Castine pupils learn lifelong skills in gym class

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear” when gym class was just that, gym class. Remember having to eke out the last few sit-ups on those smelly, lumpy mats that were about as hard as the maple floor under them? Having to shinny up those hawsers hanging from the ceiling?

Or how about the smell of the locker room that would clear the stuffiest of nasal congestions? Or coach Batino’s silver whistle hanging from its black lariat (when he didn’t have it clenched in his pursed lips trying to blow the poor little pea to bits)? And then there was the romp through the gang showers and hasty toweling and dressing in order to get to your next class.

Ah, those were the days.

Gym class has changed since my generation rushed home to see the Lone Ranger and Tonto fight for law and order in the early West or the Mouseketeers dance and sing their way into our hearts (remember Annette Funicello?).

Actually, a lot has changed since then, and much of it for the better. Take, for example, the physical education class at the Adams Elementary School in Castine, where 20 pupils have had the opportunity this spring to ride mountain bikes, test their skills on a climbing wall or paddle on Castine Harbor in kayaks.

These sixth- through eighth-graders have been having a great time learning some lifelong skills in their physical education class thanks to instructor John Floyd and teachers Bill McWeeny (science and math) and Paula Dunfee (social studies and language arts).

McWeeny told me there’s been swimming and water safety to go along with kayaking. And by the time this column is published, he will have taken five eighth-grade pupils on an overnight camping trip on Sparks Island. Clam digging, seal watching, singing, notebooks and Rachel Carson readings were just some of what was on tap. Not a bad way to learn and have fun at the same time, no? I had similar options back in the late ’50s and early ’60s but they were part of family or Boy Scouts experiences.

Karen Francoeur of Castine Kayak Adventures and Floyd collaborated to include kayaking into his outdoor curriculum, parents supported it, and the school backed it.

Two groups of Adams School pupils will have received four two-hour sessions with Francoeur, going over safety, rescue skills, basic strokes and maneuvers. They’ve had pool sessions and discussions on hypothermia, including a basic lesson on the danger of wearing cotton in cold water.

Last week they got to go on a paddle along Castine’s waterfront. Seven of them showed up a week ago Tuesday on a day that forecasters were warning of showers and northwest winds. We dodged a bullet and had great weather for our short paddle. (Not an hour after we got off the water a gully washer pushed through the area.)

I went along for the ride to see firsthand how the youngsters took to the water. It was interesting to watch how each of the seven rose to the occasion. There were three who performed as if they were born in kayaks, a couple who worked together in a tandem kayak just like a well-oiled machine, and there were a couple who struggled a bit, maybe fearing that it would be uncool to look like they were having too much fun.

In the end, everyone had a great time (splashing each other helped). Francoeur lined them up and made them tell the rest of us what they liked most about the outing. For Nola Logan and Katie Fitch, “It was wet!” Gillian Paine said it was “Super!” Jennie Olivari said, “I thought it was really fun.”

Chantal Brouillard elaborated on Olivari’s summation, “I thought it was fun and exciting and tiring at the same time.” Lyle Bisher thought “It was awesome,” and Mike Maixner said the chance to go paddling was “nifty.”

Francoeur told me she has been encouraged by the response from the youngsters, and that she’ll be offering a few basic kayaking classes for teens this summer. Topics such as reading the water, life jacket safety, basic paddling strokes, wet exits and rescues will be covered in six-hour sessions, one a two-part session on June 25 and 27, the other, a one-day session on July 12. There will also be a daylong session for teens on July 30. For more information and prices call 866-3506.

Like to bike? The 13th annual Maine Bike Rally is scheduled for July 13-15 in Bath, and, by the looks of the brochure advertising this event, there’s something for everyone. The hosts of the three-day event are the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Casco Bay Bicycle Club and Merrymeeting Wheelers, and its sponsors are Poland Spring and L.L. Bean.

Events are scheduled from 8 a.m. to after dark for Friday and Saturday, and Sunday begins with a 4:30 a.m. sunrise ride for those who just can’t get enough.

There are on-road and off-road rides, ice cream socials and picnics, races and presentations. And if you tire of biking, there are other activities in the Bath area from kayaking to swimming to golfing, canoeing, boat cruises, hiking, shopping and museum tours.

Early registration is advised. For more information on this event, call the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at 623-4511 or check out their Web site at www.bikemaine.org.

Last week I told you about Shelley Johnson and Vaughan Smith’s new book “A Guide to Sea Kayaking in Maine” (Globe-Pequot). They will be signing copies of their book at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 9 Marketplace Drive, Augusta. If you’re in the area and haven’t picked up your copy, drop by, pick one up and have them sign it for you. The book is a handy reference to have in your outdoor library and indispensable if you’re looking for new places to paddle.

Jeff Strout’s column is published on Thursdays. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.