Our last weekend

It is hard to believe that it is almost time for Amim and Conceicao to leave.  This has been such a wonderful experience and I have learned so much about Brazil and the schools there.  I'm anxious to visit.  On Saturday we did lots of shopping.  I believe Amim will be happy to be back in Brazil and away from shopping with Junia, Conceicao and me.  Conceicao says we take him with us so he can carry the bags! We had lunch today at Sticky Fingers - famous for ribs.  I'm not sure how the ribs compared to the ribs in Brazil but both Amim and Conceicao said they were delicious.  On Saturday night I had hoped to introduce the group to US children trick or treating.  Unfortunately, my neighborhood posted a sign announcing that we would celebrate Halloween on Sunday night.  (In the past, when Halloween fell on Sunday, we have trick or treated on Saturday night.)  Even without trick or treating, we had fun grilling hamburgers with friends Angie and Tommy.

At Sticky Fingers

Here is Amim.  Conceicao didn't want her picture posted to show how full her plate was.

On Sunday, Junia, Conceicao and I attended early mass.  I then went to my office and Junia and Conceicao took a walk downtown.  The weather is beautiful today.

Friday Visits to Graysville and Ringgold Primary and Elementary

Friday was a fun filled day and busy day.  We started the day at Graysville Elementary where my friend, Principal Paula Crosby, greeted us with her cowboy hat on.  It was Western Day at Graysville as the children celebrated Renaissance Day.  A welcome sign as we drove in told us we would be very welcome at GES.  It was a beautiful fall day and Amim, Conceicao and Junia were able to spend some time outside with the children, parents and staff.

What a great reception!

Entering the front of GES

Media Center at GES

The Principal is a Cowgirl!

Amim, Conceicao and Junia were treated to a Brazilian luncheon at Ringgold Elementary.  The chef was Dr. Burgos and I hear the food was outstanding.  After touring some special needs classes at both the elementary and primary school, the group returned to the district office.  While I finished my work, they had an opportunity to visit some of the local shops in Ringgold.

Kim Erwin, Principal, welcomes the group to Ringgold Elementary

Brazilian food!

Thursday we visited PLC and Ringgold Middle School

This morning we went to the Performance Learning Center and Principal Lamar Brown showed our visitors around.  They were very interested in these programs because, like in the US, addressing the high school drop-out problem is an issue.  The PLC offers very individualized programs for students who want to graduate in a non-traditional setting.  The Vocational Supervisor at the PLC, Mr. Towns, helps students produce amazing products and he presented our guests with copper flowers which were beautiful. After their visit, Dr. Brown took the visitors on a quick tour of the Chickamauga Battlefield.  The museum next door to the school has a helicopter mounted in front that proved to be a perfect photo op!

Dr. Brown welcomes the group to the PLC

Under the helicopter

After leaving the PLC, we stopped to sample some food from the Krystal - quite the Chattanooga institution.  While we tried many of their menu items, the favorite of the group was the chicken sandwich.

Krystal lunch

We spent the afternoon at Ringgold Middle School where we saw a Renaissance pep rally with the middle school students.  All of the students were wearing blue and white for a spirit day.  It was fun seeing the students excited about celebrating good grades, good attendance and good behavior.

Wednesday we visited Battlefield Primary

I was excited to take  my visitors to BPS - my former school - today.  I have been referring to this school for two weeks now so today was they day they saw it.  When we walked in, a beautiful welcome sign greeted us in the front hall.  The School Improvement Team had prepared a delicious breakfast.  It was good to see all of my old colleagues and I wished I could spend the entire day there with the visiting principals.  They visited some classes and learned to to the "To-Te-Ta" dance with the pre-K class.  I should have gotten a video of this!  The BPS Academic Coach, Michelle met with the group to discuss how the school has been so successful with their academic intervention program.  They ended the day with the entire 2nd grade class, telling them about Brazil.  Finally, after school the group rode a school bus as it made the rounds with our elementary children.

Talking with the 2nd grade about Brazil

Discussing intervention programs

Dancing with the Pre-K

The Pre-K children love this silly dance!

Tuesday

We began the morning at Lakeview Middle School where we met with the principal, Steve McClure and with the AP, Jeff Chastain.  We enjoyed a conversation with them where they described many great things going on at LMS.  Mr. McClure talked about their Renaissance program and how it encourages students to study hard.  He described how their schedule allows for Extended Learning Time (ELT) which is great for helping students catch up and also helps with acceleration of studies.  We went to se Steve Smith's 6th grade social studies class where students were studying about Cuba.  Mr. Smith does a terrific job of using the smart board to keep the lesson very interesting.  Second period was spent in David Harris' enrichment class.  I was very impressed with the questions the students asked about Brazil.  This class will study Brazil later in the year and, I believe, will be very motivated to learn all about it.  Amim, who is a high school principal, mentioned to the students that they should plan to visit Brazil for the World Cup in 2014!

Meeting with admin. staff at LMS

Mr. Smith's lesson on Cuba was terrific!

Mr. Harris' class had lots of great questions.

With Principal Steve McClure

We also visited Cloud Springs Elementary today.  Principal Cliff Brittingham and AP Kellie Yarbrough showed the group around and had lunch with them.  Among other programs, they discussed the educating of students with special needs.  The group was impressed with how our students are expected to transition into regular education classrooms as soon as possible.  We also saw a smart board in action in a CSE third grade classroom.

With Principal Cliff Brittingham

AP Kellie Yarbrough had gifts for our visiting principals.

We headed to my home early afternoon to start cooking.  Tonight is the night we prepare a Brazilian meal and celebrate with some school administrators.  I learned a lot about the preparation of food in Brazil as we cooked.  The administrators visiting here are from north Brazil and I'm told that their cuisine is the very best!  Everyone really enjoyed the meal and we had a great time visiting and learning even more about Brazil.

Chief Chef Conceicao

Chef Amim is washing vegetables

Chef Vieira is chopping vegatables.

Junia helping Conceicao

Beautiful Brazilian meat dish

Kiwanis Club meeting and Math Training

The morning was spent with system administrators in math training.  Some of our school's have received a grant for math workshop model training for teachers and for administrators.  Today was a half day training for principals and the Brazilian principals joined them.

Lunch with the Kiwanis Club

We had lunch with the local chapter of the Kiwanis Club.  I gave a little background about the principal exchange program and then the Kiwanis members asked questions of the group.  They were surprised to hear how similar the Brazilian schools are to those in the US.  Thanks to my friend Phil Ledbetter for inviting us as his guests for the meeting.

After work we made a stop at Office Depot and loaded up on supplies and a few gift items.  Then on our way home, we stopped for a treat of ice cream.

Tomorrow is a big day.  We will visit an elementary and a middle school and then host some of the Catoosa County school administrators at my house for a Brazilian meal.  I'm looking forward to hosting the party and enjoying the cuisine.

Sunday at the aquarium

I enjoyed showing our Brazilian guests Chattanooga's aquarium today.  We met after lunch and visited the aquarium - both the River Journey and the Ocean Journey.  It was a beautiful day to walk in downtown Chattanooga.  We rode the electric shuttle to the aquarium area and enjoyed the changing leaves and the children playing in the water surrounding the aquarium.  

Looking at a river otter habitat

At a window overlooking the
Tennessee River

Reading about the natural area of Chattanooga

Looking at fish from our area of the world

Amim explained that, in Brazil, the owl is the symbol for education.

After a couple of hours at the aquarium, I left the others there and drove to the airport to pick up Jose Vieira de Sousa - the new program coordinator for the Brazilian delegation.  He spent last week with a principal in New Jersey and will be with us this week.  Jose was delighted to see the mild Chattanooga weather.  After taking Jose to the hotel to check in, we went back to the aquarium to meet the others.  

Tonight a Brazilian family from Collegedale hosted our group for dinner.  I told them this is two days in a row that I find myself the only one in the group who doesn't speak Portuguese!  I'm sure they will have a wonderful dinner and conversation tonight.

Saturday in Atlanta

We left for Atlanta mid-morning.  It was a perfect day for an outing - the weather was wonderful.  We went to the Dekalb International Farmer's Market.  I had not been before and it was wonderful.  I have never seen so many foods from so many countries.  We found some fruit from Brazil.  We had a delicious lunch at the market.  I really want to go back there again.

After the market, we visited the World of Coca Cola.  We enjoyed the museum and especially trying all of the coke products from all over the world.  Most were good, but one soft drink from Italy tasted like cough medicine.  They only had one drink from Brazil and it was a peach flavored drink.  We spent some time in the museum's gift shop and bought some souvenirs.  

We had several addresses for Brazilian markets and ended up going to one on Powers Ferry Road.  We found both the market and a pastry shop.  I believe I was the only one in either shop who was not speaking Portuguese.  The food and coffee in the bakery was wonderful!  Between the market and the farmer's market, we purchased all of the food we need for our Brazilian dinner scheduled for Tuesday night.  I'm not sure what all is on the menu, but I'm sure it will be wonderful.


On the way home we stopped at the outlet mall so Conceicao could check out the perfume.  She is quite the shopper!  She and Amim bought perfume and then, at the Nike store, Conceicao found the shoes she has been looking for to take to her son.

It was almost 10:00 before we got home and we were all tired, but it was a wonderful day.

Friday: Parent lunch, Pep Rally, American Football

We began the day at Boynton Elementary where I introduced Amim, Junia and Conceicao to Boynton's principal, Belinda Crisman.  Belinda gave them an overview of the school over a cup of coffee and then toured the building.  Boynton houses some special programs for our special needs children and I had asked Belinda to show these to our guests.  Conceicao had expressed an interest in learning more about special education.  Today was a special parent luncheon at Boynton and our Brazilian guests were able to enjoy being a part of such a festive lunch.

Meeting Mrs. Crisman, Principal at Boynton

Welcome Coffee

Working with children at Boynton

Media Specialist at Boynton meeting the group

The afternoon was spent at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (LFO) High.  Thanks to Principal Terri Vandiver, AP Dr. Jonathan Willard and the staff at LFO, our visitors were given the royal treatment.  Jonathan showed them around the school and spent time explaining and showing off the exceptional vocational program that this high school offers.  A reporter from the local newspaper met us at LFO for pictures and information for an article running in the paper early next week.  At the end of the day, we attended a pep rally to get students in the spirit for tonight's football game.  We were all surprised to see a huge spirit banner written in Portuguese!  The cheerleaders even used the Portuguese words to lead a cheer by the entire student body.  LFO presented the guests with canvas bags of materials and with yummy boxes full of Panera Bread goodies.

Pep Rally at LFO

LFO staff and students

Talking to a reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press

After school we went to Ringgold High to meet with counselor, Nancy Prince.  Nancy had asked to host the visitors for a high school football game.  They were looking forward to eating dinner with the team and then seeing the game in reserved seats with the school administrators.

Arriving at Ringgold High

Meeting the AP's at RHS

Today was a busy but very productive day.  Tomorrow we are looking forward to seeing Atlanta and visiting the Coke Museum.  We'll do a little grocery shopping at the international market in readiness for our Brazilian dinner on Tuesday night.

Thursday schedule

We attended the Family Collaborative meeting this morning and were able to see how all of the community agencies work together to help families.  Amim and Conceicao shared that there are similar programs in Brazil.  The collaborative members were very welcoming and asked lots of questions about the schools in Brazil.  I enjoyed introducing the Brazilian guests to my friend Phil Ledbetter who heads  the collaborative.

Speaking to the Family Collaborative

The Chamber of Commerce invited us to be their guests at the regular monthly meeting of the Chamber.  Today's topic was the economic development of Catoosa County.  We had a good lunch and Amim and Conceicao met many of the area business leaders.  I was asked to introduce them to the group during the meeting and to tell a little about what they are doing with the exchange.  Battlefield Imaging was the spotlighted business gave the door prizes.  Conceicao was thrilled to be a prize winner.

Enjoying the Chamber Luncheon

Today Amim and Conceicao visited Battlefield Elementary School.  They visited classes and met after school with a group of teachers.  They enjoyed watching an enrichment class work on a writing assignment.  I was especially pleased to have them visit this school since I was once the principal here and my good friend, Dr. Becky Howard, is now the principal.

Talking with teachers at Battlefield Elementary

Battlefield Elementary

Target shopping

We finished the day with a little more shopping.  Amim enjoyed buying electronics at Best Buy and Conceicao liked shopping at Target.