WLHS Participates in the Georgia-Saxony ExchangeIn a Georgia Department of Education program that links schools in Georgia with schools in Saxony, Germany, West Laurens hosted Ute Hofman from April 24 to May 7, 2000. Mrs. Hofman will host WLHS teacher Dorothy Connor when the Georgia group of 15 teachers visits Saxony June 12 - 27, 2000.
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<Mrs. Connor's first period class interviewed Mrs. Hofman about Dossen, her home town that is located 30 kilometers from Dresden and in the former East Germany. Mrs. Hofmann visited other history classes, assisted by interpretor Suzanne Ingram, a student at Dublin Center and native of Germany. She visited many different educational settings while she was in Laurens County and on the weekends she visited some of Georgia's special places.
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Mrs. Hofman, who enjoys nature, met the alligators of Okefenokee. On her first weekend in Georgia, Mrs. Hoff traveled with hosts Dorothy and CLay Connor and Joy Bracewell, daughter of WLHS teacher Judy Bracewell, to canoe in the Okefenokee Swamp, a young peat bog in southern Georgia. Sights included countless alligators, white and blue herons, and beautiful cypruss trees which formed obstacles for the canoists as they rose gracefully through the dark swamp water to form lacy canopies against the blue sky. A wonderful day before we traveled on to spend the night at Jekyll Island.
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On our return to Dublin, we stopped for an historic tour of Savannah. Since it was Confederate Memorial Day, we found a ceremony, complete with Civil War Era band, in Forseyth Park. We enjoyed a sidewalk chalk art show sponsored by the College of Art and Design before goinig on to River Street. With beautiful weather, we wove our way around the squares, enjoying the typical Savannah homes, the huge live oak trees, and the city market where we had to stop and listen to jazz while enjoying a snack.
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As we strolled along the old wharves on River Street, sampled pecan pralines, admired the magnolia blooms, and watched a freighter maneuver up the river with assistance from a tug, we talked about the new hotel complex and developments across the river. Then we climbed the winding steps to Bay Street and its war memorials, historic markers, Cotton Exchange and over friendly squirrels.
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On our last weekend, we went to Atlanta where we went up Peachtree Tower, visited the Atlanta History Center, shopped at Lenox square, and visited Stone Mountain Park. Dorothy and Ute climbed the mile long trail to the top of Stone Mountain to see the view. Out of breath and red in the face, we enjoyed a few moments of collapse in a cooling breeze before climbing the rest of the way up.
We took the cable car down to sprawl on the lawn before the carving of General Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and General "Stonewall" Jackson to wait for the Laser Show. The carving was begun in 1928 as a memorial to the Civil War COnfederacy. Did you know General Lee's shoulder is wide enough to enjoy a picnic lunch there or that you could shelter from a sudden rain beneath his nose?
Sunday the groups of German and Georgian teachers met at Hartfield Airport to say goodbye until June when we would all meet again in Saxony.
