Saturday: Day Two of Scholastic Meetings

Saturday, February 26, I awoke around 6:45 to be dressed and ready for room service, scheduled to arrive somewhere between 7:15 and 7:30.  Breakfast was prearranged by Scholastic; all we had to do was call down to guest services, tell what time we wanted breakfast, and present a coupon to room service when they came to the door.

This is the coupon we had to present...

...and this is what came to my door.
Oh. My. Stars.

 

After breakfast I met Carol in the lobby again, along with the other teachers.  We went back to the Scholastic building for the second round of meetings.  The walk was much better than the previous day; it poured on Friday!  Saturday was just windy.

We got back to the building where we posed for a group picture, then got to business.  We talked about what books we use in class, how we incorporate books into lessons, what types of skills we cover, and what reading intervention programs are used.  We also had a chance to meet with the editorial teams in small groups to talk about what topics we would like to see covered in book offerings.  (I have a hard time finding books that cover map skills and geography on a second-grade level to supplement my Social Studies geography unit.  And guess what?  They are planning to create a series on just that!)  The last thing we did before breaking for lunch was meet with the design teams in small groups to talk about the design of the book club fliers themselves.  Be on the lookout for some changes come this fall...

After the meetings, we were treated to lunch upstairs in the Greenhouse.  The Greenhouse is on the top floor and it is like a sunroom where you can have meals al fresco.  It was actually too cold to dine al fresco, but the sunlight coming in was warm.

When lunch was over, we were taken to a room where we got to rate and help choose offerings for the new Teacher Bonus catalog.  FYI: There are some really neat things coming your way!

Once we finished with the Bonus catalog items, we were given some time to be on our own.  So I went along with four other teachers who are also self-professed foodies.  We went on a mini food tour, in the manner of Food Network/The Cooking Channel.  We started right at the end of the block with Baked by Melissa, a place that specializes in mini cupcakes.

These are my tasties: S'more, Coconut Cream, and Cinnamon.  They were moist and fluffy.  Delicious!

You literally walk up to the window, place your order, and walk away with goodness in your hands.

From there we hopped on the subway and trekked up to Union Square.  There we hit the Shake Shack for burgers, fries, and shakes.  Actually, I only had the fries.  I just can't do burgers out!  (For a self-professed foodie, I know that's akin to sacrilege. Sorry. Just can't do it.)  But, the fries were SO GOOD!  I could eat them all day.  And you can get them with toppings.  Be still my heart!

The Shake Shack.

It was about 40 degrees that day, but we were toasty thanks to the outdoor torches above the tables.

When we finished, we went across the street to Eataly, an Italian market.  There were so many people, they actually had security at each entrance letting people in a few at a time.  We were fortunate to get in at the same time.  And once we got in...! Wow.  There were restaurants and stalls of everything.  Chocolate (which was yummy), wine, pastry, cheese, sausages, bread, spices, cooking utensils, cookbooks, fruits, veggies, etc.  I could have stayed there all day. But we had more places to go.

So crowded.  But worth it!

After Eataly we traveled on to Crumbs Bake Shop, where we sampled more cupcakes.  I split a carrot cake cupcake with one of my colleagues, while the others split a S'mores cupcake--complete with a giant marshmallow baked right in the center. Heavenly.

Yum!

From Crumbs, we had to hustle into a taxi and get back to the hotel for dinner with everyone else.  I know what you're thinking: How are you going to eat dinner after you ate all afternoon?  The trick is to order one thing and share it with everyone so you only have a taste.  Then you still have room for dinner!

We made it to the hotel with two minutes to spare--literally.  We hopped on a chartered bus that took us from the hotel down into the Times Square area where we had dinner at Carmine's.  Ah, Carmine's. We were shown to a private dining area thanks to heavy velvet curtains dividing up the dining room.  The food was out of this world.  Everything is served family style, from the bread to dessert.  I tried a little of everything that came to to table: fried calamari with spicy sauce, chicken marsala, penne with vodka sauce, cappelini with tomato sauce, Caesar salad, steamed seasoned broccoli, and eggplant parmesan.  The eggplant parmesan was my favorite.  It was layered like a lasagna and melted in your mouth.  When the main course was over we were served dessert: tiramisu, cannoli, an ice cream concoction, and something like a chocolate cake.  I tried a bit of all and they were equally delicious.

After dinner we were treated to the show Jersey Boys in the August Wilson Theater.  The show was unbelievable, I think in part to the intimate setting of the theater.  I definitely recommend this show.  GO!

The marquee as we walked to the theater.

The program.

Once the show was over and we got back to the hotel, we said our goodbyes/goodnights because some of us (like me) were leaving early the next morning.  Some of the other folks went on to a place called Please Don't Tell, but I was tired. And coming down with something, I think.  (By the time I got to bed I was dealing with a blocked ear and sinus issues.)

I went to bed full of ideas and high hopes for the year to come.  Stay tuned!