Tag Archives: DCMS

Alumni, Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Eliott Wellenbach (F’11)

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We are always encouraging alumni to give back to The Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Deep Creek Middle School in any way that they can. Fall 2011 alum and avid lacrosse player, Eliott Wellenbach, found a unique way to give back that combined his love for Eleuthera with his love for the sport of lacrosse.

As soon as he returned from his semester in December 2011, he contacted us about holding a lacrosse camp at Deep Creek Middle School for kids in the nearby Bahamian settlements and immediately started collecting old lacrosse sticks and other lacrosse equipment donated from friends and family. He began creating practice plans and designing drills for these campers–most of whom had never even heard of lacrosse or seen a lacrosse stick.

In August, Eliott, his older sister Lilly, and his mother Pat headed down to Eleuthera Continue reading →

Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS Campers in New England

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This summer DCMS grade 9 student, Lance Pelecanos, received a scholarship to return to Camp Dudley in New York for a month of camping fun and personal growth. He was very excited to once again be paired with lead counselor Tom McDonough (S’08).  Here is a picture of the gentleman outside of their cabin.

Many Deep Creek Middle School students spend their summers at camps locally and in New England.  The school and camps work to obtain sponsorships for the students and many Island School families support the program by hosting students on their way to or from camp, serving as chaperones, providing gear or sponsoring students.  Many thanks to the following families for their contributions this summer:

  • Family of Simon Mann-Gow (F08)
  • Family of Julie Thomsen (F07)
  • Christian Henry
  • Rachel Shapiro

If you would like to support DCMS campers in their future adventures, please contact principal Joanna Paul at joannapaul@dcmsbahamas.org

Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS’s Will Simmons Directs Another Successful “Space to Create”

Six years ago, Will Simmons, Deep Creek Middle School art teacher and Harbour Island native, started a non-profit arts summer camp on Harbour Island called “Space to Create”. During the 3-week program, the 100+ campers are exposed to dance, drama, theater, and visual arts, all taught by volunteers. At the end of the session, the campers put on a show for the community. You can read more about the final show, “Space to Create” and Will Simmons here. Congratulations on another successful summer, Will!

Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS Book Camp

This week, Deep Creek Middle School is hosting its first Book Camp. The enthusiastic campers are reading together, writing poetry, playing word games, and learning more about the publishing industry. Organized by former DCMS teacher Megan Kelly (2006 – 2010) and assisted by DCMS alumna Jhane Gibson (2011), the camp’s main texts are The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda and Wonder. Campers will interview the authors of both books, as well as the Head of Macmillan Publishing’s Caribbean Division, in order to learn more about how books are created.

The first day’s activities included creating their own Origami Yodas, designing postcards that will feature their poetry, and writing six-word memoirs to introduce themselves (it’s harder than it sounds!). A few of the awesome memoirs: “My brain means everything to me,” “I’m nice and beautiful, don’t hate,” “Sometimes the strong aren’t strong enough,” and “My headaches come from Nicki Minaj.” The fun has only just begun at Book Camp!

You can read more about Book Camp here.

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Deep Creek Middle School

Community Outreach Event on Haitian Bahamian Relations A Great Success!

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Over the course of the semester we have worked closely with Deep Creek Middle School to help improve problems facing the community here on Eleuthera. Our group assisted Moesha Leary’s project on Haitian Bahamian relations in attempts to combat the discrimination of Haitians in The Bahamas. Moesha, her DCMS peers, and their Island School Community Outreach buddies planned an event to educate the community about Haitians’ culture and to celebrate the similarities and differences between Haiti and The Bahamas. The event was a success and had a great turn out. Many people were inspired by what they saw and heard there. They left with a new perspective of the Haitian community in The Bahamas. The documentary “Can You See Us?”  which chronicles the struggles of young Haitian Bahamians and the discussion that followed the film were among the highlights of the night. The evening had a fiery ending as both the Bahamian and the Haitians gave performances specific to their cultures including a fire show. It united the beauty of the two cultures and brought people together. You can read more about the event in an article in The Eleutheran newspaper here.

- Kira, Kyle, Will, Moesha, & Dana

Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS Grade 9′s are Boarding School-Bound!

We all have been waiting in anticipation for the five Deep Creek Middle School students who applied to boarding schools in the United States to hear back from the admissions offices. We are proud to announce that all five students who applied have received placements and scholarships from the schools to continue their studies abroad next year!
  • Ashley Gibson – St Margaret’s School, VA
  • Moesha Leary – Christchurch School, VA
  • Lionel Johnson – Woodberry Forest, VA
  • Yanni Giannakopoulos – The Ross School, NY
  • Treshae Clarke – Wilbraham and Monson Academy, MA
Thank you to all of those who helped in some part of the process whether as mock-interviewers or to homestay families in the US who host on long-weekends! And congratulations to Ashley, Moesha, Lionel, Yanni, and Treshae!
Deep Creek Middle School

DCMS Students Present at Green Conference in Denver

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On February 26th, three students from Deep Creek Middle School departed for Denver, Colorado to attend the National Green Schools Conference where they had been invited to present their work to students from all over the United States. Eighth graders Keniesha Pinder (Tarpum Bay), Shanice Symonette (Rock Sound) and seventh grader Zachary Carey (Tarpum Bay) delivered poster presentations on “How to Create a Recycling System at your School” and “Middle School Aquaponics.” The audience was students and teachers who were interested in creating sustainable changes in their communities. “People were really excited about our ideas, a lot of people said they wanted to try aquaponics at their schools”, explains Shanice.

DCMS students also had the opportunity to attend workshops given by student and professionals that pertained to environmental topics that interested them. “I’ve learned all kinds of things that I want to do at DCMS and in my own settlement” says Zachary Carey of Tarpum Bay. Some of the more impressive workshops had students dreaming up ideas to use to improve their school and island. Some of these ideas include: developing Continue reading →

Deep Creek Middle School

Prince Harry is Coming!

Next week, Prince Harry is visiting The Bahamas as part of the royal family’s tour of the Commonwealth to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Last week, Deep Creek Middle School received a call from the office coordinating the Prince’s visit. We were told that the Prince had heard about our school and was very impressed with what he had read and so they were requesting a student representative to meet with Prince Harry to talk about the youth environmental movement in the islands. Here is a picture of Moesha Leary, grade 9 and President of the Eco-Club, as she got the news that she would be the student representative. Stand by for more photos of the Prince and his new buddy Moesha!

Deep Creek Middle School

Mrs. Carnetta Ferguston Returns to Visit the Cape

On February 17, Mrs. Carnetta Ferguson from the newly launched National Parenting Center of the Ministry of Education visited Cape Eleuthera today, where Jennie Freeman was hosting the Deep Creek Middle School advisory board meetings underway. Mrs. Ferguson was an early supporter of The Island School, having been instrumental in bringing UNESCO to Cape Eleuthera in 2001. Her support of the Deep Creek Middle School includes her popular “Fly Like an Eagle” speech from the DCMS 5th year anniversary celebration in 2006. Welcome back!

Deep Creek Middle School

Vote for DCMS Students’ Youth Activism Projects

For several weeks, the DCMS grade 9 students have been studying youth activism. Our class brings students, teachers, and community members together to create a vision for a more positive world. In the first two weeks, we learned about young activists all over the world and throughout history, brainstormed social and environmental issues in The Bahamas that we want to solve, and went out into our community and interviewed leaders. Then, each of us chose an issue that matters to us. We all made surveys, gathering information for our research. After collecting data, we wrote letters to the editors of different Bahamian newspapers! Now, we’re writing up our project proposals on Facebook. Please read about them and then VOTE for the projects  you want to see happen!
By Kenya Polidor – grade 9