Robotics Team training

in Hanahan.

The TGS Robotics Team took a trip to Charleston to hear a talk by Don Thomas, a retired astronaut who has been on the International Space Station four times.  They were very interested to hear all about the dangers of space travel, hoping to use this information in their Robotics competition.  This year’s Robotics competition’s theme is “Into Orbit,” and it challenges students to find innovative solutions to the problems of space travel.

Students were amazed by Thomas’ tales of outer space, especially by his photos of Charleston taken from the Space Station, and of astronauts floating through the halls of the Space Station. “It was worth the drive,” said Robotics sponsor Mrs. Crosby. “They were absolutely fascinated.”

According to Thomas, there are several problems with space travel.  The first is that you feel very far away and disconnected from everyone else.  The second is that your muscles and bones can atrophy in the lack of gravity, causing you to feel dizzy and made of lead when you come back home.  However, Thomas claims the worst issue of space travel is the food.

Using the five core skills of the Robotics Competition (discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork), the team will attempt to find a solution to one of the problems that Thomas mentioned in his talk.  The team will present their solution in the regional competition this November.

By Ryleigh

The Kingfishers faced off against the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Knights on August 27 in our first volleyball match of the season, winning 3 out of 5 games.

The game started off with a blast. Led by their coach, Dr. Neubauer, as well as their captains Cathryn (#60), Brynn (#14), and Sydni (#7), the Kingfishers started out strong. Starting server Ryleigh (#17) worked with her team to score again and again. It didn’t take long for the Knights to find their rhythm, and they soon began to catch up.

The Kingfishers barely won the first game, lost the second, and went on to win the third. “Keep it up, girls!” said Coach Neubauer, as the teams took a quick break in between games.  “We got this.”

The Kingfishers were frustrated to lose the fourth game. Pulling together for one final pep talk, the teammates urged each other on. “If we win this one, we’re done.”  Margaret (#15) told them. “Keep it hype.”

Both teams started out the fifth game strong, every player determined to do her best and bring home a victory. The Kingfishers managed to pull ahead, but it all came down to the last few points. The Kingfishers scored the final point with a killer serve and won the match.

Everyone at TGS was overjoyed to win our first match. Even more than that, we were happy for a chance to play and to test our skills. Thank you to St. Elizabeth for a great game. We can’t wait to play again in the future.

By Ryleigh

Chris has added another notch to his belt of achievement: he was recently named a National AP Scholar!

The National AP Scholar distinction is granted to students in the U.S. who receive an average score of at least 4 on all Advanced Placement exams taken, with scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of them.

Chris took 9 AP exams and scored 4 or 5 on 8 of them–an amazing performance.  Way to go, Chris!  We wish you good luck and a great first year at Alabama.

River Day!  That’s where Kingfishers swim, paddle-board, kayak, knee-board, wake-board, wake-surf, ride in boats, swing, throw water balloons and EAT with all their friends at Mrs. Crosby’s home out on Black River.  Ever since the traditional River Day date was rained out back in May, we have been waiting for this party!

The weather on Saturday, August 25, could not have been nicer.  Dr. Crosby, Drew Crosby, and

Mr. Dickinson drove boats up and down all afternoon so everybody had a chance to try whatever sport they wanted.  Meanwhile at the docks, it was kayak wars and cannon balls under the watchful eyes of Dr. Neubauer, Dr. Gates and Avery Rose.  Kingfishers “shared” paddle-boards, sometimes cramming up to four people atop before losing their balance.  Mrs. Crosby was everywhere at once, like a benevolent general, passing out life vests and making sure everything was going smoothly.

There was also food everywhere: chips, honey-buns, watermelon and Dr. Crosby’s famous boiled peanuts.  Dr. Simmons and Mrs. Patrick did a fabulous job grilling the hot dogs and hamburgers.  How did we have room for dinner and dessert, much less a second dessert of so’mores over a late afternoon fire?  Somehow, we managed to fit in some toasted marshmallows at the end!

As the sun started going down, parents began arriving and this lovely day drew to a close.  Kayaks and paddle-boards were loaded onto racks and trailers. Life-vests, wet towels, and tired kids were sorted into their cars.  Everyone had a blast, as always, and we can’t wait for the next River Day. Many thanks to the Crosby family and to all the other families who shared boats and equipment, and thanks to all the parents for the food and transportation!

Meet and Greet

New Student Orientation

The first days of school come with mixed feelings of excitement, apprehension, and bewilderment, only to be quickly forgotten as the school year gets underway.  TGS welcomes a lot of wonderful new students and their families this year at Orientation and the Meet and Greet/PTO.  We look forward to a busy and productive time together in 2018-2019!

Thanks to Mrs. Crosby, the Middle School students who attended Math Boot camp in August boosted their math skills, made new friends, and had a great time together.  Boot Camp concluded with an outing to Rockin Jump in Myrtle Beach, where they celebrated their hard work with jumping, climbing, flipping, slam-dunking, and jousting on trampolines and in foam pits.  It was like having super powers!  Being good at math is also a super power, and these Kingfishers are on the way.

This year’s Glo-n-Go 5K Fun Run was our most successful yet!  On August 4 around 7:15, almost 60 participants began assembling outside the school, including the mayor of Georgetown, Brendon Barber, and his wife Pam Barber.

There was a lot to do before the race besides get into your event tee-shirt.  Kids were applying glow-in-the-dark paint to their faces; adults and kids alike decked themselves out with glow-rings and glowsticks. Everyone was petting the dogs and chatting.  By the time the race began, many competitors, including dogs, were glowing head to toe!  

At 7:45, we lined up on Prince Street and Dr. Gates started off the race.  Some people walked, some ran, and some were even dragged along by their pets!  Baryck ran in sandals.  It was a wild and fun night for everyone–they enjoyed the ambiance and the chance to spend time with family and friends up and down town and around East Bay.  Rebecca Marson of Mt. Pleasant was glad she and her son Liam made the trip: “It was one of my son’s first runs and he really loved the small-town feel, all the dogs, and was excited to meet the mayor!”
 First to finish was Tyler Langston, in just 21 minutes and 21 seconds.  Other competitors followed close behind, with Avery MacMillen as the fastest female competitor and Indigo Attias as the fastest dog (Mr. Attias does deserve some credit for holding the leash!).  The sun was already down when all the prizes were awarded.  It was truly a great evening.  

Thank you to the race committee, all the volunteers and all our wonderful sponsors!

By Ryleigh

Five wonderful graduates took center stage at The Georgetown School of Arts and Sciences’ fifth commencement ceremony, held on May 25 at the Winyah Auditorium.  Friends, faculty, fellow students, founders and family from as far away as Kansas and Colorado were on hand to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Father Paul McNeil of Precious Blood of Christ gave the Invocation.  Joyce Gates, president of the TGS Board of Trustees, welcomed the crowd warmly and congratulated the school on five successful years of living out its principles: excellence, honor, inclusion, respect.

Salutatorian Christopher Attias thanked the faculty and exhorted the upcoming Kingfishers to shoulder the job of making the school an even better place.  “Step up,” he said.  “Take responsibility for yourselves and this school.”  At the TGS Awards Ceremony earlier that day, Attias received a scholarship award from the University of Alabama Honors College, worth $194,000 to cover his next five years’ schooling.

Valedictorian Isabella Neubauer shared memories of her time at TGS.  “School has never just been about sitting in the classroom for me,” she said, evoking school trips and being on the volleyball team.  She touched on the sense of unreality about leaving TGS: “I am barely 18 and I am about to move halfway across the country!” Neubauer will attend Washington University in St. Louis.

Chris Elliott, TGS’s very first valedictorian back in 2014, gave the commencement address.  He said that he was in awe of what the school had accomplished in five years.  “This isn’t some cookie-cutter college prep school,” he told the crowd.  “TGS takes students from all walks of life and turns them into scholars, with the desire to learn more, do more, discover more.”  Elliott has just graduated from the Honors College of the University of South Carolina.

The five graduates blinked back tears as Dr. Gary Gates, Head of School, called the Roll and spoke about each of them in turn.  As they received their diplomas and stood before the assembly, the emotion was palpable.  But when Father Paul gave the Benediction, all sadness and uncertainty turned to joy.  Friends and family rushed down the aisle of the Winyah Auditorium to congratulate them on this step in their journey.

The 2018 TGS graduates are: Christopher Attias (Univ. of Alabama Honors), Douglas DeVito (Univ. of S. C.), Avi Goldschmidt (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison), Avery Rose Higgins (College of Charleston), and Isabella Neubauer (Washington University).  Besides finishing their coursework, TGS seniors must do 25 hours per year of community service, complete an internship, and give a senior speech.  

As the end of the school year draws near, the winners of scholarships are announced. In the last few weeks, TGS students have been fortunate enough to win several. On April 18, the Daughters of the American Revolution awarded Avery Rose the Good Citizens Award, which recognizes a student’s leadership, community involvement, and patriotism. They also awarded Isabella with a $2500 merit scholarship, one of six across the county. Only two weeks later, on April 26, the Georgetown Times and South Strand News recognized TGS students at their Prep Sports Awards banquet. Isabella and Chris were named Scholars of the Year, Margaret Team Leader of the Year, and Tyvon Player of the Year in boys’ basketball. Finally, on May 1, the Georgetown County Bar Association announced the winners of their Law Day essay contest. Isabella won overall, taking home the grand prize of $500 and a spot in the state competition. Congratulations to TGS students!

By Isabella

On April 22, students, parents and teachers gathered from all around the Horry-Georgetown area to see student art work at the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum. The 19th Annual High School Juried Art Show lets students use their full creativity and see their works hung in professional setting. TGS students Avery Rose, Naomi, Brynn, and Zach displayed their amazing talent and showed off the hard work they had put in during their art classes with Mrs. Patrick.

Visitors viewed all the artwork from around the county for about 30 minutes, then they proceeded downstairs to start the awards ceremony. Judges Betsy Havens and James Calk took a moment to talk to the young artists and say how hard it was to choose the winners, since all the young artists were so good.

Although the Kingfishers did not win any awards this year, all four artists were very honored to be part of the show.  Mrs. Patrick and several teachers and parents were on hand to congratulate them and encourage excellence in the arts at TGS.

By Naomi and Cathryn