|
TODAY'S
FOCUS
Why not go back
to school -- this time as Principal (for a Day)?
By ALLEN WUTZDORFF
Executive director, The Education Foundation
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
NOV.
12, 2009 -- The sixth annual Principal for a Day program will take
place on Thursday, Dec. 3 in the Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester
Two and Four school districts, and local business executives who
are interested in participating still have time to sign up.
Wutzdorff |
The
Charleston County School District initiated the Principal for a
Day program in this region in 2004. With the help of The
Education Foundation, which serves as an intermediary organization
between the business and education communities, the event has grown
each year and last year drew a record 144 executives to spend a
day at nearly all of the region's schools.
The
600 percent growth in participation since the inception of Principal
for a Day is a tremendous indicator that the business community
wants to become more engaged in education. Participants came from
small to large businesses that represented all of the major economic
drivers of our region, including finance, health care, hospitality,
manufacturing and the military.
A
follow-up survey of 2008 participants indicated that 98 percent
of respondents had a "good" or "excellent" impression
of the educational program they observed, and 100 percent would
recommend Principal for a Day to their colleagues. Here are some
comments of past participants as they have reflected on their experiences:
- "I
learned more about educating our children in one say than in my
30 years of experience as a parent and business person involved
with our school systems."
- "If
you need a recharge on how good the future will be, spend some
time in an area public school."
- ""Now
I fully understand all the ramification of why schools must have
good principals for leadership."
- "I
would like to challenge the business community to get involved
by opening your doors to students and by visiting schools and
classrooms to introduce students to the opportunities and skills
needed for successful work. If we all stop pointing fingers and
work collectively, just imagine what our public schools can achieve
- and the whole community will be the beneficiary."
 |
Nationally,
Principal for a Day (PFD) programs have a long track record of success
in many school districts across the country. Inviting business executives
and other community leaders to shadow a principal for a day is an
effective strategy for building a stronger foundation between businesses
and schools and can lead to lasting relationships and creative ideas
for engaging small and large businesses in the education of students.
Business
engagement with schools can take many forms, and Principal for a
Day is an important mechanism for communicating what schools need
and what business can do. Examples of partnership opportunities
include opening a business' doors to students and educators to learn
more about the world of work, participating on a business advisory
board for a program of study in a school or district, and working
with teachers to create classroom experiences that illustrate how
core subjects such as English, math or science are actually applied
in the workplace.
Executives
and their principals discuss these and other ideas at a debriefing
breakfast the morning after the Principal for a Day program. Participants
share their experiences and further explore how businesses can play
a vital role in educating students.
If
you are interested in participating in Principal for a Day, contact
Heather Cooke at 805-3080 or hcooke@edfound.net
to submit an application. The deadline is Nov. 20.
CURRENTS
It's
hawks vs. doves on the home front, and it's war
By
ANN THRASH, editor
NOV.
12, 2009 -- Charleston is home to multitudes of bird lovers, and
we know some of them read CharlestonCurrents.com, so we're hoping
a couple of you can help us resolve a Catch-22: We can't figure
out how to feed our backyard birds without making them sitting ducks.
Thrash |
A
year or so ago, we had a couple of feeders in our yard, and we kept
them well-stocked with a variety of kinds of seeds and suet cakes.
We even branched out a little and got some dishes that attached
to the birdfeeder poles so we could supply our visitors with grape
jelly, orange halves, peanuts and other goodies designed to draw
some new and different guests, maybe Baltimore orioles or some cool
woodpeckers. We hoped that, from a bird's-eye view, it would look
like the buffet over at Ryan's.
Whatever
we put out, though, we mostly got doves.. In the mornings, we'd
sit on the porch with our newspaper and coffee and count dozens
of mourning doves and Eurasian collared doves on the feeders, on
the ground underneath the feeders, on the fence nearby, everywhere.
So
somehow word got out among the hawk community east of the Cooper
that the best happy hour in town was in our backyard. We started
to regularly witness hawks swooping into the yard, seemingly out
of nowhere, cutting like a laser through the branches of our big
old oak tree in hot pursuit of the doves. The sound of these huge
flocks of doves taking off out of the backyard was startling. On
more than one occasion, we saw a hawk with a dove in its clutches
- and finding feathers and "parts" on the ground became
all too common. Sure, it's nature, survival of the fittest, and
all that stuff - but it was also sad.
A hawk
sits in an oak tree in editor Ann Thrash's backyard. (Photo
by Ann Thrash) |
About
the time the weather started warming up back in March, we decided
that the buffet was going to close. We took down all the feeders,
and now we have only a birdbath in the backyard. Most of the bird
life we see now is in or over the nearby marsh - herons, egrets,
wood storks, gulls, purple martins, etc. We don't get nearly as
many doves, but we do still see them nest in a tree near our kitchen
window. And despite the decline in the number of doves we've seen,
the hawks keep hanging around. We see them on a regular basis, looking
like they're on patrol.
I
miss all the pleasures of watching the feeders and the birds they
used to attract, including the finches, chickadees, titmouses (or
is that titmice?), cardinals and even the boisterous blue jays.
But we know from experience that whatever kind of seed we put out,
we'll get a lot of doves showing up - and we feel like we're setting
up them up to get killed.
Any
bird lovers out there with advice on how to make everybody happy
- the hawks, the doves and us? Please e-mail any thoughts or suggestions
you have to editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
We welcome your ideas!
Ann
Thrash is editor of CharlestonCurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Send
us your thoughts
Have
a comment or want to vent? If you have something to
say about leadership in South Carolina, the state of baseball
today, good barbecue or something about your community's government,
drop us a line to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Please send no more than 200 words and include contact information
(phone number, hometown) so we can get in touch with you.
SPOTLIGHT
Maybank
Industries
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. This issue's featured underwriter is Maybank
Industries, LLC of Charleston, SC. With broad experience in
commercial and government operations, Maybank Industries applies
deep-rooted commitment to teamwork, reliability and personal service
to provide innovative business solutions for project development,
information technology, logistics, vessel design, shipping agency
services and marine terminal operations, both locally and internationally.
Maybank Industries applies a powerful blend of professional expertise
to research, analyze and develop tailored solutions with thorough
plans of action, combining a heavy dose of common sense to solve
today's needs that can adapt to changing or evolving requirements.
More: Maybank
Industries and Maybank
Systems.
GOOD
NEWS
Walmart
to donate $85,000 refrigerator truck to Food Bank
Walmart
and the Walmart Foundation will donate a brand new $85,000 refrigerator
truck to the Lowcountry Food Bank today as part of the "Walmart
Gives Back" holiday giving initiative. The program will provide
$32 million nationally in monetary and in-kind donations to nonprofits
this holiday season.
The
truck will arrive loaded with 12 pallets of Walmart's Great Value
brand products and fresh apples, just in time for Thanksgiving.
The organization Feeding America estimates the new trucks, which
are being donated to the Lowcountry Food Bank and 34 additional
food banks across the nation, will transport up to 52.5 million
pounds of food per year, the equivalent of 41 million additional
meals.
Nationally,
estimates are that one in eight Americans is currently fighting
hunger, and 90 percent of food banks are reporting an increased
demand driven by first-time users of food assistance programs. There
has been a 30 percent increase in emergency requests for food assistance
since July 2008.
Patriots
Point to host Honor Landing for all vets on Saturday
Patriots
Point Naval and Maritime Museum will host a special Honor Landing
on Saturday for all veterans of military service, but specifically
to salute those who were unable to go on the recent Honor Flight
to Washington, D.C., because of poor health or the inability to
travel.
From
11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., those veterans will gather aboard the Yorktown
to meet, eat and swap stories with each other. At noon, all veterans
and their families are invited to a brief ceremony in the Hangar
Bay of the Yorktown featuring veterans of World War II, Vietnam
and the war on terror. Among the guests will be Medal of Honor recipient
Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston. Veterans will also be on hand in
the Hangar Bay after the ceremony, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.,
to talk to the community.
Admission
is free on Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon, but normal parking
fees will apply.
United
Way looking for models for 'Live United' campaign
Have
you been "Living United" lately? Maybe it's building a
new house with Habitat for Humanity, walking in the Heart Walk,
or even attending a PTA meeting. Whatever you've been doing on a
volunteer basis to help the Lowcountry, Trident
United Way wants to know about it. The agency is offering area
residents a chance to be one of its 2010 "Live United"
models to be featured on billboards, posters, and Trident United
Way materials.
To
apply, e-mail the agency at commintern@tuw.org
with your contact information and a brief description of your volunteer
work. Trident United Way will photograph you doing your volunteer
work and choose the top three models. Even if you aren't selected
as a model, Trident United Way might still use the photos of you
in action for various publications.
Models
who are selected for the campaign will be identified by name, town
and company affiliation, if applicable. For more information, go
to http://www.tuw.org.
FDR's grandson to
visit Citadel, talk about health-care policy
James
Roosevelt Jr., grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, will
visit The Citadel on Dec. 3 to talk about health-care policy in
America. Roosevelt is president and chief executive officer of the
Tufts Health Plan, a nonprofit health maintenance organization,
and in November 2008 was appointed by then- President-Elect Barack
Obama to co-chair his transition team's review of the Social Security
Administration.
Roosevelt |
The
lecture, titled "Health Care Policy in the Balance," will
begin at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in Duckett Hall Auditorium. Sponsored
by the John C. West Chair Speaker Series in the Department of Political
Science and Criminal Justice, the lecture is free and open to the
public.
Before
joining Tufts Health Plan, Roosevelt was the associate commissioner
for retirement policy for the Social Security Administration in
Washington, D.C. He has also served as chief legal counsel for the
Massachusetts Democratic Party and is co-chairman of the Rules and
By-laws Committee of the Democratic National Committee.
REVIEW
Tell
your view to our readers
HAVE
A REVIEW?
If you have a review of a book, movie, restaurant or local arts
endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to editor Ann
Thrash. Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
Clayton
'Peg Leg' Bates
Born
in Fountain Inn on October 11, 1907, Clayton "Peg Leg"
Bates came from an extremely poor sharecropping family whose father
deserted them when Bates was only three years old.
Bates |
During
World War I, Bates took a job in a cottonseed-oil mill. Soon after
he began working there, the lights failed and the twelve-year-old
accidentally stepped into the open auger conveyer. The equipment
chewed up his leg so badly that an amputation was necessary. Since
hospitals were segregated, the doctor performed the procedure on
the family's kitchen table.
Bates
had a desire to dance that persisted despite the loss of his leg.
So, fitted with an artificial wooden limb-or "peg"-he
adapted tap dancing steps to his own specifications. By age fifteen
he was entrenched in a professional career as a tap dancer. He worked
his way up from minstrel shows to carnivals, from the African American
vaudeville circuit TOBA (Theatre Owners Booking Association) to
the white vaudeville circuits. Throughout the 1930s he played top
Harlem nightclubs, including the Cotton Club, Connie's Inn, and
Club Zanzibar. In the late 1930s he was the opening act for the
Ed Sullivan Revue, traveled the Keith and Loews circuits, and appeared
to great acclaim on Australia's Tivoli circuit. He performed throughout
the 1940s, including dancing in the popular Los Angeles version
of Ken Murray's Blackouts.
Bates
had an active career in television, including twenty-one appearances
on the Ed Sullivan Show, the most by a tap dancer. In the 1960s
he opened the Peg Leg Bates Country Club in Kerhonkson, New York,
which catered to a primarily African American clientele. Bates retired
from dancing in 1989 and died at Fountain Inn on December 6, 1998.
He was buried in Palentown Cemetery, Ulster County, New York.
--
Excerpted from the entry by Rusty E. Frank. To
read more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina,
check out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
SISTER
PUBLICATIONS
We
encourage you to check out our sister publications:
|
SC
Statehouse Report --
a weekly legislative forecast that keeps you a step ahead
of what happens at the Statehouse. It's free.
SC
Clips -- a
daily news compilation of South Carolina news from media sources
across the state. Delivered by email about the time you get
to work every business day. Saves you a lot of money and time.
Sign up for a free
trial subscription today.
|
Georgia
Clips offers a similar daily news compilation for
the scores of newspapers in Georgia's 159 counties.
GwinnettForum
-- an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic
and sensible social, political and economic approaches to
improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
|
CREDITS
CharlestonCurrents.com
is provided to you twice a week by:
Address:
P.O. Box. 22261 | Charleston, SC 29413
UNSUBSCRIBE
We hope you'll
keep receiving the great news and information from CharlestonCurrents.com,
but if you need to subscribe, click
here.
©
2008-2009, Statehouse
Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published
every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261,
Charleston, SC 29413.
|
 THE
LIST
Electronics
recycling
Charleston
County held its first Electronics Recycling Day last November, and
it was such a success that there was no doubt about repeating the
effort this year. Any county resident (but not businesses) can take
old, nonworking or unused electronic items to the Tanger Outlets
parking lot on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for recycling. Here
are five numbers from last year's event.
51:
Number of cell phones accepted and donated to Pak Mail to help
raise money for U.S. troops.
1,331:
Total number of recyclable items collected.
423: Computers
brought in (the most popular item for recycling).
186:
Telephones brought in (second most popular item).
236:
Approximate number of vehicles that volunteers helped unload.
QUOTE
On
the South
Wilson |
"The South
is the only place in the world where nothing has to be explained
to me."
-- Woodrow
Wilson, 28th president of the United States (1856 - 1924)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
CRDA
Luncheon: Noon to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 12, Trident Technical
College Complex for Economic Development. The Charleston Regional
Development Alliance's annual luncheon will feature a talk by David
Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times and
the author of "The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and
the Challenges to American Power." Book signing will follow
the luncheon (copies will be available for purchase at the event).
Tickets: $60, available
online.
(NEW)
Streetscaping
Celebration: 4:30 p.m. today, 131 King St. (halfway between
Broad and Queen). City of Charleston will hold a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to mark the completion of the Lower King Street Streetscaping
project. Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. will cut the ribbon (if the weather
is inclement, the ceremony will be held inside 145 King St., near
the corner of King and Queen). Event will be followed by the Lower
King Street Stroll, with merchants in the area open for extended
hours.
Electronics
Recycling Day: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 14, Tanger Outlets
parking lot (on the Tanger Outlet Boulevard side), North Charleston.
Sponsored by Charleston County's Environmental Management Department,
residents can bring electronic items (TVs, computers, phones, fax
machines, microwaves, VCRs, etc.) to the event to be safely recycled.
Open to county residents only; no businesses or contractors. More
info: 720-7111 or see
this Web site.
Colonial
Trades and Harvest Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14, Charles
Towne Landing, 1500 Old Towne Road. Costumed interpreters and craftspeople
will interpret what life was like for Charleston's first settlers
as the winter approached. Learn about open-hearth cooking, colonial
foodways, the deerskin trade and colonial medicine. Participants
can also dye an article of clothing with indigo dye and witness
the smoke and thunder of a militia drill. More info: 852-4200 or
online
here.
(NEW)
'The
Grinch': Nov. 14, Nov. 15, Nov. 21 and Nov. 22,
Charleston Ballet Theatre, 477 King St. The CBT will stage "The
Grinch Who Stole Christmas," based on the timeless Dr. Seuss
classic. The 48-minute show is suitable for the whole family. Times:
11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nov. 14 and Nov. 21; 3 p.m. Nov. 15 and Nov.
22. Tickets: $20 adults, $10 children; call 723-7334 or order online
at http://www.charlestonballet.com.
Entertaining
Charleston Style: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Through
Nov. 18, Culinary Institute of Charleston's Palmer Campus, 66
Columbus St., Charleston. A series of short courses celebrating
the many facets of entertaining with a focus on Charleston style
and traditions. Guest presenters include hosts, event professionals,
authors, collectors, stylists and other specialists known for their
distinctive contributions to local hospitality and tourism. Light
beverage and cocktail samplings will be provided. Cost: $149. More
info/registration.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Entrepreneurs
Networking: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 16, Holliday Alumni
House at The Citadel, Hagood Ave. Sponsored by the Center for Women's
Entrepreneurial Woman Series, the event is expected to feature more
than 150 local businesswomen. Through "speed networking,"
participants can meet other entrepreneurs quickly and have the chance
to introduce themselves, their business and their interests to everyone
at each table. Light refreshments provided. Cost: $15 for Center
for Women members; $20 for nonmembers. Free parking at Johnson Hagood
Stadium. Register
here.
(NEW)
Third
Thursday in Summerville: Nov. 19, downtown Summerville.
Enjoy a holiday open house at local stores, with refreshments, strolling
carolers, a jazz trio and other entertainment and promotions. Sponsored
by Summerville D.R.E.A.M. (Downtown Restoration, Enhancement and
Management).
Benefit
Oyster Roast: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 22, Elks Lodge, 1113
Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Oyster roast and a silent auction will benefit
the Outreach Learning Center at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in
Charleston (on King Street across from Marion Square). Oysters,
fish stew, hot dogs, cole slaw, dessert; bring your own beverages.
Live music by Wood & Steel. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at
the door, $10 for children under 12; available at the center, 403
King St., or online
here.
'A Spiritual Christmas': 6 p.m. Nov. 27, St. Stephen's
Episcopal Church, 67 Anson St., Charleston. The Charleston Symphony
Orchestra Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of Nathan L. Nelson
will perform African-American spirituals set to a holiday theme.
Tickets: $10 per person at the door.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Christian:
Mannie's story
12/17: Bender:
Polar Plunge prep
12/14: Brooks:
Homes for Christmas
12/10: Doll:
Enjoy holidays sans lbs.
12/7: Yarian:
Instruments of Hope
12/3: De
Armas: Latin biz expo
11/30: Blevins:
Autism
11/23: Hutchisson:
Giving
11/19: Barnette:
Nutcracker
11/16: Franklin:
Reverse mortgages
11/12: Wutzdorff:
Be a principal
11/9: Haley:
Buying local
11/5: McCutcheon:
Work gap
11/2: Ohl:
On carpooling
10/29: Wiedman:
Women at Gibbes
10/26: Matouchev:
Bear markets
10/22: Conover:
BarCamp buzz
10/19: Wilson:
Symphony update
10/15: Bender:
Special Olympics
10/12: Baron:
Breast Center
10/8: Ginn:
Growing prosperity
10/5: Buffum:
Waterkeeping
10/1: Personal
branding
THRASH
ARCHIVES
12/17:
Cookbook,
shopping
12/10: The
Pig's wines
12/3: Neat
shopping
11/19: LowCANtry
holiday
11/12: Hawks
vs. doves
11/5: Improving
turnout
10/29: Celebrating
a year
10/22: Good,
bad signs
10/15: Bob's
new food show
10/8: Robot
ice cream
10/5: Costumes,
snarks
9/24: Must-see
TV
9/17: Fall
leaves
9/3: Cold
comfort, more
8/27: Being
a fan
8/20: Good,
bad, spineless
8/13: Locals
on Runway
8/6: Cookie
contest
7/30: Vote
on car tags
7/23: True
confessions
7/16: New
way of tithing?
7/9: Lookout
for manatees
BRACK
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Photographer
Meyer
12/14: Ain't
over on Sanford
12/7: Back
off a little
11/30: Sanford
presses on
11/16: Now
is time for courage
11/16: Alliance's
good news
11/9: SC's
hidden gems
11/2: Boeing
highlights needs
10/26: No
place for prejudice
10/19: Have
fun at Halloween
10/12: Renovated
Gaillard?
10/1: Napa
wine trip
9/28: Anti-crime
measures
9/21: Caw
Caw park
9/14: Debris
policy
9/10: Mystery
solved
8/31: This
and that
8/24: SC's
treasures
8/17: RIP
to old clunker
8/10: Lots
to squeeze in
8/3: On
flying Delta
7/27: Conspiracy
theories
7/20: Protect
carriage animals
7/13: Economic
thaw here?
LIST
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Blackbaud
5
12/17: 4
on holiday lights
12/14: Eco-holiday
12/10: Five
about oysters
12/7: Winter
finds
12/3: Free
parking
11/30: Holiday
parades
11/23: Home
fire stats
11/19: Being
a tourist here
11/16: Growing
your business
11/12: Electronics
recycling
11/9: Beyond
the lights
11/5: Weather
watching
11/2: 5
cooking classes
10/29: Best
lists of year
10/26: Oyster
recycling
10/22: Howl-o-ween
fun
10/19: Literacy
10/15: Giving
blood
10/12: Top
ratings
10/8: Major
league
10/5: Book
sale
10/1: Citadel
football
|
