exploring the depths while getting certified!

This past week seems to have flown by! Through our exciting kayak trips and our fast paced SCUBA certification, time seems to have disappeared. K1 and K2 who had just finished their exhilarating kayak trips along the leeward side of Eleuthera began the SCUBA program. K3 and K4, who are now officially certified for SCUBA diving, headed off on their kayak trips. Community outreach also started this week, along with work projects.

With the help of our fantastic SCUBA instructors, we got certified in just four days. We got all the required classes in, along with daily trips to the marina for confined water dives. Once we got through all of those, we began our open water dives. Our first one was in about 35 feet of water, and we began to go over some critical skills. Once we got our background open water skills down, we started some really cool dives. We went to Tunnel Rock, an enormous coral formation with a large tunnel through it. We saw lots of different species of fish, including blue chromis, barracuda, various angel fish, parrotfish, jacks, damselfish, rays, and a remora!

"taking out" at campus after a successful trip

Last Wednesday (September 14th) K1 and K2 returned from their 3-day kayak trips. They had a great time getting to know each other and the island more. The bugs were good for the most part, but keep that bug spray coming because some nights were rough! On Thursday K3 and K4 starting getting ready for their 3-day trip after finishing their last open dive for their SCUBA certification. Thursday was also Maggie’s birthday! We celebrated that evening with cake and a classic singing of Happy Birthday. Happy 17th Maggie!

On Sunday afternoon, groups K1 and K2 waited eagerly to see K3 and K4. While K4 got back to campus early afternoon, K4 was nowhere to be seen. We found out that the strong winds and threatening thunderheads were proving to be a big threat to paddling conditions. So, the three groups had dinner and waited for K4 to come home. After dinner, even though it was Sunday night, we treated it as if it were a Saturday night: many people were hanging out, sitting on the beach talking, or in the dining hall. At precisely 8:30pm, K4 rolled into campus, and for the next fifteen minutes, all of us waiting greeted the group with screams, hugs and smiles.  

Once K4 got settled in, we found out our activity for the night: Leah had planned an ice cream social, suitably  called “Sundae Sunday”. That night we got a huge gutter-like trough that was about 20 to 30 feet long. Once the gutter was covered with tin foil, we filled it with $100 worth of vanilla ice cream, gummy bears, syrups, nuts and whipped cream that Chris has gotten for us. Giving ice cream in large quantities to a slew of hungry, sugar-deprived teenagers was pretty interesting. We all went crazy and ate until we felt sick. Leah, Maggie, Olivia, Nate, Hank and Danny went especially crazy throwing a ice cream fight for each other. They were sticky and gross all night.

For the next 2 days, we braved a tropical depression… Rita. Rita was pretty intense down here. The winds were above 40 and 50 mph and it rained for about 2 days straight. It was nice to have rain to fill our cisterns though. We all knew we could take showers without worrying about water level. Our day off on Monday was nice and relaxed with cake for Jesse’s 17'th birthday. Happy Birthday, Jesse!

expanding communities

Wednesday here at the Island School was as busy with new activities as ever! The day began with half the students scuba diving and half doing work projects. The four choices we all had to decide between for work projects were building a shed for our kayaks, making a railing for the boardwalk from the campus to the research center, making reef balls to prevent erosion of our beaches, and lastly, working on the farm planting trees and plants and landscaping the campus. It was a tough decision for everyone because all of the work projects sounded so fun! Following these rotations and lunchtime was a three-hour time slot for community outreach. Each student from the Island School met their assigned student from either the Deep Creek primary school or the Deep Creek middle school. We spent the afternoon reading, playing and enjoying the lovely sunshine here in Eleuthera with our new friends. It was great to meet the local students in Deep Creek, and get to know them better. Everyone had a blast.

SHOUT OUTS:

Kat: Greetings and hello to everyone back home! I miss you all so very much, but I am also very happy and lucky to be here in Eleuthera. I’ll certainly miss the fall, riding Mac, TCS and my family, but living in a warm climate for three months is definitely wonderful. Sara, I appreciate that you took the time to write me a letter. It was fun reading about your own updates from home. I truly felt as though I was there with you. Katie, Pepa and Alex, I hope that I will also be able to hear from you too! It’s weird not talking to you three, as I am so used to it at home. Alexander, I haven’t spoken to you for a long time now, so if you can find time in between your busy college schedule to write me a letter, please, please do! I love you all so very much! Lots of love especially to Rocky, Vinny, Catch, Mac, Ponie, Mike and even Miina. I am so grateful to be here and enjoying this experience, but I still can’t wait to see you all again in December! Xox to Mom, Dad and Alexander.

Maggie: AHH I miss all you guys so much! Mom- thanks for all the letters and stuff. Dad- hope I get to talk to you soon. Kate- DEHH. Wearing my clothes and using my stuff? I love you family. J I can’t wait to see you all on parent’s weekend. Mel and Lindsay- I miss you two soo much. Hope you’ve gotten my letters. Nora- Hope you’re doing well. Hope you are enjoying my letters. Brett- try to be around next time I call! Henry- Miss you a lot! Don’t be going too crazy with the frats. <3 To everyone else (Karina, Teresa, Emily, Alex, Oli, Mrs B, Casey, Alex R, .. I miss you all. I’m having a great time here! Love you all! Write me!

Seamans: Hey Dad, Mom, Brad and Todd! How’s it goin back in Wilton? Brad- how’s High School, and soccer? Todd- How’s 8th grade, holdin' up hopefully? Thanks for getting my car fixed, mom and dad, Teddy- if u get this don’t forget to pay my parents, I will hunt u down…I’m having the time of my life down here! It is unbelievable! Well, keep on truckin', love u.