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


Cougars in action this  week

ADAMS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

 
 

Second Grade Island

            Here on the jungle floor, under the canopy of towering Rotini trees, where the dappled light of the midday sun trickles down to the small birds and animals that thrive on this unique tropical atoll, live the people of Second Grade Island. They are apparently its first inhabitants, for there is no sign that anyone has ever lived here before—except for a sunken ship deep in the lagoon.

            “Pirates,” says one of the tribal elders. “Bones there too, and squid and octopus. We dived down to explore the wreck and look for treasure. We found a map in a drawer in the captain’s cabin. Even though we dried it out for a day, we still can’t read it. The paper has black spots on it.”

            How does one find this island, you ask? Row in a boat? What chart will we need to locate it? What provisions and tools? Let us go and make our visit.

            “We came in a raft,” said another elder of this friendly little tribe of islanders. “It was 57,000 miles from the mainland, and it took a year to get here.”

            “Or four hours by motorboat,” added another.

            “We’ve been here for five years,” they said, “and found it deserted…except for the animals.”

            “Yeah! There are lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, sea turtles (lots), and seals.”

            Big animals! Ferocious animals! Carnivores! We asked if there were smaller critters, who might prefer vegetables for their dinner.

            “There’s a baby jaguar, monkeys, snakes, fish, lizards, koalas,” they said. “None were tamed, but they became our friends.”

            Descriptions of the size of this fantastic island vary from fifty inches to one mile to fifty-eight miles. How did Charles Darwin miss this as he sailed the seas on the Beagle, and would his Origin of the Species read differently if he had had to account for the splendor and variety of SGI wild life? In the name of science, we shifted to an anthropological line of questions.

            “We speak a special language,” the islanders told us, “and it has never been recorded or written down.” Every language has a form of “hello,” and theirs is tokrgkjy. Good-bye? They say, jgykylpwxzy. The pronunciation is difficult to describe, the alphabet cannot do it justice. But it has some of the twitter of tropical songbirds punctuated by glottal clucks and pops. When the islanders speak among themselves, you would think a quartet of thrushes at evensong were arguing over nesting rights. They do have a favorite word: animals, or twagalaga.

            The diet of the islanders is rich and varied, no surprise given the lush forests they live in, not far from the sand dunes and protected coves of the shoreline.  “We’re fond of bananas, peaches, coconuts, crab cakes, squid, angle worms, and chocolate grasshoppers,” they told us. They also spoke of roasting twigs and bugs to eat. “They taste like asparagus, once you get used to them.”

            The sun was setting and we could hear the waves receding down the sand. “Does it get cold here at night” we asked the islanders?

            “Yes. We make blankets out of weeds,” they said.  “We have a tiny sewing kit from Maine. We can also sew leaves into tents and blankets. We make our own clothes.”     

            “That’s why I look like this,” said one of the elders, lifting her leg. “I made sneakers.” They wear their trousers rolled.

            They continued to offer information about their handwork. “We make a lot of rafts to fit all of us. We want to bring all the animals back with us in a boat. A humungous boat,” they said.

            Aside from making the necessities of island life, the SG islanders seem to enjoy an existence without tension or demand. They need earn no money. (“We do make lemonade.”) They have no media intrusion. Sans Internet, mail, telephones, and television, they must rely on their own imaginations for play and pleasure.

            “Do you communicate with the outside world,” we asked?

            “No need. We just communicate with the leopards,” one replied. And they ride the animals, “tell scary stories,” and play beach volleyball, thanks to a ball found, “without a hole,” on their arrival. “We made our own net,” they said.

            Is there an official flag? “No. We never want to make one,” they said. “We don’t want to be found.”

            Are there any dangers on Second Grade Island? “The volcano,” they cried. “Hot lava!”

            “No,” said another. “It just blows up air and smoke.”

            Fortunately, the islanders all know how to swim, underwater even (“for an hour!), and wear flower bracelets that they make themselves.

            Life is good on Second Grade Island, and we wish them many more years of idyllic island living. But just what exactly did they mean by “bring all the animals back?” It suggests these islanders are from away.

—Todd

 

All-School and Class Photo Day: On Monday, September 29, we will take our all-school photo and then class photos in various locations around Castine…within walking distance of the school. This has become a fun tradition. Rosemary, Lisa, and Chompé return as the award-winning photo team. The date for individual photos will follow in October.

 

Alumni Notes:  Storme Macomber and David Bertrand (Adams, 2007) and Evan Motycka (2008) are teammates on the 7-member GSA Varsity Golf Team. They played against Sumner on 9/11/08 and won the match.  The top 4 scores of each team are counted.  Storme, Evan and David’s scores made up 3 of the 4 GSA scores for this match.  Storme medaled the match with 1st position. 

 

Bus Notes: A reminder that we need to have bus plans in writing from parents in order for kids to be dropped off in locations other than home (Home is always the “default” destination for bus riders). In addition, if an adult other than the parent is meeting the bus, please let us know about the plan. Also, please know that Charlie will not drop children at a house where he does not see an adult waiting for them. If he sees no one home, he usually continues the route and then circles back to try again.

                                                                                                                

Readers Theater “Animal Stories:” Don’t miss the first readers theater performance of the year….September 30 at 4:30 on the Nature Center porch. Performances during the school day for students.

 

Fire Drill with Castine Fire Department—October 15. This is our annual drill testing the CFD response time and search tactics. Good training for them and for us! It will be “toned” out through Hancock County Emergency as a drill.

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ADAMS SCHOOL MENU    Sept.  22nd – 26th 

Monday – Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake, Green Beans, Italian Bread, Pears, Milk

Tuesday – Spanish Rice with Beef, Peas, Cornbread, Pumpkin Bars, Milk

Weds. – Pancakes, Bacon, Yogurt, Juice, Fruit, Milk

Thursday – Fish Sticks, Mashed Potato, Yeast Rolls, Cole Slaw, Pudding, Milk

Friday – Hot Dogs in buns, Smiley Fries, Cucumber Sticks, Cookie, Milk

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Calendar Update:

September

17        Second Fire Drill.

18   Teacher inservice day: parent-teacher conferences

19   Grades 1-8 field trip to Common Ground Fair.

20   Soccer Round-Robin 2:00 to 8:00pm.  (9/21 = Rain date) at MMA football field.

27-28   Calvineers to Roots and Shoots conference in New Bedford.

29        All-School and Class photo day.

 

October

1   Sports physicals for boys

2   Sports physicals for girls.

9   Open house and Nature Center dedication, 6:00pm.

10   Teacher inservice day (Union 93)

13   Columbus Day: No School

15        Fire Drill with Castine Fire Department

20-24   Scholastic Book Fair in Ms. P's room.

31   Halloween Parade, 1:00pm.

 

A community opportunity….

September 15, 2008

Fund Appeal to send Juna to Otter House for School Year 2008-2009                                                                                    

Juna is 3 and a half years old. She was born in the US and has lived here in Castine with her family for the last two years.  Juna speaks her parents’ native language, Russian,  perfectly and is a very smart and very sweet little girl.

 

Juna will be attending Adams School in 2010.  Right now, Juna has only a few words of English.  We want to give her opportunity to learn English and experience the social development of a school environment.  We are currently attempting to raise $3,380 for Juna’s first 6 months of tuition at the Otter House and are asking the folks and organizations of Castine for their help.

 

Juna’s mother works in Castine, at MMA.  Her father cannot work in the United States because of immigration problems not dependent on the family.  Juna’s mother supports her family on her salary from the college and also supports two other family members, one of whom is disabled.  Juna’s mother cannot afford to send Juna to Otter House and the “coupon program” is out of funds for another year.

 

Eighteen months ago, my son, Phil Donaghy, brought his family to Castine from France to give his son the opportunity to attend Montessori School and perfect his English.  The trip was planned for a month. As many of you know, Phil was diagnosed with Leukemia the week they arrived and died eight months later here in Castine.  I am making this appeal in Phil’s name in the spirit of supporting bilingual children. Phil’s children were supported by the community in so many ways during their stay here.  Liam and Mila Donaghy returned to France a few weeks ago and are starting school this week where they will be perfecting their French.

 

So, this project is for Phil: Something he would fully support.

 

If you can help, please make a check out to Jennifer Donaghy with “Juna Fund” in the memo line.  I have opened an account at Union Trust Company, a Division of Camden National, exclusively for this project.  Please mail your donations directly to Union Trust Bank at Box 277, Castine, or deposit at the branch.

 

Thank you so much in advance for your generosity.  Contact info: 207-326-8959

 

Jennifer Donaghy

 

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Castine Recreation League Pee Wee soccer starts on Thursday, September 25th.  Lisa Burton and Cheryl Ashmore will be coaching.  Children in classes K-4 are welcome to participate.  Please speak to Sue Macomber at the town hall as you must preregister your child(ren) to participate.  If you have any questions or an interest to assist with the program in any way please contact Lisa Burton 326-4246, or  lisa@mainelysolutions.us

Pee Wee Soccer Information:  Thursdays – Ft. George,  2:20 - 4:00  p.m.

Dates:        Sept 25, Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30