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Tim, Kate, Sophie, Ali and Kate |
Fall 2003 Island School has begun! On Tuesday September 2, despite one lost passport and a couple of delayed planes, 42 students arrived safely at Cape Eleuthera to begin their 13 week adventure of Island School. Our first group outing was to High Rock where we were greeted by Director Chris Maxey and Head of School Ben Freeman. This was followed by a rich Bahamian dinner that caught us by surprise: fish heads, fresh pork, peas, rice and salad. Later that night we had a bonfire on the beach where wel indulged in a piece of homemade banana bread.
Wednesday we started our morning routine with a 6:30AM circle and a snorkel out to a nearby shipwreck. The rest of the morning was spent learning about campus and IS life. In the afternoon we broke into advisor groups and had our own respective adventures which included floating the cut (a snorkel with the current down a canal), exploring the old resort, or hanging out on the beach.
We woke up Thursday morning and were greeted with a timed swim and 2.3 mile run, a.k.a. Personal Physical Assessment (we’ll let you know how we improve later on in the semester!). Later Maxey put things in perspective and made us start understanding the home we will be living in for the next three months. That afternoon, half of us received intensive medical training while the other half was participating in our first classroom seminar, discussing the book we were assigned to read over the summer. That evening we had a dorm meeting and celebrated Maggie’s Birthday with a large cake.
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Facials with the ooid sand |
Friday morning we had an excursion to a sandbar where we learned about a special type of sand called ooid. We took the ooid sand and gave ourselves facials with the egg-shaped grains. We had the chance to snorkel off the sandbar which ended up being the first of three snorkels that day. We also snorkeled during a Geology of the Bahamas class we had in the afternoon, and spent part of that evening floating the cut on a night snorkel.
Saturday morning we had a much deserved sleep-in. It felt good to have the morning off and most everyone agreed that Island School life was starting to feel familiar. Our group was divided into SCUBA and KAYAK groups. While the kayakers prepared for their first 4 day adventure, the SCUBA group did lots of training and also completed their first confined water dive!
Sunday, we were back to early morning circle with a rigorous fitness workout led by Rob Neely, science intern and IS alum of the pioneer class, Spring 1999. The 2 kayak groups departed by 9am while those of us on campus dug in for more SCUBA training.
Monday morning we had our first game of water polo followed by another dive at the marina. Both kayak trips checked in via cell phone in the morning and reported having fun despite the rain! The first truck load of laundry made its way to Deep Creek and was returned to us fresh by late afternoon.
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Chris at the sandbar |
This morning it was a return to High Rock – this time using our own two feet. The run was a total of four miles and although hot, everyone did really well and is starting to feel in better shape than when we arrived. Some of the faculty spent time in the morning on a project building a new pen for the pig and her 5 piglets.
So far, Island School feels great!
This web update was authored by Philip, Kylie and Dana. Below are messages from them to their friends and family at home.
Phil- Hey Mom, Dad and Carrie! I’m having a great time and I miss you all so much. 12 weeks left!
Dana- Hey to Mom! I love and miss you! Dad, you too. My G-town crew – I am having a blast and miss you guys. Melanie – You’re the best! To all of my LA friends, I’ll see you in January… Evan, I love you. Write me!
Kylie- Hey Mom, Dad, Hunter and Shelby. I miss you guys and I love you! To my girls and guys, It is not the same without you, and I’m thinking about you everyday. Please send letters, I lofe you.
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All smiles at the lunch table |
Students during "Where are We?" class |