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The Glass Menagerie

On Wednesday, March 1, the whole high school drove to Charleston to see Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie at the Dock Street Theatre, presented by Charleston Stage.

We arrived early enough to get in a visit to the Fireproof Building, which houses the South Carolina Historical Society Museum. There were all sorts of cool exhibits, including a home movie of people harvesting rice made in the 1930s. They were using 18th and 19th century techniques brought to the New World by enslaved people. Isaac really liked the flintlock exhibit and all the boys thought the display of different “sands” that were spewed out from the earth during the Charleston Earthquake of 1886 were very interesting. Mme Gates saw a quote by a South Carolina attorney general on a tee shirt that was pretty funny: “South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum” (James Louis Petigru).

We walked to the Dock Street Theatre and arrived in plenty of time for the play. Soon were were drawn into the “fragile world of the Wingfield family, where dreams and reality intertwine in a tender dance” (Charleston Stage). Many of the high school students had read the play with Dr. Simmons and everyone thought the production was really well done. The play was cut significantly but all the drama was still there. “The shortened ending suited just fine,” said Morgan.

Lunch was a quick stop at Chik-Fil-A. Gracin and his table were able to use the hot sauce he had bought at the Fireproof Building on their sandwiches (yum!). We managed to get back to Georgetown shortly after 3:00. Thank you, Dr. Simmons, for planning this great experience.

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Spring Sports at TGS

Tennis at TGS is 10% skill and 90% fun. On Tuesday and Sunday afternoons, our tennis players go out to hit some tennis balls. (Sometimes we hit “home runs” out into the marsh at East Bay Park!) Our tennis team, while not very experienced, is quickly learning how to serve, hit ground strokes, and volley under Coach Gates’ training. We do everything from running drills to playing matches, but whatever we do we always make sure to have fun. And we try not to get eaten alive by gnats!

Every Monday and Thursday, TGS students can walk (or drive) to the South Carolina Maritime Museum, which generously offers their 420 racing boats for us to use. After arriving, most sailors walk to Sweeties to grab a quick ice cream or milkshake, just in time to finish before Coach Gates arrives. Jim and Mahi Edwards wait with their Boston Whaler and kindly ferry the sailors across the harbor to the boats. After rigging, Coach Gates sets a course and everyone tries to find the fastest way around it, while also dodging the sunken boats. Come 4:30, and it’s time to pull the boats out and de-rig. Thanks to Morgan’s parents for providing transportation and life jackets, and to the SCMM for letting us use their boats!

By Morgan and Baryck

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Pi (π) Day 2025

Every year, March 14 (3.14) is officially declared Pi Day, a day to celebrate the never-ending digits of π. To honor the day, Middle Schoolers in Mrs. Crosby’s math classes brought all different types of pies. The flavors ranged from nuts to fruits to chocolate pie. “The Blueberry Meringue was by far my favorite,” Sara said. Middle Schoolers gobbled pie until they were stuffed, and then the High Schoolers scarfed up the rest of it. π has infinite digits and we apparently have an infinite love for pie.

By Eleanor

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Our 2025 Kayaking Adventure

We finally got to go kayaking on Thursday, March 13 at the Black River Cypress Preserve! The weather was perfect—not too hot, not too cold. The BRCP is located just on the other side of Andrews. It boasts 1000 acres of undeveloped river land covered in cypress trees.

Our guides for the day were four young women from Coastal Expeditions: Meredith, Morgan, Claire, and Madison. They met us at the parking lot and we trooped down to the boat landing. First, they divided us into pairs so we could use the tandem kayaks: a big kid with a little kid. Then we put on our life vests and grabbed our paddles. The guides gave us a short lesson on paddling in a small field near the boat house. Finally we went down to the landing where colorful kayaks were bunched up on the ground pointing at the river.

The guides told us to get in the kayaks while they adjusted the foot pedals. We had to sit up very tall, bracing ourselves with our knees. “This will help you become one with the kayak,” Madison told us. Soon it was time to launch. We got out of our boats and helped drag them down to the water when it was our turn. We all paddled across the Black River and massed on the opposite bank by clinging to branches until everyone was ready.

What a beautiful day and what a beautiful river! We went to see a bunch of old cypress trees and then explored a new part of the Black River. Hannah saw a giant spider on a tree and Dr. Gates saw the first swallowtail kite of the season. The students paired together cooperated with each other (more or less) and we all got back to the landing at the same time. The guides allowed us to have a race at the end. Corrin and Josh won, with Morgan and Jamie in second place.

Mr. Marsh came with us for the day, bringing all his fancy camera gear so his media students could practice using it. Gracin got to wear a Go-Pro while Bryan was allowed to use an underwater camera. Marsh himself took his big camera, his drone, and several plastic bags for picking up trash. He and all the teachers got to use single kayaks.

Kingfishers impressed the guides with their kayaking skills, which many of us probably acquired at River Day (thank you, Mrs. Crosby!). One guide told Dr. Gates that we were so good at paddling, they were able to add an extra leg to the trip. The guides were also very happy at how fast we put away the boats, paddles, and life vests. “You guys are great!” Morgan told us.

When all the gear was stowed, we ate lunch together at the picnic tables. Madison quizzed us about the seven rules of being in the wilderness. And so we took away nothing but photos and memories (except for Mr. Marsh, who had collected several bags of trash) and we left nothing but our footprints. Thank you, Coastal Expeditions and BRCP, for an awesome day on the beautiful Black River!

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January 8, 2025: Annika Villafranca

Our guest speaker today was hardly a guest—she’s more like a family member! Annika Villafranca graduated from TGS last year and came in to speak to us about her experiences at college so far. She was our first speaker of the new year!

Annika is a forensic science major at the University of New Haven in Connecticut with a minor in criminal justice. She shared with us some key differences between college and high school. College classes are longer and don’t meet every day. For example, Annika’s “Intro to Forensics” course met once a week for two hours and 45 minutes. This different schedule allows more free time but there is no one there telling you to use your time wisely.

Annika advised us to work on our study and time management skills before college. “Pay attention in class now,” she said. “It will help you in the long run, especially in math.” Annika was very far ahead of her peers in Chemistry because she had learned her unit conversions so well at TGS.

Annika’s study techniques include rewriting and summarizing her notes, and using note cards to learn terminology. “Don’t be afraid to email teachers or go to the tutoring center if you need help,” she said. “Take advantage of all the resources.”

College isn’t just studying and taking tests—it’s all about trying new things and branching out. “Find things that interest you,” Annika told us. She herself enjoys attending campus events with her friends and participating in Dance Club and Forensics Club. We thank Annika for her visit and wish her best of luck in the spring semester!

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October 2, 2024: Dr. John Rowan

Dr. John Rowan, Vice President of Enrollment at Francis Marion University, was our guest speaker at Open Forum today. Located near Florence SC, Francis Marion is a small university (4000 students) that has many fine programs. Dr. Rowan visited Dr. Simmons’ College Prep class, then headed downstairs to the Auditorium to talk to all of us about why college is important and how to choose your college.

One reason to attend college is to increase your earning power. “You are likely to make $1,000,000 more over your lifetime if you go to college,” Dr. Rowan told us. Another reason is more and better job options. “Without a college degree,” he said, “your job options are limited.” Dr. Rowan asked us to imagine doing what we love to do every day and getting paid for it. The key to this great situation is a college degree.

Dr. Rowan told us that colleges are still looking at academic performance but they also want to know where students volunteered during high school. Colleges also like to see extra-curricular activities that show you are a well-rounded person. He counseled us to use websites to start the college search, but then to use campus visits and open houses to make the final decision. “Get to know where you want to go to college,” he said.

Dr. Rowan told us that Francis Marion has consistently been rated one of the best colleges to work for and he agrees with this. He loves his job and was happy to come share with us.

By Noah M.

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September 18, 2024: Andrew Birkin

Our speaker today Andrew Birkin came all the way from Wales, England! Andrew is an old friend of Ms. Grippo’s and a noted film maker who was enjoying a short visit to the States and graciously came to talk to us about his career.

“I fell in love with filmmaking for all of the wrong reasons,” said Andrew. The only reason he applied for his first job in the film business was in order to meet his favorite actress! He did end up meeting her, but by then he realized that he enjoyed film making and decided to stay in the business.

Andrew had the privilege of helping in the production of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of Andrew’s jobs was photocopying the scripts for the actors. He said that although the script was top secret, he got to read segments of it when the Xerox machine charred the paper. 


One of Andrew’s other jobs was helping to write Omen III: The Final Conflict, and it came with a huge opportunity: while on this project, Andrew was given 48 hours to write, and five days to shoot his own short film Sredni Vashtar. He based it off of the short story of the same title by Saki. Sredni Vashtar was nominated for an Oscar. Andrew laughed, “I shouldn’t win anything for it because it was easy to do.”

Andrew then told us about his recent trip to Africa. There he taught kids in Malawi how to shoot short films on a smartphone. He noted how far technology has come since he was making his first film.

“Any of you can go out and make a movie,” Andrew told us. “Just make it short!”

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September 11, 2024: Captain Mark Smith

Captain Mark Smith, Fire Marshal for the Georgetown City Fire Department, spoke to us today to honor the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Many of us are too young to remember what happened but Capt. Smith will never forget.

He was drinking coffee when his fiancée called with the terrible news of a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. “It was hard to see,” he told us, “but it was a reality we needed to face.” Capt. Smith reminded us that 340 first responders also lost their lives that day. “Everyone else is running out of the building and firefighters run in,” he said.

Capt. Smith got his first training as a volunteer firefighter in West Virginia State and found that he enjoyed the work. He got certified as an EMT, eventually got hired by the City of Georgetown, and became a specialist in hazardous materials, especially chlorine. “Even with 23 years of experience, I still go to school,” he told us. The most difficult calls for him are when there are kids or babies involved.

Capt. Smith told us about some technological innovations in firefighting that make his job safer and easier. For example, communication is much better. The chief can talk to his firefighters from outside the burning structure and manage their movements. A computer keeps track of how much air is in their air packs so they don’t run out of oxygen. They also wear trackers that set off an alarm if the firefighter stops moving for too long. These trackers also notify people on the outside that someone is in trouble. A lot of time is spent at the fire station checking and inspecting the equipment every day.

Capt. Smith reminded us to keep our smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors up-to-date. If you need one, the Fire Department has them for free and will install them. He told us that kitchen fires involving grease are the most common type of home fire. He reminded us never to throw water on a grease fire! “Every family should have an escape plan in case of fire,” Captain Smith concluded.

We thank Capt. Smith for his timely and informative talk.

By Sara

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August 28, 2024: Sarah Green

“Hi, y’all!” said Sarah. “This is crazy!”

Sarah Green, class of 2017, never expected to find herself at the front of the Auditorium, addressing students at Open Forum. Sarah is an artist who now lives and works in Georgetown. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in painting in 2021. She spoke to us about not being afraid to take risks and overcoming obstacles.

Sarah fell in love with SCAD on her last school trip. SCAD is an expensive college but she was able to get grants for a lot of the tuition/fees. Her start at SCAD was not totally smooth (she had broken her foot skateboarding!) but Sarah was soon painting, learning, and enjoying Savannah. She even got to go on a semester abroad to Lacoste, a small village in the south of France. Sarah has since held jobs with the Myrtle Beach Art Museum and the Atlanta High Museum. She had opened her own studio in a co-op in Atlanta with several “fellow creatives.”

“When you make plans, life makes other plans for you,” Sarah told us. The building where the co-op was got pulled from the market and Sarah found herself having to start all over again. She does her best to see obstacles as learning opportunities and ways to find out more about what she is capable of. She says to herself, “I will carry this with grace.”

Now Sarah has an even bigger studio here in Georgetown where she is preparing to open for business with a gallery and website. Her favorite medium is oil and her favorite subject is people, but after her rigorous training, she can do it all. We wish her all the best as she starts her new life and business!

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Graduation 2024

Congratulations to our three graduates of the Class of 2024: Sage Fairclough, Emily Pilot and Annika Villafranca! Sage will be attending Western Carolina (UNC-Cullowee), Emily will study at the College of Charleston here in SC, and Annika will be heading to University of New Haven in New Haven, CT. We are so proud of these graduates!

On May 24, 2024 at 5:30, friends and family of our Class of 2024 gathered in the Winyah Auditorium for commencement exercises. Dr. Gates welcomed the crowd and introduced the salutatorian, Emily, and the valedictorian, Annika. Both students expressed their gratitude to the school and much affection for their fellow-students. Dr. Laura Gates gave the faculty address congratulating the class for having overcome many challenges and wishing them all well. Mr. Dedric Bonds then said a beautiful prayer on behalf the three students, committing them to God’s grace and care.

Finally, Dr. Gates called the roll. He recalled key moments from each student’s development at TGS and wished each one all the best as they continue their education. Sage, Emily, and Annika came forward and received their diplomas from Mr. Sonny Burgoon (TGS Board) and Dr. Gates pronounced them certified. With joy, everyone clapped and rushed down to get pictures before enjoying a lovely reception in the front hall put on by the Class of 2026.

Many thanks to Mrs. Kathy Newton for providing our music, Mrs. Amy Rogers for the floral arrangements, and to the parents of the rising juniors who did such a wonderful job with the reception. Sage, Emily, and Annika, you are on your way and we can’t wait to hear what next year brings!