Tommie's Catalina Tale

Hey everybody,

The 8^th graders took a plane, bus, and boat to get to Catalina. The first thing we did was get in to wet suits and go snorkeling (that was really fun). On Thursday we got to kayak to a rock that we got to snorkel around. After lunch we all went to the ropes course and I went on the zip line. Then at night we got to listen to stories about the stars. After, we all went to are cabins and went to sleep.

~ Thomasina

Good Morning from Trey and Gabe!

Hi Everybody!

After the plane and boat ride to Catalina, we immediately started snorkeling, which we would have to do three more days of the trip, in very tight and sandy wetsuits. In the water, we saw all types of organisms. That night, we had a campfire, (Without s’mores L) and we learned a bunch about the native people of this island. On the island, we went on a climbing wall, did a team building project, went on a ropes course, kayaked, hiked, and looked at the stars. Each of the activities were very fun, and made us enjoy the outdoors. I made a lot of connections with friends. Today, we will go to the garden, and then make our way back to SF.

See you then!

~ Trey

Hi people who didn’t come to Catalina!

Throughout the week, the class snorkeled, rock climbed, hiked, kayaked, we climbed on the ropes course, sang campfire songs, and looked at the stars. Although the water activities were cold, we enjoyed them because we got to see new creatures and explore different places on the island. The rock wall and ropes course, were mostly comprised of team building activities, but gave us a thrilling experience and a little scare. On the last few days, we went on a day hike and a night hike, and by the end of the first days filled with water activities, we all craved for something to do on the surface of the island. At the end of our every last day, we sat on the meadow in the back of the mess hall and watched the sun set. We were sat there until bed time, when we all went quietly to sleep.

~ Gabe

Savana tells her story!

Dear anyone reading this,

It all started when and I woke up at 2AM in the morning. Of course it was way too early and we were still tired and decided to sleep a bit more. We ended up waking up at 3:40AM by mistake but managed to get ready and arrive to the airport on time. When we first got to the airport we had to check in our bags and waited for everyone to arrive. About a hour or so later we went through security and boarded the plane. This was going to be my first time on a plane and I was really nervous. When the plane began to move I was really excited but then it ended up taking awhile before it actually took off. When the plane started to speed up and was getting to lift off I got to witness it all due to my window seat. We flew into the clouds and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The sunrise was beautiful and the clouds looked so cool. When the plane took off everyone cheered for me cause it was my first time. Finally, when the plane was beginning to land I got to watch over LA and it was really pretty. We then got off the plane and grabbed our bags and waited for the bus. After the long bus ride we ate lunch then boarded the Catalina Island Ferry. Every since I have been at the island I got to do amazing things such as snorkel for the first time. It was pretty scary at first and I had to use a floaty board but after snorkeling for awhile, I became use to floating in my suit. I also got to hike both day and night. I learned where a few planets were and learned how foxes and deer use their ears. We also kayaked and it was pretty challenging but after a few minutes I got used to it. Today I got to participate in the ropes course and I did all 3 challenges. I was pretty scared at first but I felt well supported by my friends and that helped me. It is almost our last day on the island and I’m sad to say we will be leaving tomorrow but I really enjoyed my time here J

~ Savana the Banana

Heading to the High Ropes Course

Today we went on a kayaking, snorkeling adventure. First we suited up into our wet suits. The suits are two main pieces, the bottoms which are pants and the top which is a jacket. We put on the pants which are extremely tight and hard to put on. We then made wetsuit babies. They are made up of our fins, goggles with the snorkel, hood, and finally the wetsuit top. We put them all together to form our wetsuit baby. We then went down to the beach and got into your kayaks. I went in a single because I’m much more comfortable in them and they are a lot lighter so you can go faster. The whole class got into kayaks and went to Emerald Bay. We all beached our kayaks with help of our consoler Turtle, his real name is Alex. We then got into our snorkeling gear and started swimming out to Indian Rock. The water was much different then the C.E.L.P cove. Their where many different animals to. Their where giant bat rays all over the sandy bottom. We saw some Garibaldi fish, schools of all colors of fish, and sand dollars that looked like ocean Oreos. The island is shaped like a man laying on his back, with a big chest, and has one small leg.

~ Kiley

I don’t know what time it was. It must have been really early in the morning. I caught a cold the first night we arrived at Catalina Island, and I couldn’t quite fall asleep on the second night. I went outside to get some fresh air and I sat on the stairs of our cabin. I was sitting there, enjoying the night breeze, for a few minutes before I realized I saw the outline of the deer, standing in the middle of the camp. I was a little surprised and smiled to myself. I looked around to see that there was more than just the two deer. I saw the dark outline of a big, bulky animal. I stopped smiling once I realized it was a big bison just a few meters from me. I watched it for a few minutes as it moved his head, turning while slightly shuffling its feet. I stood up and walked in the cabin and got in my bed, trying not to wake anyone up. I waited to tell everyone and finally fell asleep for an hour or two before waking up again before everyone else. By the way, I love you mom and dad.

~ Christian

If you look out to the ocean from the beach it could almost be Hawaii, but then you look up and see the dark clouds that have been hovering over the island for the past three days. There is still not a drop on the ground. The wetsuits were cold, because we used them for four days in a row. They are hard to put on, but even worse to take off. Todd is getting a more noticeable beard everyday. It’s starting to creep me out.

~ Sam™

Emerald Bay

Today we went on a kayaking, snorkeling adventure. First we suited up into our wet suits. The suits are two main pieces, the bottoms which are pants and the top which is a jacket. We put on the pants which are extremely tight and hard to put on. We then made wetsuit babies. They are made up of our fins, goggles with the snorkel, hood, and finally the wetsuit top. We put them all together to form our wetsuit baby. We then went down to the beach and got into your kayaks. I went in a single because I’m much more comfortable in them and they are a lot lighter so you can go faster. The whole class got into kayaks and went to Emerald Bay. We all beached our kayaks with help of our consoler Turtle, his real name is Alex. We then got into our snorkeling gear and started swimming out to Indian Rock. The water was much different then the C.E.L.P cove. Their where many different animals to. Their where giant bat rays all over the sandy bottom. We saw some Garibaldi fish, schools of all colors of fish, and sand dollars that looked like ocean Oreos. The island is shaped like a man laying on his back, with a big chest, and has one small leg.

~ Kiley

Day Four Begins

Yesterday we went snorkeling in the kelp forest and we got to touch a sea slug and a dead Garibaldi fish. We also saw bat rays on the ocean floor. I got wacked in the face with a flipper a couple of times. Then we went on an eco hike on the south side of the canyon. There were amazing views of the ocean and other parts of Catalina.

~ Leo

It was early in the morning, about 5:30, and I couldn’t sleep. I was tossing and turning in my sleeping bag, trying to force my eyes shut. I finally decided I was up for the day. I got out of my sleeping bag and slipped out of my cabin. I walked down to the beach, all I could hear was the sound of birds chirping. I sat on a rocky path by the beach and watched the sun come up over LA. The sky was filled with explosive orange and red colors. I waited until the sun came all the way up to slip back into my cabin and fall asleep.

~ Clara

A Message From Meenaa

The trip has been really fun so far. I have been learning to challenge myself in the activities we do through out each day. I have had fun snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, and so many other things. Catalina Island is a place where have learned about teamwork and actually supporting my team. Even though the school year is almost over I feel the trip has brought us together more. I love it here at Catalina Island but, I can’t wait to go home.

~ Meenaa

Greetings from Howland Landing

Uhh, I don’t really know what to say… other than I’m having a lot of fun. I freaked out on the plane when it took off and when it landed for some reason. I’m really sore from snorkeling, (yes that’s possible) my thighs hurt and so do m arms, but not too much. Umm, what else. Oh! THE WET SUITS ARE HORRIBLE! They’re too tight, they hurt my arms, and sometimes they are still wet so its really cold when I put them on L. They keep saying that the water is warm but when I get into the ocean, I feel like I’m bathing in salty ice cubes. It’s a relief to get them off when we’re all done. I saw a lot of cool stuff while snorkeling, like sting rays, and lobsters. My favorite activities so far have been, kayaking, and rock climbing. I climbed the hardest wall like it was the easiest and I was really proud. Kayaking was really fun, they let us get out of our kayaks to swim and when I didn’t want to get out Georgina went ahead and made me capsize (I was in a single kayak). I wasn’t upset but I was wet, luckily it was hot. The food is really good, I’m happy about that. I’m not sure what else to write except that I love you Mom, My sister Dulce, my Dad and my Grandma. BTW Dad if you’re reading this, you Go pro is currently sitting in a bag of rice because when I took it on my kayak to take underwater pictures, water somehow leaked into the case. One of the instructors told me (after) that the case has a fatal flaw, which is that when you take underwater pictures, water sometimes leaks in from the buttons, even though the case is perfectly sealed (like yours was). Don’t be mad at me, I was very safe with it and very conscious of what I was doing. Ask anyone. Again I love you guys and I’ll see you all again on Friday!

~Romeo

Hello fellow readers,

On Monday Savana and I woke up at 2AM but then we went back to sleep and then woke up at 3:40AM. Whoops! After that, we got to the airport. I saw all my friends and I was very excited to be going on the trip. We got on the plane and I was an aisle seat, it was okay. I just read the whole ride until we started to land and I got a really bad earache, it was really bad. Anyways, after that, we got on a bus to go to the boat. That was uneventful. Around 9AM we ate lunch and we got on the boat. I spent most of the ride at the front of the boat getting splashed. It was very fun. We got to Catalina Island around 11:30AM and ate lunch. The food here is delicious. After we ate lunch we unpacked and got ready for our first activity. We went snorkeling! It was so fun. We saw so many fish. In the late afternoon we had a campfire before we went to bed. The next morning I woke up a bit stuffy, We played a bunch of games and climbed the rock wall. Then we went on a night snorkel and it was so cool to see the microorganisms glowing in the dark. Wednesday I woke up sicker than ever. I almost didn’t get to snorkel but I toughened it out and went. J I miss you guys at home and I hope you guys don’t miss me too much ;)

Los quiero mucho,

~ Georgina

Hi everyone,

So far it has been a really amazing trip. On the way here was a pretty cool experience, I got go on a plane with my classmates and even though we were a little crazy it was fun. On the boat trip over I stood out on the deck the whole time with Sadie, Isa, and Georgina; it was really windy and we got kind of wet. Catalina is amazing, our camp is in a little cove area with a nice beach, and many hills. I love my cabin we have so much fun and the activties are so much fun! We have done a lot of snorkeling and many other things. I love it here, but I can’t wait come home.

I miss you all at home,

~ Molly

Morning Check In from Catalina

Hi! In the plane, I completed a crossword puzzle and it was fun. Before the boat came to a halt, I had to vomit because I was a little sea sick. The first thing we did in Catalina is we went snorkeling. It took forever to put on a wet suit but it was worth it by looking at the cool fishes in the ocean. On Tuesday, we went kayaking and I got sea sick again but I didn’t vomit. One night, we went on a night snorkel and it was pretty cool. When I got out of the water, I was cold and I really needed to use el bano. Hope you guys are having fun in New York.

~ Matthew Chan

Hello! I have had such a great time this trip. We have done so many fun things. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the snorkeling. On the snorkel I saw so many cool animals that I have never seen before. The water was way too cold on the second snorkel, On the second snorkel we went at night and it was freezing, I never want to do that again.  I had such a great time doing team building games. We had lots of fun overcoming all the activities. The trip has been so fun and I can’t wait to do more fun things. Hi father I miss you. Mia I miss you too.

Love your son Ben.

Hello. So far, I have had a great time on this trip. The trek from San Francisco to Catalina Island went along smoothly and I seemed quite awake, at least compared to everyone around me. On the first day, we put on a wet suit and went in the water to snorkel. I saw a lot of interesting organisms in the ocean and had a good time. The day after, we went kayaking for a couple hours and had a lot of fun doing boat wars and bumper boats throughout the kayaking experience. I capsized 3-4 times with none on purpose. I went in the water to swim as well. After, I went night snorkeling. This time, I felt miserable putting on the wet suit due to the freezing temperatures and my inadequate ability to put my foot through the pant leg. Eventually, I put on the wet suit and went in the water to snorkel. I sadly had to share a flashlight with a partner, leaving my visibility impaired for half of the snorkel. I was lucky enough to spot an octopus and point it out.

This has been a great experience I hope to continue throughout the trip.

~ Luke

They are trying to kill us with snorkeling. We are going snorkeling everyday. Before I disliked snorkeling now I hate it. I am in freezing water shivering and getting foot cramps from swimming with the fins. I wish we got to go hiking more often but we don’t and we also do not have an option to go snorkeling or not. I think this was a trip that I will remember and not in the good way. Now bye I will go and cry for myself

~ Joseph

Uhh, I don’t really know what to say… other than I’m having a lot of fun. I freaked out on the plane when it took off and when it landed for some reason. I’m really sore from snorkeling, (yes that’s possible) my thighs hurt and so do m arms, but not too much. Umm, what else. Oh! THE WET SUITS ARE HORRIBLE! They’re too tight, they hurt my arms, and sometimes they are still wet so its really cold when I put them on L. They keep saying that the water is warm but when I get into the ocean, I feel like I’m bathing in salty ice cubes. It’s a relief to get them off when we’re all done. I saw a lot of cool stuff while snorkeling, like sting rays, and lobsters. My favorite activities so far have been, kayaking, and rock climbing. I climbed the hardest wall like it was the easiest and I was really proud. Kayaking was really fun, they let us get out of our kayaks to swim and when I didn’t want to get out Georgina went ahead and made me capsize (I was in a single kayak). I wasn’t upset but I was wet, luckily it was hot. The food is really good, I’m happy about that. I’m not sure what else to write except that I love you Mom, My sister Dulce, my Dad and my Grandma. BTW Dad if you’re reading this, you Go pro is currently sitting in a bag of rice because when I took it on my kayak to take underwater pictures, water somehow leaked into the case. One of the instructors told me (after) that the case has a fatal flaw, which is that when you take underwater pictures, water sometimes leaks in from the buttons, even though the case is perfectly sealed (like yours was). Don’t be mad at me, I was very safe with it and very conscious of what I was doing. Ask anyone. Again I love you guys and I’ll see you all again on Friday!

~ Romeo

Hello from CELP!

Hello!! So far I’ve had a great trip and done so much stuff I’ve never done before. Monday we flew down to LA and it was one of the best flights I’ve ever been on so props to the pilot. When we got to Catilina after a windy boat ride we snorkeled. I’ve never snorkeled before so that was great. Today we kayaked and I was partners with Stella. We sang the whole time. We’ve also rock climbed today and I made it over the hard wall, even though my amazing friends made a 25 cent bet against me. Right now I’m writing this even though I’m supposed to be getting ready to night snorkel. I’m so excited for the rest of the trip!! Miss you family xx.

~ Corrina

On Monday when we got on the boat and I took Dramamine. I got a little goofy. After the boat ride when we got to the island we got to go snorkeling and it was really fun. My wetsuit was choking me, but its ok because im still alive. There were lots of fishies. I kissed a sea cucumber and it was very slimy. All the food is really good.  Today is Tuesday and we went kayaking and I was partners with Corrina which was great. We also went rock climbing and I got to the top!!!! Yaaaaay. Tonight we are going night snorkeling. Its going to be awesome. Overall I’m having a great time. Miss you family!

~ Stella

Today we went kayaking, it was pretty cold at first but then it heated up and we all jumped in the water. Tonight we are going night snorkeling. We just had dinner and we have to go change into our scuba gear (these moments will not be my best memories of this trip). We just had dinner, there are other schools here from San Diego and Oregon. I have to go now, but mom and dad, I love you and can't wait to tell you all about it in person.

~ Hannah

An update from Matthew CE

Today (it is Tuesday by the way) The class of 2015 went into the freezing cold ocean to go kayaking. At first it was a bit boring just paddling away until the class got a bright idea to start water wars in my opinion, Todd won but Eleanor got her revenge. Then at a certain point, some people decided to go swimming and of course some boats got capsized (mine got capsized twice, thanks Ben). After the epic water fights and swimming it was time to come back and eat lunch. Todd then asked me to do a segment of the blog and that’s what I am writing now. Dads just saying I love you I’m having a great time and tell Michael I say Hi!

~ Matthew CE

A shout out from Leo

We went to Catalina island on a big ferry boat. Then we went snorkeling in Howlands cove, and we saw a variety of ocean species. Then we had a nice relaxing camp fire ceremony. We played games, preformed skits, and played music.

~ Leo

Hello from Sadie Ray

My first day at Catalina Island began as a tired blur and ended in laughter. After waking at the despicable hour of 3 am I half walked half dragged myself to the car. I said my good byes at the airport and boarded the plane. I am not scared of a lot of things, but of my fears plane rides are featured prominently at the top of the list. I spent the plane ride in a state of terror thinking of everything that could go wrong. None of my scenarios were realistic (engine failure, freak accident, angry vampires) and we landed safely in LA. After an uneventful bus ride we arrived at the dock, waiting for our boat. I spent the whole ride on the deck trying to touch the turquoise water. After that everything was new and exciting, too much to keep track of. Exiting the boat, the spray of the sea, loudly singing Disney songs, volleyball, food, snorkeling, cabins, and fish. Through it all one thing became clear; this is going to be a trip to remember.

P.S. Hi mom! I love you.

~ Sadie Ray