Class Day #6

Today was a fun day! We had 2 school stops lined up and leadership training with Eileen in the afternoon.

The start of our day at Myrtle Beach Elementary School was phenomenal and completely unexpected – as we walked in the door, the kids (2^nd and 3^rd graders) were lined up on both sides of the hallway and welcomed us with songs and handshakes. It was impossible not to smile! We toured the classrooms and were amazed to see the way kids are learning today; they had technology at their fingertips and worked in social groups as opposed to the more “traditional” schooling most of us grew up with. Their manners were great and it was obvious that the school really was training future leaders.

Casey and Tiffany getting their warm welcome!

Next, we headed over to the Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology and got first hand accounts about their unique school life from select 9^th-12^th graders. Touring the school was so inspirational; these kids were doing what they love everyday in a welcoming and comfortable environment with other like-minded kids. We were even fortunate enough to be a part of a music video the Entertainment Technology students were filming that day! This school offers everything from drama, to fine art, to engineering, to medical practices and everything in between. Recently they were given the esteemed recognition as a STEM school, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The rest of the afternoon was reserved for leadership training with Eileen Soisson and the topic was “Personal Accountability.” These sessions are always refreshing and Eileen forces us to take a good hard look at our behaviors and choices so that we can pinpoint areas for improvement.

Perhaps the most important part of the day was the Speedball Exercise during this session. Once again, Class 31 holds the title and we were dying to beat them for once! Not knowing what to expect during this teamwork exercise, we rallied around it well and put up a strong fight. In the end, Class 31 held strong and got to keep the champion belt (yes, there really is a belt!)