In mid-August, while verifying spellings and titles for a Mission news release on the Sunbeam‘s Demonstration Cruise to Frenchboro island, I came upon this wonderful “Frenchboro Kingfishers” drawing. Who are the Frenchboro Kingfishers? Who designed that poster? Those questions started me on a brief, online journey, ending at one of the best blogs I’ve come across: Frenchboro School: Adventures in a One Room Schoolhouse.
What an excellent way for Frenchboro School to establish two-way communication with the world. Sad that this blog ended when the school teachers — Mr. & Mrs. Finn? — moved from Frenchboro. But what a great historic legacy. Very well done.
As for the origin of the Frenchboro Kingfishers? I’m including here a bit of the back story. Find out the rest of the story at Adventures in a One Room Schoolhouse.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010
Mascot Voting
Does your school have a mascot? Of course it does. Every school has a mascot, right? Well, that’s what I thought, until I moved to Frenchboro.
This year we got organized. The kids came up with a large (very large) list of possible mascots. I especially liked Bradley’s, which was the Sharpened Pencils. We put up a sheet at the post office, asking for ideas. Then the kids took their favorites from both lists. After numerous write-in votes, we had pared the list down to five. Hurricanes, Sea Monsters, Kingfishers, Power Strike (no, it’s not a Power Ranger…it’s a lightning bolt), and Sharks.
The kids made up official ballots. They plastered the town with voting signs. They set up a voting station at the school. Then they called. Everyone. Like…multiple times. Let’s just say that we had more voter turnout than any town will have in the gubernatorial race this year. And, if you could talk, you could vote.
We are now officially the Frenchboro Kingfishers. It’s got a good ring to it. Maybe not as snazzy as the Sharpened Pencils, but, ya know…the adults got votes, too.