Matinicus teacher, Pam Stock celebrates the launch with traditional Native American clothing.                                                

Last week our Social Studies collaboration began with a whole-group launch. Prior to our meeting on the Polycoms and Tandbergs, each school had the task of creating a video expedition of another island. We wanted students to begin their learning of Westward Expansion history by first imagining what it would be like to explore a new place. A place where residents may already inhabit. 

After viewing all of the videos, each school was asked to reflect on the following questions: 

1. What were the attitudes of the expedition team as they set out and how did those attitudes change?
2. How do you think the residents of the island might feel about your expedition team and how would they react to your arrival?
3. If you planned to stay there for a long time, how might the residents’ attitudes change?
4. What was your reaction to other people exploring the island you live on?

Here are the expedition videos:

Frenchboro explores Monhegan

How do you think the residents of the island might feel about your expedition team and how would they react to your arrival? Frenchboro's response: Monhegan would feel marvelous and excited because we would save them from fire breathing spruce beetles.  They would also feel thankful. 

If you planned to stay there for a long time, how might the residents’ attitudes change? Frenchboro's response: They might get bored of us and kick us out.  When people stay together too long they can get frustrated because they have to provide food, water and shelter.  Our dragons may eat their dogs and ruin their buildings.  They may sue us for damage.

Isle au Haut explores Frenchboro

Isle au Haut wanted to find new land, they found information. 

Cliff and a Monhegan Scout Explore Matinicus

What were the attitudes of the expedition team as they set out and how did those attitudes change? Margaret:  Kind of excited when I left, but later when I couldn’t find people I felt kind of unhappy. Eliza and Kai - In the beginning we were scared that the locals were like COVE!!!! Kai and Eliza were happy that there were kids their own age. When we heard that Margaret was going to meet the locals we were worried. We thought Magaret was so brave for going first.

 How do you think the residents of the island might feel about your expedition team and how would they react to your arrival?  Margaret:  They might be kind of confused at first because they don’t know who I am. Sofie - They would welcome us to their island island because we are new. Aiden - I think they would be happy to see me.

Matinicus Explores Cranberry Isles 

Cranberry Isles Explores Isle au Haut

Expedition Summary: Orphaned students from the Cranberry Isles wrongly imprisoned in a labor camp escape to Isle au Haut.  An intro "launch" project for our Y3T2 Social Studies unit on "Westward Expansion".

What were the attitudes of the expedition team as they set out and how did those attitudes change? When the orphans left, we felt felt frustrated, sad, scared, and confused.  When we arrived, at first we were nervous and scared. But in the end, we felt happy and playful when we saw the natives were friendly.

How do you think the residents of the island might feel about your expedition team and how would they react to your arrival? When the Isle au Haut people first saw the Islesford orphans arrive, they might have felt confused and cautious.  They might have felt pity for the orphans and sad for them, but nervous and protective of themselves, a little  defensive, scared, investigative.  But then they felt OK, once they realized the orphans wouldn’t hurt them.  But they were still confused. 

 If you planned to stay there for a long time, how might the residents’ attitudes change? Over time, the residents would accept the orphans and and be helpful.  They would welcome them, realizing they had been though a lot.  They would adopt the orphans as family, realizing that they wanted to learn with them, and they would be sympathetic and nice.   

What was your reaction to other people exploring the island you live on? We would feel surprised that people would want to come and steal our awesomeness, mad, scared, and defensive.  We would be ready to fight back, because they were going to steal our homes, and we love it here and love our families.

TLC is used to technical mishaps, and Valentine's day is no different. Although there was no blizzard to challenge our get-together, we still got a late start to our party. TLC never gives up! After some problem-solving we were all able to connect (even though we couldn't SEE Isle au Haut, we could hear them).

With some quick thinking, it was decided that each school open their Valentine's at the same time. Each school secretly created Valentine's for another school and it was up to all the kids to guess WHO sent them their Valentines.

Ashley Bryan school guesses first. After a few missed guesses, they picked correctly. Matinicus!

 Matinicus also had to make a few guesses, but eventually they also picked correctly: Cliff!

Monhegan, took their time...but in the end, they guessed correctly: Frenchboro!

Frenchboro thought long and hard, but by the process of elimination, they arrived at the correct answer:

Isle au Haut!

Cliff also guessed correctly, right off the bat: Monhegan!

Even though we couldn't see Isle au Haut on the screen, the boys loved there Valentine's from:

Ashley Bryan School.

And who doesn't love surprises. Jessie made a surprise visit out to Cliff Island and also sent out awesome Valentine's and an Appalachian Trail map so that each school can keep track of her journey starting next month.

And we all know by now that every celebration we have together ends in a dance party!

After watching previous dance party's this year, Frenchboro finally found their groove and joined in!

HAPPY VALENTINES EVERYONE!

My Beloved TLC,

This feels a little like a "Dear John" letter. Like I should start off by saying, "It's not you, it's me." YOU, my TLC, are fabulous. Three years ago you were just this pipe dream that a few, unassuming island teachers fantasied about. Somehow you morphed into this cutting-edge, experience-rich, life line of a project that I know have touched and effected many lives and has completely changed mine. Actually, I think I do know how this amazing transition from dream to reality happened. It happened because of a lot of love for our island schools, a lot of hope for the future of our island kids, a whole lot of energy, persistent, desire, and hard work from a lot of very dedicated people. Now the TLC is it's own entity... with a strong following and support system and in my heart of hearts I believe that it can and will be sustained in our island schools for years to come.

That does not necessarily make leaving this project any easier for me personally. Anyone who has talked to me (or seen my facebook page!) over the last three years (this includes my friends, my relatives, islanders of all kind, the boat crew, my hairdresser, the nice grocery bagger at Hannaford's... you get the idea) has probably heard of the TLC and how much I adore this project. I would like to think of myself as one of it's biggest cheerleaders and that, my friends, will never change. What is changing, is that I will no longer be an active contributor to the project. I was lucky enough to be a founder and teacher participant for the first two years of the project and for the last six months I have LOVED working as a full-time "support-staff" for the TLC. But now, I transitioning to a full time cheerleader and follower of this work. It is off to some new adventures for me and as much as I know the time is right, and I am excited for the next leg of my journey, I can't tell you how much I will miss this work and the people within this group that I have grown to love so much.

The community of the TLC is great and now spans six island communities and includes many "landlubbers" members as well. I have met so many amazing parents, school board members, community members, and other fabulous TLC lovers who have made my life richer and brought so much energy and support to this project. Thank you to the TLC community who has given their time, support, and love to make the TLC what it is today. You are the backbone for keeping this work moving forward! I know it is all in good hands.

And then of course there are the teachers! Oh, the teachers! I am not sure if I will ever again have the opportunity to work with such a skilled, smart, fun, passionate, dedicated, and all around AMAZING group of educators. You all sure have raised the bar for what our society should expect out of our teachers. There is no doubt in my mind that I have become a smarter, kinder, more patient and confident, more dedicated and more worthy teacher because of you all. I have learned so much from you and no matter where I go in my professional path I will take those lessons with me and both my students and I will be better because of it. Many of you I have worked with for years and you have become much more than my colleagues and even more than my friends. You are my family and I love you so very much and know that you will be apart of my life for years to come.

And lastly, there are the students. The kids. MY kids. What an honor it has been to watch you all grow up with each other in this project. You are all so beautiful and kind and smart. I can't imagine having a better bunch of students to begin my teaching career with. You give me hope in this world and have given so much love to my heart. Thank you for your smiles and laughs and your energy. Thank for reminding me how important it is to be silly, to give hugs, to jump and dance! Thank you for loving my dog, for loving me, and loving eachother. I love each one of you to the moon and back and am so proud of who you are as students, leaders, and human beings.

So, fare thee well TLC. Remember to celebrate with eachother, dress up in costumes, make funny faces, organize flash mobs, make gifts for eachother, wear your t-shirts, skype and wiki your brains out, play capture the flag and FLASH, create conga-lines, give eachother hugs and kisses, take pictures, cuddle with dogs, listen to eachother, assume best intentions, grow, learn, belly laugh,... and most importantly...

NEVER STOP DANCING.

I carry you all in my heart. Please keep me in yours.

All my love and a million times more,

Jessie