FLOW 2016, Week #1, BMS Seguin House

Sunrise Across the Sheepscot River
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Seguin House Students from Bath Middle School spent four days out on the water last week during a stretch of glorious, fall weather. The forty students were divided into five groups, and they wasted no time getting geared up and shoving off to Berry Island, Castle Island, Oak Island, and the tip of Chewonki Neck. The group I was with was last to go through "paddle school," so we used the bit of extra time to go for a swim down at the waterfront.

Full Speed Ahead
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

The first bit of paddling we did took us around Chewonki Neck to a campsite named "Ideal." As fog rolled in across the opposite shore, we learned how to set up our tents and build a fire. The cook crew put together an amazing batch of mac-and-cheese which we ate sitting around the fire.

Sunset Across the Sheepscot River
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Our Boats High and Dry at Low Tide
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Sunrise from "Ideal"
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Sunrise on Berry Island
Photo © Monica Wright

The academic curriculum for this week was a combination of outdoor living skills taught by the Chewonki staff, and an exploration of Wabanaki mythology taught by BMS teachers. Our Chewonki instructor, Johnson, did an amazing job of teaching us about map and compass skills on day #2. The students learned to orient a map, adjust for magnetic declination, and shoot and follow a bearing. After marching into the woods, we took turns following a bearing that took us right back to our campsite.

Drawing the Parts of a Compass
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

One of the Wabanaki creation myths we read about was that of Wuchowsen, a giant eagle whose flight caused crippling winds and storms all over Earth. The gist of the story is that the flapping of the giant bird's wings caused widespread destruction all around the world, so Glooskap, the giant who created the entire world, tied one of Wuchowsen's wings behind his back and left him at the North Pole. With just one wing, Wuchoswsen's destructive power was limited both in strength and range. As we toured the Chewonki campus on day #4, we visited the aviary where a number of injured birds of prey are cared for. There, we found this thirty-one year old bald eagle with just one functioning wing. Paying homage to the Wabanaki legend, this bird is also named Wuchowsen. 

Wuchowsen
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Journaling on the Shore of Berry Island
Photo © Monica Wright

Launching at Low Tide
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

After days of practice, traveling by canoe became easier and easier. As we explored the local islands and coastlines, the kids could be seen joking and laughing as we glided along. On day #3 we had the opportunity to learn "T Rescues." We intentionally swamped boats one at a time, and rescued them using a technique that empties and rights the canoe. The process takes concerted effort and teamwork. It was great to see the look of pride on the kids' faces as they learned to help each other out of this tricky situation.

T-Rescue
Photo © Monica Wright

Rugged Coastline
Photo © Monica Wright

"J" Stroke
Photo © Monica Wright

Warming Up Around the Fire
Photo © Monica Wright

Down Time
Photo © Monica Wright

Grabbing a Can
Photo © Monica Wright

Lunch Along Upper Hell's Gate
Photo © Monica Wright

I was astonished to hear that Monica Wright's group actually made it back to Bath one day! This tireless crew paddled up  the Sasanoa river and against the current to reach this view of their city.

Hard Earned View of Home
Photo © Monica Wright

Celebratory Dunk
Photo © Monica Wright

The students from Acadia House at BMS head to Chewonki tomorrow morning, and they are excited to get there. Look for an updated blog entry next week.

Joyful Paddling
Photo © Lawrence Kovacs

Getting Ready to Go!

In just two weeks, students from Seguin House at BMS will be loading up their canoes with supplies for four days on the water. A week later the students from Acadia House at BMS will head out, and WCS kids will wrap up this fall's trips the week after that. There is a buzz in the air this year -- kids are very excited for FLOW.

It's hard to believe that this is already the the third year of this program. As a staff, we strive to improve FLOW every year, and I am excited to share some the positive changes we have made for 2016.

There is a benefit to continuity in this type of learning experience, so we thought about ways to extend the relationships, skills, and lessons of the trip throughout the 8th grade year. In mid-October, each FLOW group will spend a day back at Chewonki with their trip leaders for a day of team building initiatives. This will give kids a chance to both revisit what they learned on  FLOW and to think about ways they can incorporate their learning into other aspects of their lives. Again, in May, all 8th graders will spend a day back at Chewonki, but this time student groups will be reshuffled to give kids from both BMS houses and WCS the chance to get to know each other before heading off to Morse High School. "One-off" trips are fun, but our objective with FLOW is to use it as a springboard for continued growth. We want kids to discover what they are capable of, build self awareness, and to experience the strength that comes from working collaboratively with a group.

We look forward to seeing parents tonight at BMS from 6:00 to 7:00 for an informational meeting. Another meeting will be held at WCS from 6:00 to 7:00 on 9/13. Please remember that the deadlines for paperwork are set in stone this year. In order to attend the trip, all paperwork must be submitted by the following dates:


SEGUIN HOUSE: All paperwork due 9/6/2016

ACADIA HOUSE: All paperwork due 9/13/2016

WCS: All paperwork due 9/20/2016


Thanks for visiting the FLOW blog. We can't wait to get out on the water with your kids!