Wednesday morning after an always appreciated sleep in, the “peppermint gobies” went on their first certified dive at Tunnel Rock. We all enjoyed the freedom of roaming around Tunnel Rock for 25 minutes without performing skills for our instructors Edd and Mark. We also visited the students of Deep Creek Primary and Middle Schools for the last time before our academic/kayak rotations started this week.

Thursday our much anticipated kayak groups were posted and the whole campus was very excited to find out who they would be spending the next three weeks with.

Friday morning started off with the longest morning exercise so far this semester. Runners ran seven miles over the stretch of the loop with a few extensions, while swimmers swam one and a half miles. The day resumed with normal academic rotations, as we went out in the field to Fourth Hole for science to study sea grass.

Christina also returned home on Friday! Wooweee! And Kevin came for a weekend visit.

Girls at the Saturday Night Cookout: Mackey, Cookie, Stet, Olivia, Brubaker, Lexie, Molly, and Bridget

Saturday was a relaxing morning, waking up with no exercise. Instead, we boarded buses for a long ride to take the PSATs at Windermere High School. After lon g hours of testing we were rewarded with ice cream and snacks (Liz, Lara and Charlie proudly ate half a gallon of ice-cream in under ten minutes). We returned to campus for the afternoon to work on our research projects. We had an early dinner circle and went to Sunset Beach for a cookout and long romantic walks on the beach. We ate some sticky s’mores before returning to campus for a night swim and Night at the Roxbury. The evening ended with a goodnight snack of cookies and we all went to bed happy and full of sugar.

Kelsey, Robb, Mark, and Nick hanging out at the cookout

Sunday was straight-up chillin’. K1 and K2 prepared for their kayak and down island trips, while K3 and K4 (holla) went off on adventures to the beach, snorkeling, and rock running. We gathered for our last dinner circle together and got excited to go off on our adventures.

Monday the Harvey Gamage arrived! Students from Proctor Academy in New Hampshire arrived on a tall ship schooner while on their Ocean Classroom Semester. They visited our campus and took us on a tour of their ship, which helped us appreciate both our campus space and showers.

First picture EVER of The Island School and the Harvey Gamage

Tuesday morning we awoke with competitive spirit, as we faced the Harvey Gamage sailors in a fierce water polo match. It goes without saying that the Island Schoolers, true Varsity Water Polo players, were VICTORIOUS. We returned to campus with hearty pancakes and glory. After breakfast we worked on our research projects, and many Harvey Gamage students helped us in the field. Amos came home!

Wednesday we ran out to the well field and got a lesson on the farm and the irrigation system from Joseph.  Then we had classes until lunch, after which we had a rockin' field day with the Deep Creek Middle and Primary School kids.  We ran around, Liz wore vegetation, Amos kicked over kids’ water jugs, and everyone learned about animals and predation.  OH YA 

Liz S. and Deep Creek kids play the CAMOUFLAGE GAME!

Peace out kids

Love,

TEAM Brendan

Shoutouts

Lexie: To the fam- I miss you guys a lot, I bet things are quiet at home! Can’t wait to see you at parent’s weekend. Everyone in G Rap, I hope things are going well so far this year, I missss you all so much! But The Island School is amazing and I love just about everything about it, except the cockroaches and jellyfish. CULT 91- I love you girls and I can’t wait to see you all, annnddd childbearing cat-very very very soon, I will explain when I call. BC- Happy birthday on the 26th! Jean- Happy birthday on the 17th, sorry a little late. Jennife Marie- I’m learning to love granola and trees haha. Boannn I miss you so much, we are eating TCBY first thing when I get home. Send me pictures! And other surprises that don’t include food! Kaley and Spencebomb, I hope classes are going well at Wastern, I can’t wait to come visit when I get home, I love and miss you guys. Okay so everyone else, I love and miss you too, see youuuu in Decemeber!

Matt T.: Miss everybody at home. Things are pretty kewl here. Hope you guys are having fun. See you in December. Woo.

Liz S (~Naushon~): Mom and Dad  I’m off to kayak and down island in a few days and then you come down for parent’s weekend! I can’t wait for you to see this place, and you may want to get used to the visits because good chance I won’t be leaving… Oh and I’m in a picture for the first time on web update! So, yes I do go to the Island School, now you have evidence. Kate: Got your letter the other day and sounds like you are loving school! (I’ll reply eventually) Good luck with those 4am wake-ups...and I will see you and yo buff self in December for a little St. John perhaps?... Jraps: I miss you like crazy and I miss your satchel even more. Send my love to Jer, Lo, and Lizzy, Juneya (and Sammy of course) and keep writing! Rory Barrett…I miss you bear and am just awaiting Grey’s marathons and a whole lot of Gizzybear time send my love to baby boo and the FP3k (note how babyboo came before the fp3k) All the Noblers, miss you guys a lot and can’t wait to see you when I get home! Woo.

Nick: Mom, Dad, Caroline: I’m living the dream here.  I can’t wait to show you guys this place in a few weeks, and I cant wait to see you all.  Thank you for everything you’ve done for me to get me here, and know that I miss you guys.  To all my friends: at SYC, Mdbk, Belmont Hill, YG, and anyone else, I look forward to seeing you again.  Sara, thanks for all the letters and I'll see you soon.  Suzanne and Scott thanks for writing too.  To all my family and friends, I’m having the time of my life and I can't wait to see you all.

At the Saturday cookout: Delaney, Olivia, Christina, Kelsey, and…Miller?