on their own, IS would match the remaining $500 to reach the $1,000 for a suitcase. Spring 2013 alumnus Danny Goldman helped The Lawrenceville Island School Club to raise the $500 through selling milkshakes (in compostable cups, of course) during lunch, as well as some handmade bracelets from Columbia that say “Lawrenceville”. Another alumna highly involved in the We Care Solar project at Lawrenceville was Anna Marsh (S’13).
Jack Martin (S’13), Danny Goldman (S’13), Chris Foote (F’12), Anna Marsh (S’13)
Danny had the opportunity to go to Kibera, Nairobi to help install the solar suitcase that was assembled by the Island School alumni at Lawrenceville. He shares his amazing experience:
“We left New York on July 27th with six 70 pound bags jammed with Solar Suitcases and tools for their installation.The US State Department had issued warnings about travel to Kenya and in the days immediately prior to our departure the Peace Corp pulled out of Kenya due to terrorism in rural areas and the coastline. Our family debated whether we should go at all, but our commitment for Solar Suitcase placements had been made and people were waiting for the lights. We also knew that we had a great team of partners on the ground that we didn’t want to let down.
Our plan was to install in 3 locations: a community library and 2 schools in the Kibera slum. The Kibera slum is the largest urban slum in Africa with over 1 million residents who lack access to basic services including running water and electricity. An important piece of the project was to work with a local team on the ground, educating them about the We Share Solar Suitcase. Together, we would install the systems and train the end users on operation and maintenance.
As I entered Kibera, I noticed right away that it was basically built on trash with an open sewage system….garbage was everywhere. As I walked along I wondered how over one million people lived without basic sanitation, water and power.
We began by installing the Island School sponsored Solar Suitcase in the Egesa Childrens’ Center, which serves 250 students in 3 very small, dark classrooms that didn’t have electricity. Light from this suitcase will allow students to study later in the day and the community to gather at night for meetings and events. Upon seeing the 5 bright LED bulbs light up his school, Peter, the Principal of the school, said that light from the solar suitcase would open up opportunities for further education at the school.
Our largest installation was at the Shining Hope for Communities Library. We were informed that over 600 people come to this library every month, wanting to read. Without dependable electricity their opportunities are limited. We installed a larger Solar Suitcase unit here, powering 8 LED lights. When the switch was flipped on, the local people actually gasped….and immediately began reading.
At one of the schools I had the opportunity to talk to the students (all girls) about solar and the support of Lawrenceville and The Island School. They listened carefully and shared a bit about their lives and their love for their school. In the end, the girls gave me a big group hug and I hugged them right back.”
Every year, the 8th grade students at Deep Creek Middle School do a school exchange with a partner in The United States. This year, thirteen DCMS students spent a week in Camden, Maine visiting the Camden Rockport Middle School. In turn, their host buddies will visit Eleuthera in February. DCMS Principal Odette Pretty says, “It is so beneficial for our students to have a cultural exchange. Being away from Eleuthera allows them to appreciate what we have here and see our community with fresh eyes, while expanding their world.”
The trip fits into the school’s science curriculum because as seventh graders, they learn about marine ecology. The Maine trip includes several days at Tanglewood Learning Center, an outdoor education center where the students studied forest ecology and species identification. The students appreciated the opportunity to study ecology in a coastal setting that is different from their own. Kenvado Knowles of Tarpum Bay said, “The dark water color was surprising!” Despite the frigid temperature, several DCMS students bravely swam in the ocean. For Knowles, it was the best part of the trip.
In addition to their time at Tanglewood, the students attended an engineering class at the middle school, focused on a project of building bridges with popsicle sticks and glue. The metaphor of this activity was not lost on Simeon Bethel of Governor’s Harbor. He says, “I learned, a few days after we got back to Eleuthera, that the meaning of the trip was to make connections, or in my eyes, build bridges.”
Spending time with their host families was frequently cited as the students’ favorite part of the trip. The Maine hosts had planned various activities, such as bowling, apple picking, and ice-skating. Cierrah Ferguson of Wemyss Bight says, “Ice skating was so difficult! That was really surprising to me.” Rock Sound’s Brenae Williams agrees: “The best part of the trip was when I got to go ice skating. It was scary, but I got to learn a little bit.”
The students are already looking forward to reuniting with their new friends when the Camden Rockport Middle School students visit in February. In the meantime, Simeon Bethel wants to know, “When can I go back?”
The Island School admissions team is hitting the road this fall and coming to a home near you! Visit the Upcoming Events page on our website for more information.
