Good Article!

I finally got to read Friday’s Chronicle-Independent this morning…There was a really good column by Travis Horne, the editor of the Lugoff-Elgin High School newspaper, The Pitchfork, about the many excellent and useful experiences one can gain from participating in high school journalism.  As a former high school newspaper editor, I could relate.  I’ve commented on another column Travis has written for The Chronicle-Independent before.  He’s an excellent writer with a lot of insight.

Great News!!!!!!!

I just got an email from North Central High School Principal Worth Thomasson telling me that Chad Hampton had won the state cross-country meet.  Great news for the Knights!

A Fall Friday

I stopped by Wateree Elementary School today, and in one of the classrooms I visited, kindergarten students were drawing “finger turkeys’” (and doing a lot better job than I would have done).  It occurred to me that Thanksgiving is just around the corner…Hard to believe…It kind of snuck up on me…

Good luck to the Camden Bulldogs and Lugoff-Elgin Demons as both teams start the 3A  football playoffs!

A Sad Day

Late last night, Camden Middle School teacher Leon Kats passed away at Palmetto Richland Hospital.  Mr. Kats came to Camden Middle School as a Math teacher in 1997 after serving in the United States Air Force for 21 years.  Mr. Kats was an outstanding teacher, colleague, and role model.  His devotion to kids and to his school was obvious.  He will be missed in many, many ways.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.  My thanks  and gratitude to the whole staff at Camden Middle School and to all the district office staff who were on hand at the school today for doing an outstanding job of working with young people at a very difficult moment.

Counting My Blessings…

I have spent the last couple of days at a mandated conference concerning the federal “Safe Schools/Healthy Students” grant that has been awarded to our community.  There were folks from about 30 other areas of the country that also received one of these grants.  The thing that struck me as we all talked about our communities is how fortunate I am to work in a community that is so engaged and involved in its schools.  Sometimes you have to step back a little to realize how many blessings your have…

Budget Information

Information on the school district budget can be accessed here as a file on General Operating Budget 09-10 as amended (PDF).  [Additional district financial information is available here.]  This information reflects the changes that have been made in both revenue and expenditure projections.

H1N1 Vaccine Information

Information has been sent home to families concerning the H1N1 vaccinations that will be available in our schools in the near future, starting with elementary students.  Although the dates have not yet been set, we are working with DHEC to get these forms completed so that sufficient vaccine can be ordered when it is available.  We would ask parents to complete these forms, which are also available on our website, whether students will be receiving the vaccine or not.  If parents have questions, please contact your school nurse.  By the way, our nurses have done an OUTSTANDING job of managing the whole situation with H1N1.

A Wonderful Event

I had a good time in the dunking booth at the Downtown Camden Halloween Festival, but I really wanted to compliment the city on a really wonderful, fun, family-friendly event.  There were hundreds of folks there walking around, enjoying the games, food, and music and just having a good time.  This is the kind of event that makes living in a small close-knit place such a blessing.

Lunch At LES

I had a great time eating lunch with Ms. Jane Donovan’s kindergarten class at Lugoff Elementary School.  This class won the door decorating competition I had judged at the school earlier in the week.  There’s nothing like pizza and Halloween cookies for lunch!  I also enjoyed reading a story to the class and hearing them sing Halloween songs.  Being in a kindergarten class always lifts my spirits!

I’ll be the guest of honor in a dunking booth sponsored by the Kershaw County Library today (Saturday) at 3:00 near Broad and DeKalb downtown.  Come on down and get me wet for a very good cause!

End Of The Week

I enjoyed being the “guest of honor,” so to speak, at the dunking booth at the Pine Tree Hill Fall Festival.  I got wet a whole bunch of times.  A lot of really good arms at that school.  For those who would like another crack at me, I’ll be in the dunking booth on Saturday afternoon at the Downtown Camden Halloween Festival.

I know the North Central football team has had a rough season.  I have been extremely impressed with how the players and coaches have continued to come back hard each week in spite of a lot of disappointments.  That being said, I will go out on a limb and say that the Knights will win their final game on Friday night.  The work and the persistence will all come together.  This team has a very bright future!