On Sunday night, nearly 50 interested students and families gathered at the home of Pat Wynne and Lou Valente (Jake S’10 and Cole S’14) in Princeton, New Jersey. Although our conversations were around warm and sunny Eleuthera, we took advantage of a beautiful, brisk, fall night and gathered outside to hear from Chris Maxey and Peter Zdrojewski. Cole Valente and Mackenzie Howe (both from Spring 2014) also shared their own experiences about The Island School.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Valente family who opened their home to The Island School and all our alumni who were able to answer questions for interested families.
Maxey with Princeton-area alumni: Cole Valente (S’14), Mackenzie Howe (S’14), Maxey, Sophie Ochs (F’13), Duncan MacGregor (F’13), Nick Pibl (Su’14)
Our next reception will be in Hanover, NH on Monday, October 27th. Please email Taylor Hoffman,taylorhoffman@islandschool.org, if you will be able to make it!
Last night, despite the rain, prospective students and their families made their way to the amazing home of Bentley Meeker (parent, Jensen Meeker Su’14) in New York City to learn more about The Island School.
Chris Maxey welcoming guests.
Our all-star alumni, Jensen Meeker (Su’14), Kaven Marte (Su’14), and Evan Wood (S’11) answered questions and shared memories from their individual experiences at The Island School. There was lots of excitement among the interested students, especially the ones who are the first students to apply to IS from their high school.
IS alumni answering questions for the interested students and families.
We want to extend a huge thank you to Bentley and Jensen for hosting us last night! On Sunday, October 19 we will be in Princeton, NJ for another admissions reception. For information on that reception or to RSVP, email taylorhoffman@islandschool.org.
Since 2001, Deep Creek Middle School has supported its students in applying for scholarships to U.S. boarding schools as an alternative option to continuing with their high school education on Eleuthera. To date, 33 students have received over $4 million in awards at prep schools from Virginia to Maine.
Megan Sweeting DCMS ’11, Zachary Carey DCMS ’14 introduce Perkiomen to Trevonya Pinder and Dashae Clarke
This year, the five candidates were split into two groups visiting northern and southern schools. The northern group visited Lawrenceville, The Hill School, Tabor Academy, Brewster Academy, Lawrence Academy, Kimball Union Academy, and Northfield Mt. Hermon. The southern group visited The Pennington School, Perkiomen, Oldfields, Foxcroft, West Nottingham Academy, and Episcopal High School. The students had the opportunity to tour the schools and interview to begin the ninth grade in Fall 2015.
The Keefe family hosts our students in Connecticut and treated them to a backyard bonfire!
As the week progressed, the DCMS students became more confident in their interview skills and enlightened in what they are looking for in a boarding school. Trevonya Pinder of Waterford says, “After seeing the schools and what they offer, I am inspired and motivated. I am looking for a school that has small classes and a good music program.”
This trip was nine months in the making; students begin the boarding school process the January before the trip and adhere to rigorous standards to remain in the process. This includes an intensive boot camp to study for the SSAT exam and leadership positions in extracurricular activities. For the candidates, their hard work is beginning to pay off. Deep Creek’s Dashae Clarke says, “My favorite part of the trip was meeting the students and interviewers from the different schools. I could picture myself doing the activities that I saw the other kids doing. It made me feel like part of the boarding school family.”
Student Advancement Coordinator Megan Kelly chaperoned the southern group and had the opportunity to visit with DCMS alumni who are already enrolled in the schools. She says, “It is a gratifying experience to see our alumni excelling at their boarding schools. Every former DCMS student we met held multiple leadership roles at their schools: everything from being tour guides to team captains to class presidents.” This success proves that DCMS is preparing students for the rigors of the top schools in the United States.
The Goulds also generously hosted our students at their home where they flew the Bahamian flag!
The trip was enhanced by the hospitality of many Island School alumni families who hosted the students in home stays. Welcoming the DCMS students with Bahamian flags, photos from the Island School, and regional dining specialties, the students quickly felt at home. DCMS is grateful for the generosity of the Paget-Brown family (Heather F’14), the Gould family (Lauren F’12), the Keefe family (Hilary S’04, Andrew S’05, Brittany S’06, and Peter F’13), the McDonough family (current IS Fellow Tom S’08), the Howard-Gould family (Marcus S’13), the Sands-Bliss family (Maya F’13), and the Maxeys. The trip was made even better by the bonds formed with the host families!
While staying at the Paget-Brown’s home, the DCMS students got to feed their horses.
We hope all our 21+ alumni in NYC, Denver and Boston can join us for the 3rd annual Have One On Us Night on Thursday, October 23. RSVP to alumni@islandschool.org.
The Island School would like to extend a huge thank you to the Davis family in New Canaan, CT for hosting nearly 40 people in their home on Tuesday night for an admissions reception. Sarabeth Davis (S’14) and Colin Hughes (F’13) answered numerous questions from perspective students and parents. Stories of solo experiences and making jewelry from lionfish spines carried us through the night and we are excited to see the interest coming from Connecticut. Our next reception will be in New York on Wednesday, October 15th. Email taylorhoffman@islandschool.org to RSVP.
Last night over 70 prospective students and their families, recent alumni, and even a few incoming Spring 2015 students gathered at Nicole & Kevin Kelly’s beautiful home (Madeleine S’13, Margaret S’15) in Concord, MA. Attendees learned more about The Island School from speaking with alumni and staff, as well as hearing from S’14 Master Teacher and Thayer Academy Science Department Head, Don Donovan.
This was the largest turn out of accepted students we have ever had at an admissions reception! Ten Spring 2015 students who are eagerly awaiting their March 2nd arrival on Eleuthera met at the reception for the first time.
Ten students from the Boston area who are headed to Eleuthera for the Spring 2015 semester gathered at the Boston reception.
A HUGE thank you to the Kelly’s for opening up their home for the reception. Our next admissions reception is tonight in New Canaan, CT. Email taylorhoffman@islandschool.org for questions or to RSVP.
Ben and Sarah Snyder (parents of Abby, Spring 2006) have been long-time friends and supporters of The Island School. In fact, Ben is a member of our Cape Eleuthera Island School Board. They are also long-time educators and administrators at Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, MA. They chose to take a sabbatical this year and we were lucky enough to be on their list of destinations!
Literally diving in, Ben and Sarah kept themselves busy during their time on Eleuthera. From collecting data with students on deep-water shark species and observing coral reefs forty-feet below in Marine Ecology, to helping faculty hone their craft after a class observation and participating in a Teaching Fellow’s Seminar, the Snyders left knowing quite well how busy an Island School student or staff can be. On top of all that, they still managed to find some time to relax and enjoy the warm weather before heading back up to New England!
CONCHtribution, the annual alumni giving campaign, begins TODAY! This year it is running from October 1-October 31, so be sure to make your gift before the end of the month. Our goal this year is to reach 33% overall alumni participation and raise $120,000. Check out the campaign website to learn more about the campaign and to make your 2014 CONCHtribution. Thank you to all of our amazing Island School alumni for your support!
About a year ago, The Lawrenceville Island School Club set out to fundraise enough money to purchase a solar suitcase from We Care Solar. We Care Solar is a nonprofit organization that assembles and distributes suitcase-sized portable solar panels to be used as a source of electricity in schools, hospitals, libraries, and other buildings throughout areas of need in Africa. The cost to construct one solar suitcase is $1,000. When you send in the $1,000, We Care Solar mails you the parts included in a kit, you assemble the suitcase, and then send it directly the area of need, as determined by We Care Solar, to be installed. (To learn more, check out this blog post)
The Island School posed a challenge to alumni that if they raised $500 on their own, IS would match the remaining $500 to reach the $1,000 for a suitcase. Spring 2013 alumnus Danny Goldman helped The Lawrenceville Island School Club to raise the $500 through selling milkshakes (in compostable cups, of course) during lunch, as well as some handmade bracelets from Columbia that say “Lawrenceville”. Another alumna highly involved in the We Care Solar project at Lawrenceville was Anna Marsh (S’13).
Jack Martin (S’13), Danny Goldman (S’13), Chris Foote (F’12), Anna Marsh (S’13)
Danny had the opportunity to go to Kibera, Nairobi to help install the solar suitcase that was assembled by the Island School alumni at Lawrenceville. He shares his amazing experience:
“We left New York on July 27th with six 70 pound bags jammed with Solar Suitcases and tools for their installation.The US State Department had issued warnings about travel to Kenya and in the days immediately prior to our departure the Peace Corp pulled out of Kenya due to terrorism in rural areas and the coastline. Our family debated whether we should go at all, but our commitment for Solar Suitcase placements had been made and people were waiting for the lights. We also knew that we had a great team of partners on the ground that we didn’t want to let down.
Our plan was to install in 3 locations: a community library and 2 schools in the Kibera slum. The Kibera slum is the largest urban slum in Africa with over 1 million residents who lack access to basic services including running water and electricity. An important piece of the project was to work with a local team on the ground, educating them about the We Share Solar Suitcase. Together, we would install the systems and train the end users on operation and maintenance.
As I entered Kibera, I noticed right away that it was basically built on trash with an open sewage system….garbage was everywhere. As I walked along I wondered how over one million people lived without basic sanitation, water and power.
We began by installing the Island School sponsored Solar Suitcase in the Egesa Childrens’ Center, which serves 250 students in 3 very small, dark classrooms that didn’t have electricity. Light from this suitcase will allow students to study later in the day and the community to gather at night for meetings and events. Upon seeing the 5 bright LED bulbs light up his school, Peter, the Principal of the school, said that light from the solar suitcase would open up opportunities for further education at the school.
Our largest installation was at the Shining Hope for Communities Library. We were informed that over 600 people come to this library every month, wanting to read. Without dependable electricity their opportunities are limited. We installed a larger Solar Suitcase unit here, powering 8 LED lights. When the switch was flipped on, the local people actually gasped….and immediately began reading.
At one of the schools I had the opportunity to talk to the students (all girls) about solar and the support of Lawrenceville and The Island School. They listened carefully and shared a bit about their lives and their love for their school. In the end, the girls gave me a big group hug and I hugged them right back.”
Alumnus Scott Voigt was so inspired by the active lifestyle he led during his Spring 2014 semester at The Island School that he signed up to participate in a Half Ironman in Princeton, NJ this weekend. Scott’s desire to stay in shape and continue exercising after he got home from Island School this past summer also convinced his older brother, Jack, to do the Half Ironman as well. What makes this feat even more impressive is that Scott and his brother are also raising money for STOMP the Monster which “provides financial and other support to cancer patients, their families, and caregivers when they need it most – during their fight with the disease.”
Read more about their training routine and inspiration to do the race here.
