Ferry Beach Ecology School coastal campus

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Our Coastal Campus
aerial view of Ferry Beach
An aerial view of Saco Bay looking south

Our Diverse Ecosystems | Housing | Dining

The Ecosystems of Ferry Beach
Located on a dune system and just yards from sand beaches, coastal forests and freshwater ponds, Ferry Beach is an ideal location for outdoor, ecosystem-based lessons. Ferry Beach is also just a short walk away from the forest trails, pristine dunes and freshwater ponds of Ferry Beach State Park. North along the sand beaches of Saco Bay are small tidepools (called the Convent Rocks). Strolling south along the beach you come to Camp Ellis, an active fishing village with docks, a jetty, and a salt marsh. A short bus ride takes students to the large rocky tide pool system at the Audubon Eastpoint Preserve. We also have a human-made ecosystem at Ferry Beach-- our organic garden!

Beach	Secondary Dune
Forest	Salt Marsh
Tidepools	Freshwater Pond
Organic Garden	Weather Station

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Housing
At Ferry Beach, three separate dormitories-- Rowland, Underwood and Quillen-- house up to 180 students along with teacher and parent chaperones. Dorm rooms hold from two to six students, and are furnished with beds, closets and dressers. Also on-site are inside meeting areas and a large auditorium.


Rowland - The downstairs of Rowland consists of an auditorium complete with stage and two larger dorm rooms holding between 10-12 students, and a teacher's lounge. The upstairs rooms hold up to 62 people.	Quillen - Quillen houses up to 58 students as well as the Ecology School office, the Nurse's station, a lounge area with a fireplace, and the dining hall.

Underwood - The two floors of Underwood can house up to 43 people.	A Typical Dorm Room - The dorms have an average of 8-10 rooms per floor, with each room housing 2-4 students.

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Dining
Dining is done in the family style tradition with FBES staff and school teachers sitting with tables of eight students. The menu is varied and delicious to both students and adults. Nutritious snacks are provided between meals. We contract with Pangea Food Service, a company which provides food service for residential education centers. The kitchen staff at Ferry Beach are experienced chefs who love to work with kids!

family style meal in the dining hall

Sample Menu

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Breakfast		Orange Juice, Milk, Cereal & Fruit, Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns	Orange Juice, Milk, Cereal & Fruit, French Toast, Sausage	Orange Juice, Milk, Cereal & Fruit, Eggs, Coffee Cake	Orange Juice, Milk Cereal & Fruit. Pancakes, Sausage
Lunch	Salad, Chips, Chicken Sandwiches, Fruit	Salad Dips, Meatball Subs, Fruit	Salad Sandwiches, Fruit, Chips	Salad, Soup Chips, Cheese Pizza, Fruit	Luncheon Buffet
Dinner	Milk, Salad, Bread, Vegetables Spaghetti, Brownies	Milk, Salad, Bread, Vegetables, BBQ Chicken, Cake	Milk, Salad, Bread, Vegetables, Macaroni and Cheese, Hotdogs	Milk, Salad, Bread, Vegetables, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey, Cookies

Although menus change from week to week, certain items remain constant. For example, juice, milk & cereal is served at every breakfast, salad at every lunch, and salad and fresh baked bread is always served with dinners.
Fruit such as apples, bananas, kiwis, and oranges is available for snacks between meals for those students who need a little extra fuel.
Alternatives can be arranged for students who list food allergies on their health form.
Vegetarian alternatives are available for students who sign up as a vegetarian on their health form.

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Safety & Supervision
Students at FBES have twenty-four hour supervision, whether on lesson, at meals, during free time or while they are in their dorms. Supervision of students is shared between the FBES staff, classroom teachers and chaperones. During supervised free-time periods between lessons, students have the chance to relax in the dormitories, on the beach or have recreation time on the Ferry Beach playing fields or our basketball and volleyball courts .

recreation time
Students enjoy some free time playing on one of the recreation fields

FBES has a registered nurse who lives on site and is on call 24 hours a day. The nurse is in charge of giving out all prescriptions and over the counter medications as well as dealing with day-to-day medical needs and any emergencies, if they arise. This assures your school that the highest standards of safety and professionalism are being met by our residential center.

All meals in the Dining Hall are served family style.

Pizza is one of the crowd favorites served at FBES.