Long-time member of The Island School’s kitchen staff, and perhaps one of the most recognizable faces on campus, Tiffany McKinney welcomed her new baby boy, Thomas Benjamin Pinder earlier this winter on February 17th. Congratulations, Tiff!
Check out The Island School’s first e-publication, Tides, featuring photography, poetry, stories, drawings, and creative outpourings from individuals throughout The Cape Eleuthera Island School. Tides aims to capture the spirit of our organization and the passion that anchors our community. Click to learn more and share these stories! http://theislandschooltides.wordpress.com/
We recently issued our Annual Report for fiscal year 2014 (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014). Please click on the image below to read and/or download a copy of the report.
Happy holidays from all of us at The Island School! Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1P0qAKs4zM&feature=youtu.be
How do you explain The Island School experience? Take a glimpse into some of the daily sights students encounter at The Island School. Share our newest video with an interested Island School student. Applications for Summer Term 2015, Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 are due February 15!
Each November, admissions officers and school leaders from around the United States come to Eleuthera to get more familiar with The Deep Creek Middle School, The Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute. On November 21 and 24, we welcomed Roger Cox of Rabun Gap-Nacoochie School in Georgia and Tony Alleyne of St. Andrew’s School in Delaware.
The visit gives admissions officers a better understanding of life in South Eleuthera and the caliber of programs and students that we have here. For DCMS students, this is an opportunity to interview for placement at a boarding school. Over 30 DCMS alumni have gone on to boarding school, earning over $3.25 million in scholarships.
The Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholars (BESS) program is a unique opportunity for graduating students in The Bahamas ages 15-18 who have a keen interest in the environment and want to learn more as they transition from high school to university studies. Successful applicants will participate in a 14-week academic semester at The Island School in South Eleuthera and a four-month paid internship at an environmental conservation-related organization. Upon completion of high school, students can use BESS as a gap year experience before pursuing further studies. The BESS Program is administered in collaboration with BREEF. This semester The Island School is excited to welcome BESS Scholars Kerwin Mullings and Deneé Rankine.
Originally from Nassau, Kerwin Mullings comes to The Island School as a graduate of C.V. Bethel Senior High School. Garnering a strong interest in the environment and marine sciences, Kerwin saw The Island School as an opportunity to not only pursue his passions but also gain experience in a field he hopes to work in professionally. An explorer at heart, Kerwin hopes to one day travel the world working as an environmental scientist.
Having just returned from his 8-day kayak trip, Kerwin is excited to be back and dive right into life on campus again. Discussing his trip, Kerwin says, “Kayak was great. What I liked the most about it was solo”. Looking ahead, Kerwin is excited for parents weekend and being able to share everything he has accomplished so far with his family, particularly the work he has done in research class. Reflecting on his experience thus far Kerwin says that The Island School has broadened his perception of the world, creating a “watershed that gets wider and more detailed with every step”.
Deneé Rankine comes to The Island School from a bit closer. Hailing from Savannah Sound located 60 km north of campus, Deneé enters Fall 2014 as a graduate of Central Eleuthera High School. Always making those around her laugh, Deneé is interested in marine biology and hopes to continue her studies pursuing an undergraduate degree in the States after her time here.
Having also just returned from her 8-day kayak trip, Deneé is excited to reconnect with academics and friends on campus. Discussing her experience, Deneé says that her favorite aspect of the trip by far was the close bonds she developed with peers as a result of 8 days spent kayaking in a small group. Over the next half of the semester, Deneé is most looking forward to the Research Symposium in November and is excited to see her family over parents weekend.
We would like to thank our supporters of the BESS program over the years: The Moore Bahamas Foundation, AML Foods Limited, Bahamas Waste Limited, Frank & Cha Boyce, BREEF, The Brown Foundation, Cans for Kids, Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina, Carey Construction, Cates Family, Colina Imperial, Cotton Bay Foundation, John and Tanya Crone, Frank Crothers, Sean & Sarah Farrington, Friends of the Environment, Amanda Graham, Lawrence Griffin, Bobbie Hallig, Lynn Holowesko, Stephen & Alessandra Holowesko, Horation Alexander Catering & Events, Nancy Kelly, Mark & Dawn Knowles , LaBoiteaux Family Foundation, Lori & Jimmy Lowe, Lyford Cay Foundation, Lyford Cay School, Mactaggart Third Fund, Will & Lisa Mathis, Chris & Pam Maxey, Mark Maynard, Ross & Nancy McDonald, Chuck & Reva Murphy, James and Kylie Nottage, Lady Eugenie Nuttall, Hap & Cecilia Perry, Stuart & Robin Ray, Save The Bays, Scotia Bank, Brian & Laurel Smith, Brent & Robin Symonette, Craig & Michelle Symonette, TK Foundation, Donald & Debbie Tomlinson, Peter and Pippa Vlasov and Beatrice von der Schulenberg.
Tuesday, October 14, marked Day #50 of our semester, as well as the second day of 8-day Kayak trip rotations. On Monday, one quarter of the students left for their 8-day long kayak trip, and another quarter went on their down-island trip. The remainder of the students stayed on campus and had regular classes. During our study hours one of these nights, we were given the opportunity to go on a night dive. During the night, many creatures of the ocean that normally don’t show themselves during the day are out. The group that I was in saw two spotted moray eels, a massive spiny lobster, and several lionfish while the other group saw an octopus. Although these larger animals were interesting, the best part was when our instructor told us to turn off our lights and wave our hands around. When we did, many bioluminescents appeared, and their small yellow glows filled the space around me.
Jamie Frost
Coming into this semester, I knew it was going to be hard to leave. Because so many people from my school go to The Island School, I have seen dozens of kids come home and be absolutely depressed for weeks on end. Before coming, my mom told me several times that I shouldn’t be sad when I get home, just be happy that I got to come here and have the best experience of my life. I took that to heart and genuinely tried to convince myself that leaving wouldn’t be as hard as I thought it would be and that coming home would be exciting and long awaited. However, that attitude quickly changed upon arriving on campus and meeting all the inspiring people here. Just a few days ago, half of the students left on 3-day down island trips and 8-day kayak and solos. Even though we only had to say goodbye to each other for 11 days at most, it was hard to watch everyone embark on their journeys. Being on campus with only 26 of the 52 of us is weird. It is quieter, calmer and not having everyone here makes it feel empty because of how close everyone has become. However, it also presents a good opportunity to get to know a smaller group of people. Everyone here is so excited for the rest of our friends to return to campus so that we can make the rest of this semester as incredible as the beginning. It is going to be hard to leave this place, but we still have 48 days to make the best of our experience here.
Melinda Edie
Last Saturday night was our last weekend together before kayak rotations. It also happened to be the Wemyss Bight Homecoming, so we all piled into the bus and made our way 30 minutes down the island to the settlement of Weymss Bight. Once we arrived we made our presence known as we moved directly for the food stands and then to the dance floor. Wemyss Bight was where I spent my settlement days earlier in the semester so it was fun to wave hello to the people whom I had spent the last few Saturdays getting to know. Some of the Deep Creek Middle School students attended the homecoming and throughout the night we were giving high fives to our buddies and dancing with them. After the homecoming we came back to campus and everyone hung out in the boathouse. Sunday marked our last day together as a whole group. Everyone rushed to finish homework and jam in exploration time while packing for down island and kayak trips. Some people went to the beach, others explored the inner loop, and perhaps the most popular was going down current cut for the last time before it closed for the season due to sharks. Sunday night at dinner everyone had a letter waiting for them to be opened during their 48 hour solo. Earlier in the week we had all drawn a name, and we were given the task of writing a letter to the person whose name we drew. Everyone got really excited about the letter and many people not only wrote the person they had been assigned but also other friends. Monday morning was full of hugs and goodbyes, and gave us a taste for how it may feel to leave everyone at the end of the semester. As those of us with academics first waved goodbye to the kayakers as they left boathouse cut, it finally began to sink in that wouldn’t all be together for the next three weeks. Despite the fact that we will all miss being together, everyone is super excited for the upcoming trips and confident that when we do come back together, the community will be closer than ever.
Sierra Welly
There’s just something about looking out of your classroom window and seeing the ocean that makes you want to be at school. Maybe it’s a reminder of exploration time that is just hours away. Or maybe it makes you remember that your next marine ecology class you will be scuba diving. At the Island School we take full advantage of the ocean that is just a few steps away. So far, in the past twenty-three days I have not gone a day with out being in the water. Yesterday I went free diving to catch stingrays and the day before that I explored the underwater caves. Once a week all 51 students use the ocean for a morning run-swim. This morning I ran alongside a calm, crystal blue ocean as the sun rose to create a perfect pink horizon. For me the ocean is a reminder of where am I, and it helps me remember to take advantage of the opportunity I have here at the Island School.
Kaleigh Gillen
When we first arrived in Green Castle for our first settlement day I was a little nervous. Despite having been to other settlements on the island before, I have never walked around with an Island School uniform. Wearing my blue polo shirt gives me a distinct label, and I wasn’t too sure how the local people would react. We walked around awkwardly for awhile saying hi to people here and there. On our way to the local grocery store we ran in to two guys, Phillip and Bolo. Characteristic of the Bahamas, they were the nicest people you can imagine and immediately began hitting us with questions about the Island School and ourselves. We talked for several minutes, and then walked into the air-conditioned grocery store to fill up on junk food and of course a Goombay Punch. We sat on the brick wall surrounding the community church and watched the silent streets of Green Castle, cars running by occasionally. Fast forward an hour and we are walking down the road towards the homes, hoping to see some people. We said hello to one woman and she introduced us to her son, who was just heading over to the court of the primary school to play some basketball. I was surprised when he asked us to play, but then again, I’ve never met people as nice as Bahamians. When we got to the court, we were soon followed by his friends, and a game of “21” quickly began. It was pretty clear that we (the Island School kids) were all a little nervous at first, but it was immediately replaced by pure happiness. It soon felt like I was playing basketball with my friends. There was never a dull moment and every second was filled with laughter. They’d hoot me when I was dribbling and when I missed, which was most of the time, they all chirped, “He got no form!” Christian is actually good and whenever he hit a 3 they all went nuts. I have always wanted to play with the locals, and I’m so glad that I accepted Will’s invitation to play with open arms, because if I hadn’t, I would never have been able to have this amazing experience. I feel like I have a totally new perspective of the people of Eleuthera. I was able to experience a small part of their lives first hand, and that was really special to me. Rather than watching them play from our car as we drove by, like I’ve done so many times before, I was able to a part of it. Even as short as it was, I felt like I had been accepted. I feel luckier than ever to be here, because of the amazing opportunities that have already presented themselves in my first few weeks here. Driving back to campus all sweaty and tired, telling other groups about our game, my excitement for next Saturday started to build up, and now I just can’t wait to go back and see our friends in Green Castle.
Thomas Nugent
Coming to the Island School, I never truly appreciated some of the smaller things in my life. At home I had easy access to snacks, and would raid the kitchen for food anytime I became hungry. Here we have three large meals each day and gorp for a snack every now and then. The cravings start after a long day of classes, when exploration time begins. We anxiously bike to the marina store with soda, candy and chips on our minds. Chocolate has now become a luxury and every time I go to the store, chocolate is the first thing I buy. Dessert is scarce at the Island School besides an occasional cake for birthdays, so every last bite of chocolate is devoured (even if that means licking the wrapper). Not only is food something to savor here, but also because of the heat and our constant activity, water bottles are a necessity everywhere you go. Thinking back on my experience so far, I am starting to realize that I need to be grateful for the little things here at the Island School and to live in the present. It is hard to do this because of the busy schedule, but every now and then, I am able to stop and appreciate my beautiful home for the next few months.
Eliza Eddy
One morning I noticed what looked like a small bug bite on my left elbow. It looked unusual but nothing too out of the ordinary. I decided to cover it with a Band-Aid and not think much about it. However, the more I ignored it, the more spots seemed to show up. After the third one appeared, I went to see Jai our medical director. I sat down, put out my arm and he looked right into my eyes and said, “this is impetigo”. I looked right back at him and said “I have no clue what that is”. I had a million questions buzzing around my head at once. How long do I have to wear long sleeves and long pants? How contagious is this really? Am I going to miss my dive today? Tom was in the room when I saw the doctor at the clinic. On our way out he asked me if I wanted to buy a cup on the way home. A little confused I said yes. I was still in shock I had a skin infection my second week at the school. On our drive back to campus we stopped at a little store with an older gentleman sitting on the porch. On the way into the store Tom asked the man if he had any cups. Still confused I followed Tom. We walked over to a freezer. Tom asked me if I like passion fruit. I nodded, he handed me a frozen plastic cup filled with passion fruit juice brown sugar and water. I started to laugh; now he was confused. I explained how I had no clue what he meant when he asked me if I wanted a cup. The cup was probably the best thing I have had while I have been here. Today is a week from when I was first told I had impetigo. I don’t miss it one bit.
Noah Sonnenberg
This week marks our first academic week of the semester. It’s no longer name games and long talks on rules and expectations. We are finally in the swing of things. This week also marks the time when we will have to choose whether to run a half marathon, or swim four miles. As a group we are all experiencing a lot of emotions right now. It was a hard adjustment at first, but now everything is falling into place. This is our new home.
Michael Brown
This year was not the first I was away from home on my birthday. Last year, it was the first Saturday class day at my boarding school, and my dorm sang me happy birthday and ate the cake while I was in the shower. Apparently they didn’t know who I was, being a new freshman, and assumed I was there. This year I had the good fortune of getting to celebrate my birthday at the Island School, and it was a Sunday! I got to sleep in and then lazily stroll to the dining hall for a mixed bowl of granola, chex, and cornflakes (which is really yummy). Then the whole school hopped on boats and zipped out to the sandbar. The sandbar is this isolated chunk of sand in the middle of the ocean surround by crystal shallow water. The weather was perfect, just a few stray white clouds. We frolicked in the water and some people played Frisbee. We went back for noon circle, and when we were supposed to sing the national anthem (which I did start singing) the whole school sang me happy birthday. After lunch I went on exploration time. First I went to the Marina store and then I went out with a group of friends to the golf cart graveyard, and abandoned kitchens and storerooms in the inner loop. We then went and found one of the Banyan trees. It was down an overgrown path where we had to dismount and walk, but when we found it, it was so cool and I was amazed by the strong and numerous branches. Later I hopped in current cut, but after drifting about ten feet down I heard thunder, and had to struggle back up to the start. At dinner there was supposed to be cake, but the kitchen ladies accidently locked my cake in the fridge and left, so no cake on my birthday again. It was okay though because we had it for lunch the next day and my birthday celebrations got to last a little longer, which was fine by me.
Rachylle Hart
If you ask my mother what my favourite part about her is, she would tell you I only love her for her food – which might be partly true. And when I go to new places food is what I judge the hardest. Being at the Island School I thought I would not like any of the food and would be extremely homesick because of it. The cooking team here at the Island School makes each meal with such flavor and wondrous appeal, that I was shocked as my mouth erupted with flavor. The first full meal I had here at the Island really helped me to combat homesickness and I will forever be grateful to the cooking team for their meals.
Simi Sonubi
It has only been fifteen days since we arrived in Eleuthera and started our journey at the Island School. It is so amazing to think how my opinions of this place have changed already. Since the beginning of my application process to the Island School, I was fully invested in training for the half marathon because I thought that I could never swim 4 miles. After two weeks I’ve already changed my mind about the swim and so many other aspects of this semester. Switching to swim track has made me so excited to accomplish something so incredible. I wake up excited to swim and see how far I can continue to push myself. Something at the Island School that I already love is when we combine swim track and run track into run-swims. Run-swims have become my favorite exercise even though they seemed so daunting before this place became my home. Before coming here I would never have imagined myself scaling a wall while watching the sunrise. It is actually crazy to think about all the things we do before the sun rises. We wake up with the stars and moon shining, gather around the flag pole at dawn to sing the Bahamian National Anthem in the dark, and are in the ocean swimming while the sun starts to peek out from behind the clouds. This morning in particular as we finished the anthem, there were streaks of raspberry pink coloring the morning sky. Each morning I wake up happy to be here and I can’t wait for the next 83 days.
Maggie Rogers
Coming into the environment of The Island School was a difficult change. It’s something that’s very scary for the first couple of days. The vast amount of differences between The Island School and home change your perspective. At first the change is really difficult but I started to realize that the change is good and it will help me develop in life. So far it’s been an amazing experience and I’m ecstatic to continue my journey. I feel fully aware of the things that lay ahead that will be challenging. I feel ready for anything that crosses my path and I’m looking forward to exploring the island more. One of the best experiences I’ve had so far is playing basketball with the locals. It was fun to compete with them especially since they were very talented. It was a different way of communicating with them and it was easy to understand that in many ways their culture is similar to ours. They were all very open to letting me play and they were very friendly as well. The feeling of being welcomed into their game was great and I had a great experience shooting around with them.
Christian Denis