Alumni

Alumni Invasion!

The Island School has been lucky enough to welcome back so many of our amazing alumni over these past few weeks–it’s been an alumni invasion!

In February, Willie Drury (S’10) sailed into Triangle Cut with two of his friends and shipmates. The three of them have been sailing south since they left Annapolis earlier this winter and we were happy to have them on campus for a few days. We wasted no time putting them to work…

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Zach Jones, Willie Drury (S’10), Trey Warren “earning their keep” at The Island School when they stopped over during their sailing trip.

Grace Fowler (F’11) and Anne Vetter (S’11) became friends at Colby College and decided to make great use of their spring break. They escaped the never-ending winter in Maine and spent a some time with us on Eleuthera!

Anne Vetter (S'11), Grace Fowler (F'11), Chris Maxey
Anne Vetter (S’11), Grace Fowler (F’11), Chris Maxey

We welcomed our most recent visitor, Connor Boals (F’03), earlier this week. Connor works for CNN and is on-site doing a piece with Dr. Edd Brooks at Cape Eleuthera Institute. Earlier this year, Connor worked with The Island School to produce a feature for the “Wish You Were Here” series CNN ran. In addition to having the opportunity to reconnect with The Island School campus, Connor also caught up with fellow F’03 alumnus and Island School mathematics teacher, Catherine Klem!

Catherine Klem (F'03), Connor Boals (F'03)
Catherine Klem (F’03), Connor Boals (F’03)

 

Island School, Staff Spotlight

Staff Spotlight: Alex Cook

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The Island School is thrilled to welcome our newest faculty member Alex Cook this spring. When not advising and leading kayak trips, Alex can be found hard at work in the bike shed teaching students how to change a flat or fix a dropped chain.

Name: Alex Cook

Where are you from? Born and raised in Lancaster, Ohio

Where were you before this? Prior to my time at the Island School I lived in Ohio. Colorado, California (Southern then Northern), Chile, and Michigan.

What brought you to Eleuthera? The Island School’s educational philosophy and the sense of community here.

What is your favorite dining hall meal? BREAKFAST BURRITOS BABY!!!!!

Name one thing that not many people know about you. I climbed the Grand Teton (13,770′) unguided on the Lower Exum Ridge route in Grand Teton National Park.

What is your favorite word? Speleothem….this is a generic term for any cave formation (eg. Stalactites and Stalagmites)

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Coffee Farmer

What are your top three movies of all time? Shawshank Redemption, Jurassic Park, and Last of the Mohicans

What songs and/or bands have you been listening to lately? Bands: Bill Monroe, Kygo, Matoma, and Trampled By Turtles

Look out for more staff spotlights throughout the semester.

Uncategorized

Meet Your Caciques of the Week!

Cacique means leader in Lucayan. Here at The Island School five students are selected each week to take on the role of “cacique” and serve as the face of the community . These student leaders, or caciques, work with faculty and their peers to ensure that the community stays on task throughout the day. On any given day you can witness caciques running morning circle, planning weekend activities, participating in student duty and much more. The Island School is thrilled to introduce Spring 2015′s first set of caciques. Congrats and cheers to a fantastic semester ahead!

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Cole Triedman

Where are you from?
Providence, RI “Best Place on Earth…sort of”
How did you find out about The Island School?
My sisters both went and I came for parent’s weekend
Name one thing not many people know about you:
I bungy-jumped in New Zealand
Name one thing you know about Island School that you didn’t know when you got here:
I didn’t know how awesome Derece’s dinner circle announcements were.
If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
Gandalf

 

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Ali Boutros

Where are you from?
San Fran, CA
How did you find out about The Island School?
From my high school, Branson. I came on an EP trip
Name one thing not many people know about you:
I’m scared of dairy
Name one thing you know about Island School that you didn’t know when you got here:
I didn’t know we had 6-day weeks!
If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
Jay Moriarty, Big surfer at Mavericks– died free diving at 22

 

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Ethan Pierce

Where are you from?
Freeport, ME
How did you find out about The Island School?
Lucy Zachau told me in homeroom.
Name one thing not many people know about you:
I play the saxophone.
Name one thing you know about Island School that you didn’t know when you got here:
There are lizards everywhere, a pleasant surprise.
If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
Stevie Wonder.

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Maddie Nystrom

Where are you from?
Dover, MA
How did you find out about The Island School?
My dad went to the same gym as the board of directors, Ernie P.
Name one thing not many people know about you:
I’m a book worm
Name one thing you know about Island School that you didn’t know when you got here:
That we got SCUBA certified in only 2 weeks
If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
J.K. Rowling

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Cam St. Onge

Where are you from?
Newport, RI
How did you find out about The Island School?
On my boat trip through The Bahamas. We stayed in Rock Sound.
Name one thing not many people know about you:
I high fived Jimmy Fallon
Name one thing you know about Island School that you didn’t know when you got here:
I didn’t know who Peter Z. was.
If you could meet anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
James Bond

Stay tuned to meet next week’s caciques!

 

Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS Eco-Club Attends Plastic Ocean Pollution Solution (POPS) Conference in California

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DCMS teacher Nikki Elliott, Captain Charles Moore, DCMS students Forrest Schmitt, Giltavia Goodman, Tiia McKinney, Simeon Bethel at the POPS Conference in Dana Point, CA.

Hi! My name is Simeon Bethel and I am a 13-year-old youth activist that attends the Deep Creek Middle School and I am passionate about the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. At my school, I am part of the Eco-Club where I am treasurer. Our school’s Eco-Club is what initiated our green flag certification and DCMS was the first school in the English speaking Caribbean to be certified with the green flag. We have solar panel water heaters and fan switches that regulate the amount of time a fan can be left running in order to prevent them from continuously running throughout the day–to save energy. The Eco-club also orchestrates many different beach cleanups and events that inform the public about the damages that plastic pollution has on our environment and beautiful waters.

To support our learning as leader and environmental activists, myself and three other students were given the privilege to travel to Dana Point, California to attend the Plastic Ocean Pollution Solutions (POPS) Conference. This event took place on February 27 to March 1, 2015. At this conference, many other youth activists from all over the world came to share their own projects or solutions to plastic ocean pollution. There were many inspirational speakers about the topic of plastic ocean pollution and also many world renowned scientists that have made remarkable discoveries and advancements towards solving the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans.

This whole event took months and months of planning, project finalizing, brainstorming and orchestration. The Deep Creek Middle School’s project is to have large-scale beach cleanups on certain beaches and then install proper signage on the beaches. For example, one might say, “150 Pounds of Plastic was Collected from Lighthouse Point Beach. Please Help us in Our Effort to Keep These Wondrous Treasures Clean, Green and Pristine”. Also, prior to and during our trip to California, the Eco-Club started to think about the fact that cleaning the beaches is not the answer to all of our problems–it is simply helping the cause. We decided that we should also inform the public. We should inform the people that don’t really know that much about plastic and its harmful effects on the environment. By educating the population of this island, and hopefully The Bahamas, it will target and stop the problem of plastic ocean pollution at the core.

Thankfully, this conference that we attended allowed us to improve our project to get the best and most effective results out of the whole event. All in all, the Plastic Ocean Pollution Solution Conference was an amazing experience for me, my peers that attended, our teacher who came with us and all of the other inspirational speakers and students that attended. It was definitely an inspiring and life-changing event. Keep an eye out for DCMS’s Plastic Pollution initiatives and join us by being part of the solution.

Alumni

Island School Student & Faculty Alumni Reunite at Colorado College

Last week, we heard from former Island School art teaching fellow Michael Arnsteen. He was asked to be a Visiting Artist at Colorado College for the first week of the month, which included giving a lecture and teaching 3 workshops. Upon walking into a workshop, Michael noticed a familiar face–Island School Spring 2012 alumna Elizabeth Ellinger, who was a student when Michael worked at IS! He also got together with other S’12 alumni who go to Colorado College, Robbie Balloch and Brendan James and they sent us this great photo.
Elizabeth Ellinger (S'12), Michael Arnsteen, Robbie Balloch (S'12), Brendan James (S'12)
Elizabeth Ellinger (S’12), Michael Arnsteen, Robbie Balloch (S’12), Brendan James (S’12)

Do you have any small world encounters with other Island Schoolers? Send them to us at alumni@islandschool.org!

Alumni, Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Margot Werner (Su’13)!

Earlier this week, Chicago Blackhawk players, staff and members of the greater Illinois hockey community gathered together at the 28th Annual High School Scholarship Awards Luncheon to honor the three high school recipients of the Keith Magnuson Blackhawk Alumni Scholarship Award – one of which was Summer Term 2013 Island School alumna, Margot Werner! Margot, a long-time hockey player and Chicago native, shared her acceptance speech at the luncheon on Monday.

Congratulations, Margot! We wish you the best of luck finishing up your senior year at Latin School of Chicago and can’t wait to see what great things you accomplish next!

Alumni

Island School Morning Exercise in Boston

Morning exercise is the only way to start your day. Just ask Cape Eleuthera Foundation employees Mary Assini and Cam Powel and Island School parents Ernie & Kim Parizeau (Kate F’03, Doug S’06, Molly S’10, Sam S’14) and Sally Tyrie (Baylor S’14)! Last week, IS parent and Crossfit One Nation owner, JC del Real (Caroline, Su’13), held a special Island School work out for this crew at his gym. Although they were missing the warm weather of Eleuthera–and the rocks and sand digging into their backs while doing their sit ups–it was a great morning exercise nonetheless!

Ernie Parizeau, JC del Real, Mary Assini, Kim Parizeau, Cam Powel, Sally Tyrie
Ernie Parizeau, JC del Real, Mary Assini, Kim Parizeau, Cam Powel, Sally Tyrie

Once the weather warms up, we are planning to have an Island School event at JC’s crossfit gym for Boston-area alumni, parents and friends–stay tuned for details!

Alumni, CEI, News, research

Rachel Miller Attends Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting

Rachel Miller beside the Jekyll Island Convention Center where the Sea Turtle conference was held.
Rachel Miller beside the Jekyll Island Convention Center where the Sea Turtle conference was held.

Earlier in February, Rachel Miller, the Research Assistant for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program, attended the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting in Jekyll Island, GA, a five-day conference that focused on the newest sea turtle research from the Southeast United States. In addition to learning about the newest sea turtle research, Rachel had the opportunity to meet with top scientists, upcoming scientists, and Island School alumni. At the conference, Rachel met IS alumna Sarah Kollar (S’07) who is working with the Trash Free Seas division of the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC.  It’s awesome to see where Island School has reached! You can find out more about SERST here.