P.O. Box 29
27 School Street
Castine, Maine 04421
326-8608
www.adamsschool.com
Todd R. Nelson - Principal
Summer is a
Raft
Every so often, it’s good to let yourself drift,
to just
follow the current and see where it takes you; to leave an hour, a
morning, a
day unplanned; to enter open space and time and invite its effects. The
artist
Paul Klee spoke of drawing as “taking a line out for a walk.” We can
see his
art as exploration, inquiry, following a random thought, or
drifting—and look
what comes of it: something fresh and new. This is what summer is for.
It’s not always easy to do. I used to call time
and space
“boredom” when I was a kid, as in “Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing to
do.” Now
I long for the chance to say, “There’s nothing to do (i.e. nothing I have to do)…thank goodness.” Boredom has
gotten such a bad rap. Kids are so conditioned to think that they must
always
be doing something, going somewhere, entertained, active. But a little
boredom
can be a terrific vessel for a good drift, following a line of thoughts
and
just seeing what pictures appear.
It helps to have a raft in your summer—literally
or
figuratively. There were countless days when my boyhood gang, bored
with the
possibilities at home, gathered around Hurley's pond to throw planks
together
for epic raft voyages along its great grey-green greasy banks. Kids of
a
certain age have an instinctual urge to mess around on things that
float, with
mud, and with sticks. Combine the three and you have an empire of
imaginary
possibilities. We could be Ulysses, Captain Hook, or Viking
swashbucklers. Who
needs Playstation when you have a raft and a stick.
Later on, when I read about Huck Finn, I
learned that a raft is a
moment on the
From our vantage point here on the verge of
summer, I like to listen to
Huck’s own words. Dip your toes with me in the current and eddies of
his
syntax, as Huck throws us an idyllic line:
“You feel mighty free and easy and
comfortable on a
raft. . . Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say
they swum
by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely. Here is the way we
put in
the time. It was a monstrous big river down there—sometimes a mile and
a half
wide; we run nights, and laid up and hid day-times; soon as night was
most
gone, we stopped navigating and tied up—nearly always in the dead water
under a
towhead; and then cut young cotton-woods and willows and hid the raft
with
them. Then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the river and had a
swim, so
as to freshen up and cool off; then we set down on the sandy bottom
where the
water was about knee deep, and watched the daylight come. Not a sound,
anywheres—perfectly still—just like the whole world was asleep, only
sometimes
the bull-frogs a-cluttering, maybe.”
May
the bull-frogs a-clutter to you, as you tend your lines, swim, cool
off, listen
to the sound of “not a sound, anywheres.” May you find this free and
easy
feeling, and a respite from navigating, in July and August. Happy
rafting. See
you around the bend, downstream a ways.
Boat Trips
Postponed: The
K-5 boat trip to
Field Day is coming!
June 13! 8:30-11:00. Would you like to
participate and help organize? Give Karen Koos a call.
Drama
Workshop in Brooklin: The newly
founded Metamorphic Theatre will host Saturday
Morning Drama Play House this summer.
Amy Grant, MFA will teach a 6-8 year old drama class from
Cheerleading News: I am still looking for various uniform pieces. Also, I need to find out when we can get together for a few practices and a parent meeting before we go to camp. Please get in touch with me at aescougarcheer@yahoo.com or 326-4615 and let me know what your schedule looks like over the next few weeks? Thanks, Coach ~Jen
Brownie News: The Brownies cookout that was scheduled for this Saturday, June 10th has been cancelled. It is hoped to be rescheduled over the summer.
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Monday – Bag lunch needed for gr.
K-5. Money or a bag lunch needed for gr. 6-8.
Tuesday – (FIELD DAY!) Hot Dogs, Pasta Salad, Watermelon, Ice Cream Sundaes (sponsored by the PTC), Milk
Weds. – Hamburger Calzone, Pizza Sauce for Dipping, French Fries, Blueberry Cake, Milk
Thursday – Chicken Salad
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June
10
13
Field Day sponsored by PTC…
14
8th Grade Graduation
15
Last Student Day of School…backshore
picnic.
16 Teacher
Inservice Day
Note: final parent-teacher conferences will take
place after
school, from