HOMEWelcome, Skyflyer! - After an unscheduled week roaming Cape Cod in the care of our UPS driver, Skyflyer, the stuffed peregrine falcon mascot of the Mount View Middle School in Maryland, has arrived for his CCLCS visit. Skyflyer flew in courtesy of Ryan, a 6th grader whose goal is to have Skyflyer visit schools in all 50 states. We are honored to serve as Massachusetts host to this well traveled avian who comes complete with a journal and photos of his travels thus far to Hawaii, Disney World, New York City, and Kentucky.
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Monday, January 31, 2005
I finally was able to land on Cape Cod! I arrived here one week ago in the middle of the biggest storm in Cape Cod in 100 years. Schools across Cape Cod were closed the whole week, but I was warm and safe in the back of the UPS truck.
I am visiting at the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School in Orleans, Massachusetts, one of the first charter public schools in Massachusetts. Opened in 1995, the school is a middle school for grades 6, 7, and 8 with 180 students. Because charter schools are not given money for buildings, each charter school has to locate available space in their area. This school is in a mall with a Chinese restaurant, a dentist, a hair salon and three doctors' offices. There is no cafeteria, no gymnasium, no playing fields, so there are four school vans and parents volunteer to help teachers with transporting classes. Recreation classes go to local fields for fall and spring classes and in the winter they use a local sports club or go bowling. The soccer, field hockey, softball and baseball teams practice on local town fields, basketball rents space at a gym for practices. Sounds like a very different and dynamic place.
This afternoon after school I joined the Pleasant Bay avian research group which meets Mondays after school and is documenting migration patterns on Pleasant Bay. The group is led by local birding expert and 7th grade Science teacher Peter Trull (who is also searching for the elusive fisher). Many birds were driven off course during the blizzard and as proof today we saw a rare Iceland gull in the waters off Chatham. Animal rescue centers on the Cape are caring for thick-billed and Common murres, sea birds which usually spend winters over the open ocean where they dive up to 250 feet deep to catch their food--fish and zooplankton. The storm stranded the murres inland and because they take flight with a running start over water, they can't get themselves back to the safety of their normal habitats. Good luck, my bird buddies!
February 1, 2005
Phew, busy day today! I travelled in the 7th grade today with Andrew.
1st period: Math. We are working on population graphs. Our region is Western Asia or the Middle East. Andrew explains addition and multiplication graphs, then we work together to predict the population in Iraq in 2040. I helped with the calculator.
2nd period: Science. We are watching a video on climate in our weather unit. I spent last week in the UPS truck because Cape Cod had the worst blizzard in 100 years and missed a whole week of school. The snow was so deep and it was so cold the animals had a hard time finding food and open water.
3rd period: Language Arts. Andrew and his group filled out a review sheet for a test on Friday on a book called "Watership Down". Sounds like a good book because it is about rabbits.
Lunch: is back in Andrew's homeroom. Charter schools have to find their own buildings, so they can be located in some unusual place. This school is located in a strip mall in Orleans, MA where there are also a dentist, a hair dresser, a doctor's office, and a Chinese restaurant. The school doesn't have a cafeteria, so every day a different lunch is delivered by a different restaurant. Today was pizza.
Social Studies: today begins study of Ancient Greece.
Enrichment class: we played "Watership Down" jeopardy.
After school: Andrew is in a club called The Brick Project an exciting new international program linking schools on four continents. The Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School is one "brick" and the others are schools are in Lithuania, India, and Zimbabwe. Student collaborate on projects and have discussions on line. Today we watched a video from the schools in India and Lithuania. Andrew showed me on a world map how far away those schools are. I wonder if I could go visit there some day...
5 p.m.: I went to a great local cafe for hot chocolate and coffee and, best of all, it's named for a bird!: The Hot Chocolate Sparrow.
7 p.m.: There was a meeting for the 8 students and 2 staff members who will be traveling this summer to visit CCLCS's sister school in Japan. This exchange has been going on the 10 years since CCLCS was founded. One summer CCLCS students visit Masuyama-machi, the next CCLCS hosts students from Japan. They showed me pictures from the last visit to Japan. I wish I could join them!
February 3
Today I visited the students in their seminars. For 1 1/2 hours each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon seminars are a way for students and teachers to explore in depth subjects which might not be covered under the traditional parameters of a middle school curriculum. Seminars change every term so students have three choices each year. Seminars are taught by teachers and parents but also provide a chance for students to learn from interested community members with a passion for a subject they wish to share with students. For instance, Mr. O'Hara, a retired community member, is teaching 12 students how to operate Amateur (Ham) Radios. I also visited groups reading and studying Lord of the Rings, advertising, writing children's books, discussing philosophy, studying films, exploring world music, making monsters, preparing to participate in a Mock Trial, learning percussion from the Cape Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist, and sewing. Everyone seemed to be really interested and engaged in all their different pursuits.
 Riding the school bus |
 Surveying the blizzard of '05 |
 Viewing Cape Cod from the van |
 About to go birdwatching |
 Always buckle up! |
 Skyflyer eyes a Common Merganser |
 ...and a rare Iceland Gull! |
 With Mr. Trull and the Gull |
 With the avian research group at Chatham Lighthouse |
 With the baristas at the Hot Chocolate Sparrow |