The Adams School
P.O. Box 29
27 School Street
Castine, Maine 04421
326-8608
www.adamsschool.com

ADAMS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
JUNE 13, 2008

The “Magnificent Seven” on Digging to China

As we look out the upstairs classroom window onto the playground we have shared for the last nine years, there's a lot to see and remember and feel. It's surprising how much happens in an Adams School year, much less nine years.

We can see this year's whale watching in Canada, the peninsula soccer tournament, Calvineers presenting at the Right Whale Consortium in New Bedford, Christmas, Happy New Years, Basketball Tournaments, February vacations, VAMP car races, our Trip to St. Castin, France, April Vacations, the Cell Play, successful School Plays, the Sparks Island trip, and finally Graduation!

Entering Adams School, our class had no idea what the years ahead would hold— what we would learn through each other, where we would travel, what friendships we would make, what cherished memories we would create. The first career day of school in 1999 was the last year of the century and the start of a long journey. We were painfully shy and just plain shy; outgoing, quiet, small, petrified, miniscule, uncoordinated, and worried about being embarrassed.

We live in the town at the end of the peninsula, in the little village that's not on the way anywhere. Is it at the end of the road, or the beginning? We have endured long hours of traveling, laughing, learning, and playing. We have come to know one another as a kind of family in our home away from home—Adams School.

We look at the myriad pictures of our elementary school lives, and then at the mirror. Was that little fat 2-year-old baby really me? We've come a long way from being those little kids waiting for their first day of school to become teenagers waiting for another momentous first day of school: high school. It seems as if our 8th grade year has gone by really fast—too fast. Our good times will now comprise good memories.

Over the years, we were the kids who saw the merry-go-round leave and the nature cabin arrive on the playground; who saw the old climbing structure replaced with the new green one; who loved Star wars, Willy Wonka, Back Street Boys, Britney Spears, Jurassic Park, Dear America Diaries, airplanes on the swings, playing war, space invaders, footsie pajamas, sailing, Picachu, Pokémon, the Brave Little Toaster, and Spice Girls. For half a year, we tried to dig to China through the sandbox.

We remember when Courtney and Tess capsized a turnabout and Ben and Evan "capsized" the dune-buggy, when we made "chocolate" in the sandbox, ate fried grasshoppers and cow tongue in Spanish class, went to Holbrook Island, and all of our road trips. We remember when Courtney broke her arm mountain climbing on the slide. We remember Cinco de Mayo in grade two when Tess found the nut in the cake and was Queen for the Day. We remember knitting classes, Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn; apple picking and Mr. Lameyer's beehive; making wool and science overnight; sledding on the golf course and climbing Blue Hill. We remember Ray Charles-singing on the way to the Root Cellar benefit dinner. Wendy Lou, Otter House, miso soup, goat cheese, sushi, American Sign Language, Don Quixote. We played soccer out back, football on the common, and "evil rabbit armies."

Who are we now? We like Indiana Jones, the band Keane, singing opera, Avatar, sailing, reading, swimming, running, The Beatles, road trips, fishing, tennis, video games, CNN Quick Vote, Glenn Beck, Steve Carrell, Barack Obama, Macbeth, Pride and Prejudice, planning dances, Survivor, Top Chef, science and French trip planning; getting real summer jobs...and guest column writing. We ride dirt bikes and make air canons and sing on car rides.

Who are we now? We are older, more responsible, more aware of other peoples' feelings, we've matured. We're loyal to one another, and we're good at debating with one another--and the two can live together side by side. We've learned to speak our minds, from letters we wrote to President Bush, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snowe about saving the Right Whale, to conversations with our friends, teachers, and families.

Our philosophical journeys won't end here, though here is where they started. We know more about ourselves having found more pieces of our individual puzzles. The future mosaic is coming together: the past pieces are clearly in place; the future pieces gaining in shape, texture, and color.

—Truman Forbes, Ben Olivari, Meredith Olivari, Tess Lameyer, Courtney Koos, Kendall Smith, Evan Motycka.

Thank you for attending our spring concert and art show last night! All of the art will be ready to send home next week.

Congratulations to Jasper, Ben, and Gabriel: These three Adams students played baseball with the Castine-Penobscot-Brooksville joint team and were honored with certificates and baseball pins for their season.

Thank you Lance and Lisa Burton: This year’s yearbook was handed out yesterday and the students spent time before concert rehearsal getting signatures. We have such a nice yearbook thanks to Lance and Lisa’s hard work getting advertisers and doing the layout. The cost of the yearbook is borne completely by those advertisers…so let’s keep it up! It’s a nice advertisement of Adams School, as well as a wonderful keepsake. It’s not too early to take out an ad for next year.

Earth Day—Adams Style: On Friday morning, we planted two apple trees, seeded flower pots, shingled the nature cabin, stained our new picnic tables, planted vegetables, went on a nature walk, did leaf rubbings and had a cookout—nice way of celebrating our own little corner of natural things. Thanks to the seventh graders for organizing this.

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ADAMS SCHOOL MENU June 16^th – 20^th

Monday – Chicken Noodle Soup, Biscuits, Crackers, Orange Slices, Milk

Tuesday – Chicken Burgers, Smiley Fries, Baby Carrots, Whoopie Pies, Milk

Weds. – BLT’s*, Chips, Juice, Dried Fruit & Nut Mix, Brownie, Milk (*see below)

Thursday – Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce, Italian Bread, Corn, Fruit, Milk

Friday – Last Day – Picnic – Bag Lunches: Ham & Cheese on Bun, Chips, Baby Carrots, Juice,

Cookie, Milk

*As of June 12^th - The tomatoes that will be used on the BLT’s are on the list of “safe tomatoes” issued by Child Nutrition. If this changes before June 18^th, we will only have bacon and lettuce sandwiches.

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Calendar Up-Date

June

16 8th Grade graduation...Noon...at the Unitarian Church.

17 Field Day/ P-T Conferences, 2:15-4:45…call for appointment.

18 Holbrook Island Trip (K-4) Rain date: 19th. P-T conferences.

18 French trip students speak to Castine Men's Club.

19 Clean-up Day. P-T conferences…2:15-4:45.

20 Last Student Day: backshore picnic.

23 Teacher Inservice day

24 Teacher Inservice Day

Summer vacation....See you September 2 for opening day of school year 2008-2009.

Lost and Found: On the last day of school next week, we’ll bag up all remaining lost and found items and ship them to Goodwill. There’s loads of winter clothing still languishing at school….

Free Sailing Week: June 23-27 at the Castine Yacht Club. Must be 8 years old or completed the 2^nd grade. No age limit for Adults. Please register by June 20^th at the Castine Town Office. Contact the Town Office at 326-4502 or Debi McLaughlin, Castine Recreation Committee, at 326-8787 for more information.

Sailing Scholarship Program: Sponsored by the Castine Yacht Club & Recreation Committee. Must be 8 years of age or completed the 2^nd grade. Please submit application with a letter of interest (sailing interest, what you wish to gain from the experience & list your sailing experience). Deadline is June 20^th. Applications are available at the Town Office. Scholarships are not financial need-based.