The graduation luncheon table looks a lot like a Thanksgiving redux as Cherokee Creek bids a fond farewell and best

The Big Grad Table

wishes to FOUR graduates in the next week. Michael, Alex, Sam and Eddie have worked very hard to achieve their PATH goals and their leadership shoes will be very hard to fill.

When asked about his feelings about graduating and moving on to a new school, Eddie said, “As Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step’.”

Wise words and good advice, Eddie!

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!

CCBS hosted 2006 graduate, Reed, and his mom Lori last week when they were in the area to interview with local

Reed, his mom Lori, and teacher Nick Linscott show Reed's graduation picture.

college coaches. Reed attends Hilton Head Christian Academy and met with Clemson’s Track and Field coach to talk over his shot put and discus future at CU.

He also plays nose tackle on Hilton Head’s football team which had only one loss their entire 13-game season. They were the South Carolina Independent Schools Football Champions of 2012. Reed’s contribution to the team was significant and he was named one of the Players of the Game early in the season.

His visit included an all school assembly in which he talked with the boys about his time at CCBS and life afterward.

“Reed gave us good advice saying that when you go through the program, you learn a lot about yourself and how you acted, but you can change things,” Ian said.

“It was nice to hear that he still talks to his friends that he made here, because I’m making good friends here,” Josh added.

Cherokee Creek always welcomes alumni and their families back for visits. If you are in the area, please consider stopping in for lunch and a warm hello!

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!”

CCBS came to Westminster and our boys blew  away the 14 and under competition in the annual 5K Apple Fest run.

Eddie and Ari sport their new medals.

Ari, Eddie, Barron, and Sam A. took the top four places  in their age group, all finishing in 31 minutes or less.

Coaches Josh and Kayla ran with our own Family Center Coordinator Debbie Wallace, all finishing around the 34 minute mark. Weekend Coordinator Andrew Stevenson, who will take over cross country coaching responsibilities from Josh, finished 15th overall and third in his age group.

The next official race is during Octoberfest and the boys will continue to train hard to sweep those medals as well. Congratulations CCBS Cross Country team!

Official games start this evening and Cherokee Creek Boys School would like to invite all parents available to travel to the area to join us in the cheering section.

Zach goes in for a slide tackle in a recent scrimmage

The directions to all the fields can be found using an online search. Sertoma Field is in Walhalla,  Gignilliat Field is in Seneca, Fair Oak is in Fair Play, and Pickens is in the town of Pickens, and Nettles Field is in Clemson, SC.

Hope to see you there!

Thurs., Sept 6th — 6:30 p.m. at Gignilliat Field

Tues., Sept 11th — 8 p.m., at Pickens Field

Tues., Sept. 18th — 8 p.m. at Nettles Field

Thurs., Sept 20th — 7:30 p.m. at Sertoma Field

Mon., Sept 24th — 7 p.m., at Fair Oak field

Thurs., Sept 27th — 8 p.m., at Nettles Field

Mon., Oct. 1st — 6:30 p.m. at Gignilliat Field

Tues., Oct. 2nd — 7 p.m. at Nettles Field

Thurs., Oct. 4th — 7:30 p.m. at Sertoma Field

Nick shows great form -- and dance moves -- on the field

Mark Warren, naturalist, composer, writer and Director of Medicine Bow, A Primitive School of Earthlore in the North Georgia Mountains, recently visited Cherokee Creek Boys School. He shared stories and artifacts as well as taught the boys to make cordage and make fire from sticks.

Below are pictures from his visit.

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The CCBS Bears are well into practice and Coach Yanic McDowell arranged a fun scrimmage against Shepherd’s Hill Academy. It was all in good fun as we loaned a few players to SHA in order to round out their team. Enjoy the photos of a very rainy but entertaining game…

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We’re back in session now after Summer Break. Here are some fun pictures from Art Week. Come visit our gallery of finished products soon!

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Cherokee Creek Boys School hosted  Lisa Kiser, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Arts Council this week. Lisa is a jewelry artist working in fine metals and stones, but brought her love of all things artistic to campus for four days of art lessons.

Ms. Kiser demonstrates Quilling for the boys

Monday and Tuesday the boys worked in the ancient art of “quilling,” in which paper is shaped into spirals and shapes then glued into a design onto another medium. The boys painted canvases as backdrops for their beautiful designs in black paper.

Wednesday and Thursday the activity was “painting with wool.” Ms. Kiser brought dyed llama and sheep wool which the boys then pulled into a design, flattened between two grids and somehow (we’re still not sure how it magically, yet scientifically, happened) turned them into felted pieces of art.