On January 16, hopeful students from seven South Carolina independent schools (including ours) will come to the Winyah Auditorium to participate in the 2014 SCISA Regional Spelling Bee. We are looking forward to this event and to sharing our lovely space with faculty and students from around the area.
On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, students and faculty of TGS gathered to give thanks and share a meal before heading out on vacation. Dr. Gates and Dr. Razzi prepared turkeys while the Spanish class contributed some Spanish “comida.” We also enjoyed lots of sides and desserts: mashed potatoes and gravy, tamales, taquítas, churros, sopapillas, mini tacos, flan, brownies, chocolate covered cookies, green beans and sweet potato casserole
. Everyone relaxed and had a good time, and after the meal Dr. Gates told the students how much the faculty appreciates them and wished everyone a safe and happy holiday.
Sunday evening, November 10, families and friends of TGS gathered for an all-you-could-eat barbecue and fried chicken buffet at Hog Heaven. There was a chill in the air but the fellowship was warm and all the guests enjoyed music by guitarist John Lammonds as they piled their plates high with delicious food and fixings.
TGS would like to thank Greg Eaddy, owner of Hog Heaven for his generosity and the marvelous service by his staff. John Lammonds did a fabulous job with the music (despite a shoulder injury!) and Lisa Haas and our PTO put together a super event to help raise money for our scholarship fund.
TGS took a trip to Charleston on Tuesday, November 5. We arrived just in time to tour the College of Charleston. It was fun to learn the legend of the Cistern and watch a frat boy get dunked on a chilly November morning with our guide, a C of C sophomore from Massachusetts. Afterwards, the students followed Mr. Razzi as he ambled to the Dock Street Theater. We paused only to scarf down our food in a nearby park or on the front steps of the theater. Then, we sat down in the historic Dock Street Theater to watch Sherlock Holmes. As always with this great detective, the plot was complex but the problems were all solved by the end. Our last adventure of the day was a visit to the Gibbes Art Museum, where a docent talked to us about elements of art using the collection. Sadly, we had to tear ourselves away from the Civil War photography exhibit to be back in Georgetown on time. We look forward to our next foray in Charleston where everyone agrees we will have a sit down meal together.
Students from all over the Low Country crowded the halls of TGS on Tuesday, October 29 for the SCISA Regional One-Act Play competition. Wilson Hall, Florence Christian, Francis Xavier, and Coastal Christian arrived in Georgetown the normal way, while kids from Cross Schools flew into Georgetown Airport! “What a beautiful facility,” said the drama coach of Coastal Christian School as she made her way backstage with her team. Excitement was high and nerves were on edge as the competition began, but throughout the day everyone began to relax and have a great time.
Judy Gates, drama coach for TGS, was extremely pleased with our middle and high school students’ performance in Accused of Comedy, a lighthearted look a world where humor is against the law. She practiced with her students during study halls, lunches, and after school to get them ready for the event. The high school cast received an “Excellent” rating.
Florence Christian School took first place with The Devil and Danielle Webster for the high school level. For the middle school level, Wilson Hall took first place with Kitty Steals a Dog.
Later on that afternoon, SCISA activities coordinator Lyndi Bonnette wrote in an email, “I am already being flooded with emails and phone calls complimenting the host schools.” TGS students and faculty pulled together to make the day a success. We would like to thank our judges Jim Calk, Tracy Crane, Debby Summey, and Jeremy Vause, as well as all of the faculty, parents and volunteers who helped out and loaned us the stuff we needed. Thanks go to Dustin Ashenfelter for providing technical support and finally thanks go to The Winyah Auditorium, LLC, for allowing us to use its facilities.
Members of the TGS community volunteered at the 2013 Wooden Boat Show, an event which had spectacular success this year. Head of School Dr. Gary Gates once again joined in the boat-building challenge with his partner Sean Hoelscher of Myrtle Beach. With sawdust flying, sweat dripping and power tools whining, the two shaved fifty minutes off their last-year’s time and placed fourth overall in time. Sally Swineford, owner of The River Room and long-time organizer for the Wooden Boat Show, asked our students to take responsibility for one of the food tents. So Kingfishers were dishing up pilau and passing out soft drinks and water for most of the day. We also helped out Dr. Ged Tiller with the sailing demonstration for the S. C. Maritime Museum, chief beneficiary of the Wooden Boat Show. Good job all around!
Our Open Forum speaker on Wednesday, October 9 was Stacy Rabon, whose acting career began with training at the University of Nebraska and the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles. Stacy has worked steadily as an actor ever since, including a long-running part on daytime television’s The Guiding Light. She talked to us about method acting, the audition process, and what a director’s expectations are for someone who is a “day actor.” She also explained the differences between acting in a play and film acting. Stacy’s most recently role is in a horror movie, The Occult, set to premiere in January 2014. She told us that actors have fun doing death scenes. “The one-sheet [movie poster] features my character moments before she gets impaled on a church steeple!” Stacy said.
Students of TGS were very active the weekend of October 12-13. Saturday, they were downtown at 7:30 to participate in the 2013 Bridge2Bridge 5K, 12K and half marathon Run. Several faculty and parents were also there and everyone was wearing the new Kingsfishers Running Club T-shirts. A ninth grader, Joseph Skerman ran the 12K and placed 1st in this age category.
“Crossing the bridges was the most difficult thing,” says Joseph ” I felt like I was going to fall over and die.” However he kept going and a crowd of Kingfishers greeted Joseph as he sprinted across the finish line.
On Sunday, many students, faculty, and parents gathered for the One Georgetown Walkathon. Leaving First Citizens Bank at one o’clock, the group traced a five-mile path through historic downtown Georgetown. Then everyone gathered at Portofino’s Restaurant for barbecue and drinks. The walkathon raised over $1,100 for the Front Street Fire Relief Fund.
TGS is proud to announce that we will be hosting the 2013 SCISA Regional One-Act Play Competition! This day-long event will take place in the Winyah Auditorium on Tuesday, October 29 and will feature short dramatic performances by middle and high school students from across South Carolina. Steele Bremner, chair of the Winyah Auditorium Board was thrilled with the news and happy to help. TGS appreciates the generosity of the Winyah Auditorium Board in making this fabulous and perfectly-suited auditorium space available for our use. If you would like to volunteer or help with this event contact Dr. Michelle Neubauer or Dr. Laura Gates.
Top Lee, a freshman at The Georgetown School, presented a check for $431.75 to F.O.W.L. representative Kathy Gramet at the organization’s annual luncheon, held this year at Pawleys Plantation. The money will go toward building a new library on Waccamaw Neck. Top earned the money through a blog he created called littlesquirrelbookreviews.org, which brings in 6% of any Amazon purchase when readers of his blog click on any Amazon ad on the site. “I was scared, being the youngest person at the luncheon and one of only five men,” Top said, “But I actually had fun.” Please visit Top’s website and find out how easy it is to keep money for the new library rolling in!
The Georgetown School 
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