Students from The Canterbury School of St. Petersburg, Florida have had a week to unwind since their time on Eleuthera, and it is without doubt that they have continued to think critically about the world around them and our part in making the planet a better place. It is our hope that they will continue to be stewards of the earth through research, education, and conservation, and that they might serve as a launching pad for sustainable practices in their own community. We wish them well as they embark on their second semester of school and will welcome them back whenever they get the chance!

To read a first-hand account of Canterbury’s adventure in The Bahamas, please click here.

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Looking for something outside the classroom? Join us for our Winter Admissions Receptions!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
6-8pm

The Maroni Home
220 Clyde Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
6-8pm

The Florio Home
129 East 95th Street
New York, NY 10128

Tuesday, January 31, 2012
6-8pm

The Koch Home
28299 Old Country Club Road
Easton, MD 21601

*Alumni–if you join us, please bring a friend who is interested in The Island School!

RSVP to Hannah Mauck at hannahmauck@islandschool.org

There is no rest for the weary on Cape Eleuthera as Island School and CEI staff geared up for the arrival of visiting high school and college programs on the first of the new year. Throughout the past week, dorms have been readied and Johnny Bread has been prepared for five academic groups eager to see the world in which they live through new and exciting lenses.

-The Canterbury School of St. Petersburg, Florida spent last week on its own mini-Island School adventure, complete with a run to High Rock, a Down Island excursion, and even a half-day kayak expedition! Students were oriented to their surroundings through natural history lessons, daily snorkeling, and a trip out to the sand bar to learn all about Ooids.

-The Maine School of Science and Mathematics is nearing the end of its first week in which students have been teamed up with CEI researchers working on both the bonefish and lionfish populations here in Eleuthera. Continue reading →

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!

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!

by Human Ecology Fellow –  Alicia Barlow

Grafting, budding, scion, rootstalk and upside down T graft are all words and phrases that are now part of the vocabulary of six students here at The Island School. One of the most unique and meaningful times of an Island School semester occurs when students embark on their 8-day kayak and Down Island Trips. As a Human Ecology teaching fellow this semester, I have stayed on campus to act as a mini-project advisor to those students who are participating in the academic portion of these rotations. During Human Eco class, students were split into groups and assigned a project theme to work with, and were expected to design and complete a project in a week and a half and then present their finished products to the remaining students on campus. During the first half of our rotations I worked with six students under the theme of “agriculture” as they attempted to bring the process of budding and grafting fruit trees to The Island School orchard.

These students had already visited a local farm during the agriculture segment of our Human Ecology curriculum, where a farmer – Edrin Symonette – introduced them to the concept of budding to produce fruit trees. As part of this mini-project, Harry, Annabelle, James, Hallie, John and Emily called Edrin and asked if we could return to his farm and receive a personal lesson on grafting from him. Continue reading →