Thursday, February 12, 2015

Blog 3: Semester Departure

The Vermont Semester has begun their journey North! 

Heading out across Lake Warren
Heading West on Rt. 123
We will see them biking down this very same road in May, except they will be headed east!

Student/Teacher Goals for the Semester


Sammy
For everyone to be present

Rachel
I don't want to break myself, my skis, or any needles

Ezra
I want to push myself in ways that I don't at home

Izzy
I wish to find home within myself so that I can build relationships with the rest of the community

Mayah
I shall learn to build a home inside of myself

Sam
I really want to learn sustainable living

Trina

To be able to speak and act in a way that people feel free to disagree or have an opinion

Andrew
I want to appreciate each moment: find love in work

Hazel
Learn to live by the sun rather than by my watch

Cat
I want to welcome myself home - for good. Observe life as a walker- endlessly. Center self

Chase 
That the community will help each other safely and comfort one another





Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Blog 2: Base Camp Update

           
It is an exciting week at base camp with expedition only a day away. We began our week with brand new chores, and had a wonderful breakfast of eggs and leftovers (lots and lots of leftovers thanks to families). Then, we settled into an expedition meeting where we talked in depth about our progress with our Big Jobs, and what more needs to be done before we depart. Sunday was spent working on food pack out, which is an enormous job with the many hungry mouths that we have to feed on trail. We packed spaghetti, rice, and beans, and enough chocolate (cut with an ax!) to keep the sweet teeth in our group satisfied through the long days of skiing.

Prepping the chocolate for semester snack bags.


Parent Day 
Saturday had base camp full of smiling faces as we happily reconnected with our families, introduced them to our fellow students, and showed them around the farm, which has become our home over the course of the past few weeks. Everyone had a blast rehearsing and preforming our one-minute skit, singing, sledding, chopping wood, and catching up with one another. On behalf of our whole community, I send out a huge thank you to all of those who helped to make our parent potluck so special!

We will be sleeping on the stage of the Boat House tonight so that we can depart early tomorrow morning. We are excited to be the first semester team in years to be skiing right from Kroka. Our next update will come in two weeks from our first layover at Farm and Wilderness!

Rachel and Hazel showing their dwelling.

Jamie, Hazel, Sam, and Cat smiling after splitting wood with families.
  
A few words from our student food coordinators:
Food pack out is going very well, we are almost finished packing the 7 million calories that we will be consuming between our departure and sky meadow.

Jamie and Izzy with some of the food students dehydrated for semester



This is Breathing
Anonymous Creative

I am unlimited;
Child of dust,
Child of song and light,
Child of every molecule-
Every intangible idea
that ever crossed the threshold of your mind.
Child of the northern wind and
The endlessly starry sky,
child of the ceaseless sun:

A silent oath is whispered this night
That no small stain of death shall tare at my insides
until at last they are expelled with a sigh.

Laurel teaching Rachel about rasping.

Ezra fitting his knife in the vice.

Noa, Rachel, and Mayah enjoying the snow.
Andrew shaping his knife handle.

Cat working on her handle.

Chase working on his tele turns. 

Nathanael going over a jump.

Misha and Emma setting the course for Leg 1.