Ocracoke, my new little school

Ocracoke School is a school like no other! Fewer than 200 students in Pre-K through 12. One teacher for each of the elementary grades, and one teacher for each core subject in middle and high school. One teacher for PE, computer/business, and art for all grades. Many of the older students take upper-level classes online.

There are no buses. Many children ride bikes or walk to school; others are dropped off by parents in cars or golf carts. Teachers walk, take golf carts or drive. The school is just over a half mile from my house.

There is no cafeteria; children bring their lunches and eat together in a common area and then go outside (or to the gym in bad weather) to play. Yes, to play! Three teachers, on a rotating schedule, and the principal (yes, the principal!) do lunch duty; others are free to go home for lunch also.

This is my little wooden classroom. It is just a tad bigger than a 15′ X 15″ square. The floor, walls and ceiling are all wood! I have six two (three if needed) people desks and barely enough room to walk between them. But I have a SmartBoard and a laptop cart. I AM the high school math department! (Meetings are very short! and usually pretty congenial!) I can’t send children out into the hall ( I always hate it when teachers do that anyway!) because there is no hall!

My room is just off the commons area, where students gather before school, eat breakfast and sometimes lunch. It, too, is wooden. As are the bathrooms! Every time I go into the bathroom, I feel like I am summer camp (“How I love the things we do at Camp Tekoa!” and “Camp Seven Springs is so much fun…”). Could be interesting in the winter.

Everyone knows everyone. This is a real community. After just one round of lunch duty, I know most of the lower grades kids, if not by name at least by face. As I walk through the village, stop in at the Variety Store or check my mail at the post office (feel free to send something to box 414), I see people who know me and seem happy to see me. Kids ride past me on their bikes and say hello. Sort of a Mayberry kind of feeling.

But back to the school. Since we are so isolated, students are out of class a lot. A trip to the dentist is at least a half day and the orthodontist or a doctor other than the local clinic, a full day. And sports are a big deal! We are the only school on the island so every away game requires both a ferry ride and a drive, many of those several hours away. The activity bus will often leave between 9 and 11 AM and not get back to the island until 10:00 PM or even later. There is no football team and no softball team. Last year was the first year we had a soccer team and this year was our first home soccer game. Still waiting for the first win!

The student population is an interesting mix. Many- most- are lifelong Ocracokers, whose parents also went to Ocracoke School. A few are relatively new to the island– dingbatters like me! Some of them are from wealthy families, with parents who are opening businesses on the island. The interactions and conversations between these children are interesting. Hurricane Matthew made this clear; I heard one young man all giddy with the prospect of time off to go on vacation while his classmate was concerned because her fisherman father stood to lose thousands of dollars in income! And then there is the relatively large Hispanic population, which seems to be well integrated into the culture.

There is so much more to Ocracoke School than I have shared here, but for now suffice it to say that I am proud to be a Dolphin!