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November 30

 Today I am off to Ninety Six, South Carolina for a Teacher Forum.  First I try to find a direct route from my house.  None exist, so I figure there must be a better way from the CERRA offices in Rock Hill.  So I go there to pick up some material I need to deliver and then plan to go directly to Ninety Six. 
 
First, the printer did not print the material correctly so we are scrambling to get the notebooks put together while time is slowly slipping away.  In the mean time I find out that there is no direct way to Ninety Six from here either.  So once the material is gathered I have to rush down I-77 to Columbia, then take I-20 to I-26 and head toward the Newberry exit.  As I head down the highway I try to encourage the estimated time of arrival on my GPS to click minutes off so I can arrive on time.  Apparently the power of positive thinking is working as I arrive just a few minutes after my original plan (it had nothing to do with driving at the upper limit of the posted speed.)
 
I am greeted by Fitz and Jason and I get a quick tour of the facilities.  They are building a new school here but in the mean time almost all the classes are in Learning Cottages.  (That does sound much better than Teacher Trailers!)  We walk between the cottages on roofing shingle pathways that are in place to reduce the mud being tracked into these temporary buildings.  The teachers have made the best of this difficult situation.  Many of the Learning Cottages have hanging baskets and flags to make them inviting.  The teachers have also purchased curtains and other accoutrements to make these pleasant places for the students.  We go the furthest cottage from the main office and talk with Debbie. 
 
She regales us with several funny stories about her chalet and how she has found some advantages to this situation.  She did let us know that you have to ration your coffee intake because you cannot make it to a restroom and back during class change.  So a little sip here and a little sip there… an eight ounce drink must be spread over six hours or else there are dire and embarrassing consequences.
 
The teacher forum is next and they are trying to make it an effective forum for teachers, students, and the school district.  They are really trying to make it an active forum… not one in name only. They focus on teacher driven workdays, a faculty and staff health project, a beautification project, and a good old friendship building.
Jason then does a great job of explaining how CERRA can assist in revitalizing this forum, and then I get up and talk about my theme for the year.  I take a little different angle than at the Fall Forum and they are kind enough not to fall asleep during the presentation.  J
 
As I get in the car to leave I feel like I have several new friends in Greenwood 52.  That may be good because the rain is coming and there is no direct route home.  On Greenwood, On Clinton, On Moore, On Spartanburg, On Gaffney, On Clover, On Home…I feel like Santa Claus for some reason.  No, it is not because I am jolly and getting fatter from eating on the road.  Another late night, but it was worth it!

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