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Introducing: Summer Term Alumni Mentors!

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Greetings from Eleuthera! For the Summer Term 2011, we have seven Alumni Mentors on staff!  Alumni mentors are Island School alumni who want to come back to the Cape, gain teaching experience, and support high school students through this intense summer journey. Examples of responsibilities include serving as a student advisor, where the alumni provide mentoring to make each student successful in the program and liaise with parents as necessary. Mentors also assistant teach human ecology classes, stand duty on campus, support kayak trips, and lead and support student activities such as morning exercise, evening events, and community events. Our seven Alumni Mentors are thrilled to be back at The Island School and support the students on this incredible journey! A short introduction about each Alumni Mentor can be found below.

Jenny Donnelly is entering her junior year at Yale University and attended The Island School in the spring semester of 2008. She is an environmental studies major and a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track teams at Yale. Jenny is also an Early Education Childhood Fellow, which involves working alongside teachers at local schools and attending seminars on various topics in education. In her free time Jenny can be found running, aqua jogging in the ocean, eating passion-fruit off of the trees on campus, and working with the Flats Research group. She is particularly interested in The Island School’s focus on renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, and is super excited to guide students in learning more about their everyday choices!

Kelsey Muller is going to be a junior at Wesleyan University and attended The Island School in the fall semester of 2006. She is a biology major fulfilling the requirements for pre-med and an environmental studies certificate. Kelsey is a member of the Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey team and works as a residential advisor at Wesleyan where she gets the chance to help students in various ways and plan fun programs. Kelsey is from New Hampshire and grew up in an active, outdoorsy atmosphere where she regularly skis, runs, swims, and hikes. She is very excited to be back at The Island School as a mentor and member of the Shark Research team where her previous experiences and knowledge can help the students of this year’s summer term!

Julie Thomsen is entering her junior year at Bates College. She is an Environmental Studies – Ecology major. Julie enjoys spending her free time teaching fish Identification, directing games and working on the Conch Research project. She is looking forward to spear-fishing Lionfish and SCUBA diving the reefs she learned to dive on as a student at The Island School in the Fall of 2007. She is excited to be back in The Island School community sharing her love for the Island and the program with new students.

Lexie Marino is a senior at the University of Michigan where she will be graduating next semester with a BA in English and environmental studies. Lexie spent the last five months studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and gained an appreciation for the people and place of South America, similar to her love for Eleuthera. In her free time she enjoys reading Omeros, swimming with sharks and helping students write blog entries for The Island School Blog. She made her Island School debut in the fall of 2006 and served as an alumni mentor for the pioneer summer term last summer. Lexie is excited to take on more responsibility inside and outside the classroom, be a co-advisor of the Lemon Shark Research Project, and support the student journey throughout the term.

Dominique Keefe is from Ellsworth, Maine, and is entering her senior year as a biology major at Barnard College.   She is a member of the Barnard EcoReps, an environmental education group, and conducts research on the microbiology of green roofs in New York City.  She attended the Island School in the spring of 2007, and since then just can’t stop coming back. In her free time, Dominique loves picking tamarinds and being on and in the water.  She is so excited to work with new Island Schoolers and hopes that Eleuthera will come to mean as much to them as it does to her.

Kit Norris is entering his junior year at Colgate University. At Colgate Kit plays on the squash team, sings acapella with the Colgate 13, and is double majoring in Environmental Biology and Economics. Kit enjoys the finer things in life: black coffee, live music, sailing, and almost anything that is related to the ocean. Kit attended The Island School in the Spring of 2008 and is excited to be able to give back to the community he believes in so completely. Kit is interested in both sustainable business and finance, though what Kit will do next is open to conjecture.

Matt Vetter is entering his sophomore year at Dartmouth College. He is an Economics major and Sustainability minor. He is also a member of the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club, the Dartmouth Outing Club and The Dartmouth Review. In his free time Matt enjoys SCUBA diving, fishing, leading optional free time activities, and working with the Lionfish Research group. He is particularly interested in the community spirit of The Island School, as well as the focus on rainwater usage. He attended The Island School in the Spring of 2009, and is excited to have a chance to work on the faculty for the summer.

Apprentice Programme

Welcoming Nicoya!

Nikoya Taylor working in the kitchen

Nicoya Taylor, who is currently at Episcopal High School in VA and is a DCMS alum,  joins The Island School community as an apprentice, working to help ‘The Ladies’ in the kitchen. She shares her initial impressions below:

My first week working in the kitchen has definitely been a great experience. I’ve learned to appreciate so much by working with Sheryl, Tiffany, Mrs. Becca, and Ms. Mooch, such as the hard work the kitchen staff at my school put in during a regular school week. Although it may seem easy making dinner for an enormous number of staff and students everyday, isn’t as easy as many may think. I’ve learned so much from each of these intelligent ladies and I hope that this experience continues to be amazing throughout the remaining seven weeks.

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: July 3, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Adam and Miya describing their day as caciques, Sunday, July 3.

For the first time in a week the sun was up before us. A good nights rest, attending church with the locals and extended exploration boundaries were the things that our first Sunday off held in store. The 10 o’clock morning circle allowed us a few extra hours of precious sleep before we jumped in the vans and headed to church. We split up into two groups that attended two different churches that members of our school regularly attended. At one church, half of us sang songs from the hymnal, after which the pastor gave an energetic sermon. At the other, the pastor began the service with a quick but inspirational introduction on the powers of patience and believing in God. This preceded soulful singing by members of the church, into which we joined when we felt comfortable.

After we returned from our church visit, we were almost completely let off of our leashes. Many of our boundaries were lifted and we were free to roam over the bridges in the Marina (normally off limits during schooldays) and enter the inner loop. The inner loop is where the remains of an old resort lay, and if you don’t pay attention it is easy to get turned around in the labyrinth of paths from the old golf course. Many of us opted to cross the bridges into the Marina. There, a big group of us stopped by the Marina Coffee shop where we drank delicious smoothies and enjoyed the gentle rays of the sun.  After the refreshments our group split up, with some going to sunset beach, some going to play basketball, and the rest watching the sharks that frequent the marina.

As we were biking to the basketball court, some of us noticed fishermen filleting their catches, and a large crowd of sharks gathered. Filled with primarily Nurse sharks, the feeding frenzy entertained a few of us for 45 minutes as we watched the beasts devour every scrap that was tossed to them, with the occasional bird stealing a small scrap or two. The highlight of this time was when a few massive bull sharks joined the mob, and added some violent thrashing to the show. The dominating nine-foot Bull shark can be seen devouring a fish skeleton with this post.

Those who went to sunset beach had a very relaxing swim followed by some tanning. It was a classical day on the beach for them while they tried to get rid of bad tan lines or gain some color.

The group of students who went to play basketball had a very competitive game, which ended with a minor toe injury. The basketball courts were newly discovered turf for many of the players, adding to the multitude of activities that we can enjoy in our free time. Though the game ended in a minor injury everybody had great fun!

Today was one of the most important, because we were able to catch up on sleep and better acquaint ourselves with the island, which we look forward to doing more of in the next few weeks!

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: July 2, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Arielle and Mackenzie describing their day as caciques, Saturday, July 2:

New beginnings are a huge part of life at the Island School, and today was no exception. But, the day began just like any other, with vigorous exercise that students used as a way to escape the swarming flies. After an energizing breakfast, the lionfish, conch, sharks, bonefish, and aquaculture research groups headed out for their first day of field work.

The lionfish team went out on a boat to measure patch reefs. The current was too strong though, and the troop of exhausted snorkelers returned to the boathouse to practice identifying fish along transect lines while SCUBA diving.

Those in the conch research group headed out to their first site after a quick review on transects and juvenile conch. They paired up and began surveying conch.

Groups of students also had the opportunity to chat with a local conch fisherman, Niamiah. “At one time,” Niamiah said, “I could freedive over sixty feet.” No student doubted this impressive claim as our masked eyes ogled him from the surface as Niamiah easily retrieved several huge conch from the ocean floor.  He proceeded to awe students even more as he skillfully speared a couple of triggerfish. Back at the boathouse, Niamiah taught us the secrets of preparing conch. We were able to “enjoy” raw conch and watch him skin several conch and fish.

Island School students topped of the day with an awesome Saturday night. We waited for the sun to set while playing the Lizz game, which is similar to Charades. We then hit the road for our next activity. After walking down the road to the cut lit only by stars, we went on a nighttime snorkel. Quickly, before chickening out, pairs of students jumped off the low bridge into the water. The current and our adrenaline propelled us towards the next bridge and, for some lucky students, nurse sharks. After a few screams and mild hysteria, everyone climbed out of the water in one piece.

Dripping water and thrilled by the snorkel, we made our way back to campus for a late night treat. Everyone swore they had never eaten brownies with ice cream so fast in their lives! With the sweet, chocolaty taste lingering on our tongues, we drifted off to our beds in search of some much-needed sleep and a great week ahead.

Happy Snorkeling!

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: July 1, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Courtney and Clayton describing their day as caciques, Friday, July 1.

SPLASH!!!! A crowd of students and faculty eagerly dives into the water and begins a long ocean swim towards the Marina.  Moments before our day began at 6:30 with the daily circle.  Unlike some days when the Island School students express groggy faces, today started as a morning full of excitement.  Perhaps the crowd of students was happy that the morning workout was changed from the standard run to an ocean swim.

Today commenced the first day of classes for our research projects.  Everyone was excited to say the least.  The projects ranged from researching Flats, Lionfish, Lemon Sharks, Conch, and Aquaculture. In Lemon sharks students learned about the electrical “sixth sense” that is located on the tip of all sharks noses. In Lionfish, Flats, and conch everyone was lucky enough to go fishing and possibly get a bit of a tan while learning about the respective catches. In Aquaculture students learned all about the fish they will be working with, and specifically Cobia. Cobia can get up to six feet, the have alternating horizontal white stripes, and have a white underbelly. They live in deeper shallow coastal waters in warmer temperatures. The Cobia are large fish that are perfect for aquaculture because they reproduce and mature quickly and can feed many people because of their enormous size.

Overall, today was a great day and a bit more relaxing than the long days of kayaking and scuba diving. We really can’t wait to learn more about our projects!

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Cacique Update: June 30

Beep…beep…. beep goes the alarm. Turning over in their beds, reluctant Island School students dread the coming event; the infamous psycho. Sleepwalking towards the flagpole, exhausted students smell the aroma of the psycho in the air. Soon after John Schatz began the most intense and trying work out thus far. The psycho incorporated running with various exercises intermitted with psychotic wails of pain. By the end of the work out every student was gasping for air, as we sprinted towards the finish line.

Two days of drills and skills left SCUBA students yearning for the freedom that certification would bring. A small dose of this was provided during our last dive, a free descent with ample exploration time. Tunnel Rock, a coral reef teeming with exotic fish, was the backdrop for our final certification dive. Dividing the reef is a partially enclosed tunnel, which both amazed and intimidated the fledgling divers. After forty minutes of leisurely diving the groups were proud to ascend to the surface as certified divers.

The jammed packed day finished with a sense of success. From psychos to SCUBA everyone was able to sit down to a much-deserved plate of spaghetti and garlic bread with a feeling of accomplishment.

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Cacique Update—Dangerous Dave & Killer Kate

Sipping a cold lemonade at the docks by the Marina Store, we gaze out at the never-ending sea, reflecting upon the events of the day:

Well rested from the hour long sleep-in, we felt replenished and ready to conquer the challenge that laid ahead of us as we rolled out of bed. The sound of the Bahamian National Anthem resounded off the dorms around campus, the team morale was at an all-time high. Shortly after breakfast, we rushed towards the boathouse, preparing the boats for our departure. Once all the gear was on each boat, the groups split off, heading in their own direction for the day.

It was our second day of scuba. Everyone was looking forward to furthering the process of our certification. We reached our destinations, strapped on the unwieldy gear, and proceeded to splash into the deep blue water. As we plunged down deeper and deeper, the vivid colors of the coral reefs became much more apparent. Fish glistened in the sun as they darted behind rocks and spongy plants, and the seaweed swayed in the gentle current. Our fins propelled us forward as we explored the reef and its inhabitants. Besides the bubbles grazing our cheeks, pure silence engulfed us. We felt at ease, all the worries of our Human Ecology Homework forgotten, as we glided through the bright blue ocean.

Later, after our underwater expeditions, we hopped on our bikes and pedaled furiously to the Marina Store. After a leisurely stroll down by the pier, a few of us purchased ice-cold refreshments, a perfect end to a perfect day.

Now, standing here, looking out at the horizon, we can’t help but notice the shimmering water that we dove into earlier today. We realize we have taken a giant step up the stairs that is our journey at the Island School; we have come that much closer to certification.

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Eleuthera Explorers Camp – Wow!

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Eleuthera Explorers camp is in full swing with 17 youthful Explorers from various islands in the Bahamas and states in the USA. We have been keeping busy with morning exercise beginning at 7am each day. Some of their favorite activities so far have included bicycling to 4th hole beach, snorkeling at sunset beach, learning to kayak, spotting nurse sharks and handling a 6 foot boa constrictor! Yesterday we went on an exciting adventure to our artificial reef balls. There, Explorers observed a school of grey angelfish, blue tang and a great barracuda. We also went to Page Creek to observe nurse sharks with our nurse shark research team from the Cape Eleuthera Institute. One of our Explorers, Rose Marie, shared her love of snorkeling and bicycling with us, “The first time I came to the Island School I was unsure what we were going to do. At first I was a little bit scared to snorkel, but then Tiffany showed me how to snorkel better and I became less scared. Then I heard that we would be riding bikes and I was really up for it.” Other Explorers like Morgan, James and Alexander share a love of morning exercise, with games like Beach flags and run swims! There have been so many new people to meet, including researchers from around the world studying all sorts of wonderful things.

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: June 28, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Hana and Taylor describing their day as caciques, Tuesday, June 28:

“I eagerly looked down the path of what would be our four-mile run to High Rock and back. It was intimidating yet exciting as we stretched our limbs, getting ready for our challenging adventure. Following Jenny and Kit, we started to run at a quick pace, which little did we know would make us sweat like we never had before. As we slowly started to get closer to High Rock our fatigue began to set in. Finally we reached High Rock and a few people who didn’t mind chafing decided to jump into the water. We continued on our journey to the flagpole at The Island School. Overall, the run was challenging, but everyone felt great and accomplished afterwards.” -Taylor

“I hesitantly stared down at the water about to submerge myself into it. I grasped my mask and regulator in one hand over my face and my SPG in the other and fell backward into the waves. Orienting myself I quickly listened to David give clear instructions and then began to descend into the clear blue. As I looked above I realized I was doing the supposed impossible: breathing underwater. I was immersed in water and exposed to an environment I had never seen. Like many of my fellow Island School peers, it was my first day SCUBA diving.” –Hana

To become SCUBA certified we had to perform a series of skills. The divers who were certified used this as a refresher to remember the skills they had forgotten. The skills were things such as clearing a mask with water, breathing with your buddy’s alternative air source, and swimming without a mask. Many people were able to complete these tasks, and with a few more open water dives everyone will be SCUBA certified!

Feeling hungry but accomplished, we finished the day with a nice spaghetti meal. Finally we went to bed, looking forward to our sleep-in morning the next day, and preparing ourselves for more SCUBA adventures.