Ms. Thames’ Drama students did a reprise of the popular musical “Putnam County Spelling Bee” on the evening of May 14 in the Winyah Auditorium. This musical traces the anxieties and aspirations of the group of young teens who want to win the bee and go to the National Spelling Bee in Washington.
The cast included Delaney (Prono Lisa Peretti / Olive’s mom), Wyatt (Douglas Patch), Joshua (Chip Tolentino / Jesus Christ), Ellie (Logainne “Swartzy” Swartzandgrunenierre), Reece (Leaf Coneybear / Carl-dad), Branton (William Barfee / Leaf’s dad), Jamie (Marcy Parker / Leaf’s sister), Sydney (Olive Ostrovsky), Noah K. (Mitch Mahoney / Olive’s dad / Dan-dad), Buck (speller / ensemble) and Bryice (Douglas Patch understudy). Special thanks to backstage management: Jasmine, Willow, Hunter, Aryelle, and Elizabeth.
Everyone was surprised and delighted by the Drama class’s performance under Ms. Thames’s direction. It takes a special teacher to get students up on stage, not to mention up on stage and singing their hearts out! Ms. Thames, we appreciated every minute you were with us this year and wish you all the best in your new job!
Photos: staff and courtesy of Marsh Deane (MLNL Media)
Being able to think and talk about both sides of a controversial issue as objectively as possible is an important skill for any citizen. When people can’t engage in civil discourse, there is no exchange of ideas. That’s why senior speeches are a graduation requirement at TGS. Our seniors must prepare a short talk about an issue, then deliver it to faculty, friends, and family in order to receive their diplomas. After the speech, they must also answer questions from people in the audience. Senior Speech Day is a major milestone towards proving that seniors are ready to go out into the world.
Our assembly began on a very high note, when Dr. Gates passed out TGS rings to all the seniors. These rings are a gift from Sonny and Lori Burgoon of Diamond Collection who want to honor all the graduates with a lasting and beautiful memento of their years at The Georgetown School. Thank you so much!
Then, the Class of 2026 did a great job presenting and defending their positions on a variety of issues.
Baryck Jackson heads to U. S. C. this fall. He argued that companies are overstepping their bounds by installing overly complicated electronics in cars and farm equipment. Given the difficulty of finding and training qualified technicians, these electronics place an undue financial burden on the owner when things go wrong. The reputation of the company suffers when it can’t keep its machinery running. Some (John Deere) are being sued by angry customers. Companies are doing a disservice to their customers and themselves through over-use of complicated electronic systems.
Bryan Amerson will also study at U. S. C. Bryan took on the topic of AI, arguing that its use should be limited to small and specific applications, such as in medicine. The way AI acquires data from unconsenting people is leading to a massive invasion of privacy. Biometric data has already been stolen and sold after data breaches; it is time for the government to reign in and narrowly define the uses of AI.
Hannah Bridges will attend Horry-Georgetown Technical College. She argued that social media is dangerous to children under 15 because their brains are still developing and there is too much noxious material that can influence them for the worse, even driving them to suicide. She said it was the social media companies’ responsibility to keep minors away from inappropriate content.
Larson Lee is heading to the College of Charleston. He believes that the energy future of America lies in developing low-cost and safe nuclear plants. Unlike other fuels, nuclear is relatively clean and can be obtained domestically, reducing both pollution and our dependence on foreign sources of energy. Larson noted that very safe methods of either disposing of or reprocessing spent fuel rods already exist. He maintained that disasters such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl were due to mismanagement of sites, not nuclear energy itself.
Noah Miller is attending Horry-Georgetown Technical College this fall. He spoke from his experience as a home-schooled student and argued that traditional (whether public or private) schools do a better job of producing well-educated, well-adjusted graduates. Homeschoolers often do not have adequate time for socializing with their peers, and the longer they are home-schooled, the more difficult their classes become and the more they will need certified teachers to educate them.
Gracin Farwell will go to Wingate College next fall. Gracin’s topic was surveillance overreach through technologies such as the Flock Safety camera. The Flock scans license plates and creates a huge data set of pervasive, long-term tracking of people’s movements. Many see this as a search without a warrant and an invasion of the privacy guaranteed by the 4th Amendment. Gracin believes that surveillance technology should be used to pursue criminals (all proper legal channels being followed) but must be severely curtailed in the case of private citizens going about their business.
Corrin Anderson is accepted at Southern New Hampshire University. He argued that the words of our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” should be updated. The words, he said, are difficult to memorize and many citizens do not really know them well enough to sing. The verses refer to the War of 1812 and many people find them archaic and overly militaristic. Corrin argued that warlike lyrics are not relevant and should be replaced by words which reflect the values of modern Americans: freedom, equality, progress.
Kipper Saliaris will attend Lander College this fall. Kipper argued that there are too many hormones in the foods we buy at the grocery store. He explained that there are mainly two types of hormones in use: growth hormones to promote bigger animals and hormones that are sprayed on food when it is harvested to keep it fresh longer. These hormones are harmful: there are studies that point to an increased chance of slow metabolism and gynacomastia in children. Kipper pointed out that such hormones are already banned in many parts of Europe and should be banned in the U. S. In the meantime, he recommends buying organic food and preserving it by freezing, canning, or drying.
The faculty will choose one senior to receive the Senior Speech Award at Awards Day.
Photos: courtesy of Marsh Deane (MLNL Media), Nolan, and Christine Anderson
Every year in the spring, Kingfishers go on a school-wide trip to an unknown destination. This year, we went west to Tennessee. Our bus driver, Ms. Sherry, picked us up at school around 8:00 on March 3. After good-byes and phone collection, we were on our way! The first point of interest was the town of Kingstree, where Richard got to see the train station, but (sadly) no train. For our first lunch, we brought bagged lunches into a Hardees south of Columbia, where kids could order drinks or dessert and visit the convenience store next door.
After many hours on the bus ride heading west on the interstate, we finally got off onto smaller roads and arrived at Roan State Park, just over the border in Tennessee. We were all eager to check out our cabins, the area, and to simply get out of the bus. As we stepped out, we were in awe of the towering pine trees, rugged landscape, and picturesque cabins situated on a hilly horseshoe road surrounded by the woods. We grabbed our luggage and toiled up the steep hill to our cabins, which were clean and spacious. They had A/C as well!
Just as we began to settle in, we were all informed that we would all have to meet back up at the bus, ready for a hike. Everybody was a bit drowsy from the bus ride, so we needed a good way to stretch our legs and wake ourselves up. What better way than to climb a mountain? Before boarding, the teachers divided everyone into four groups: the Chickens, the Horses, the Rabbits, and the Snakes. Each group had to find its members by silently doing its animal’s “dance.” Next, we re-boarded the bus by groups and took a quick trip to Carver’s Gap (elevation 5512 feet).
Up here, it was 20° colder, with 30 mph wind gusts. Everybody got out of the bus and began to hike up the path, slowly making their way up the slope covered in a layer of grass akin to that of a hay field. As we ascended, we soon entered a forest filled with a vast amount of spruce trees, blocking out the wind we had previously been facing. The trees also shielded us and some small patches of snow from the sunlight. As we got close to the peak of our hike, we exited the forest and came to a large rock on the slope. Many of us climbed on top of it, to better appreciate the beautiful view of the mountain range and the sun as it began to dip down behind the horizon. When the sun finally disappeared, we realized it was time to go, so we all took our final looks, returning back down the trail to our bus. Soon we were back at the cabins, ready for our dinner of hamburgers and potato salad.
Roan State Park was really nice. Each cabin had two beds upstairs, a couch, and a suite room for the teacher. One cabin ended up with six high school boys. “We spent much of our down time playing card games and hide-and-seek,” Reece said. Their favorite day was when they got to make ramen with leftovers and “pie” from a “prison” recipe. The middle-schoolers spent evenings outside searching for monsters they called “skinwalkers.” High-schoolers joined in to scare them. The stars were amazing in all that darkness.
The next day, we were back in the bus early so we could drive to Oak Ridge, a town outside of Knoxville. There, we visited The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE). This museum, located in a strip mall, is dedicated to showing the vital importance of science and engineering in our past, present and future. Before we were let loose to explore the museum, our knowledgeable docent led us into a conference room to show us a very “shocking” device. The device she pulled out of a broom closet was a vintage Van der Graaf generator, used to create static electricity on a large scale. She demonstrated its power: with one hand on the machine, she lit up fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling by gesturing at them. The most exciting part was when she had us put our hand on the dome of the device and the static electricity caused any hair we had to stand up. This wonderful machine even caused Dr. Gates’s arm hair to frizz and Jamie’s braids to curl up at the ends. You can see from the photo of Elizabeth how surprising the experience was!
When we showed up at Chik-Fil-A for lunch, we were greeted with a nasty surprise: the Oak Ridge warning siren began blasting and continued for three solid minutes. It turns out that the local emergency alert system is tested on the first Wednesday of every month! We were “lucky” to experience this aspect of local culture.
After Chik-Fil-A, we went to the Ice Chalet, a skating rink in Knoxville. Ice skating has become a tradition after last year’s unforgettable experience in Williamsburg. This rink was a lot nicer, with some really talented skaters zipping around. Energy filled us as soon as we stepped inside, the cold air buzzing with our excitement and anticipation.
Students took to the ice, creating a scene that was both chaotic and joyful. Some wobbled along the edge of the rink before inevitably slipping and falling, only to burst into laughter as their friends tried to help them back up. A few high-schoolers showed off, or at least attempted to, spinning, racing, and joking around with a confidence that didn’t always match their balance. Despite the falls, the atmosphere remained lighthearted and full of fun.
On the third day of our trip, we took another long but lively bus ride to the University of Tennessee in downtown Knoxville. UT is a massive campus, home to more than 30,000 students. Stepping off the bus, we could immediately feel the school spirit and energy of a place that never really slows down. We kicked things off with a guided tour led by Kate and Haylee, who brought the campus to life with their enthusiasm and inside knowledge. As we walked, we got to see both the official mascot (the Torchbearer) and unofficial mascot (Smokey the Bluetick Coonhound) that represent the school’s spirit, along with some of the most impressive parts of campus, including their state-of-the-art nursing building and the enormous stadium that stands as a symbol of school pride.
As the tour continued, we made our way to one of the most iconic traditions on campus, the Rock. This massive boulder serves as a creative outlet for students, who cover it in layers of paint to share messages, promote upcoming events, and even advertise sign-ups for clubs and activities. It’s constantly changing, a colorful reflection of student life. Our guides told us a wild story about how, after an anonymous student once painted a coach’s phone number on the Rock following a controversial decision, the university had to install 24-hour surveillance to keep things under control. Moments like that made it clear just how passionate, and even sometimes unpredictable the student body can be.
By the end of the tour, the heat and the walking had definitely caught up to us, so stopping at the main dining hall, Rocky Top, was the perfect idea. The two-story cafeteria was huge, filled with a wide variety of food options that seemed to go on forever. From quick snacks to full meals, there was something for everyone. We had a chance to relax, refuel, and take in everything we had just experienced.
Overall, visiting the University of Tennessee wasn’t just a campus tour, it was an inside look at a vibrant college community full of tradition, energy, and personality. It left many of us imagining what it might be like to one day be part of a place like that when we graduate.
Our meal at the Rocky Top Dining Hall was very satisfying but there was no time for a nap. The bus took us to Navitat Recreation Center, an outdoor paradise with gardens, walking trails, and a ziplining course! We immediately forgot our full stomachs and got geared up in harnesses and helmets, ready for adventure. After a little training in how to stay safe by some very patient guides, we started out on different levels of high ropes. The group was really stoked and got out on the ropes 40 feet in the air as fast as possible. “I really liked all of the different ropes courses,” Nolan said. “My favorite course was Treason, the hardest one. It definitely tested my upper body strength.”
The last formal meal we had on this year’s school trip was at Freddy’s Steak Burgers. This restaurant really is few eateries back in Georgetown because the interior was a 1960’s diner featuring crimson red booths, black and white checkerboard pattern floors, and a friendly staff. Students were very happy to stretch their legs and enjoy some custard and burgers while resting in the booths.
The ride home from our atomic adventures in Tennessee was pleasant and bittersweet at the same time. We got up bright and early to pack our things, clean the cabins, and make sure we didn’t forget anything before boarding the bus. We were very grateful to our bus driver Sherry for driving us this year and we all thanked her for her excellent driving. On the bus, there was plenty of excitement as many high and middle school students played games and ranted about everything that happened on the trip. Some were too tuckered out, though. “With how much we did on the trip,” said one high-schooler, “I slept the whole way home.” The student chatter went away when we passed Columbia because Dr. Gates handed out our phones. This trip to Tennessee was exciting for the new students on their first school trip. It was also bittersweet for the seniors on their last one. We will not be forgetting the adventures we had in Tennessee anytime soon!
By Eleanor, Larson, Nolan, Reece, Caleb and Hannah
Kingfishers filled a box with canned goods for the Bunnelle Youth Board food drive involving all area high schools. Eleanor is our Bunnelle Youth Board representative. The food was bagged up and distributed to hungry families in our community. Good job, Kingfishers and Youth Board!
We have many things to be thankful for and our annual Thanksgiving Feast gives us the chance to express our gratitude for each other and our school. We came together this year to enjoy an abundance of delicious food and good fellowship, starting with Dr. Gates’ two large turkeys and ending with desserts prepared by the high schoolers. The teachers served up everyone’s plates, starting with the senior class and ending with the sixth-graders. But the sixth-graders got their revenge! They were first in line for dessert!
On November 9, Coastal Expeditions invited our entire school to go paddling on the Black River in the Peninsula Tract of the Black River Cypress Preserve. This tract of protected property is located on the other side of Andrews. We packed our water bottles and lunches and headed out to our destination in teachers’ cars. It looked like it might rain but it never really did.
Our guides greeted us and told everyone to put on a life vest. Then they handed everyone a paddle. We got a quick lesson then headed down to the boat ramp, where about twenty colorful kayaks were waiting. We had to sit two by two in the kayaks as the guides adjusted the rudder to the length of the front person’s legs. Then they started pushing the kayaks into the water and we paddled across the river and hung on to low branches until everyone was out. Then the group headed up the river.
The paddle was very interesting. We saw a kingfisher and a bald eagle down close to the water, then stopped to admire an ancient cypress that the guides estimated was 800 years old. The current was not too strong and it was easy paddling up the river. The guides eventually told us to turn around and head back. Since we were a well-behaved group of strong paddlers, they let us do a race at the end!
Thanks to our strong and knowledgeable guides and to Coastal Expeditions for a memorable day!
On Sunday, November 9, friends of The Georgetown School gathered at Francis Marion Park for the twelfth annual Oyster Roast. The students, parents, and faculty had everything set up and Will Ness was warming up his amp and tuning his guitar when the first oyster lovers claimed their tables and turned their eyes towards the cooking area. Before long, high schoolers began carrying out the first steaming trays of McClellanville bivalves. The music went up, sweet and mellow for a Sunday afternoon and everyone started shucking.
At the raffle table, parents were enjoying the sun and watching all the goings-on. Middle school students were busy handing out soft drinks, water, and bowls of hot pileau. A steady stream of people came in all afternoon, lured by the oysters and the convivial atmosphere.
Our Oyster Roast is one of the highlights of the fall season and we look forward to it every year. Congratulations to all the Kingfishers and their families for pulling together and creating another magical event!
Halloween is fun at TGS because we get to come to school in costume. Student Council organizes a Trunk or Treat where the high-schoolers decorate their car trunks and pass out candy at break. This year there was even a smoke machine in the back of someone’s truck. A dinosaur, Anne Boleyn, Joan of Arc, a Roman emperor, a swamp creature, a pirate, the Godfather, a vampire, a referee, and several characters from YA fiction milled around the parking lot, collecting candy. At the end of lunch, there was a costume parade with prizes given for best costume. The Swamp Creature (Bryan) won handily for high school; Middle School gave the award to Anne Boleyn (Delaney).
On April 4th, the 8th graders had the unique opportunity to be docents for the Prince George Annual Plantation Tours. These tours have been happening every spring for the last seventy-five years. Proceeds go to benefit the ECW outreach fund and to preserve the historic Prince George, Winyah church property. Mr. and Mrs. Hoerner accompanied Willow, Sydney, Jasiah, and Branton on their all-day adventure. First, they got to tour Chicora Wood Plantation, Exchange Plantation, and Prince Frederick Church out along the Pee Dee River north of Georgetown. Their admission was free because they were docents! After a lot of walking and touring, the little group drove over to Mansfield Plantation, where they got an “inside scoop” on its history to share with all the tourists. Willow and Sydney were stationed at the Friendfield Church. “Our biggest crowd was thirteen people,” Willow said. “And they all clapped for us!” Jasiah and Branton were stationed in the former slave village of Mansfield. They talked to the tourists about a particular cabin which remained occupied long after the Civil War. “Someone lived in that cabin until 1952 with no heating or plumbing,” Branton said. “She refused to even get glass windows.” Mr. and Mrs. Hoerner got tons of compliments about our young docents and what a great job they did. It was a long but very rewarding day of learning about Georgetown County history. By Eleanor
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.
The Georgetown School 
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