Today’s forecast was a sign of the winter southerlies that are prevailing in our area.  We took the time to do our weather observations as well as examine our Certificate of Inspection issued by the Coast Guard for longboat Townshend.

“The vessel shall not get underway, or if underway shall be put to shore when, in the intended area of operations, any of the following conditions are observed: wind speed exceeds 18 knots, wave height exceeds 2 feet, visibility is less than 2 miles, or when a small craft advisory is posted.”

We determined wind speed to be Force 5 to 6 and from the south.  Therefore we had a day ashore.  We were able to focus on two areas of team building:  Leadership and Communication.  A contract called Ship’s Articles was created and some of the values the team decided upon were:  Focus, Respect, and Listening.  A photo of our Ship’s Article will be posted once it is finished.  All students present signed on to our Group Value Contract.

With the sun shining, we headed outdoors to pump out longboats and take a walk in the sun and wind.  Our moment of silence, snack and naturalist report all happened near the beach where students climbed a tree and reflected on the peace of the moment.

Natural history continued inside the classroom with students focusing more on their totem animals with a science focus.  Some of the animals being researched are: Cottontail rabbit, Peregrine falcon, black bear, and Barred owl.  Along with the science behind the animal, Bravo Team students are being asked to create a piece of art to depict their animal as well as why they chose their animal personally.

We’ll continue to grow as a team, grow as students and teachers, and share Thursday afternoons whether rainy or sunny, windy or calm.  Thanks for continuing to follow along with us here!