Lawrence Academy Winterim 2010

Winterim Ends

2010-03-19T13:27:00.003-04:00

When asked to describe their Winterim, we recorded what students said in order to make the Wordle below:

Check out the final slide show of various photos we received throughout the 2-week Winterim experience. The song on this slide show was taken from the Animoto music lounge, which artists use to promote their music. The song used for the Winterim assembly slide show was called Propane Nightmares by Pendulum. We currently do not have permission to use their song on our website.

The Fun Doesn't Stop at 3:00

2010-03-19T11:00:00.001-04:00

For each night for the past two weeks, the student life office has come together to plan out some fantastic activities that everyone has enjoyed. (Thank you Ms. Simon and Sully!) They planned very fun trips such as going to Boston to go to a Celtics game, bowling, movies, and lazer tag. They have also had a casino night and a dance. My favorite was by far the Celtics trip. What were your favorite activites? Please comment on our blog. Thanks.

What Makes a Good Winterim?

2010-03-19T10:58:00.007-04:00

Renowned field reporters, Gabe and Kerrin went into the action first hand to ask various groups what makes a good Winterim. When posed with the question, France replied with various responses, such as good leaders, good food, and group bonding. Arizona was a little less helpful, but still provided some good answers such as: library cards, accomplishing a goal, and working together. Mr. Smith, Winterim Coordinator, agrees that reaching a common goal as a group is the most important factor of a successful Winterim.

As we can see, most of what makes a good Winterim is centered around the group getting along, and having minimal fights on the trip.

RUaDgtalNativ: The Results of Our Labors

2010-03-19T10:46:00.008-04:00

After two weeks of running our blog, we have seen significant results! Using our Google Analytics tool, we are able to see the number of people who have viewed our blog, which pages have been viewed the most, and so much more. Our analytics indicate that we have had over 2000 views of our blog and on the highest day we had 361 visits (Monday, March 15). We have visitors from over 30 countries on every continent except Africa & Antarctica. 43% of our visitors were first-time visitors (which means that people revisited our page multiple times) and on average people spent around 4 minutes on our blog! Through our hard work and promoting, we had a very successful winterim!

The Dangers of On-Campus Winterims Volume IV: Off-Campus Injuries Prove More Dangerous

2010-03-19T10:11:00.006-04:00

As the off-campus winterims have begun to return, my on-going injury report has received a number of stories from various winterims. I was overwhelmed with the degree to which the off-campus winterims out-injured the on-campus Winterims. In Arizona, the biking group disclosed their scary experiences. They reported a number of crashes; Mr. Smith said that he took "a header" his first time on a tough trail. I didn't take their crash stories to heart until I saw Meghan's large road rash [see below]; she had crashed on the same trail as Mr. Smith. The Going Green in the French Alps group reported blisters, sunburn, and digestive problems (from too much cheese). I think that Meghan's injury and the Going Green in the French Alps group are evidence that off-campus injuries are on a whole other level then those of the on-campus winterims. Although quilting, stained glass, and RUaDigital Nativ proved to be dangerous in their own right, the off-campus winterims overwhelmingly prove to be more dangerous then the on-campus.

Live from Wachusett Mountain... in a Hotdog Suit

2010-03-19T09:52:00.002-04:00

We were able to dig up this gem from Wachusett Mountain's YouTube account, featuring one of our students from Total Mountain Experience, Matt, wearing a hotdog suit. Check it out!

More Groups Coming Home Today

2010-03-19T09:00:00.003-04:00

The following groups will be arriving back on campus today and tomorrow, Saturday.

We hope they had a great trip and find themselves welcomed back by family and friends.

The following Winterims are returning on Friday, March 19th

Something for Nothing

Dominican Republic
Costa Rica
Bahamas
Underwater Discovery

The following Winterims are returning on Saturday, March 20th

Peru
Andes

Flustered and back in the classroom...

2010-03-18T15:08:00.000-04:00

Today we were all very productive as a group and got a lot done. Together, we posted about ten more new posts for the blog, worked on making the slide slide show for tomorrow's presentation, Eric visited the martial arts group, Tyus visited the Iron Chef group, Kerrin watched some chess matches, Gabe wrote a post on yoga, Judd wrote a post on casino night and talked about the trips coming back today, and I finished editing and put up the last two interviews for Head Start. We also got together in groups of two and came up with ideas for the last three blog posts for tomorrow.

The Dangers of On-Campus Winterims Volume III: RUaDGTALNATIV?

2010-03-18T14:04:00.007-04:00

The past two weeks have taken a- publicly unknown- toll on the bloggers who created your friendly Lawrence Academy Winterim blog. On the average work day, we spend about four hours on the computer (not to mention the times we use our computers for personal purposes after Winterim). My fellow bloggers have reported headaches, hand cramps, and sore butts from sitting and working on the computer for long lengths of time. Ms. Poulin cried out in pain today, "O my hands and wrists" as she wrung her hands furiously. Although quilting and stained glass proved to be dangerous in their own right, I believe blogging takes the cake! Research warns that computer screens lead to significant eye strain without 10 to 15 minute breaks every hour. With such a heavy stream of news, it is safe to say that the bloggers have not been able to take the appropriate amount of breaks during this Winterim which has led to several headaches. Likewise, the warning labels for keyboards state that extensive use of a keyboard for many hours without breaks could lead to severe wrist and hand injuries like arthritis and carpal tunnel. Most bloggers at the LA Winterim Blog have reported tight and sore hands in the past two weeks. According to the European Respiratory Journal, sitting too long- like on planes or in front of the computer- can cause blood clots which can cause severe disability or death. Luckily, the LA bloggers have thwarted the worst of these injuries; yet, we have suffered our fair share of strained eyes, headaches, and wrist pains. Who ever knew it was such a "pain" to blog about Winterim!?

Original Taste...Original Recipe

2010-03-18T13:40:00.014-04:00

The Iron Chef Winterim has mastered the art of making different kinds of foods including, eggs, seafood, roasting, hamburgers, and pasta. Now its time for them to put all of it together to make an original recipe. This afternoon they will be judged by the top taste testers: Mr. Wiggins, Mrs. Bagley, Mr. Horne , Mrs. Margraf, and Mr. Cassidy (Director of Lawrence Academy Dining Services). This will be the event of a life time. Only one team will prevail. Let the judging begin! Check out the video below to see the final crazed moments in the kitchen. Post a comment and let us know who won!

LA Chess Championship

2010-03-18T13:35:00.005-04:00

The LA Winterim Chess Tournament took place today on the LA Campus. After a day of playing chess in Harvard Square, the LA chess players used their knowledge from the past two weeks try to beat each other out for the championship! By the end of the tournament, Min Soo and Steve were the last standing! If you have the news, let us know who won the tournament!
UPDATE: We've heard from Mr. Curran that Min Soo was the champion. Congratulations!

Returning to Campus

2010-03-18T13:28:00.005-04:00

Winterim is winding down, and the following trips are coming back today:

The System Arriving campus 3:15 p.m. (approximate)

Ireland Arriving campus 5:00 p.m. (approximate)

France Arriving campus 8:30 p.m. (approximate)

Arizona Arriving campus 9:00 p.m. (approximate)

Mexico Arriving campus 11:00 p.m. (approximate)

Yellowstone Arriving campus 12:30 a.m. (approximate)

Panama Arriving campus 1:00 a.m. (approximate)

Make sure you welcome your friends back as their planes roll in this evening (or tomorrow morning!)

Going for Stripe Number 2

2010-03-18T13:06:00.008-04:00

The Martial Arts Winterim have been training for 2 weeks. The owner Mike Luth said that it takes about 4 months to achieve 2 stripes on a white belt. However, these students have worked hard to achieve this milestone in 2 weeks. Check out our Picasa web album to see 50 new pictures.

Reflections of Head Start Volunteers

2010-03-18T12:43:00.011-04:00

As stated on the Head Start website: "Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. Nearly 25 million pre-school aged children have benefited from Head Start."

Here is a video with Jake, Will, and Mitch talking about what they love about this organization.

Please comment on my video! Thanks.

The Total Experience at Total Mountain Experience

2010-03-18T12:40:00.004-04:00

Monday, Wednesday and Friday we arrived to the mountain at 9:00 am. We skied/snowboarded from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. At 12:00 noon we came in for lunch and then from 1-3 we worked with the Wachusett work members. The jobs were all different. We did a different job every day. Some jobs consisted of working in the park where you fixed jumps and racked the snow, working in the cafeteria serving food, working in tech fixing snowboards and skis, working in the store, working at rentals, standing at the lifts checking tickets, and ride in the snow cat and groomed the mountain. It was a great experience for us because we got to experience working by doing many different jobs and learning about how a mountain is run. On Tuesday and Thursday we stayed at the mountain until 8:00 pm and went night skiing. We arrived to the mountain at 12:30 and then worked from 1-3 the same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Total Mountain experience was a great winterim because we got to experience two things: Working and Skiing/Snowboarding. Many of the students skied/snowboarded before and some have not. The ones who skied/snowboarded before improved by landing difficult tricks off the jumps and some who never skied/snowboarded before improved by going down the black diamonds. Many people worked before but never experienced working at a mountain so this was a great experience for us.

Pre-Game Report

2010-03-18T11:49:00.011-04:00

The Sports Journalism group will be going to the Bruins game tonight. They will be playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. These two teams have some recent problems with each other after one of the Penguins players, Matt Cooke, took out the Bruins point leader, Marc Savard on March 7th. Conor Helfrich wrote about the upcoming meeting tonight, and the possible reactions to the cheap shot. Check out his complete article here. A video of the hit, if you missed it, is below.

The Final Struggle for Perfected Glass Art

2010-03-18T11:03:00.009-04:00

The artwork is finally coming to a close. The art is looking beautiful and the students can almost take a breath of fresh air. The group is spending their time grinding the glass down so there are no sharp edges and polishing it to shine like a diamond. The Final Struggle is here. Tomorrow we will see the finished art work.

The Luck of the Irish doesn't Help Everyone During Casino Night!

2010-03-18T10:41:00.006-04:00

Thursday night, St. Patrick's Day, students crammed into the Student Lounge for a night of Poker, Roulette, Craps, and various other casino games. Chips could be traded in for tickets, which would be drawn for a raffle. Winners could win various prizes, such as Red Sox fan packages, and the like. Two lucky winners received iPod Shuffles. Kids who decided not to gamble sat and watched TV, played pool, or played Rock Band.

Week 2 in Costa Rica

2010-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

(Photo found at: http://travelcostaricanow.com/index.php/Central_Valley_of_San_Jose)

Report continued from Kathryn Babin and Scott Johnson:

On Monday morning we awoke early to tackle the even more challenging water of the lower half of the river and then once more met our faithful bus driver for a 3 hour drive to La Fortuna, our second to last destination. Here we will go on a safari paddle, swim in natural pools and hike the base of the volcano. This will be a real contrast to both the Caribbean sea coast of Tortugero National Park and the mountain gorge of the Pacuare River. Our trip will end with a final day in San Jose and the next morning, we will leave for home. While some may look forward to the comforts of warm showers and spider-free bedrooms, we will all be sad to say goodbye to Guapo and our experiences in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

Yoga on a Field Trip

2010-03-18T09:45:00.002-04:00

Today, yoga is on a field trip to the Kripalu Yoga Center to do some new styles of yoga including heat yoga. The Kripalu Yoga Center is a well known health center where people come from all over the northeast to take classes. They will be taking part in some hardcore yoga and learning about to lifestyle of a yogi.

Internet Cafe with no wall plugs.

2010-03-17T13:01:00.009-04:00

Today the RUaDN group took a trip to Jitterbeans Internet Cafe in Marlboro, NH. There, we worked on our upcoming slideshow for the school assembly on Friday. We added pictures from each Winterim, as well as a couple of pictures of the afternoon activities that boarders participated in after the day was over. our group needed to find some music for the slideshow, as well as non-copyrighted version that would be posted on the blog. We had a great chance to spend the day outside of the classroom, and it was a beautiful day. We all needed that!

LAzer Tag

2010-03-17T12:02:00.014-04:00

On-campus Winterims loaded 3 buses and traveled to Lazerzone in Marlborough, MA. Split into three groups - Blue, Orange, and Green - each student played a game of laser tag, ate pizza and played arcade games for tickets. We think Joe (and his "crew") had the most tickets coming away with an ugly purple blow up alien for 5,000 tickets. Ty and Connor had a blast squirting invisible ink over unsuspecting students. Several students found themselves "trapped" in the floor to ceiling playground. After a long night of lazer tag, students are looking forward to large winnings at Casino Night tonight.

Going Green in the French Alps

2010-03-17T00:08:00.005-04:00

Today, the 17th, Going Green in the French Alps is going to be taking part in a variety of activities. In the morning, they will be all constructing an "organic shelter", which I assume is something like a tree-fort. In the afternoon, they are taking a 3 hour walk to a farm tavern. At the tavern, the owners make their own goat and sheep cheese. They will take a scenic tour of the farm, and then dine at the tavern with solely organic foods. It sounds like they're eating very healthily and having a great time thus far.

(tripadvisor.com)

Tragedies Strike in Digital Photography!

2010-03-17T00:05:00.010-04:00

Who would think that taking photos would be so dramatic? Here, straight from the hotel rooms, we have some footage of the toilet and bug crises at hand. Wish everybody in the hotel luck.

Mexico Update!

2010-03-16T16:15:00.003-04:00

Mr. Karp, the on-campus Winterim coordinator, received a message today from Jerry Wooding. The Rafting in Mexico trip is having a blast! They've been swimming, rafting, and relaxing in hot springs. For more info about their planned activities, check out Tyus's blog post.

The Groton Flood, Or Why Nobody Can Get To Work Today

2010-03-16T14:48:00.008-04:00

After three days of heavy rain (over 9 inches total), parts of Groton and the surrounding towns have become islands. We drove on out to Groton and Pepperell to see if we could catch some of the flooded areas on camera. The water level was incredibly high, making driving a little difficult. Luckily, being a boarder, the commute isn't terrible!

Week 1 in the Costa Rican Rainforest

2010-03-16T14:24:00.010-04:00

(Map found at: http://www.arenalcostaricacr.com/)

Report from Costa Rica by Kathryn Babin and Scott Johnson:

We've just arrived in La Fotuna, the town at the base of the Aernal Volcano in central Costa Rica. The trip has been fantastic so far and a great deal has to do with the people involved. First of all, all of the students have been getting along quite well and dealing with wet socks and long bus rides with a great sense of humor. Our Tico guide, Walter or 'Guapo' is truly fantastic. He has been with us from our arrival in San Jose and will be with us until our departure. His knowledge of everything about Costa Rica is vast: biodiversity, plants that can kill you and plants that can save your life, the people of the area, the history of the country, not to mention an uncanny ability to grab poisonous tree frogs from the jungle floor.

We began the trip in bustling San Jose in a hostel overlooking the city. A blanket of lights spread out before us as we settled into our new country. The next day we drove through winding mountain passes bordered by small cattle farms and tiny villages. We passed by a university dedicated to creating 'greenways' connection the national parks of the country. As we dropped out of the mountain mist and entered into the coastal plain, banana plantations run by names like Dole, Del Monte and Chiquita dominated the landscape, complete with “Warning: take no photos of the workers” signs.

Our faithful bus and driver, Juan Carlos, dropped us at the put in for the first leg of our water adventures. We kayaked for 5 hours through rich tropical rainforests on canals that serve as the only roads of the Tortuguero National Park. For locals, owning a boat is more important than owning a car. Our campsite and home base for the next 3 nights was a well-manicured lawn nestled in the rainforest. From here we adventured to the nearby town for a walk along the Atlantic shore to look at empty turtle nests and for an ice-cream treat. We also went 'gunkholing' through narrow waterways leading into the interior of the park. Howler monkeys warned us to stay away from the tree tops as we passed by sun-bathing turtles and caimen.

(Photos found at CBBC.)

On the fourth morning, we left the park via motorboat and cruised to our bus, which drove us to our next destination: a put-in on the Pacuare River. Walter was joined by two more guides who led us in paddling through the Class III rapids. Our lodge for the next three nights was carved into the hillside above a wide turn in the river between two tall canyon walls. From the hammocks and rocking chairs we observed the daily life of the jungle. Some highlights included a hike to the top of the ridge, a river crossing via small basket pulled hand-over-hand on a cable, scrambling up a small stream to a natural water slide and of course, zip-lining through the jungle canopy.

Pura Vida!

(Photo found at: http://www.costaricatours.com/pacuare/pacu01.html)

Showtime!

2010-03-16T14:01:00.010-04:00

Here is a short video of pictures of the Something For Nothing Player's performance of the Wizard of Oz at Lawrence Academy in the black box theater on Friday. They departed for their tour on Sunday morning, where they will travel to Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire, to perform their show at various elementary schools.

Please leave us your feedback! Thanks.

Singing With Your Hands

2010-03-16T13:38:00.007-04:00

Today I went to see how the Talking With Your Hands winterim was going. They will be performing a song in front of the school on Friday. They are going to perform Hot N Cold by Katy Perry.

Here is a preview of Friday's performance:

Where in the World?

2010-03-16T12:38:00.011-04:00

One of the tasks that RUaDN has been working on for the last week has been a map showing where in the world each of the Winterim groups are (see the top of the blog). You can zoom in (like on Google Maps) and drag the map around to see different places. Click on a pin to see which group is there, what they're doing, and, in most cases, a group photo. We created this map using Your Gmap, which is a tool that allows you to create locations on a map, add text and embed photos, then publish your map either as a link or an embedded object.

Chess Recieves a Lecture of Strategy and Logic

2010-03-16T11:18:00.008-04:00

Today when I checked in at chess, they were amidst an intense chess seminar. The chess group took a break from playing to learn about the strategy and logic of chess from a chess master who came to visit Lawrence Academy. On Wednesday, they plan to go to Boston to play chess in Harvard Square. We expect the intensity to really heat up Thursday when they begin their tournament; we will report back about the chess tournament- stay tuned!

Dominican Days of Service and Sun

2010-03-16T10:59:00.042-04:00

Although we have not heard from the Dominican group, we have a good idea of what they have been up to. From last Tuesday to last Friday, they have been working on their service project to help the children of La Cienaga. Building a playground, painting the school and reading with the children are just a few of the activities the LA students have been doing.

Saturday they went fishing in La Boca de Yasica with some locals. This past Sunday they made chocolate. Yesterday they went back to the school to keep working; they will be working there until Wednesday. On Thursday, they plan to jump from waterfalls in Damajaguas. Friday, they will end their trip with shopping.

(Waterfall photo from a tour guide website. Fishing photo from a tour guide website.)

Kayaking in the Bahamas

2010-03-16T10:59:00.032-04:00

From Bahamas

Because "The Bahamas: A Kayaking and Snorkeling Experience" is, well, kayaking and snorkeling, we haven't heard from them. However, we have done some research about their destinations and are a little jealous of their journeys (though not of their inability to shower for most of the trip, and their seawater coatedness). If you want to check out their planned route and activities, see the map below. You should be able to click on each pin and see both the name of the location and what the group planned to do that day. They're travelling in rainbow order (starting and ending at the red pin). For more info, check out Wilderness Inquiry.

View Bahamas Kayaking in a larger map

Rafting In Mexico - An update on Their Activites

2010-03-16T10:29:00.014-04:00

from www.veracruzspanish.com

from www.flickr.com

Yesterday the group traveled to Jalcomulco, which is a whitewater boater's dream to go down. It finishes at a hot spring resort that lets you relax in a perfect 90 degrees of naturally heated water.

Today they plan to raft the Rio Pescados River that is known for its constant rapids. When there are small breaks in the rapids, it overlooks the beautiful mango forest. Then later today they will take a mountain hike to Poza Azul.

Tomorrow's plans are something unique because of the river that they are rafting. The Rio Actopan river gets all of its flow from a pristine mega spring gushing of natural ferned wall. The headwaters are continuous and after the first couple of rapids, the difficulty eases for a unforgettable and enjoyable experience.

Dangerous On-Campus Winterims (Volume 2): Artists Encounter Scary Shards in Stained Glass

2010-03-16T10:28:00.015-04:00

On my way back from quilting, I decided to step into the stained glass winterim to try to continue our running string of articles about the possible injuries at on campus winterims. The stained glass artists are pretty far along with their projects, so the pieces of glass are looking quite beautiful and harmlessly arranged nicely in their designated patterns [see below].However, from speaking with group members, I quickly learned not to let the graceful product of stained glass fool me- the art of stained glass can give quilting a run for its money as the most dangerous on campus winterim! When I spoke with the artists themselves, I felt my pulse begin to race and my eyes begin to search for safety glasses, a bullet proof vest, and thick gloves that would cover from my hands to my elbows.

Chase told me the injuries range from cuts to burns, and they could occur no matter how carefully you cut the glass. Jackie and Vail went further into detail and even described several incidents that had occurred during during the first week. Jackie was the victim of a burn to her stomach [see picture below] and Vail's fingers were littered with burns and cuts [see picture below].

Although many injuries are possible in stained glass, Mrs. B (the stained glass leader) informed me that injuries can be avoided by correct protection and attention. The artists' descriptions of their accidents made the quilting winterim across the hall look like a walk in the park (and we're not talking Central Park here folks), but the final products are definitely worth the pain!

Quilting Quickly Completes Their Quilts

2010-03-16T09:56:00.013-04:00

This morning I took a walk to the Old School Building to check up on the Quilting Winterim. They have made quite a bit of progress over the last few days! Most of the quilts are almost finished; most quilters have sewn their patches together to create their quilt design. The quilters are starting to put their padded backings on their quilts. To attach their backings they must pin the quilt to the backing and then sew. Between now and the end of Winterim, the quilters will be completing their personal quilt and helping to complete the group quilt!

This Baby Be Turnin'

2010-03-16T09:46:00.006-04:00

Turn, Baby, Turn is entering week two with a boom, having made beautiful wooden bowls that are glazed over and ready for use. Students are now working on making what they have thought of and envisioned to be created. Some of the creations have been set out in the theatre to be viewed by any passers by while they dry. I had a chance to drop by and snap a few photos of these bowls and assorted creations pictured below. They look great and we wish the wood turners luck in their final week of Winterim!

Iron Chef Cooks!

2010-03-15T18:22:00.004-04:00

Today's winners of the Burger Challenge.

*and because Ryan wanted to be on the blog.

RUaDN: Stuck in the Classroom...Again

2010-03-15T14:28:00.003-04:00

Greetings from M121 in the Ansin Building!

Today we caught up on our weekend content that was submitted to us and put out roughly 13 posts. I (Gabe) spent a great part of the day for one, working on the banner at the top of the page, which has made me very frustrated. The globe kept getting stuck on Africa for one, and it's also very tedious work editing a ".gif" file because it involves alterations to every single picture collaborated into the file. Now that I'm done with my little rant, I'll move on to semi-interesting things that went down today. Mostly everyone has at least one post for each of their assigned Winterims, so we're approaching the final goal of the Winterim!

We analyzed the blog and it's reports from "Google Analytics" which showed us some pretty cool facts about our website. I mean, it's pretty cool that we've even had someone look at our website from Australia isn't it?

We also read over every single article for typos and edited the tags to make sure that we looked as professional as possible.

Now, all that we're missing is the interactive hamster we had earlier on the front page...if you support the hamster, please say so in your comments.

The Art of Glass is Only as Beautiful as the Heart of the Artist

2010-03-15T14:26:00.007-04:00

The Stained Glass Creations are coming together like true love. The group has achieved utmost concentration. They have been working diligently for a week already and are planning to continue this hard work until Friday of this week. At the end they will have their perfected glass art and will have learned new skills.

From Stained Glass

Student Post From Yellowstone

2010-03-15T12:45:00.002-04:00

Submitted by Meredith on Saturday: We started off the day by delivering our handmade batch of brownies to our courageous leader MacNeil. Then we drove our lovely white bus to the Roosevelt Lodge. There we started our two and half mile hike up to Tower Falls. We hiked the snow-covered road and made sure not to step in the cross-country skiers trail. On our way up we encountered three bison, the most dangerous animal in Yellowstone. After being escorted past the bison by our extraordinarily daring and wise guide MacNeil, we came across fresh wolf tracks. The tracks continued up the path towards the waterfall. Then we arrived at the viewing terrace to see the waterfall. The waterfall had an aqua blue shield of ice with flowing water visible underneath. After gazing upon that we quickly made our journey back to the bus. Next we met with Janine Waller at the Yellowstone Association Institute. We had a discussion with her about global climate change and its effects on the ecosystem. Then we took pictures with MacNeil in front of the Roosevelt Arch, before we parted ways. Our last day at Yellowstone concluded with dinner and packing for Big Sky!

Here is a slide show of the pictures the students took.

HeadStart Interviews 1 & 2

2010-03-15T12:36:00.016-04:00

Tyus and I visited HeadStart in Lowell on Friday with Mrs. Bev Rodrigues, to interview some students about what they have been doing in their Winterim and what their favorite experiences have been so far. The goal of this course is to provide an experience through which they can learn more about children in poverty and about early childhood education by working as teachers at HeadStart. Three and four-year-olds go to school every day there and each participant will work with a professional, an aide, and about twenty children in a classroom and on the playground, assisting a teaching team through the day.

Please comment on our video and leave us your feedback.

Student Post From Yellowstone

2010-03-15T11:34:00.002-04:00

Submitted by Barrett on Thursday: The epic day began with our grinning, fearless leader MacNeill Lyons, as we took a ride on the magic school bus around the park, we spotted the carcass of a bison that has been dead for about two years. As the day progressed we met with wolf expert, Rick.

Today, we hiked up a mountain above the Lamar Valley and found dead animal carcasses of elk, which was recently pushed off a cliff by wolves. We also learned how to protect ourselves from a curious/angry bear. As we walked down the mountain, we watched from afar a pack of wolves picking apart a dead elk. Our amazing day ended making lasagna for dinner as a group, baking MacNeill a birthday cake, and looking forward to seeing him and Rick on our final day at yellowstone.

Sports Journalism takes on the Big City and the Big East

2010-03-15T11:11:00.004-04:00

The Sports Journalism group headed to New York City last week to watch the Big East Tournament. The group got front row tickets to a number of games, and even got to visit a professional sports desk!

Tomatoes for the Health of it

2010-03-15T10:47:00.003-04:00

Last Friday, Food for the Health of it took a trip to an organic tomato farm where they learned about organic foods and the tomato growing process. They took a tour of the farm and talked to workers about what they do and why they support the organic sensation that's sweeping the nation. (I've always wanted to use that saying.) They got a few picture opportunities inside of the carts the workers use, and here we have a picture of James seemingly enjoying himself:

Exhilarating Experiences in Ecuador!

2010-03-15T10:24:00.007-04:00

Saturday was probably everyone´s favorite day so far! We woke up, ate breakfast and checked out of our hotel. Then, we went Zip Lining at Mindo Canopy Adventures [see picture below]! They had about 13 different cables that totaled more than 2 miles over the rain forest. We don´t know how high we were exactly, but let´s just say that falling would not have been fun. After zip linning we went down the street, grabbed helmets and life jackets and jumped in white water tubes down a river full of rocks and waves! What an exhilarating day! For lunch we stopped at a cute hotel/restaurant place that had a lake with boats, which we all took turns riding and racing each other on. The food was delish! The second half of the day was a once in a lifetime opportunity to straddle the equator! We drove to the museum and learned all about the gravitational pulls that we experienced first hand! The second museum we stopped at was interesting because it marked where they thought the equator was 200 years ago! Lots of pictures were taken next to the equator signs.. and we are thinking there will be a Winterim 2010-2011 Book Cover Photo in our future. After the museums our awesome bus driver Carlos blasted some American and Ecuadorian music on the radio and we danced in our party bus all the way to our hotel in Quito! We went out to dinner, had some milkshakes, pizza and burgers (YUM American food at last!), and went back to our hotel for showers and a good night´s sleep! Today we are heading south of Quito for horseback riding around Cotopaxi National Park [see below] where a lot of volcanoes live! Hope they don´t erupt!! The rest of this week we are going to our second community service project to a different community to help paint and do anything else they need and on Thursday we will spend the day white water rafting!

Overall, everyone has been having the time of their lives and we will definitely miss this new culture we have learned so much about in only a week!Until next time!Adios!

TEAM ECUADOR

P.S- Mrs. Peterson: Jess is doing just fine, she having a great time, but misses you and would like some apple crisp when she gets home!

DigiPhoto Is Off To Maine!

2010-03-15T10:02:00.003-04:00

After week one of snapping photos in and around Boston, Digital Photography is ready to ship off to Maine, where they will be staying in a cozy lodging space and capturing photos of whatever Maine has to offer. Expect photos soon!

From the best tasting eggs...to the worst tasting drinks

2010-03-15T09:52:00.014-04:00

Iron Chef has a new task at hand. The classic breakfast food. And goes great with cheese. Eggs! The RUaDgtalNativ group took a trip to the Congregational Church with only one goal in mind: to taste the best egg meals we have ever tasted. The first plate arrived on the table. The egg frittata looked and tasted like heaven. Then the next plate was a poached egg inside of a bell pepper, called Eggs in Purgatory. It was good and my personal favorite. Lastly, we had a bacon, egg, and biscuit sandwich. It came with an iced coffee that did not come out as correctly as the group had hoped for. I tried the drink and it had a weird flavor, like an iced coffee with too much water and no ice. The winner was group 1, John, Ned, & Sun, with the egg frittata.

The System: Flying in to Our Nation's Capital

2010-03-15T09:44:00.004-04:00

Today, The System will be flying in to Washington D.C. as the two-week Winterim period starts to come to an end. There, they will be visiting the library of congress, congress, the national archives, the Holocaust museum, and several other memorials scattered around the area. They will be coming back on Thursday to Boston and we all hope they have a safe flight to D.C.!

(Photo From: TravelHouseUs.Files.WordPress.com)

Underwater Discovery: Diving In Belize!

2010-03-15T09:35:00.005-04:00

Today, the Underwater Discovery group will be taking a field trip to the "Whale Shoals" off the coast of Belize. There, they will be conducting research of the surrounding waters and learning as much as they can about their new environment. They're going to be snorkeling and taking a "Fish Quiz" where they have to identify several species of fish.

(Photo from: NaturalSciences.org)

Who Will Be the Next Karate Kid?

2010-03-15T09:33:00.010-04:00

On Friday, i went to the Luth’s Family Karate center where Lawrence Academy students are learning the basics of kick boxing. The group is having a lot of fun and have given each other nicknames. They are also very supportive, and motivate each other. They have learned a lot in only five days, here is a video of some of the moves they have learned.
(music found at: www.purevolume.com)

News from Biking in Arizona!

2010-03-15T09:21:00.006-04:00

"Hello again from AZ. Yesterday the group rode into the canyons of the Superstition Mountains. Stunning desert scenery made steep hills go easier. This has been a wet season for AZ, so the desert is green with flowers beginning to show. Stream crossings kept us cool. We’ve had our share of woes, too. We’ve had some bruising tumbles, a broken chain, and we’ve changed eight tires in three days of riding. Great group spirit through it all. Pictures include a stream crossing, rest stop in the beauty of the desert..."
-Mr. Smith (Winterim Leader)

Arizona Jumping

2010-03-14T09:52:00.004-04:00

View this quick video showing Keaton, Peter, Greg and Teresa jumping off a drop in the trail.
These photos are from Thursday's day of riding out in Arizona. It looks like they are having good weather and great fun!

Good News from Panama!

2010-03-13T10:01:00.006-05:00

An e-mail, written by Linda Kimbrell, was received on Thursday afternoon reporting about the Casa Cayuco Winterim.

All's well in Bocas. The group arrived at Casa Cayuco late Tues afternoon, after a day on the city. Wednesday we kayaked to the village of Salt Creek. For many of them it was their first time kayaking. In the village they helped carry cement blocks to the school for some construction improvement. They saw the projects (water catchment, etc) that previous LA groups had done. Then we took a short jungle walk with a local guide. Lots of new and interesting things for them to discover in the rain forest!

Thursday we will do some prep work for our big service project and then take a snorkel trip. Many of the kids have never snorkeled either - lots of new challenges for everyone!

Our service work will take us to two remote villages (we'll sleep there), building water catchment and a community gathering house. I'll fill you in later on how those go.

Hope all's well in Groton. Pass along this news to anyone who wants it. All the kids are doing well and we're having a good time!

Ireland - Friday Evening Report

2010-03-13T09:15:00.006-05:00

Christie Beveridge commented on the blog post, Rugged Leprechaun Braves Dingleway with this report. (photo by outside source: Todd Adams)

Dia dhuit! Conas tann tu?
(That means hello and "how are you" in Irish!)

We had a fun Irish language lesson today, learning some key phrases as well as the history of the language. It is most widely used in western Ireland, particularly here on the Dingle Peninsula. All of the signs are written in both English and Irish.

Horseback riding was also a success! We learned how to walk and trot correctly, as well as how to (try to)keep our horses from eating the trees that lined the trail we rode on. This evening, we spent time cooking chili together, and Ms. Keever and I are anxiously awaiting the three desserts we will get to try as part of the Iron Chef-Ireland competition. The secret ingredient... Nutella!

Tomorrow we will explore Dingle Bay by kayak, sailboat, and motorboat, and we hope to catch a glimpse of Fungi, the Bay's famous dolphin. We will be entertained in the evening by a storyteller, and then will head out to a pub to find some traditional Irish music.

Slan!

Ireland - Early Friday Report

2010-03-13T09:09:00.004-05:00

Eileen Keever commented on the blog post, Rugged Leprechaun Braves Dingleway with this report.

We arrived in Dingle yesterday afternoon with tired legs and a good appetite! The hike was beautiful and everyone is so pleased with the weather we are having. Sunny and 50...very uncommon for Ireland in March! We spent the night exploring the buzzy little town of Dingle last night and had dinner in Murphy's pub. Tonight we will be making our own dinner and the student will partake in Iron Chef- Ireland a dessert competition with Ms Beveridge and Ms Keever as judges.

This afternoon we will have a language lesson and go horse back riding! Tomorrow is sailing!

Fun and Exciment Erupting in Ecuador!

2010-03-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

We started out with our community service adventure in a tight-nit village near a town called Otovalo. We slept at the day care in the community (which was definitely an experience) and roughed it without showers for the three days we were there! During those days we picked up trash, planted over 300 trees to help with their deforestation problems, played soccer with the kids and so much more. We became very close with the children and people in the community and it was very hard to say goodbye! Our last night there they performed a dance for us, dressed in their traditional outfits. Jordan, Maria, Carly, Becca, Meg, Andy and Ian got to try on the clothes and dance for everyone! They wanted to see an American dance so we performed Solja Boy... it was interesting since we didn´t all know the dance but it was the thought that counts! We woke up early on Friday morning, packed and cleaned up and headed about 40 mins in our tour bus (which we now call home) to go on a 5 hour hike around a volcanic crater lake! The hike was amazing (despite some altitude sickness since we were up about 10,000 feet above sea level) and it didn´t even feel like 5 hours because we were captivated by the amazing view! After the hike we hopped on a boat and learned about the lake that sat above the volcano that has been dormant for about 1,000 years (meaning it could errupt at any time). Once we returned from the boat ride we drove for about 4 hours to a town called Mindo and arrived at our hotel in the Mindo Cloud Forest [see picture below]! We ate dinner and showered for the first time in 4 days, played some cards and hit the pillow after a long, eventful day!

Field Visits Galore!

2010-03-12T15:12:00.008-05:00

Today RUaDN's intrepid bloggers ventured out into the field to interview, film, and photgraph Winterim students in action. Eric and Gabe checked out the Martial Arts students at Luth's Family Karate in Pepperell. Zack and Tyus interviewed students working at Head Start in Lowell, MA. Kerrin interviewed students at ARC Community Services in Fitchburg. Judd went up to Wachusett Mountain Ski Area to learn what Total Mountain Experience was up to, but they were busy testing equipment on the mountain. In the afternoon, RUaDN acted as judges for Iron Chef's egg challenge. We also checked out the Something For Nothing Players' sole on-campus performance of The Wizard of Oz. With all this action, we've had trouble finding time to write it up, so be prepared for a barrage of posts on Monday.

The Iron Chef Challenges the Art of Seafood

2010-03-12T14:50:00.005-05:00

Thursday was a challenge of a lifetime for our Iron Chefs. Chefs raised their spatulas and faced their opponent. The judges raised their forks and knives to face the chefs. Many injures occurred including burned fingers and cut hands. The chefs prepared their meals throughout the afternoon. At the end, the cooks threw the spatulas down with a large grin on their faces. The war was over and now it's time for the celebration.

ARC Volunteers- An Inspirational, yet Difficult Experience

2010-03-12T14:40:00.010-05:00

I took a visit to the ARC Community Services Center this morning to see our ARC Volunteers in action! The ARC Community Center was very busy; the Volunteers could be seen playing games, talking, and watching television with clients. While talking with the volunteers, I asked what event or moment at the ARC has left the greatest impact on them thus far. An ARC Volunteer, Anna, said "I met a boy who was in a football accident and he wanted to play college football- he had his heart set on it. Then he got hit and suffered a brain injury and now he can never play football again. That made me realize how lucky I am to be able to play hockey and [it pushes me] to keep working hard."

Similarly, Andrea said that "just hearing the stories of how people got here. Especially the people who had accidents [had a great impact on me]." Many of the Volunteers noted that volunteering at the ARC is a very humbling experience. The Volunteers were very open about discussing their most difficult experiences at the community center. One Volunteer remembered "The other day when they started talking about death and one of them who is in a wheelchair said 'you don't need a wheelchair when you go into heaven'" and that was really sad."

Although the experience has been difficult and humbling for the Volunteers, there was also a general feeling of hope and good-will in my discussions with the ARC Volunteers. All the Volunteers explained how they began to treasure the little moments of success within the day- when one of the adults who struggles to walk makes it all the way around the 'track' (they called the hallway that runs in a circle to the rooms at the community center 'the track' and the clients walk around it for exercise) or when they are able to have a coherent conversation with an adult who struggles to speak clearly. The challenges that the Volunteers encounter on a day-to-day basis are overwhelmingly overshadowed by the successes they witness daily.

A Totally Mountainous Experience!

2010-03-12T14:31:00.005-05:00

Credit: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=298212&id=7033298269

Total Mountain Experience began the day by testing out demo boards and skis at Wachusett today. Judd traveled to the resort, without knowing that he group was at the top of the mountain, trying out the latest in gear from Burton, Fischer, Atomic, Dynastar, and so on and so forth, only to find the resort empty of any TME Lawrencers. However, a phone call from Josh explained that they would be ready to have us come do some photos and videos next week, so keep a lookout for new photos!

Boston or Bust

2010-03-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

From Celtics

Both Wednesday and Thursday night of the first week of Winterim, LA students from on campus Winterims piled onto three big yellow schoolbuses and headed to Beantown. On Wednesday they traveled to TD Bank Garden to see the Celtics facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies. On Thursday nearly 115 students piled into the small Shear Madness theater for a night of laughs. The rainy night did not dampen their spirits as they helped solve the murder mystery.

Stained Glass Creations

2010-03-11T11:14:00.007-05:00

The Stained Glass Winterim is at the at beginning of their creative process. We look forward to checking out the exclusive glass art made by Lawrence Academy students themselves.

RUaDgtal Native: From the Boonies to Boston

2010-03-11T11:05:00.005-05:00

The RUaDgtalNativ Winterim Group caught the commuter rail VERY early this morning in Ayer, and headed out of the boonies of Groton and into the city of Boston. Some of our group members woke up late, so we almost missed out train, but LA Teacher, Mr. Artie Karp, drove the LA Blue Bus very quickly [yet safely..sort of] to the station. Once on the train, we found that the commuter rail now has WiFi, so we checked out blog, twitter, and facebook group all before we got to North Station. From North Station, we took the Green Line to Copley Square, and we walked to the Tech Superpowers lounge [see picture below] on Newbury Street. We are now sitting in the Tech Superpowers lounge where we have been working on our blogging assignments, checking email, and finishing our Gmap. For lunch, we will be heading to Fire and Ice, and then to the Science Museum to check out the exhibits. After the Science Museum, we will be heading over to Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall for dinner and relaxation before we head over to the theatre district to meet the rest of the boarding LA students for Sheer Madness. Although we will be exhausted by the time we return to campus tonight, it surely is an exciting day for the RUaDgtalNativ Winterim group!

NCAA Extravaganza

2010-03-11T11:00:00.009-05:00

Today the Sports Journalism group will be attending 2 college basketball games in New York. The number 22 ranked Georgetown Hoyas will be playing the number 3 ranked Syracuse Orange at noon. The next game they will be attending is the unranked Marquette Golden Eagles against the number 10 ranked Villanova Wildcats at 2.

vs.

vs.

RUaDN Recap

2010-03-11T10:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, as students settled down in room 121 in the Ansin building, a friend of Mrs. Poulin, one Mr. Hans Mundahl came to visit and give a presentation on Social Media and to help reformat the blog. Mr. Mundahl helped us to add a Twitter feed, change the color scheme, add more interesting posts, create a banner for the top, and he showed us all how to use even more web apps. The workshop was incredibly helpful and we all had a great time working with Mr. Mundahl. From all of us, thanks!

Han's Twitter can be found here:

http://twitter.com/hmundahl

Rugged Leprechaun Braves the Dingleway

2010-03-11T10:21:00.011-05:00

The Rugged Leprechaun group headed out this morning for a long walk with their belongings. They are scheduled to walk from Annascaul to Dingle off the coast line of Dingle Bay. The walk is 12 km with a 350m ascent and it is mapped to take about four hours.

It's almost showtime...

2010-03-11T10:09:00.010-05:00

During this week, The Something For Nothing Players have been rehearsing in the black box theater to get ready for their first show on Friday. The group has been getting to know each other, building and painting props, and will have spent almost 60 hours together before the "preview" performance of The Wizard of Oz on Friday at 2:00 p.m. This will be a great send-off for the SFNP. Please come and see all of the hard work that has been put into this.

The SFNP website is now up and running.

Groton Church On FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-11T09:54:00.006-05:00

A COOKING CATASTROPHE! While in the middle of making a beautiful roast of chicken, potatoes and other vegetables, there happened to be a slight problem. The roast was producing smoke. Enough smoke to cause the fire alarm to go off. The smoke alarm directly called the fire department. It looked like the whole fire department was there. Even our very own Mr. Hawgood, the director of Admissions. They had to open all the windows and the doors to let the smoke out. The fire fighters left, but there was still a competition going on. The group had to finish their roast! By the end of the afternoon they had it judged, and it tasted delicious!

Germination!!!

2010-03-11T09:45:00.009-05:00

As you can see, the Food For The Health Of It group was germinating seeds and analyzing commercial fertilizer on three different plant species on Tuesday. According to their itinerary, they went on their first field trip yesterday to the local dairy farm called Gardner Farm, to look at a few different types of hay.

Andes and Amazon Adventure Works in Imbabura Community

2010-03-11T09:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, the Andes and Amazon Adventure in Ecuador group engaged in a community service project in Imbabura [see picture above] where they aided with the reforestation of a local habitat. This morning, they taught local children art and English.This afternoon, they will be visiting the handicrafts market in Otavalo [see picture below], and tonight they will be attending a dinner and celebration dance with the community members in Quitugo.

REPORT FROM THE WEST

2010-03-11T09:38:00.021-05:00

Submitted from Yellowstone by Mr. Sugerman

After a very long plane ride, which we spent bonding and getting to know each other, we stopped in to get supplies for the week at the Bozeman co-op, which is a community-run grocery store. The first night, we were divided into 3 cooking teams and each night we would either have cooking, cleaning, or you would have the night off. Some of the advantages of cooking our own food were that we quickly got to know each other better and made more friends, such as Nikki and Barrett who are now best friends forever! On the morning of Tuesday, March 9, everyone woke up very tired and ready to start off the new day. We met a guide from the Yellowstone Association named MacNeil, with whom we began our adventure through Yellowstone National Park. We saw many untamed, wild beasts of the unknown! One of these fascinating, brute animals was the brilliant wolf. He prowled through the harsh landscape among the towering mountains. Our incredible guide MacNeil, could spot animals from afar while he was driving. On Wednesday, everyone woke up at dawn and put on snow apparel and packed into our Fast & Furious Chevy Suburbans. We met with professional photographer Dan Hartman, who is very experienced In the natural art of finding wild beasts. We went snow shoeing for 2 hours, snapped photos, and had a vicious snowball fight. After the snow shoeing, we went to a Thermal Pool, locally known as the Boiling River. The first 2 days of our Winterim were exciting and breathtaking, filled with beautiful views of mountains and animals.

They took some pictures of both the kids, and the beauty of Yellowstone. Click to see them in full size.

Biking in Arizona Finally Reports In!

2010-03-11T09:29:00.010-05:00

It's great to finally hear from our group mountain biking in Arizona! A diary from the Winterim leader, Mr. Smith, says, "Great first day of riding yesterday. Ten miles of saguaros, rocks, cholla, and rolling single track. Patted a Gila monster and chased a black-tailed jack rabbit. Squeezed through Fat Man’s Pass (nine inches wide) to Hidden Valley. Keaton made s’more quesadillas – rival the dining hall’s." Yum, I do like the s'more quesadillas from the dining hall...
It sounds like they had a great time biking. Talking with a few group members, all of them have fallen quite a few times, but no major casualties so far! I just thought you should all know what a "Gila Monster" is...I will admit, I had to google it.

(faqinfosite.com)
How adorable.
Along with the diary entry, attached was a picture of an exhausted group of bikers that I will share. It looks like they have all had quite the work out, and I can tell a few people (no names) need to start upping the dosage of their suntan lotion. Just saying.

(Click on the image to see a close up view of their beautiful, red, sweaty faces.)

Readers, what is the longest bike ride you've ever taken? Have you ever been on an overnight trip dedicated solely to biking?

Community Service and Sightseeing in Lima, Peru

2010-03-10T14:24:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, the Peru group landed in Lima, Peru. On Monday and Tuesday morning, the Peru group participated in community service at the Sisters of the Order of Mother Teresa, who care for a special group of needy children and adults near Lima, Peru. At night, the Peru group has been participating in leadership activities. Today, the group visited the Government Palace which used to be the house of the Peruvian government.

Origins of Winterim

2010-03-10T14:01:00.006-05:00

Have you ever wondered how Winterim started? Here is a video with Mr. Arthur Karp explaining the origins of Winterim.

Do you remember any of your greatest Winterim experiences? If so, please write a brief comment here.

Art, Walking, and Culture in Ireland with the Rugged Leprechaun group

2010-03-10T13:59:00.007-05:00

The first two days of the Rugged Leprechaun group's journey has been a mix of walking, painting, and absorbing Irish culture. Once they landed in Ireland they took a bus to Annascual, Ireland to move into their hotel, The Old Anchor Guesthouse. The Old Anchor Guesthouse is described as "walkers paradise...[and] a wild life sanctuary." Today, they took a bus to the entrace of the Dingle Way walk for an 11 mile walk. Tonight, they will be returning to the Old Anchor Guesthouse for art lessons.

Behind The Scenes of Monday Night Hypnosist

2010-03-10T13:49:00.002-05:00

Monday Night Hypnotist, left many people with a puzzled look on their face. And a question in mind, "Were the students on stage acting or were they actually put in a trance?" We decided to interview some of the people with first hand experience of the mesmerizing effects of hypnosis. Fact or fiction?

-Were you there? If so comment and let us know your thoughts.

Yoga featuring.....drumroll....Tokyo Joe!

2010-03-10T13:45:00.003-05:00

Tokyo Joe made a guest appearance at MacNeil Lounge for the Yoga: Beyond the Mat winterim today. Tokyo Joe (Bobby LaMattina) is a 10th degree black belt and runs self-defense courses for a living. Mr. Joe did an interactive self-defense lesson which is basically yoga on steroids, moving ten times faster and much more strenuous. He talked about focus, concentrating, and discipline, and how that plays a very big role in his lifestyle. At the end, Joe did a presentation with his Bo Staff which was very impressive. He has won many awards in competitive scenarios, and he is a very good role model. I think it was a great idea bringing in someone so impressively successful and with great morals for the students to look up to.

ARC Volunteers Going Strong

2010-03-10T13:33:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, the ARC Volunteers continued to work and play games with mentally-challenged adults at a community center in Fitchburg. Group members have been playing games, building block towers, and hanging out. Group members have had mixed reactions about their first few days at the community center. Jordan H. noted that "there are some adults who say really funny and cute things." Ashley V. said that she was a little nervous when "one man invited me for a beer, but then I told him that I'm too young to drink...he then invited me for coffee instead!" Although the ARC Volunteers come home tired at the end of the day, they generally feel good about their time at the community center!

Sewing: Peaceful Past-Time or Cruel Craft?

2010-03-10T12:25:00.009-05:00

Imagine your grandmother sitting in her rocking chair by the fire, sewing you a set of sheets for your bed. What could be more harmless? Emily, a sophomore at Lawrence Academy agreed to tell the tale of her violent encounter with sewing materials. "I was cutting my fabric, and my tip was over the edge, and I cut the tip of my finger off. I have my tetanus shot though so it's alright!" As you can see, the art of sewing is one with dangers similar to crocodile wrestling. Ms. O'Connor, the Winterim leader quotes, "Yes, there are many ways to be injured in sewing...you definitely have to pay attention." Although no statistics can be easily attained, a quick search on Google reports that there are plenty of scissor related deaths every year, many of them involving moving from one sewing station to another while holding scissors and falling on top of them.

So if any lessons can be learned here, next time you see your grandmother, give her a big hug and thank her for putting her life on the line in order to provide you bedding and warmth.

Dear viewers, have you had any traumatizing experiences in your Winterims? Let us know in the comments!

Digital Photography Heads to Boston

2010-03-10T10:23:00.002-05:00

The Digital Photography winterim group traveled to Boston yesterday. They took a tour of Fenway, and then headed to the NorthEnd for lunch.

Tarzan Helps Kick off on-campus Winterim Evening Activities

2010-03-09T14:50:00.012-05:00

We swung right into the on-campus Winterim Evening Activities last night with the hypnotist and a pizza party! The hypnotist was extremely funny- check out the link!

R U Dgtal Nativ Photography and GMap

2010-03-09T14:46:00.012-05:00

The day started out with a brief run around of the school taking pictures of other Winterims having a great time. Then we had a lecture on how to take photography and make sure the lighting and perspective is just right. The image above is an example of a good picture. It shows action of the quilting and the perspective was at the table line which provided excellent lighting to the picture. We learned next about how to make and use Gmaps. Then we were on our own editing blogs and summarizing the great things other Winterims are doing. Then we put in our information into the Gmaps. We moved on to our daily jobs which mine was to write this post.

And that concluded our day.

Turn, Baby, Turn

2010-03-09T13:07:00.004-05:00

Turn, Baby, Turn!

Mr. Oldham and his students are off to a great start as they begin their two week journey into the world of wood turning. The students are allowed to make whatever they like on the wood turners, so long as it's spherical. One student, Alex, is setting out to make a model lightsaber. However, he, like all the other students are starting out by making beautiful wooden bowls. These bowls are created by spinning a block of wood on a turner while slowly widdling down the surface with multiple sized carving tools. We wish Mr. Oldham and his students luck in these next two weeks, and we will be keeping y'all updated!

Chess

2010-03-09T12:56:00.006-05:00

Students have been enjoying learning and playing the game of chess. It is considered a challenging game for most. Colby Emma has been struggling, he has found himself in last place on the leader board. Today he went 0-5 and is hoping to be more successful in the second half of the day. Other students, like Yeong-Jin Choi are climbing up the leader board. Yeong-Jin is 3-0 today and hopes to keep his win streak alive.

Quilting

2010-03-09T11:08:00.005-05:00

The quilting group jumped off to a nice start yesterday. They hit the fabric store early to gather fabric for their projects. The group members said that the fabric store was fun, because they were able to begin thinking about their personal project. During the second half of the day, they were taught to use a sewing machine and cut fabric. For homework, they were told to create an outline for their quilt. Today, they began to cut and sew together their fabric that they purchased at the store yesterday. Although there have been a few minor sewing machine mishaps, the amateur quilters are quickly making their ways to pros!

Andes and Amazon Adventure

2010-03-09T10:42:00.005-05:00

Hola from Ecuador!
We made it here last night rather late in the evening, and checked into our cute hotel in Quito, Ecuador. We were all pretty tired from our travels so we feel alseep quickly. This morning we woke up to a great breakfast together and Meg Lewis wowed us with her spanish speaking skills. (She also left her cell phone on the plane in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday). We are getting ready for a fun filled day with our awesome guide, Markus who knew all of our names right when we got on our tour bus. Today we will be emarking on an amazing adventure where we will drive to the northern part of the country and stay in a village for the next three days. On our way to the village, we will be passing Ecuador´s most picturesque, snowcapped colcanoes, Cayambe, Cotopaxi or Antisana. We will also vist the sacred Peguche Waterfall and give an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and then enjoy a traditional Andean lunch in the village of Peguche. After that we are going to visit the Andean instrument workshop and listen to a musical demonstration. Once we make it to the viallge of Quitugo were we are going to begin our service project. During this project, we will help with thei deforestation issues as well as learn and teach about our different cultures. We will be staying overnight at the school, which will be an experience for all of us, but we are excited for this different and new adventure. Hope to write soon when we find another computer! Pictures to come!
Love, TEAM ECUADOR

Learning the tools of the internet

2010-03-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

We have been setting up new accounts for internet applications that I have never heard of before. Today has been torture, I feel like I have typed my name over 100 times. However, we have created these accounts to become more organized and make our blog better. Enjoy.

Torture is such a harsh word, however I feel that we must work to make this as best as we can!

Group Photos - Take 1

2010-02-25T13:33:00.000-05:00

Several group photos were taken during the final Winterim Meetings on Feb. 12th. All on/near campus group photos will be taken the first Monday of Winterim, 3/8.
View these photos on our Picasa Web Album.

We look forward to receiving "action photos" of all groups during the 2-week adventure!
EMAIL us at: latechie@gmail.com.

WE WOULD LOVE PHOTOS OF THESE OFF CAMPUS GROUPS BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

Rafting in Mexico

Dominican Service

Mountain Biking

Thank you and have fun!

2010-02-25T13:14:00.000-05:00

Thank you to our fearless Winterim Director, David Smith!

We are sure everyone has done every bit of paperwork and things are all set to go. Enjoy your own bike trip. No worries - we will all be fine!
Be safe and have fun!

Welcome to Our Blog!

2010-01-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

This blog is maintained by students in the RUaDgtalNativ Winterim at Lawarence Academy in Groton, MA. They plan to post news and informational stories, photos and video clips about the other 28 Winterim Projects for 2010. We hope you will visit and comment often.

Lawrence Academy Winterim 2010

Winterim Ends

The Fun Doesn't Stop at 3:00

What Makes a Good Winterim?

RUaDgtalNativ: The Results of Our Labors

The Dangers of On-Campus Winterims Volume IV: Off-Campus Injuries Prove More Dangerous

Live from Wachusett Mountain... in a Hotdog Suit

More Groups Coming Home Today

Flustered and back in the classroom...

The Dangers of On-Campus Winterims Volume III: RUaDGTALNATIV?

Original Taste...Original Recipe

LA Chess Championship

Returning to Campus

Going for Stripe Number 2

Reflections of Head Start Volunteers

The Total Experience at Total Mountain Experience

Pre-Game Report

The Final Struggle for Perfected Glass Art

The Luck of the Irish doesn't Help Everyone During Casino Night!

Week 2 in Costa Rica

Yoga on a Field Trip

Internet Cafe with no wall plugs.

LAzer Tag

Going Green in the French Alps

Tragedies Strike in Digital Photography!

Mexico Update!

The Groton Flood, Or Why Nobody Can Get To Work Today

Week 1 in the Costa Rican Rainforest

Showtime!

Singing With Your Hands

Where in the World?

Chess Recieves a Lecture of Strategy and Logic

Dominican Days of Service and Sun

Kayaking in the Bahamas

Rafting In Mexico - An update on Their Activites

Dangerous On-Campus Winterims (Volume 2): Artists Encounter Scary Shards in Stained Glass

Quilting Quickly Completes Their Quilts

This Baby Be Turnin'

Iron Chef Cooks!

RUaDN: Stuck in the Classroom...Again

The Art of Glass is Only as Beautiful as the Heart of the Artist

Student Post From Yellowstone

HeadStart Interviews 1 & 2

Student Post From Yellowstone

Sports Journalism takes on the Big City and the Big East

Tomatoes for the Health of it

Exhilarating Experiences in Ecuador!

DigiPhoto Is Off To Maine!

From the best tasting eggs...to the worst tasting drinks

The System: Flying in to Our Nation's Capital

Underwater Discovery: Diving In Belize!

Who Will Be the Next Karate Kid?

News from Biking in Arizona!

Arizona Jumping

Good News from Panama!

Ireland - Friday Evening Report

Ireland - Early Friday Report

Fun and Exciment Erupting in Ecuador!

Field Visits Galore!

The Iron Chef Challenges the Art of Seafood

ARC Volunteers- An Inspirational, yet Difficult Experience

A Totally Mountainous Experience!

Boston or Bust

Stained Glass Creations

RUaDgtal Native: From the Boonies to Boston

NCAA Extravaganza

RUaDN Recap

Rugged Leprechaun Braves the Dingleway

It's almost showtime...

Groton Church On FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!

Germination!!!

Andes and Amazon Adventure Works in Imbabura Community

REPORT FROM THE WEST

Biking in Arizona Finally Reports In!

Community Service and Sightseeing in Lima, Peru

Origins of Winterim

Art, Walking, and Culture in Ireland with the Rugged Leprechaun group

Behind The Scenes of Monday Night Hypnosist

Yoga featuring.....*drumroll*....Tokyo Joe!

ARC Volunteers Going Strong

Yoga featuring.....drumroll....Tokyo Joe!