The girls waiting in anticipation for thearrival of parents

On Thursday morning, we woke up to a morning of our respected run or swim tracks. Even with the long workout, everyone was motivated knowing that parents were coming in the afternoon. After a morning of classes and lunch, we had our practice research presentations. People were a bit nervous, but everyone felt more confident about public speaking after practicing in front of an audience and then receiving feedback. Then, after the research afternoon, everyone did a last minute personal clean up and got changed for parents to arrive. Girls Dorm congregated on South’s balcony keeping a watch out for the arriving cars.  Parents arrived and there was a mad dash for the parking lot. Then, people flowed into Boy’s Dorm for the Art Gallery and snacks. After a successful art gallery, we had a huge dinner circle welcoming parents and siblings and then we sat down for an advisee dinner of COBIA!!! Once dinner was done, families strolled around campus and said goodbye. There was a large addition of siblings to both girls and boys dorm which caused some commotion, but everyone enjoyed the short term addition.

A dinner circle reunion: parents with their child

On Friday morning, we rose to a choice of water polo or yoga. Both exercises were refreshing and gave us a wonderful start to the Parents Weekend Research Presentations. Even with a few mishaps and comic humor with note cards falling underneath the deck and then a hydrophone and ceiling fan incident, everyone felt relieved after finishing it. The Kitchen ladies prepared us a fabulous lunch followed by a campus tour of the sustainable systems and the institute.  After Advisee conferences, families explored the Cape and then parents returned to Cotton Bay, while students put their final touches to the Junkanoo costumes. A late dinner circle was followed by food and JUNKANOO!!!

High Rock

The excitement built with the band hitting the drums and then we started off on our dance. The “Jungle” was rocking with everyone in their plant or animal costumes. Parents and sibling joined our Junkanoo dance on the Dinning Hall patio which everyone had a blast at. As check in time approached, the band had to discontinue the music, followed by a quick dip in Girl Dorm cut. Then students, gave sweaty/wet hugs to their family and said goodnight.

Saturday was a day jam packed with activities. We started out with a run to High Rock and then a jump once we arrived. After we arrived back and had a great breakfast the morning was filled with parent-teacher meetings and then after lunch activities followed. Some parents and students snorkeled or dove while others explored the island. Once we reconvened back at 6:00 for dinner circle and after a steak dinner we had a coffeehouse and slide show of the weekend. Sunday was a free day to spend with our families. Many of us ventured to different parts of the island from Lighthouse Beach to Harbour Island. Lighthouse Beach was beautiful as always and many of us showed our families our solo spots. It was weird to be back to the place on the beach where we had spent two whole days alone. Those who went up to Harbour Island got to ride horses on the beach and cruise around in golf carts. We all enjoyed showing our families around Eleuthera and teaching them all that we have learned about this awesome place that we live in. Most of us filled up on conch and bbq chicken for dinner before returning to school for check in and to say goodbye to our families.

Monday we fell back into our Island School life without our parents. Luckily, after all that fried conch and chocolate ice cream, we got off easy with a govia for morning exercise. We got right back into academics with a talk from Rose Gibson, owner of Nort’ Side Cottages, where some of our parents stayed for the weekend. We learned about her views on tourism and development in south Eleuthera. The heat and bugs are starting to get to us, and it was a rough Monday night, especially for the boys who lost power in the middle of the night and didn’t’ have fans to keep the bugs away and keep them cool. They boys also lost sleep from their continuous North vs. South war where the north boys attacked the south boys with sharpies and they woke up for morning exercise with many interesting drawings on their backs and chests!

Watch out for that lion!

Tuesday started off with swim and run tracks. The swimmers had to swim 15 laps in the cut fully clothed, most of us in sweatpants and long sleeved shirts. Katie even dared to wear a fleece! The runner got a break with a short four mile run around the loop. We can’t believe our half marathon and super swim are this Sunday! During science today we took a field trip to BEC (Bahamas Electricity Corporation) to learn about energy and how it is provided on Eleuthera. For humanities, Kenny Thompson, who works at the Cape Eleuthera Marina, came to share her views on tourism and the proposed development at the Marina. During free time, everyone tried their best to escape the heat, some biking off to the marina store for some ice cream and a coke, and others taking our new floatie toys out for a swim in the girls dorm cut.

In spite of the heat and the killer bugs, we are still having an awesome time, and appreciating the two weeks we have left here.  We can’t believe finals are less than a week away, and our final research presentations are so soon!! AAAHHH!! We are all trying to not think about leaving, because we will all miss the Island School and everyone here. YEAH ISLAND SCHOOL,  YEAH SPRING ’05!!!!!!!!!!