The CBI (Community Based Instruction) students of Calhoun High School, along with teachers and staff traveled to John’s Mountain on October 12^th for a morning of bird watching, plant and tree identification and a hike up the 1.8 mile Pinhoti trail.  Mr. Dan Roper, editor of Georgia Backroads magazine was our interpretive guide.  Mr. Roper provided a wealth of information regarding the sights and sounds of the area and served as our guide along the trail as we walked the 1.8 mile path to Keown Falls.   Our goal was to:

·      Introduce students to leisure in the community

·      Allow students to work together as a team

·      Expose students to new geographic regions of their community

·      Expand student social skills while participating in group activities.

After enjoying a view from the top of Keown Falls, we headed back down the mountain, had a picnic lunch then returned to school.   One of our students was quoted as saying, “ I will need to get directions to the falls so I can take my parents on a  hike”. 

A special thanks to Mr. Roper for his continued support of our students and for volunteering to lead this annual field trip to Keown Falls.