DCMS ninth grader, Simeon Bethel, represented The Bahamas today at the Sea Youth Rise Up campaign. This campaign brought seven youth leaders to New York City and Washington, D.C. to present a call-to-action for ocean conservation. Thousands of students across the world, including DCMS seventh, eighth and ninth graders, watched Simeon and his peers streamed live.
This spring, Island School alumna Paityn Wedder (F’15) produced a video project for her high school’s Diversity Week. It focuses on tenants of Positive Psychology, gratitude and its impact on happiness. Watch her classmates’ reactions when she tells them they have had a positive impact on her life.
The project was also covered in an article by a local news source, check it out here! Great work, Paityn.
The Literature Department is proud to announce the latest edition of TIDES, The Island School’s online literary and art magazine with submissions from members from every corner of our community. Check it out here!
During eight-day expedition rotations this spring, students Emily Bhatt, Annika Goldman and Josie Cummings put together this whimsical tour of campus. Enjoy!
Spring 2016 students Rob Titsworth and Ian Connelly produced this amazing time-lapse film of Rob’s rock sculpture on Boys Dorm Beach the other morning. Check it out!
Last year, the Cape Eleuthera Institute welcomed United Nations ambassadors from ten countries to the Cape to learn more from research scientists about the latest discoveries in shark ecology and conservation. Through the efforts of the marine conservation leadership of The Bahamas, this year marks the fifth year of the nation’s designation as a shark sanctuary.
“Our nations are not small-island states, they are big-ocean states” said Eric Carey, director of the Bahamas National Trust, which has been at the forefront of Bahamian marine and land conservation for decades. “There are considerable conservation opportunities if we are working together, within the country and at a regional scale. Efforts like these, including the existing prohibition on the commercial harvest or trade and use of any shark fins or parts within the The Bahamas, ensure that that sharks can continue to thrive for generations in our waters, one of the world’s best places to see sharks.”
We did it! The results for yesterday’s 1 for 100 giving day are in, and we want to thank everybody who took the leap to donate. We far exceeded our goal of 100 gifts and received over 340 donations yesterday, raising $95,000! Thank you all for helping to make a difference!
Every week at The Island School we get around 5 hours of exploration time to explore the area around the school. While many students just go to the marina store and buy sugary snacks there are loads of other activities and things that you must do during your time here. Below are some of the top 10 activities to do during the free time you are given.
You only have 100 days here and you get very little exploration time every week so it is essential to spend every minute of your exploration time effectively. You can spend your time eating sweet food when you get home and you are only at The Island School for one semester. Make every second count and take advantage of all the opportunities during exploration time so you know you made the most of your 100 days at The Island School.
As the we eagerly set up stations in the dining hall, the sounds emanating from the 44 other students stationed around the flag increased. About an hour earlier, the 4 other caciques and I posted the 11 teams and declared that extra points would be given to the teams with the most spirit, creativity, and, of course, the best costumes. In the final moments before the official Saturday Night Activity began, the 4 other Caciques and I went out to the flag pole, triumphantly observing all of our peers dressed up in extravagant costumes ranging from wetsuits to cowgirls to USA-themed and even to people dressed up as other members of their team.
Last Saturday’s evening activity was The Olympics. Essentially, there were various stations and competitions set up around the dining hall that each team competed in. There were prizes awarded to the every team, but the team with the most points got to choose which prize they wanted, as there was a wide range of awards from a dawn dive with hot chocolate or lunch with Maxey to a day with endless ice or a high-five workshop with Tom.
The evening started with a short briefing in the prez room and then the students were set loose to come up with a jingle/cheer/performance of sorts to represent their team. These were then presented and points were awarded for the best one—a team decked out in safari hats and PFGs took the win for this category with a hilarious dance/skit about Steve Irwin. Following these performances, each team chose a representative to complete the first challenge: thawing a thoroughly frozen t-shirt, untying the numerous knots, and finally putting this t-shirt on. I was later informed that teachers all the way at CEI were able to hear the excited cheers from the dining hall, showing how enthusiastic everyone was! As the night went on, teams traveled from a plank contest—where the Island School plank record was set by Charlie Widing—to apple bobbing, to “mystery cup,” and a few others.
The evening ended with birthday cake for Baker Casagrande’s 17th birthday and an announcement of the winners. It was an incredibly energetic, action-packed night that students and teachers alike enjoyed.
Hey guys! We’re almost half way there. So many things are happening this week and in the weeks to come. Thursday of this week we had our midterm demonstration of learning (DOL) presentations. DOL’s are basically when students talk about a specific event at The Island School and talk about how that has changed or accentuated his or her perspective. The next day we had kayak relays for morning exercise. This is where four teams – the four 3-day kayak groups – compete against each other by doing a run swim with added exercises and kayaking. Spirits were high and the sense of competition and teamwork scented the air. Although there was a set order to who finished first, there were other opportunities to gain points; it could not be determined who won from who finished first so the points were tallied and the winning team was announced at dinner that night. On top of that, Monday, we began our three-week rotations. For approximately 8 days a group of students will be kayaking or sailing, another will be on campus attending classes and the last group will be on the down island for a Histories tourism unit. After the 8 days are over, the groups will all rotate. During the kayak or sail trips students will have the famous 48-hour solos. During this time the students will only have a tarp, gorp, water, and certain necessities (excluding a watch, flashlight, books, etc.). It will be interesting to see how this 8-day tip will differ from the 3-day at the beginning of the trimester.