Cape Cod boatbuilding program inspires Harwich High students
"You can't change the direction of the wind.... but you can adjust your sails."
Harwich Police officer Jonathan Mitchell finds boat building program an extension of his community policing work
Four years ago, Jonathan Mitchell was the school resource
officer for the town of Harwich. He balanced his time between the
elementary, middle and high schools as well as Cape Cod Regional
Technical High School. He also tackled elder affairs and other
"social" issues.
Then Police Chief William Mason joined the force.
Mitchell recalls Mason asking each of the department's officers to sit
down with him and explain their job. Mitchell says that when he
finished, "the chief said, 'It sounds like you have nine different
job descriptions. It would be hard to do any of them well. ...How about
doing one school?' I almost laughed."
But Mitchell soon discovered Chief Mason was serious.
"Since I have been here, the school resource
officer program has been one of my priorities," Mason says,
describing Mitchell as the "grandfather" of the program.
"I can't say enough about the importance of building these
relationships between the police and the youth in our community."
Police officer Jonathan
Mitchell is
a valuable resource for Harwich High teachers, administrators and even
students.
Mitchell will tell you that Harwich's young people, like
young people everywhere, face challenges. He'll tell you that alcohol
remains the largest drug problem among students. He may tell you that he
meets on a weekly basis with the town's youth counselor, Sheila House,
HECH youth counselor Lynn Snow, and high school Vice Principal Janie
Girolamo to make sure that there is a safety net in place for students
who may otherwise fall between the cracks.
"The key to this is that the officers in the
schools are aware of issues that are brewing," Mason says.
"Things like destruction of property and fights are on the decline
because the officers are intervening before they happen."
Mitchell's presence at Harwich High School has evolved
as well, with students growing more and more comfortable with his
presence. Today, some students are comfortable enough with Mitchell that
they will come to him with problems they are having with classmates,
parents, neighbors or even other police officers.
"The view of a lot of young people in town is that
police are not kid-friendly," he says. "I don't agree with
that, but perception is reality sometimes."
Mitchell says that there is a "really clear
division" in terms of at-risk behavior between students who
participate in organized activities, such as sports, drama or other
extracurricular clubs, and those who don't. He quickly adds that such
involvement is no panacea for problems.
"But the group that really worries me is the group
who are not connected to anything," he says.
He says that as a fresh graduate out of the police
academy, he quickly realized that he did not fit the traditional image
of an enforcement officer.
"The 'Just the facts, ma'am' mode was not working
for me at all," he recalls. Then the community policing method of
involving police officers more directly in the communities they served
came into vogue. Mitchell says former Lt. Manuel Gomes dragged him
"screaming and shouting" to a community policing forum in
Provincetown.
"And I said, 'Wow. This guy is right on
target.'"
To create an effective community policing program,
Mitchell emphasizes, there must be an underlying plan that takes
community input into consideration. By connecting to the communities
they serve, officers learn about underlying problems rather than simply
dealing with the symptoms of those problems.
On patrol
Mitchell is on his feet. He likes to be in the hallways
when students are passing from one class to another. Now he's outside,
taking the first of his two or three daily campus walks. He bumps into a
group of students and stops to chat about what's going on in town.
Mitchell's "beat" extends beyond the high
school grounds. The Community Center, the skateboard park and Brooks
Park are all within his purview. He keeps an eye out for anything or
anyone unusual.
Mitchell has also spent time in government classes,
talking with students about the limits of free speech and providing a
"cop's eye view of the law."
"It's a fine balancing point," he says.
"I enjoy getting involved in the academic process where possible. I
don't want to be an occupying force in the school. We have a really neat
bunch of kids here."
The goal is to offer creative and meaningful after-school activities for all students, particularly those who are not involved in mainstream sports or other school programs.
Students build the Elegant Punt
7'9"x 3'7"
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| Harwich High student boat builder proudly exibits the shapely dinghy he built during the after school program. |
In this day of fiberglass boats, a group of Harwich High School students have broken the mold, returning to the ancient craft of constructing punts of wood. A couple of a students are even taking that purist attitude a step further in refusing to use power tools.
Meeting twice a week for a few hours on the second floor of the recreation building on Sisson Road, the students are working in two-man teams, starting with sheets of plywood to shape an Elegant Punt, an eight-foot rowing or sailing dinghy designed by marine architect Phil Bolger of Gloucester back in the mid-1970s.
It’s the nicest rowing dinghy I’ve ever been in, Jonathan Mitchell, who has built a dozen of them, said on Thursday as 10 students mixed glue to seal seams to begin assembling the boats.
I really had nothing better to do after school and enjoy working with wood, Tom Vagenas said as he nailed a prow to it frame. I thought it would be a good experience. I enjoy working with my hands. I thought making a boat would be a pretty good idea.
Mitchell, a police officer who serves as school resource officer at the high school, and social studies teacher John Dickson, the school sailing team coach, put an instant boatbuilding program together in late December. In need of a place to conduct the after-school activity, they went to selectmen for permission to use the recreation building, which has been empty since the community center opened.
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| Harwich Police Officer Kevin Considine assists Jonathan Mitchell in carrying the Elegant Pram into the Harwich Community Center for display during Harwich Civic Spirit Day. |
A frequently heard lament is that young people have nothing to do around here. We are surrounded by water, yet relatively few young people are involved in waterfront activities, Mitchell explained to selectmen when requesting use of the facility.
Our ultimate goal is to offer creative and meaningful after-school activities for all students, particularly those who are not involved in mainstream sports or other school programs.
Mitchell said building wooden boats has been a love of his for years. At one point he had an ambition to work in that field, but realized he didn’t have the necessary skills.
I’m doubly blessed, the police officer said. I’m now working with young people and boats. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Dickson brings sailing skills to the program. He admits to never having built a boat before, though he added he constructed parts of boats and cabinets. As well as being sailing coach, he was instrumental in bringing education and sailing opportunities to Pleasant Bay through the Marconi Maritime Center in Chatham and Pleasant Bay Community Boating Day.
When asked if the boatbuilding program would serve as a farm league to feed his high school sailing team, Dickson responded: I think these kids will be more into building boats and fishing from them rather than sailing.
The concept and implementation of the program came together fast, but there has been no lack of interest. Mitchell said there are 17 participants with approximately a dozen showing up for most sessions. The group is presently building nine punts.
This program happened very quickly, Mitchell said. It was launched fast, on a wing and a prayer and we’re still making it up as we go.
The students paid $20 to get into the program to cover incidental costs. Mitchell said Jan Nickerson of Mid-Cape Home Centers donated the wood. Jan stepped right up to the plate and said how many boats, Mitchell said.
Cape Fishermen Supply in Chatham also agreed to provide the glue, nails and incidental materials at cost and Charlie Beggs of Ames Marine in Harwich assisted with materials and lots of good advice.
They purchased plans for the boat from distributor Harold Dynamite Payson of Thomaston, Maine. Mitchell said Payson has been great. Whenever there are questions about the plans, he said, Payson can be reached on the phone and walks them through the process.
These guys are great, Mitchell said of the students. They come in and bust hump for a couple of hours and don’t complain. They just do the work. We’ve got some very talented wood workers and others who have never touched wood before.
It’s really great and gives me something to do after school, said Austin Marsland.
I had friends doing it and had nothing else to do, Samir Elkamouny said. I’m learning a craft and killing some free time.
Jarek Walker and Kyle Conner made the decision to forego use of power tools in the process of constructing their boat. Instead, they used a hand saw to cut the components of the boat from sheets of plywood and passed on the power driven screwdriver used by most in assembly.
We’re neighbors and live on Black Pond, explained Conner. We each have our own boat and go fishing there all the time.
We’re here so we can learn, so we can build something together next summer, added Walker.
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| Good view of a completed Elegant Pram showing 'fore-n-aft' rowing thwart. |
I’ve always wanted to build a boat, student Shawn Stello explained of his plan to use the punt to explore the Herring River.
The option is available to use the punt as a rowing vessel or to add a sprit sail and a leeboard to one side. Many of the craftsmen had not made the final decision on how to power the vessel. The craft will also hold a small engine, according to Mitchell. Vagenas said his grandfather might have a small engine he can use.
Dickson said once the program is completed, they hope to have the opportunity to use the building once again for a second session. The idea is that each team will build a second punt so in the end each of the partners will have their own boat.
Dickson said this would be a good program to be conducted after school in the shop class at the high school, but in talking with teacher Tony Catanzaro, he realized there would not be enough space to store the boats. The recreation building is an ideal location, Dickson said, but the teacher admitted he did not know how long the building would be available for use.
Selectmen just this week received a letter from the town’s disability rights committee stating its opposition to use of the building in its present condition, for any purpose, because it is inaccessible to citizens with disabilities.
The program organizers would like to continue the boatbuilding class as an after-school program.
Mitchell is also talking about moving forward with a larger project, constructing two 20-foot trawl dories similar to those used a century ago by schooners on the Grand Banks. He said this would be a slightly more complicated boat, but he would like to work with the students now in the program in crafting the dories.
Mitchell cited the potential for developing a mini Outward Bound program. The school resources officer said he has been talking with school officials about using the vessels in Pleasant Bay for science and environment curriculum and with George Sowpel in alternative education.
The dories could serve as a confidence-builder for youngsters, Mitchell said. The officer said they might be able to access community policing grant funds for the program.
These boats would have four or five rowing stations, allowing the kids to pull on oars, Mitchell said. Being in an open boat a distance from shore requires team work and certainly helps to build self-confidence.”
Mitchell admits there are other projects to consider in the future. Building kayaks might be one experience, given assurance of a future for the program. He said they’d ultimately like to do a couple of sessions each year.
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(Thanks to William F. Galvin of the Cape Cod Chronicle and By Scott Dalton of the Harwich Oracle who contributed material to this webpage)
Launching Day for Student Boatbuilders
Harwich High students get a chance to float their boats
HARWICH - Donning red shorts and a matching life-jacket, Katie-Ann Defilippo hovered around her small, green boat, bobbing on Sand Pond.
"I've never been in a boat before, especially by myself. I'm kind of nervous," she admitted.
But a minor case of nerves was not going to prevent the Harwich High School student from climbing into the wooden-hulled boat. She and 11 other Harwich High School students spent months cutting, hammering and gluing all kinds of boat parts and pieces.
Yesterday, they pushed the finished products into the water.
"This is the moment of truth," joked Jon Mitchell, the school's resource officer.
Mitchell and Harwich teacher John Dixon organized the after-school boat-building program to give bored students something to do during cold winter days.
"There's a frequent lament that, especially in the winter time, there's not that much to do on the Cape," Mitchell said. "Winter's a gloomy time and there's a temptation to get involved in activities that aren't that healthy."
Students paid $20 and will keep their finished vessels. Materials were donated by MidCape Home Centers, Cape Fisherman Supplies and an anonymous donor.
Having finished earlier this semester, Matthew Van Gelder, a freshman, already tested out his boat and knew how it would handle on the water.
"It's not going to turn over," he said confidently as his passenger stepped in cautiously. .
Shawn Stello and Dan Tobin, both juniors, built theirs together. Tobin, who called the endeavor a "wicked fun project," is already planning to build a duck boat for himself.
Assistant principal Jamie Girolamo said she works with Mitchell to come up with programs targeting at-risk students, to see "what we can do to engage kids."
"She and I lamented the fact that we can't do more to connect with them," Mitchell said. "I said, 'I know what I know, and I only know boats.'"
Mitchell said through his work at the school he meets many students who have given up.
"They have a passion for nothing," he said. One of his ongoing goals is to find a way to connect to these students.
Admittedly, he said, the kids who launched their boats yesterday were some of the "best and the brightest."
"But there were a couple of kids who left who were people that were not thriving, and for the time they were here, I saw a spark I had not seen before," he said.
Mitchell and Dixon will be helping freshmen build boats this summer, as a way to ease their transition into high school. The school hopes to eventually make this a regular program, Girolamo said.
After splashing around in the water without any mishaps, the students headed back to shore and prepared to take their boats home for the first time.
Her first boat trip completed successfully, Defilippo was feeling pretty good about life. Not only had she gained a free boat, but her boyfriend was coming back for the summer.
"We're definitely going to use this," she said, adding that "I got two for one."
(Published: June 22, 2004, Cape Cod Times)
After School Boatbuilders Set Sail In Sand Pond
HARWICH (6/24/04) In a sense, it was graduation day for students. Not because Monday was the last day of school, but because their hand-crafted labors became buoyant for the first time on Sand Pond.
For more than five months, approximately 15 students have been working after school in a boatbuilding program under the guidance of social studies teacher John Dickson and school resource officer Jonathan Mitchell.
What started with willingness and a few lines on sheets of plywood culminated on the last day of school with the launching of nine dinghies resembling the work of master boatbuilders. The “Elegant Punt” design was that of Gloucester marine architect Phil Bolger, but the labor and accomplishment belonged to the students who worked a couple of days a week after school.
“It’s awesome to finally launch them,” said Matt VanGelder, a sophomore. “We’ve been working since the dead of winter and it all came out really well.”
VanGelder worked in partnership with classmate Austin Marsland, and with the launching in Sand Pond on the last day of school, the boatbuilder said his plans are to turn to fishing for the summer. The boat is easy to transport because it’s light, only 50 pounds, and he and his partner share the punt and the fishing experiences.
The word of the day was “awesome.” Several of the students who had a hand in building the nine boats chose the term to define the experience. Even Dickson, who is also the school’s sailing coach, used the word to define the experience.
“This is thrilling, awesome,” Dickson said of the launching. “They’ve got their boats. What can be better?”
Michael Grossman praised the commitment of Dickson and Mitchell to the program and students. The student said he enjoyed building the boat with his partner, Cameron Bauer, and it was great to have something to do after school this winter. Grossman said he enjoyed it so much, he’s now building his own punt with Mitchell’s guidance.
“They (Dickson and Mitchell) were pretty organized and knew what they were doing,” Grossman said. “It was nice to have these guys take the time to do this program.”
Superintendent of Schools Rosemary Joseph agreed with the success of the after-school program, calling it a wonderful experience for the students and praising the teacher and officer for giving their time.
The recreation building may not be available for the program in the future because it lacks handicapped accessibility, and Joseph said it would be too bad to lose the use of the building because it was ideal; students could leave their boats in various stages of construction until they returned. The superintendent said she would like to see the program continue, but admitted it would be hard to find a location in the high school where boats could be kept as a work in progress.
High school assistant principal Janie Girolamo, who was also in attendance for the launching, called it a fabulous program. She said this is the way to get such programs introduced into the curriculum.
VanGelder said when he first got a glimpse of the model boat they would be building, he thought it was a crude design. As they prepared to launch the punts, he admitted, “they came out a lot better ...they have a lot more shape to them.”
The launching drew a crowd of parents and friends and Harwich youth chaplain Linnea Snow was on hand to provide a blessing for the fleet.
“We thank you, God, for giving us the resources, knowledge and skill to build boats such as these in which to explore your many bodies of water. We ask you now to bless these boats that they may always be a source of pleasure and enjoyment. Keep safe from harm all those who travel in them and fill them with the knowledge of your unending love for us and for all creation,” Snow said.
Dickson urged the boaters to be cautious and prudent, pointing out water is a lot more risky than land. He told the students to always wear a lifejacket, every day and every minute while on the water.
Mitchell also cautioned boaters new to the water to remain close to the shore until they become comfortable with the experience. He urged against any “horse playing.” The students were instructed not to stand up in the boats or rock from side to side. Should a boat roll, Dickson advised those in the water to use the vessel as a floatation device.
Dispensing with cautionary measures, the boatbuilders used their handcrafted oars and pushed off from the shoreline, demonstrating varying commands of boating talent.
“It’s my first boating experience, first time out in a boat,” said Katie Ann DeFilippo.
DeFilippo jumped into the process mid-stream, explaining that her boyfriend, Samir Elkamouny, started building the boat last winter, but moved away from Harwich, so she agreed to finish the craft. “He’ll be back here this summer and we’ll both use it,” DeFilippo said.
These are the stories and commitments that will keep this program afloat. Mitchell praised the initial crop of boatbuilders as the best and brightest and for making the program so successful.
It was this crop that has planted roots for other boatbuilding experiences. Girolamo said a group of eighth graders coming into the high school this fall will embark on a boatbuilding experience this summer. She said this is a good way to make them feel comfortable about the transition to the high school.
Mitchell is also planning a graduate course, so to speak, working with several of the students who just finished boats to construct two 20-foot Grand Bank dories. The students will learn a little local history in the process.
Mitchell said once completed, the dories will be named for Captain Elmer F. Mayo and Seth Ellis, and will honor a heroic rescue that occurred from the Monomoy Life Saving Station off Chatham on March 11, 1902 . Mayo went into stormy seas to attempt what was thought to be an insurmountable mission to rescue the crew of the John C. Fitzpatrick, carrying coal to Newport , but which ran aground on Shovelful Shoal. Mayo managed to retrieve only Ellis from the vessel.
The message is clear in the naming of the dories: perseverance has its rewards. That is a message the boatbuilding instructors and school officials hope to instill upon the students and potentially future mariners.
Awesome.
6/24/04 Bill Galvin
Reaching out: Youth ministry aims to raise funds
By Douglas Karlson
HARWICH - (12/01/04) When a crisis erupts with a young person at Harwich High School, it often happens on a Friday afternoon, said School Resource Officer John Mitchell. That's when the five-day school safety net ends, and students balk at the thought of a weekend at home.
In such a situation, Mitchell often turns to youth chaplain Linnea Snow for help. On duty 24/7, Snow, who is trained in substance abuse and crisis issues, stands ready to help. As she climbs into his police cruiser, Mitchell said, "The only question Linn ever asks is 'Where are we going?'"
Together, the two form an unlikely team that, by all accounts, is filling a gap to help Harwich's kids.
To help keep this team up and running, the Harwich Ecumenical Youth Ministry is hosting a silent auction this Saturday, Dec. 4, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in East Harwich. It hopes to raise $5,000.
The position of youth chaplain is funded by the Youth Ministry, and not by the town, as some people think, said John Perris, rector of Christ Church Episcopal Church in Harwich Port. "I think much of the Harwich community takes it for granted," he added.
In his capacity as high school resource officer, Mitchell also oversees a boat-building program for at-risk youths, and acts as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the ministry, alerting the chaplain about kids who show signs of needing help.
The boat-building program is a police department initiative, which the youth ministry helps fund. It was started by Capt. Peter Welch, now retired.
As the youth chaplain, Snow provides counseling on personal and family issues, spiritual needs, substance abuse problems and depression. On average, she counsels 12 to 14 kids every week.
Said Mitchell, "These are kids who wouldn't dare call 911." But they will talk to Snow.
Because she's church affiliated, Snow's work requires a subtle presence, or people might be put off by overt religiosity or evangelism. Yet Mitchell said the kids accept her. "She's not government and she's not school. In a sense she's not church," added Perris.
According to Mitchell, that success may be attributed to a spiritual void or lack of connection among young people today, brought about by a fragmented society where time pressures inhibit traditional family activity. And yet, he maintained, "there's definitely an interest in spirituality."
Despite that interest, the youth ministry doesn't wait for people to show up at church. Whether through boat building, the youth chaplain or other initiatives, the youth ministry reaches out to Harwich's youth, said Perris, to "show kids that people really do care about them."
The silent auction on Saturday begins at 2 p.m. at St. Peter's Church, 310 Route 137, in East Harwich. Bidding ends at 4 p.m. Tickets for adults are $3 and may be purchased at the door. No admission will be charged for children. There will be live entertainment and refreshments will be served. Donations may also be sent to the Harwich Ecumenical Youth Ministries, PO Box 995, Harwich, MA 02645.
More than 100 goods and services will be offered, ranging from original art by noted local artists to flute lessons. Services include landscaping, haircuts and dump runs.
Links of Interest: The who, what, where of Building the Elegant Punt
Last modified 3/27/04 Tom Leach, Harwich Harbormaster