Joe and Ari celebrate a really creative job on the school's new Menorah while John, Ian and Andy smile on..

Chanukah was approaching and the CCBS menorah was missing. Oh no.  So what do enterprising,  middle school boys do when they need something? With a little encouragement, they make it. Using a recycled stair post, a group of boys fashioned their own menorah in time to celebrate the start of Chanukah Saturday night. It is a keepsake CCBS will cherish for years to come. Great job guys!

Following the wonderful CCBS pit-roasted turkey at Thanksgiving, the boys spent the day picking,  cutting and decorating  the Cherokee Creek Christmas tree. This was originally a 25-foot pine growing on the property (it didn’t look that big outside) and the boys gamely felled it with a saw and dragged it to the lodge . It sure makes things feel like the holidays seeing their handiwork.

Next up will be the menorah to celebrate Hanukkah. Ari’s suggestion of one “as big as a disco ball, hanging from the rafters” is under consideration …

Here’s hoping we see you soon and you can admire the boys’ decorating expertise soon here at the “Small School with a Big Heart!”

Memorial Day was a day to remember the sacrifices of those who served in our Armed Forces to ensure we all enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans. It’s also the kickoff to summer, and a great day to swim, enjoy a little beach volleyball, and cook out.

Some of our boys had visits with their families, but for those on campus it was a chance to break free from the classrooms with the teachers. Please enjoy this mini album of photos from the days events. And of course,  Happy Summer to All!

Sand Between our Toes

Loucas, Angel and Andrew hang out

Swimming and Hanging on the Mini Dock

Sam munches and guards

Bears Beach Volleyball

Andrew and Sam make sure there are burgers for all

Surrounded by family and friends, Jackson and Dain are enjoying Thanksgiving lunch together. Yum!

Luke and his family pause from filling their bellies to smile for the camera! We are so thankful to have families visiting Cherokee Creek Boys School on Thankgiving day.

At Midnight last night the boys awoke to build a fire for our traditional pre-Thanksgiving turkey pit. This fire kept them warm until the early hours of the morning. They then made a pit out of the coals of the fire with Operations Director Phil Fairbrother where they stuffed the turkeys underground. This has been a yearly tradition for CCBS the night before Thanksgiving.

Watching the turkeys cook late into the night...

These are the students who braved the late night to cook our tasty turkey’s: (from left to right) Michael, Barron, Jimmy, Cole, Sam, and Dain.

Teacher Nick Linscott, together with the boys who stayed up all night, pulled out the turkeys the next morning after our traditional late night cookout. They then wheelbarrowed their way up to the kitchen where several students whipped on the aprons and started prepping the turkeys.

The 2010 Turkey Team: (from left) Adrian, Calvin, Jon, Ben, Drew, Daniel and Teacher Nick Linscott

Announcing this year’s Turkey Team: Adrian, Calvin, Jon, Ben, Drew and Daniel. These boys will work with staff members Phil Fairbrother and Nick Linscott to pit roast 5 turkeys for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day feast. It is an honor to be selected for this responsibility – and a lot of hard work. Check out their itinerary below:

• Wednesday afternoon the team will work with Academic Lead Nick Linscott to prepare the area for fire safety. They will then dig a large pit and lay a fire ready to be started in the middle of the night.
• In the wee hours of the night (around 12:00 AM Thanksgiving morning) Operations Director Phil Fairbrother will come in and wake the team. Together they will start the fire and fuel it with a lot of wood for the next 4 hours.
• At 5:00 AM the foil-wrapped turkeys will be placed in the pit of coals and covered with dirt where they will roast for 5-6 hours.
• Tomorrow morning Nick and the boys will gently unearth the birds and take them to the kitchen where they will perform their final task of preparing the meat for serving.

Stay tuned for more Turkey Team details and some photos from their all-night experience.

Students clean one of the Earl's Ford campsites before launching for some canoe drills.

What a great fall weekend full of great outdoor treats! Students and staff took full advatage of our volunteer agreement with the Forest Service. The boys headed to Earl’s Ford for a service project on both Saturday and Sunday. After cleaning up campsites and the river bank, our tricksters took some time to practice their whitewater canoeing and fly fishing skills where Warwoman Creek meets the Chattooga River.  

To celebrate Halloween staff and students gathered around the fire for S’mores on Saturday night. What a great sweet treat!