TFS Magazine - Winter 2022

Mid-mester Trips Across the Country Eighth Annual Twin Rivers Challenge Fall Sports Wrap-up for 2022

TFS Donor Special Thanks

IN

OF 2018-22 BOARD CHAIRMAN, GAIL CANTRELL

The Tallulah Falls School family was saddened by the sudden death on June 11, 2022, of long-time Tallulah Falls School Board of Trustees member Gail Cantrell. Cantrell served as the most recent board chairperson before current chair Jim Weidner.

“Gail served the school faithfully over many years,” said President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy. “We are grateful for her investment in our learning community. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this season of sorrow.”

Cantrell served the TFS learning community for many years. She joined the Carrollton Junior Woman’s Club in 1982 and this was the beginning of club work in the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs (GaFWC).

She served as President of the Carrollton Junior Woman’s Club for two terms. She served at the local club, district, and state levels of GaFWC.

In 1994, she and others formed the Bremen Junior Woman’s Club where she served as President for two terms. She was instrumental in starting the

Bremen Towne Festival, A Taste of Chocolate, and most recently, raising money for the new Magnolia Park, an all-abilities playground.

In 2022, she reached the milestone of being a member of the Carrollton Junior Woman’s Club for 40 years and decided to retire. She along with others, formed the West Georgia Woman’s Club.

She recently completed her longtime goal to be the Chairman of the TFS Board of Trustees.

The Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs actively supports the school, so instead of serving as GaFWC State President, she chose to get in line for the Board Chairman position.

She served on the TFS Board of Trustees from 1988 until her untimely passing; she was Chairman of the Board from 2018-22, with her official term set to end on June 20, 2022.

She was honored at GaFWC State Convention by Tallulah Falls School President Larry Peevy with a beautiful TFS necklace made specifically for her.

A LOVING REMINDER OF HOME

Astudent far from home now has a symbolic reminder thanks to a Tallulah Falls School Board of Trustees member.

Long-time TFS board member Alice “Cookie” Noel, representing the Civic Woman’s Club of Milledgeville, made a quilt for Ninel Tarasova of Ukraine.

President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy presented the quilt featuring the colors of the Ukrainian flag to Tarasova on September 28. “I love it so much,” Tarasova said.

Noel has family connections to the country, making the gift even more personal. Peevy said Noel is known for her quilting abilities and her generous heart. “We are grateful that Cookie shared this meaningful keepsake of Ninel’s home country,” Peevy said.

This is one of the most successful starts of an academic year I have experienced.

One highlight is that the pandemic crisis is now behind us. We worked for 14 years building a culture that was second to none before we lost momentum in the spring of 2020. Communicating was challenging when we were distancing ourselves six feet apart and wearing masks.

Now, we are through that particular crisis, and our students are reacting with great vigor to rebuild that culture.

It is evident in the classroom, in the dormitories, and on the athletic fields.

I’m so proud of our teachers and students for the high goals they have set and are reaching daily.

I’m incredibly proud of the athletic teams that have performed at an exceptionally high level of success.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to watch our girls’ volleyball team best their opponents all the way to the state championship win. I’m so proud of the 2022 Lady Indians for their historic achievement and look forward to continuing to celebrate this first team in TFS history to be State Champions!

The dorms are full of outstanding students from 30 countries, and our day student population is robust.

The first-ever Mid-mester Experience that sent students to New York City, the Grand Canyon, Miami, Charleston, the Florida Space Coast and many other destinations was a huge success! Additionally, many seniors spent the week learning about future career pathways via community businesses and organizations.

This experiential learning week deepened the value of a TFS education.

Our theater group recently presented The Spoon River Project in the One-Act competition and then delivered several excellent performances to our learning community.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the support of the community, faculty, staff and students with the assistance of the advancement team to raise approximately $100,000 for student scholarships through the Twin Rivers Challenge cycling event. These funds will go to deserving students that could not otherwise afford to attend this prestigious institution.

As you enjoy reading about all of the events on campus so far this year, please pay special attention to the story and photos about Grand Day. Our middle school students showed off their dancing skills with their grandparents and special friends while they enjoyed listening to classic hits performed by regionalfavorite The Sock Hops. All in attendance had a great time!

The exuberant spirit our middle school students reflected the heart of the entire student body in my mind. I have never been more proud of a group of students than I am this year.

What a beginning of what I predict will be the finest year yet at Tallulah Falls School!

PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SCHOOL

LETTER

CELEBRATING FAMILY

JIM VAN HOOSER DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

Jim Van Hooser is taking on a newly created position as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for both the middle and upper schools. Van Hooser brings decades of leadership experience to this role. He has served as a teacher, coach, administrator and disciplinarian.

“He’s a deep thinker with excellent communication skills; he has the qualities needed for this new leadership position,” said President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy.

His duties will include refining the existing curriculum and developing new programs to meet the challenges of the college preparatory environment. These changes will complement the 21 college classes and AP classes taught on campus each year.

Van Hooser will also serve as a resource for faculty and staff. Committees in middle and upper schools are being formed to assist with developing and delivering the recommended refinements and adjustments.

Van Hooser is evaluating field trips to deepen the experiential learning that takes place away from the classroom, introducing a stronger educational element to field trips and college visits.

RIC ANDERSON CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Anderson has spent the majority of his professional career in nonprofit and education, having worked for four schools, most recently serving as the CFO of The Meadows School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anderson’s extensive experience in finance and accounting spans the education and construction industries. His new responsibilities include overseeing the school’s financial management, financial reporting, fiscal budget, legal oversight, risk management and human resources management.

Eager to elevate the business office’s mission of service to the learning community, his goal is to partner with President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy and senior staff to fulfill the school’s mission.

“We are delighted to welcome Ric and his family to the TFS community,” said Peevy. “He is making an immediate impact in evaluating operations and getting to know our culture. He is a dynamic and highly qualified leader; and I look forward to working closely with him as we continue preparing our students for success in life.”

Because he and his family enjoy outdoor recreation, relocating to the Northeast Georgia mountains was certainly appealing. His wife Kerry is originally from Franklin, NC. “We love the area,” said Anderson.

Tallulah Falls School welcomes new employees and long-term staff to new roles.

TFS 2022-2023 NEW FACULTY & STAFF

SHOWN, FROM LEFT ARE STEPHANIE STUEFER, MARLEE FLEMING, MICHELLE CARNES, LIZ BARRACO, MILES MCBATH, NATASHA MCENTIRE, SCHAEFER ALMOYAN, ANNA MADDEN, ASHLEY DUMAS, JANE JOHNSTON, NATHAN STANLEY, SHERI DUNN, COLTON WOOD, RAINEN WADE, SKIP JOHNSTON, TYKIA THOMPSON, TOBY HUNTER, CHARLES BOWEN. NOT PICTURED: RIC ANDERSON AND SARABETH WOOD

Mid mester

EXPERIENCE

On a warm September Monday, students boarded buses, airplanes, and vans to embark on a week of unforgettable experiential learning opportunities throughout the country. Students traveled to New York, Arizona, Florida, Charleston, Tennessee, and other areas around the southeast engaging in hands-on learning experiences connecting with and in real world situations. “We are excited to streamline what we’ve always done – offer experiential learning for our students,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jim Van Hooser. “This is the first time we’ve consolidated it into the same week – Mid-mester.”

The freshman trip to the Atlantic coast included various encounters from alligators to astronauts. They visited Fort Matanzas, St. Augustine, the Kennedy Space Center, the Marine Science Center, the Historic Daytona Boardwalk, Magnolia Springs State Park, and participated in an estuary exploration.

The students’ visit to the Kennedy Space Center was particularly meaningful. TFS students named the Endeavor in 1989 as part of a nationwide contest. This built a lasting relationship with the Kennedy Space Center. “We met one of the astronauts that was on that shuttle,” said freshman Brantley Allen.

For freshman Sarah Lundy, there was never a dull moment. “Mid-mester was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things,” Lundy said. “My favorite parts of the trip were the simulated dolphin rescue and going to the NASA Space Station.”

Each experience provided an educational component that enriched the students’ overall preparation for life beyond TFS as well as genuine connections with each other. “The trip was such an exciting and unforgettable experience,” said freshman Katelyn Ivester. “I made many amazing memories and got to grow my friendships with people.”

THE SPACE COAST

Mid mester EXPERIENCE

CHARLESTON, SC

CLASS OF 2025

The tenth graders spent a week exploring Charleston’s rich history, diverse culture, and beautiful ecosystem. From walking the flight deck of an aircraft carrier to entering a brick home built by enslaved people with leftover bricks they were forced to produce, the trip to Charleston was a series of encounters with the past.

Students hunched over and rowed inside a replica of a tiny Civil War submarine and walked the cobblestone streets of the old city to a house where George Washington stayed. They sailed past the fort where the Civil War started and sat in the control room of a destroyer that was instrumental in winning WWII.

“It was fun and engaging, and I learned a lot about Charleston’s history,” said sophomore Gemma Farris. They also ate food unique to the region, held local wildlife in their hands, and swam in the ocean.

“My favorite part was when we went on an eco island tour and our tour guide spoke to us about the lowcountry of South Carolina,” said sophomore Miah Gragg. “We landed on one of the barrier islands and walked the beach where the tour guide showed us a plant that we got to eat.”

STUDENT LEARNING OFF CAMPUS

• Sewee Environmental Center

• Gullah Heritage Tour

• Eco Tour

• Sailing/Ft. Sumter

• Avian Conservation

• Patriots Point - Medal of Honor

• Boone Hall

• USS Laffey Destroyer

• Hunley

• Yorktown

• Historic Charleston

Mid mester

EXPERIENCE

COLLEGE TOURS

CLASS OF 2024

The juniors spent their mid-mester in the Pigeon Forge area touring a variety of colleges both in state and out of state; public and private; large and small as well as enjoying each other’s company at some of the local attractions. After each college visit, they had the opportunity to talk to their student guides about the features of each school.

“The mid-mester experience was a special opportunity to spend time with people that we do not have much longer with in school,” said junior Piper Allen. “It was also unique in providing an opportunity to visit a variety of colleges with different sceneries, offerings, and sizes.”

The campus visitations offered a glimpse into the daily activities of the students at each school, the food and meal plans, and what each school has to offer. Students met with admissions counselors and were able to speak to current college students about each school.

“Going to all of the different schools was a really good experience.” said junior Annabelle Jackson.

Juniors spent their afternoons ziplining, zorbing, exploring an underwater cavern and lake, and spending an evening at the Pirates Voyage Dinner Show. The leisure time spent with classmates afforded students the opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and experience different activities of which they may never have gotten the opportunity to enjoy.

From dinner shows, to white-water rafting, students were able to create lifelong memories with their classmates.

“I had a good time with my friends and I actually found a few colleges I’m interested in,” said junior Sam Ketch. “Zorbing and the University of Tennessee were probably my two favorite things.”

STUDENT LEARNING

Brevard College Western Carolina University University of Tennessee

University of North Georgia University of Georgia

Lumberjack Amusement Park

Wildwater Rafting and Pirate Dinner

Zorb Gravity Park and Dinner

The Lost Sea and Dinner

SENIORMid mester

EXPERIENCE

LEGAL / GOVERNMENT GROUP

Seniors traveled to Arizona, Miami and New York, while others spent their week interning and job shadowing.

In Miami, students snorkeled at Alligator Reef off the coast of Emerald Key. The group immersed themselves into a multicultural Spanish-speaking environment when they visited Calle 8 in Little Havana, eating authentic Puerto Rican mofongo and watching a professional Spanish flamenco dance.

ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

The senior mid-mester Grand Canyon trip provided eyeopening opportunities, distinct situations to interact with previously unknown people, and an open door to experience a whole new world.

A performing-and fine arts-based trip, the trip to New York took students to Broadway’s Wicked and The National Museum of Art. There they had exposure to high level professional actors and actresses and saw art up close including works by Picasso.

Other seniors participated in multiple internships. Several students visited the state capitol, spoke with politicians, and attended a court hearing. For senior Aarington Brown, this was a life-changing experience. “It was breathtaking to see the inside of the capitol building. I saw myself working in the building with my own office space and staff,” Brown said. “I talked to Tanya Miller, a defense attorney. She spoke to me about how passionate she was about her job and that the law profession was one that I would genuinely thrive in.”

Senior Benjamin Okoronkwo took the mid-mester opportunity to explore careers in entertainment. “The thing I loved about the week was that it felt less like school and more like life. Radio shows in the morning, followed by breakfast with a producer, and then production tours gave me valuable insight to what I want to do in the future,” said Okoronkwo.

JOB SHADOWING GROUPS

Mid-mester concluded with Celebration Day. Every student celebrated their adventures through school-wide presentations including creative skits and songs and a career fair highlighting job shadowing opportunities and internships. Students displayed their experiences to fit their own individual learning styles. “Our TFS students grew as students through this wonderful week of new opportunities and experiences,” said Spanish teacher Matthew Crotta.

“Having the opportunity to go across the country for a school trip is something I never thought would happen. I made many memories that I will never forget with my best friend and my other classmates.

Arizona was absolutely amazing and after Mid-Mester, I have been dying to go back and revisit the Grand Canyon. I am thankful for this opportunity and that Coach Van made this happen for us. I hope the upcoming grades get to experience a trip like I did.”

- Isabella Jones

NYC, NEW YORK

“Running back and forth, jokes, laughter, and beautiful bright lights made the experience in the Big Apple unique.

I really enjoyed every hour, every minute, and every amazing thing with my friends in The City that Never Sleeps.

The memory of this charming experience has been etched with affection in my heart.”

- Sandra Badia Cester

THE KEYS & MIAMI, FLORIDA

“Going on the Miami trip gave me and my peers a great look into the Hispanic culture of Miami.

The trip taught us all about the history of the city and really gave us an authentic perspective on the people and culture that live there. It was an amazing opportunity, very educational and we all had a great time.”

- Layne Kafsky

On a breathtakingly beautiful autumn day, cyclists from across the Southeast took on the eighth annual Twin Rivers Challenge hosted by Tallulah Falls School.

Held October 22, the event proved to be a draw for local and visiting riders, adding nearly $100,000 to the school’s scholarship fund.

“This is such a great event for our school and the cycling community. More than 170 corporations, organizations and individuals responded to the call to support TFS students,” said President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy. “While it is a fundraiser for student scholarships, it has also become quite a draw for cyclists across the region.”

Ron Cantrell Construction, Inc. covered all expenses, returning as the presenting sponsor, and Springer Mountain Farms sponsored the post-ride meal.

“This strong partnership with RCCI and Springer Mountain Farms allows all other sponsorships and rider registration fees to benefit our students directly,” Peevy said. “Our volunteer scholarship committee shared the TFS story with the community – these passionate ambassadors coordinated the fundraising effort; we are grateful.”

Beyond the fundraising goal, hosting a positive experience for the riders is a top priority, said Executive Director of Advancement Sonya Smith. “This year, the weather cooperated beautifully, making it a great day for everyone.”

Repeat riders are a hallmark of this event, with some cyclists having perfect attendance for all eight years.

Scenic views, friendly people and the various routes – 25 miles, 46 miles and 70 miles – are some of the repeated comments on the post-ride survey.

The scholarship committee chairperson for the event, Judy Forbes, provides community connections to help raise funds.

Forbes, a TFS board member, also serves in a support role for one of the four Support and Gear Stops located along the routes.

“With the Twin Rivers Challenge, each year shows more and more community support for our wonderful students and the scholarship program,” Forbes said. “This year, we were blessed with beautiful weather, a glorious showing of fall leaf colors and a tremendous turnout of volunteers. It truly was a great day for a bike ride! Many, many thanks go out to our presenting sponsor, Ron Cantrell, and the large number of sponsors who make this event so worthwhile.”

Thank You to our sponsors for making Tallulah Falls School’s eighth annual Twin Rivers Challenge a huge success towards student scholarships.

Tallulah Sponsors

DAVID & ELAINE IRVIN

Soque Sponsors

Morris Nursing Home INVESTMENTS, LLC

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

presenting sponsor

meal sponsor

ALLIED Interior Services, LLC

Burton Sponsors Rabun Sponsors

Bruce Harkness Attorney at Law, Personal Injury 706-778-9090

Amanda Stewart Real Estate • A Plus Compliance Fire Protection • Brother John’s Subs • Chick-fil-A of Cornelia • Complete Comfort, Inc. Cowboys & Angels Resturant and Bar • Duvall Automotive Group • ECN Construction, LLC • Edison Concrete • Engineering Management, Inc. • Ethicon Eubank Family Dentistry • H.E. Hodge Co. • Habersham Drug • Habersham Medical Center • Jerry Harkness - Realtor Harry Norman REALTORS Luxury Lake and Mountain • Senator Bo Hatchett • Hayes Automotive • Headrick Signs & Graphics • Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens HL Trash Monkey • Homestar Financial, The Corey Cantrell Team • Insurance Office of America • Dennis Ivey, Electrician • JFM Contracting, LLC Kinetic • LaPrade’s-Keel Marinas • Ledford & Parker, Inc. • Lew Oliver, Inc. • Life Point Medical, LLC • Mama G’s • McAllister Tree Service • MCG Mechanical, Inc. Milton Martin Toyota • Mixon, Mixon, Brown & Tench CPAs • North Georgia Credit Union • North Georgia Technical College • Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Omega Technology Group • Peach State Federal Credit Union • Pro Turf & Landscape Maintenance, LLC • Rabun County Bank Raymond James, Kenneth C. Johnson • Sosebee & Britt Orthodontics • Southern View Energy Inc. • State Farm, Kersha Parker Agency • SteelTech Industries Linda Thomson • Town of Tallulah Falls • Trophy Landscape Design • Unicoi Outfitters General Store • United Community Bank • Westside Engineering • Wood’s Mercantile Acree Oil Company • Augusta Aquatics, Inc. • American Janitorial Supply • American Water Specialties • Auburn Audio Visual • Roxie Barron/Lifestyle Real Estate Specialist Bavarian Brook Rentals • Blackhawk Flyfishing • Blue Graphics • Cantrell Orthodontics • Carl Patterson Flooring • Carter’s Royal Dispos-All, Inc. • Chattahoochee Professional Door City Barber Shop • The Clayton Tribune • Clermont Trucking, Inc. • Committee to Elect Judge Brian Rickman • Cornerstone Animal Hospital • Crossroads Cafe Deal’s Appliance Service, Inc. • Dialed Bicycle Garage • Connie and Hugh Dillingham • District 10 State Representative Victor Anderson • Fender’s Car Wash First Citizens Bank • Foothills Land Design, LLC • Gateway Fence Company • Glen Ella Springs Inn & Meeting Place • Gotta Go Portable Toilets Habersham Chamber of Commerce • Habersham Podiatry • Habersham Retreat • Hall & Co. • Hall County Farm Bureau • Hammock Realty North Georgia • Happy Jack Graphics Adam J. Harkness Attorney at Law • Hire Dynamics • Homestar Financial Corp - Wendy Newsome Team • Howard Brothers/Lula • Jacky Jones Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Jennifer Kyle, Realtor, Harry Norman Luxury Lake & Mountain • LP Service, Inc. • Lulu & Tully’s • Dr. and Mrs. Ronald MacBeth • Maintenance Supply Center Martin Construction and Grading • McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe, LLP • McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home • Melanie Sims, MD, LLC • Mills Flooring and Design Matt & Joely Mixon • NG Turf, Inc. • North Main Credit Union • The Northeast Georgian • Northeast Georgia Signs & Service • Patterson Pump Company Perry Gas Company, Inc. • Piedmont Metal Processing, Inc • Piedmont University • Pinnacle Bank • Quality Automotive • Quality Construction Homes, LLC Rogers Strategies, LLC • SBA Partners • Shear Perfection Salon • SouthState Bank, N.A.• Tallulah Falls Citizens of Georgia Power • Tatum Tutorial and Consulting Thornton Brothers, Inc. • Tida Nails • Tim Simmons Grading & Hauling, LLC • Toccoa Machine Products • Turnerville Garden Center • ViewSonic Corporation W&W Collision Center • White County News

On September 8, Tallulah Falls School eighth graders experienced the first North Georgia Technical College Color Tours event. Before the tour, students chose a color based on their passions and career interests; their choice determined which customized tour route they followed with their color group’s tour guide during the event. TFS students learned more about college-level study programs ranging from photography and cosmetology to a medical simulation lab and EMT/paramedic training.

Other featured programs included metal robotics, computer programming, welding, automotive repair, and electrical line worker training.

Eighth grade student Delaney Johnson’s feedback was positive. “In just the few short hours we were there, curiosity was sparked,” Johnson said. “We enjoyed learning about our current interests and what the future may hold.”

PROMOTING STUDENT SUCCESS

Wade International Learning Counselor

Tallulah Falls School has added new faculty and space to support students for the 202223 academic year.

Jane Johnston is the new Learning Center Coordinator with Rainen Wade serving as the International Learning Counselor.

“These positions are designed to provide a wealth of support,” said Upper School Academic Dean Kim Popham. “Both roles complement each other in terms of promoting student success.”

The Learning Center staff will advocate for student success by providing tutoring resources and introducing biweekly themes such as time management, goal setting, organization, study skills, and character development.

Wade will be working one-on-one with the international students to help refine interpersonal skills that will have a long-lasting impact.

“We will work to stay up-to-date on the newest techniques in student support,” Johnston said. The 1,800-square-foot building, completed over

the summer, is located adjacent to the media center at the Larry A. Peevy Upper School Academic Complex. Students access the building directly from the classroom building.

“This centralized location will better serve our students with these support specialists consolidated in the new space,” said President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy.

Jane Johnston Learning Center Coordinator

Rainen

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALIST

ATallulah Falls School senior has been named a semifinalist for the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.

According to the National Merit Scholarship organization, Walker Bailey of Lula is among an elite group of academically talented high school seniors who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million next spring.

High school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®️), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To be considered a finalist, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. The semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application. They provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrates leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record

throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT®️ or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. NMSC underwrites scholarships with its own funds and by approximately 340 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

VETERAN’S DAY

Tallulah Falls School students were honored to serve at the annual Veterans Dinner held at the Rabun County Civic Center and sponsored by the Rabun County Chamber of Commerce/Forward Rabun. Nearly 400 veterans were in attendance according to event organizers.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

The

process was

The group will join the adult Habersham Chamber Leadership class and other local high school students for leadership training and community awareness sessions.

Twelve Tallulah Falls School rising seniors were selected to participate in the Habersham Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership program.

selection

competitive, requiring an extensive application and an interview.

The 2022-23 representatives are Emma Barrett of Clarkesville, Canon Brooks of Clarkesville, KJ Carnes of Cornelia, Carol Kate Dunlap of Demorest, Ellesen Eubank of Tallulah Falls, Cassidy Hayes of Cornelia, Christy Hulsey of Cornelia, Sarah Jennings of Clarkesville, Hannah Lundy of Clarkesville, Kate Trotter of Demorest, Trent Toler of Clarkesville and Cecily Tucker of Demorest.

Sixth graders took to the rapids with the Nantahala Outdoor Center on August 29.

“The Nantahala Outdoor Center trip encouraged students to try something new and push past their fear. Many of the students said they initially thought rafting would be scary but they were glad their parents and teachers encouraged them to try it because they had a fun experience,” said sixthgrade teacher Amanda Rogers.

“The rapids trip was AMAZING,” added fellow sixth-grade teacher Michelle Carnes. “The smiles on the students’ faces said it all! We all left with huge smiles on our faces, closer friendships, and great stories to share.”

The annual design competition for the 2022 Tallulah Falls School holiday cards was very popular among TFS student-artists of all ages this year. Adding photography and digital graphic design to the traditional mediums of watercolor, acrylic paints and various inks inspired the contestants to new creative heights.

Art teachers Cat Schappach and Stephanie Stuefer spearheaded the project in their classes, then named the middle school and upper school winners at the year-end assembly on December 14. TFS faculty and staff served as the judges.

Sophia Smith of Clarkesville, GA designed the middle school’s winning card, and the upper school winner was Sarah Morris of Corneila, GA. Their artwork will be featured on the official TFS holiday cards mailed to members of the TFS family.

Taking second place for the middle school was Ellison Shaw of Baldwin, GA, and Tate Colston of Cornelia, GA was third.

Second place recognition for the upper school went to Reagan Duncan of Martin, GA, and Ruichen “Sarah” Zhang of Beijing, China was third.

SARAH MORRIS

ELLISON SHAW

TATE COLSTON

RUICHEN “SARAH” ZHANG

REAGAN DUNKEN

Varsity cross country

Memorable teams are comprised of individuals who compete for more than just themselves. Though cross country in many ways is an individual sport, it most certainly is a team effort to achieve anything of significance.

The TFS varsity squads were mostly inexperienced runners at the varsity level. The expectations were still as high as usual under longtime coach Scott

who prior to some nagging injuries was almost always the top finisher for TFS. She was 14th in region. Eubank, Sara Bailey, Allison Bailey, Stasa Beratovic, Dani Prince, and Emma Jackson all were reliable as well in a given meet. The boys featured Beck as their top runner all season. Behind him, Jackson Shadburn and Canon Brooks often finished within seconds apart. Carter Miller, Blair Moore, Reilly Chatman, and Tizian Scheying also

Neal. Nearly every runner throughout the course of the season put up new personal bests and/or course bests.

The season culminated with state meet appearances for both the boys and girls. It marked just the third time in school history that both teams ran at Carrollton together. Both finished inside the top 20, with the girls coming in 12th overall and the boys 17th. Both teams beat their virtual projected places going in.

Prior to state, it took a mindset of every point matters in the region meet, which TFS hosted. In the Region 8-A Championship, both the boys and girls grabbed the fourth and final spots to earn state qualifications. Sophomore Timothy Beck placed 9th overall, while Ellesen Eubank led the girls at 11th. For the girls, all seven runners placed between 11th and 20th.

Throughout the season, the girls relied on the leadership of Miranda Chapa,

were varsity runners at region and state, as was Eli Damron at the latter meet.

With Moore and Eubank out for the state meet due to illness, Damron and Meredith Orr filled in as substitutes. Sara Bailey was the top TFS girl in Carrollton, coming in 55th. That was just two spots ahead of Chapa. Beck finished 58th to pace the boys.

For the Lady Indians, the 12th-place finish at state ties a program-best, as the team did so previously in 2019. The boys meanwhile made their fourth consecutive trip to state as a team, marking the first time in school history that an entire team was represented there.

TFS has nine seniors that will move on from the program: Sandra Badia Cester, Beratovic, Chapa, Carol Kate Dunlap, Eubank, Lucia Fano Mateos, Jackson, Kate Trotter, and Brooks as the lone senior for the boys.

Making History

A true champion knows in order to reach the pinnacle, one has to have their mind right and their heart right. The gap between the two is a foot and a half, though often they seem miles apart.

When the Lady Indians left the court on September 24 in a tough tournament at Gainesville High School, they knew they were lacking something. After starting the day with back-toback losses, TFS rebounded with two straight wins to claim the Silver Bracket title. It might be quite literally the silver lining, but it wasn’t the performance the girls had hoped for. The recipe for an eventual state championship came within and after that tournament. Call it the calm before the storm.

Coach Matt Heyl said after dropping the first two matches in that tournament that the team had played some of its roughest matches all year. Then he acknowledged the final two wins were when things really started to click. Still, something was missing, even if from the outside, it appeared as though a #6-ranked TFS had everything going with a 20-10 record.

“We went through a time where it just wasn’t that much fun, honestly,” admits Heyl. “We all got together for a team meeting and said, ‘the rest of the season, we’re going to have fun.’ We went out to practice and had fun. We started smiling at each other again. It was almost like we were at a burnout spot, and then ‘fun’ got us back into it. Before our huge run, I said, ‘let’s win 16 straight.’”

His girls weren’t catching the meaning behind such an arbitrary number.

Front Row (L-R): Chesney Tanksley, Rebecca Heyl, Addy McCoy, Sarah Jennings, Kate Gary, Skylyn Yaskiewicz, Manager Susie Sun

Back Row (L-R): Assistant Coach Tykia Thompson, Ashlyn Yaskiewicz, Elsa Sanchez, Sofia Rueda, Katarina Foskey, Julianne Shirley, Claire Kelly, Chloe Kahwach, Kitty Rodenas, Manager Chi Chi Nwachukwu, Head Coach Matt Heyl, Assistant Coach Jo Kimbrel

Morgan County, like Tallulah Falls, went on to win a state championship in Class 3A. Aside from that minor hiccup, which was a tough 2-1 loss, the Lady Indians started playing as well as they ever had before. Just as Heyl forecast, the team went 15-1 the rest of the way, smashing every team record and plenty of individual ones while on the journey to a GHSA 1A State Championship.

The Morgan County match snapped a sevenmatch winning streak, which at the time was the most in school history. October arrived after that, and it was a whole new season for the Lady Indians. TFS went 10-0 from there, claiming the first-ever Area Championship with a straight-set 3-0 win over rivals and #6-ranked Prince Avenue Christian. After four consecutive years of finishing as runner-up in the area, the dominant win got the proverbial monkey off the back and secured a home match through at minimum the Sweet 16, perhaps more. The path from there was difficult, and just playing for a title meant knocking down some giants as well as a Sweet 16 wall that hadn’t been climbed in school history in three previous trips.

As it turned out, the opening round, Sweet 16, Elite 8, and Final 4 were all on the home court. TFS won them all, finishing a perfect 14-0 at home to give life to the mantra of “there’s no

Eighteen inches — the distance between the heart and mind.

“’That means we don’t lose and we win the state championship in the end,’” he told the team. “We only lost one game the rest of the way, and that was to Morgan County.”

place like home.” The girls pressed on through the first round. Been there, done that. The Sweet 16 was nothing new, except it was being played at home for the first time. It meant taking down #6-ranked Galloway, which came by way of a 3-1 win.

From there on, it was uncharted territory for the Lady Indians. It was the first of three wins over state-ranked teams from the same region of 6-A. Five teams from that region were top-10 ranked, with only four making the bracket. Had TFS lost to Galloway, four 6-A teams would have played in the Final 4. Tallulah Falls was more than happy to crash the party and didn’t stop there. An easy win in the Elite 8 over Lamar County pitted TFS against #1-ranked Mt. Pisgah. A 3-1 win in the final match at home secured the date to play for a state championship. The girls and coach Heyl were not willing to get complacent. They set their minds and hearts on what they wanted to accomplish.

“We spent a lot of time envisioning the week before the game how it was all going to play out,” stated star senior Sarah Jennings, the Area 8-A DI Player of the Year. “Envisioning us winning points and the game really helped us see that it was a reality – it was possible to beat all odds.”

That they did. The Lady Indians recognized that if they connected the 18-inch-gap between heart and mind as one group, they could accomplish the inconceivable. Tallulah Falls traveled a couple of hours southwest to Cartersville on November 4, 118 miles (you can’t make this stuff up) to the Champions Center at Lakepoint Sports Complex. Taking on Mt. Bethel, who was also a #1-ranked team in another volleyball poll, the Lady Indians weren’t viewed as a favorite to win the match.

The girls claimed the first set despite falling behind early. Mt. Bethel won the second set in a 27-25 thriller, gaining momentum. Then came the epic third set. Down 12-7, it started looking bleak for Tallulah Falls. Addy McCoy was at serve, and the junior stayed put as the Lady Indians went on a 16-0 run that deflated Mt. Bethel and its crowd.

TFS polished off the set win with a Jennings spike, setting TFS and Mt. Bethel on the precipice of history and elimination, respectively.

The final set saw the Lady Indians lead or have a share of it throughout. Back at serve while up 23-20, McCoy came through again. Her first serve wasn’t fielded cleanly, leading to an ace to place TFS within a point of the ultimate goal. McCoy yelled, ‘one more’ to her teammates. The final serve hit off the back row receiver, falling to the floor just

as the Lady Indians did in celebration. It was a moment when TFS became GHSA State Champions. A moment that encapsulates the greatest season in school history and towing a title that can never be pried away from Tallulah Falls School.

“One More...”

- Addy McCoy

“I just thought about everything that we had been through and thought, ‘this is it, this is the moment every single athlete dreams of….a state championship,’” recalled McCoy of that final serve. “I honestly said a quick prayer, ‘dear God, this is on you; help me, please.’ It worked, and I’m just so glad we had this opportunity as a team.”

The Lady Indians’ dream season became a reality. It all traces back to recognizing that while they were playing solid volleyball, they weren’t having fun doing it until late September. Measuring out in their minds and hearts that they could return to having fun, the rest took care of itself in October and November.

The history-making team set several team records, such as wins (35), win percentage (.761), set wins (84), wins over ranked opponents (8), home record (14-0), and best ranking (#1). The Area 8-A Championship and State 1A Championship were firsts, as was every appearance past the Sweet 16. Heyl eclipsed 100 career wins early in the season, and Jennings set the all-time record in kills (1,085), digs (1,025), and aces (283). She owns the single-match records for kills and digs, and this year set the single-season kills record of 417. Meanwhile, senior setter Kitty Rodenas set the single-season assists (890) and aces (134) records and tied the single-match assist mark. McCoy’s 127 aces were well past the previous school record as well.

The trio of Jennings, Rodenas and McCoy were all 1st Team All-Area honorees. Heyl was Coach of the Year. Seniors Elsa Sanchez and Sofia Rueda were 2nd-Team All-Area, and junior Ashlyn Yaskiewicz was an Honorable Mention. The records, accolades, and stats are all impressive, but what this group leaves behind is much more valuable.

“It’s special to be able to leave a legacy at TFS to show the teams to come next that this is possible,” said Jennings.

NOT SO SOFT

It was only a matter of time before TFS officially launched a softball program. After more than a year of several students and families showing interest, the time was finally right to build the foundation. The addition of the softball program provides new opportunities for the students and enhances the landscape of TFS athletics. Building that foundation required the right people - someone to coach and lead the efforts, and students interested in the game.

Finding a coach was the easy part. Enter Danielle Bishop, who has racked up six years coaching at the varsity and JV level in fastpitch softball prior to coming to Tallulah Falls School ahead of the 2021-22 school year. She herself was a standout varsity player in high school, and played travel softball as well. She was eager to help build a solid foundation for a program that will hopefully soon be competing.

“Our amazing students were the driving force behind starting a softball program,” says Bishop. “I had expressed my interest in coaching softball to AD [Scott] Neal, and everything lined up perfectly. We had so much interest from the survey, it seemed to be natural for communication to flow.”

Once word got out that a program was being built, many TFS students jumped at the opportunity to be a part of something historic and special.

“Students were so excited,” adds Bishop. “Girls came to my room every day and were asking about the program and what it would look like for them to join. The energy surrounding the launch was electric.”

Bishop spearheaded a summer camp, which featured Habersham County native and standout Mississippi State player Paige Cook who came to help train the players. That camp stands as a steppingstone for many players.

“It was an incredible experience that definitely spurred the excitement for a team, and helped many of our own players develop in their skills and knowledge of the game,” stated Bishop.

Both a high school and middle school team were established. On September 29, the high school team played an exhibition to a 10-10 tie in a 5-inning contest.

“Next season I am looking to have a full JV schedule, and the year after next would be our

first varsity GHSA year,” forecasts Bishop.

A few of the many young athletes that comprise the roster have real game experience in softball. Both Katie Anderson and Tahj Charlton will be counted on for leadership from the get-go.

“Katie has played multiple years of competitive softball, and is definitely a strong leadership presence for our team,” said Bishop. “Tahj also has many years of experience, and contributes positively to team dynamics with her work ethic and dedication. I am so excited for the possibilities of this program and the future growth that we will be able to see for the individual players and our entire team.”

The program currently consists of 10 high schoolers and four middle schoolers. With each passing day, we get closer to the official first game. Until then, the girls will continue to work on honing their skills so that when the time comes to take the field, they’ll be more than ready to make some history.

VARSITY SOFTBALL

HOW 14 GIRLS BECOME THE FOUNDATION OF TFS SOFTBALL

VARSITY SOFTBALL

The Middle School tennis teams opened the season young and inexperienced, but they finished as a veteran group with playoff experience. Both teams showed significant improvement throughout the campaign and closed their season with deep league tournament runs.

Reilly Cox took on the toughest opponents for the Indians (8-4) and recorded three wins, while William NeSmith at #2 singles racked up five victories and Elijah Pinney six at #3 singles. Jackson Davis and Christian David (seven apiece), Fenn NeSmith (six), and Joseph Turney and Maddox English (four) tallied multiple doubles wins.

“The boys had only one returning player from the lineup last season in Reilly who played #1 singles, but there were a couple of exhibition players in

Christian and Joseph who really were clutch in several matches this season at doubles,” says coach Anthony Cox. “The rest of the lineup of new players was really solid as well. We had an army of young players who developed their game well throughout the course of the summer and season.”

The Lady Indians (6-5) were smaller in number, and though they had more eighth-graders, there were very few with previous experience. Madison Phillips at #1 singles had a great showing with a program-best nine wins as the team made the semifinals. Agnes Hogan at #2 singles won seven matches, and Olivia Bonner at #3 won four. At doubles, Gracey Eller and Savana Owensby had four wins, while Catherine Harris and Steffi Siebert had one win each in doubles play.

“Madison was strong all season, and she had played singles previously,” added Cox. “Agnes and Olivia were both new to singles, but once they got comfortable in that role and gained confidence, they played very well. We also have some really important wins in the doubles lines, which were filled with newcomers.”

With the success this season and plenty of players potentially back in 2023, the future looks bright for the MS tennis team.

“Overall, we are really proud to have finished second in the Southern Mountain League in the regular season, which I think was a bit of an overachievement based on our experience level,” states Cox. “The boys also made the championship match, which sets us up to be very successful next year.”

CROSS COUNTRY

The TFS MS cross country teams competed in nine races in a span of seven weeks. The teams had a natural progression, as individuals continued to build off prior successes. Nearly every runner set new PRs this season.

For the Lady Indians, Avery Keim and Delaney Johnson, who went on to win the Region JV meet, were consistently at the head of the pack. Though the girls’ roster was slim, all played a pivotal role in the team’s first Tri-State Championship since 2019 and fourth since inception in 2010.

Olivia Henderson, Mary Kate Ball, and Haylen McGugan all placed inside the top-10 in the final meet. Keim was third and Johnson runnerup in the Tri-State Championship. The girls also

featured Maeve Hatcher, Megan Prince, and Lizita Miller.

The Indians had a larger roster to work with and were led by eighth-graders Gavin Dodd, Ryan Anderson, and Teagan Penland. The trio consistently led by example. Dodd was sixth at the Championship meet, while Anderson was seventh and Penland ninth. Seventh-grader Sam Belk placed eighth, as the Indians came in as runner-up.

Several others showed improvement throughout the year, including Owen Earp, Josh Lander, Gavin Simmons, Peter Greiving, Sebastian York, Caleb Kelly, Morgan Martin, Steven Jackson, and Noah McClain.

TENNIS

MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

It was a season marked by growth and development for the MS volleyball teams. The A-Team opened the season with three straight wins, and both teams competed in the Warrior Rumble Tournament at West Oak (SC). The A-Team won three matches and the B-Team got significant experience. While the A-Team began to rack up wins, the B-Team showed great improvement, starting with a pair of ties sandwiched around a win.

The B-Team later picked up wins over Stephens County and South Habersham

JV VOLLEYBALL

to close their season in style. The A-Team, after placing fifth in the regular season in the Georgia Middle School Volleyball League, fell in the first round of the tournament against Banks County. The girls then rebounded to beat Rabun County in a consolation match to place eighth overall.

The A-Team went 10-8, while the B-Team finished with a 3-8-2 mark.

“The girls gained lots of valuable experience throughout the season,” adds coach Jo Kimbrel. “As a team and as individuals, we got better. Both teams played possibly their best in their final games of the season.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Emmalyn Whisnant

McKenzie McCoy

Nora Mitchell

Becca Roberts

Payton McEntire

Abigail Cruz

Tinsley Hill

CaRin Swinton

LB Kafsky

Finlee Ridlehoover

JV ROSTER

2 Chesney Tanksley 3 Lily Gaglio 5 Kaylin Pickett 6 Kate Gary 11 Katarina Foskey 12 Sarah Lundy 14 Kiersten George

Rebecca Heyl

Julia Smith

Caroline Smith

If there was any doubt about what the Lady Indians JV team could accomplish, a 14-match win streak is plenty enough evidence of how special this group is. The 2022 TFS JV team won 22 games in total, finishing as runner-up in the region tournament.

First-year head coach Tykia Thompson was a perfect fit for the team, as she took a roster that was talented and experienced, and guided them to learn how to win.

A 7-4 start was just the calm before the storm. The 14-match win streak took off from there. Within that streak was a perfect four-match sweep at the Monroe Area tournament, in which all the wins were in straight sets. The region tournament saw TFS win its first match before falling to Barrow Arts & Sciences Academy to come in runner-up in the region. The Lady Indians got one final match against Banks County and won 2-0 in dominant fashion to close the season with a 22-5 record.

Kate Gary, Katarina Foskey, Chesney Tanksley, and Rebecca Heyl all were called up to suit up for varsity as well. Kiersten George, Caroline Smith, Kaylin Pickett, and others all had solid performances throughout the season among many others.

Isla Wagner

Paisley Elrod

Shelby Whisnant

Ryleigh Wilson

Maddi Williams

Bella Hulsey

Caylin Tucker

Keely Franks MGR Derartu Kohler

Jo Kimbrell

Jace Ibemere MGR Rebecca Heyworth MGR Cindy Nwogu Coach Tykia Thompson

SCHOOL IS BETTER WITH

HORSES

HORSES

The Tallulah Falls School equestrian program is a competitive miniature horse show team participating in Open and Miniature Horse Breed Shows. The program is open to middle and upper school students.

Members of the TFS Pony Club are Victoria Verberkmoes, Brooke Hayes, Isabella McClain, Cadence Beecher, Sarah Campbell, and Savannah Pastor. Each club member is assigned a pony to show in specific show events including halter, obstacle in hand and in cart, jumping, and driving classes. Students do not have to own a pony to participate and any level of ability is permissible. Students learn horsemanship and driving skills using ponies and equipment furnished by the school.

Under the direction of Dinah Peevy, an accomplished horsewoman, emerging equestrians work hard to master the basics of horse care and preparing for competition.

“Working with the equestrian team has been a very enjoyable experience for me over the past 15 years. I am so proud of the tremendous progress they have made,” Peevy said.

The equestrian center is located at the TFS Farm near the campus of the TFS Middle School. The team meets in the fall and spring, with students practicing Monday-Thursday. The equipment and ponies are provided by Larry and Dinah Peevy.

Junior, Brooke Hayes is a recent success story for the Tallulah Falls equestrian program winning two national championships. Hayes attended the Shetland Pony Congress Championships in St Louis in July, competing with Crusader in Classic Country Pleasure and Classic Roadster, and showing Giggs in Classic Western Pleasure, Classic Hunter and Classic Jumper. Brooke won National Championships in Modern Shetland Halter with James and Western Pleasure Foundation Shetland with Gigilo.

Brooke Hayes is the first TFS student to win a national championship in her sport.

Victoria Verberkmoes

Brooke Hayes

Savannah Pastor & Cadence Beecher

Isabella McClain

Sarah Campbell

Turning the impossible into possible

Sydney Spivey, TFS Class of 2019, is leveraging her global experience at Tallulah Falls School as she adds stamps to her passport.

“The biggest thing I appreciated about TFS was becoming friends with people from different cultures around the world,” Spivey said. “These connections have lasted past graduation; I’ve even reconnected with other alumni while traveling and exploring Europe.”

Spivey, a day student during her seven years at TFS, was eager for small classes and a close-knit community.

She loved making friends at TFS, with some of her favorite memories flowing from the senior privileges of dining outside on the balcony at Federation Hall.

“I was able to bond and learn new things about my friends and create new friends while doing so.

She mentioned several TFS educators who helped her establish a solid academic foundation.

“Bob Loder challenged my way of learning at a young age which helped my future at TFS,” Spivey said. “Michelle Barron created a safe space for all her students and never gave up on them. Coach [Scott] Neal gave me the space to go out of my comfort zone and encouraged me while doing so.”

She’s currently a senior at Western Carolina University, double majoring in marketing and management.

During her time at WCU, Spivey studied abroad for a semester in Paris. In her free time, she traveled throughout Europe.

“This past semester, I left my comfort zone and moved across the world alone, with no one else from my school, to a country I don’t speak the language and enrolled in a program I knew little about.”

This adventure occurred during the pandemic, making travel and living abroad more complicated than expected.

“I knew I wanted to be there no matter what, so I set my mind to it and accomplished it,” she said. “While there, I kept an open mind always, and I had to give myself a ton of grace on the hard days. I learned the importance of being alone and the benefits of traveling alone and embraced this moment of my life. I even connected with former TFS international students who opened their homes and time to see me, which reminded me of the importance of the connections I made during my time at TFS.”

She connected with friends from Germany, Hungary and Serbia and was in Paris simultaneously as a friend from Thailand.

“I’m so thankful I’ve had the opportunity in this moment of my life as a young woman to explore the world, meet new friends and continue my education internationally. My number one piece of advice would be if you have a dream or a goal that you feel would add benefit to your life, figure out how to make it possible even if it feels impossible because I promise you will not regret it!”

She’s keeping an open mind to study, career and life opportunities beyond graduation.

“I’m not exactly sure what next year will look like, but I’m excited to see the opportunities that open up!” she added.

Emmy-winning alum visits Tallulah Falls School

For Will Morel, a member of the Tallulah Falls School Class of 2003, a little time traveling took place on October 25-26 when he visited all of the upper school art classes to share his story.

Morel attended TFS from sixth through 12th grade as a boarding student.

At that time, enrollment was 100-percent boarding students until his junior year, when there was one day student in attendance.

During the course of his two-day visit, meeting with all six studio art classes, Morel talked about his past and current work in the fields of finance, advertising/ marketing, branding, graphic design, and fine art. He worked individually with students on their own projects as well as being available to answer questions.

Beyond high school, Morel attended Wagner College in New York City to pursue a career in finance.

After interning with an investment banking internship, he pivoted to a creative career path, taking some classes at Fashion Institute of Technology, and moving into magazine work and advertising.

He shared the back story of his high-profile work, including the Emmy-winning Love Has No Labels project, one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. Produced as a Public Service Announcement for the Advertising Council, the 2015 campaign won an Emmy and many industry awards. He also worked on the follow-up campaign, We Are America.

The campaigns remind us of our shared humanity, he said. “If you can hit an emotional connection with the consumer, that is what you want,” he said.

Visual arts teacher Stephanie Stuefer invited Morel to come to talk about his work and career path. Stuefer met him when he accompanied his niece Bella Mason on a school tour over the summer.

“He is a pretty incredible Emmy-winning creative producer and artist. He is also a wonderfully kind and generous person,” Stuefer said. “We are so lucky to be able to learn from him. He has loved being back on campus visiting with his TFS family again, spending time with his two nieces who are new TFS freshmen, and getting to know so many of our current students.”

For more information, visit www.willmorel.com.

2015 Emmy-winning Love Has No Labels project

Fully integrated campaign to show the purity of McCormick’s spices. The video was McCormick’s highest preforming video ever and has been repurposed around the world and was even a Super Bowl spot.

FUND FOR TEACHERS:

AN IMMERSION EXPERIENCE IN EQUADOR

Danielle Bishop was the recipient of a Fund for Teachers fellowship, making possible an immersive trip to South America to learn about permaculture.

Bishop, a Tallulah Falls School upper school science teacher, wrote a proposal to travel to Ecuador’s Andes mountains and the Cotopaxi volcano in an outdoor education course to prepare to launch a program that gives students a hands-on permaculture experience to restore the tradition of farming on the TFS campus.

“The immersion was on target,” Bishop said, of her time living and working in a biodynamic organic permaculutre farm environment.

“The family that runs the educational nonprofit farm couldn’t have been more welcoming,” she said.

“They essentially care about the earth, everything is about sustainability. She learned about composting, soil monitoring, crop rotation and the care of livestock.

“All of that mindset is what I wanted to bring back to TFS to take care of the resources we’ve been given,” she said.

She endured altitude changes during her time in Ecuador in traveling to remote areas to reforest the slopes, gaining 5,000 feet in elevation and camping at 14,000 feet above sea level.

“The landscape was totally unforgiving. There were no trails, we used a map orienteering our way through the mountains,” she said.

She volunteered with a joint conservation initiative

between Palugo Farm and The Water Fund to plant trees on degraded mountainsides in the Andes.

“The Amazon Rainforest is incredibly important to our global ecosystem, and I was honored to work as part of this initiative,” she said.

Bishop said the volunteers crossed a river via raft and ferried across with the trees multiple times, then hiked the seedlings up to a campsite, and eventually brought them up to the top of the barren slope and planted the fast-growing trees to aid ecological succession and restore soil health while preventing further damage.

She plans to add lessons learned during her time to classroom curriculum delivery, specifically the ecology unit.

She hopes, via the outdoor club, to integrate environmental education and organic permaculture to establish gardens, not only to learn but to feed students and also to give/donate the crops.

In addition to the immersive educational experience, Bishop journaled and spent quiet time outdoors.

“I learned the value of art and creative time to sit and reflect,” she said.

According to the website, “Fund for Teachers has awarded $32 million in grants to nearly 8,500 of America’s top educators over the past 19 years. FFT Fellows have traveled to 152 different countries on all seven continents. Fund for Teachers honors the professionalism of dedicated teachers and values their judgment as to what best impacts their practice.”

“I am planting one of many seedlings on a degraded mountainside in the Andes. During my FFT Fellowship I was blessed to volunteer at Avispero and participate in reforestation of the Amazon to show love for our earth and further climate change education.

Combating climate change through active reforestation in the Amazon is one method to ensure a secure, sustainable future for the next generation. Through combined efforts between the Dammer Family, local and international volunteers, and The Water Fund, thousands of trees and crops have been planted on mountainsides that were previously unusable land area due to landslides and deforestation.”

Hiking through the Paramo and catching this view of Volcan Antisana was one of the most emotional times I experienced in Ecuador. Traversing the unrelenting volcanic terrain challenged me physically, emotionally, and intellectually as we backpacked as a group at high elevation. From my expert guides, I learned how to forage for native herbs (mountain mint) to make tea which combated elevation sickness. I experienced the unique dynamics of group travel, risk assessment, and group decision-making while orienteering to achieve a final goal and arrive at our appropriate camping and final destinations.

“In this chicken field I discovered a renewed passion for the connection between Earth, food, and actions as caretakers of our environment. A deep gratefulness blossomed in me as the chickens provided rich food and sustenance for me daily. Choosing to treat the chickens’ infection with elderberry flower tea and vinegar instead of antibiotics is an example of the organic farming practices I experienced at Palugo.”

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS

Whether you made a donation to the Tallulah Fund, through Georgia GOAL or by other means, you have made a significant difference in the lives of TFS students. Your gift creates opportunities that many of our students would not otherwise receive. Thank you for your continued support of Tallulah Falls School. This honor roll reflects gifts made from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022.

7 Hills Fire Protection

A & A Storage

A to Zinc Health Store & Smoothie Bar

Acoustic Cellar Guitars

Ms. Marta Adair

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Akers

Albany Woman’s Club Mrs. Ellen Alderman

Lisa Aleksun

All Pro Alarm

Ophelia H. Allen

Patsy and David Allen

Allied Interior Services LLC Mrs. Virginia Allison

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Almoyan

Amanda Stewart Real Estate Amazon Smile

American Water Services, Inc.

Patricia Anderson Mrs. Tricia Anderson

District 10 State Representative

Victor Anderson

Anthem

Ms. Cynthia Arrendale

Athens Woman’s Club

Athens-Oconee Junior Woman’s Club

Randy Atkins

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Atkinson

Atlanta Woman’s Club

Ms. Allison Audet

Augusta Aquatics, Inc.

Augusta Junior Woman’s Club

Augusta Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Rob E. Aycock

Azalea City Woman’s Club

Brent Baker

Jacqueline Ball

Mr. and Mrs. Jason Ball

Janice Barden

Lita and Dan Barnette Ms. Halimatu Barrie

Mr. and Mrs. Casey Barron

Mr. and Mrs. Dewan Barron

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Barron

Mr. and Mrs. Mack Barry Ms. Bridget Beaupre

Dr. Sharon Beavers

Dr. and Mrs. Timothy Beck

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Becker

Irene Bender

Mr. and Mrs. Jon Benson

Mr. and Mrs. James Benton

Mr. Ronald C. Bergstrom

Bill Austin Aircraft & Yacht Sales

Blackhawk Flyfishing Bambi and Steve Blackwell

Blue Graphics Custom Screen Printing

Blue Willow Home & Gifts

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bly Mr. and Mrs. John Bogan Ms. Elisha Boggs

Mr. and Mrs. E. Kelly Bond

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Borchers Mr. Perry Bourlet Box Tops for Education

Josh Brady

Bremen Junior Woman’s Club

Ms. Alison Brewer

Michael and Judith Brode

Emily Brooks

Brother John’s Subs

Ms. Grace Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Joey Brown Mrs. Lauren Brown

Brunswick Woman’s Club

Buchanan Woman’s Club

Calhoun Woman’s Club Ms. Whitney Calloway

Sharon Cannon Mrs. Gail Cantrell Haley Cantrell Mr. and Mrs. Ron Cantrell

Juan Capula

Carl Patterson Flooring Carnesville Woman’s Club

Mr. Gary Carpenter Carrie Dyer Woman’s Club

Carrollton Civic Woman’s Club

Carrollton Junior Woman’s Club

Brian Carter

Carter’s Royal Dispos-all, Inc. Cartersville Woman’s Club

Mr. Jim Cash

Mrs. Elizabeth Chadwick

Margaret Chatman Tina Tatum Cheek

Sonya Chesser

Mr. and Mrs. David Chester Chickamauga Woman’s Club Chick-fil-A of Cornelia Citizens of Georgia Power, Tallulah Falls Chapter City Barber Shop

Civic Woman’s Club of Milledgeville Ruth N. Clark

Clarkesville Dermatology & Medical Associates Susan Clark-Sestak

The Clayton Tribune Pete Cleveland Cleveland Builders Supply & Hardware

Mrs. Celeste W. Clotfelter Cochran Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis C. Cody, Jr. Mrs. Carole Cole Cody Coleman

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Compass Pest Management Complete Comfort Heating & Air Construction Components Truss Division

Mr. and Mrs. Benny Cook Ms. Rebecca S. Cook Brandy and Tim Corbett Renatha Cornelia Cornerstone Animal Hospital Mr. John Corwin Gale and Dan Couch Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Cox Joel Cox Mr. Matthew Crotta

Cathy Crumbley

Ms. Beth Cruz

Currahee Security Systems, Inc. Dallas Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Stu Damron

Michael Dauvergne Mr. Scott Davis

Deal’s Appliance Service, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. William DeFoor L. Stuart Delugach Renee and Brian Dennis Alan and Linda Densmore

Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Dillingham Mr. L. Kurt Dills

Shelby Dobbs Mrs. Stephanie Dorantes John Drake Lori Duncan Mrs. Wanda Dunn

Dunwoody Woman’s Club

Duplicating Products Inc. Duvall Automotive

Ms. Angie Dyer

Mr. Dwight Dyer Eagle Cleaning Services Jacque and Scott Earp Edison Concrete Engineering Management, Inc. Billie Jean Erwin

Mr. Konreid Etheredge Ethicon Eubank Family Dentistry, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Farmer Carole Farrar

Tleshia Farrar Mr. and Mrs. Robert Farris Fenders Alley Fender’s Car Wash First Citizens 1st Franklin Financial Corporation

FlynnO’Hara Uniforms

Ms. Donna G. Foland

Foothills Land Design Judy and Bruce Forbes

James Logan Fortner

Four Corners Woman’s Club Preston Fowler

Wayne Fowler

Lee Fox

Mrs. Brenda Foy Doug and Jane Franklin

Mr. and Mrs. James Franklin

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Franklin

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Franks

Fred H. Loveday Endowment

Mr. D. Bryan Freeman

Christina Freeman Estate

Amy Friedlander

Ann Friedlander

Dani Friedlander Hood

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fulbright Mrs. Sheila Gaillard

Gateway Fence Company

Peter Genz

Georgia Hapkido Academy

Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting GFWC Georgia

GFWC-GA Central West District

GFWC-GA North West District

Gilbert Foodservice

Hannah Gibson Mr. Henry Gillespie Kessiah Gipson

Glen-Ella Springs Inn

Goats On The Roof

Peter Goldfine, Life Insurance & Retirement Solutions Gordon Woman’s Club Gotta Go Portable Toilets

Phil Graber

Mr. and Mrs. Gabe Grant Mr. and Mrs. Sal Green

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Greene Hollis and James Gregory Gresham Planning & Development, Inc. Bill and E. Lane Gresham Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Griffis Kate Griffith

Kimberly Griswold Ms. Linda M Groppo Hongmei Gu

Paul Guest

Carmen Gutierrez

H. E. Hodge Company

Susan M Haas

Habersham Broadcasting Habersham Chamber of Commerce

Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Habersham Drug Habersham EMC

Habersham Medical Center

Habersham OB/Gyn

Habersham Retreat

Mr. and Mrs. James Hagarty

Dr. and Mrs. Stacy Hall

Andrew B. and Linda F. Hall

Mr. Lowell Hamilton

Jinny and Stephen Hanifan-Wagner Mr. and Mrs. Barry Hanna

Happy Jack Graphics LLC

Harbin Lumber Company Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Harrelson

Mr. and Mrs. James Harris Mrs. Linda Harris

Stacy Harris

Harry Norman Realtors, Luxury Lake and Mountain Mr. and Mrs. Shird Hartley Hartwell Service League Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hatcher Mr. and Mrs. James Hatcher

Senator Bo Hatchett Hayes Family of Dealers Mr. and Mrs. Terry Hayes Headrick Signs & Graphics Heartland Woman’s Club

Tim and Melody Henderson Janette and T. Ray Hendrick Mr. and Mrs. Yurii Henriques Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hensley Ms. Catherine Hermes Mr. Matthew Heyl Higgins Realty Mr. and Mrs. Don Higgins Highlands Aerial Park Hillside Memorial Chapel Hire Dynamics

George R. Hlavenka Mr. Justin Holbrook Mr. and Mrs. Eric E. Hollifield Holman Family, LLC Home Depot Homestar Financial Lisa Horkan

William and JoAnn Hornsby Mrs. Patricia Hosea Mr. and Mrs. Robert Houghland Mr. Thad Huckaba Mr. T. Steve Hudson Mrs. Beth Huebner Mr. Joel Huggins Mr. and Mrs. Toby Hunter Mr. Richard D. Hutcheson Mr. Kermit Huttar Industry Nine Insurance Office of America David and Elaine Irvin Mr. and Mrs. Skip Irvin Amaka Iyizoba Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Jackson

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Jackson Jacky Jones Ford Jaemor Farms Market Colin Jensen

JFM Contracting, LLC John and Mary Franklin Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Jones, Jr. Wendy Jones

Junior Woman’s Club of Toccoa Susie F Justus J. Shelby and Jane C. Kaplan Mary Lauren Keeny Mrs. Katie Keister Keller Williams Lanier Partners/ Roxie Barron Ken Dye Construction Ken-Clay, LLC Kennlock Construction, LLC Joo Kim Jo Kimbrel Kinetic by Windstream Joy K. King Robin King Janie Kissling Mark Klein

Dr. J.K. Kleinert and Mrs. Patti M. Steele Kroger Gift Services Elizabeth and Gary Kyle Jennifer Kyle, Harry Norman Realty, Luxury Lake and Mountain LaFayette Woman’s Club LaPrade’s Marina, LLC Lavonia Woman’s Club Mrs. Carrie Elrod Layer Mr. and Mrs. Randy LeBlanc Jeong Hwan Lee Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Lee Rachel LeGrand

Lettie Pate Evans Foundation

Mary Levine Lew Oliver, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. David Lewis Life Point Medical, LLC Locust Grove Woman’s Club Mr. James Logan Lois & Lucy Lampkin Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robby Lowry

Lulu & Tully’s

Barbara and Frank Luton

Dr. Edwin H. Lynch

Russell L. Lynn

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald MacBeth

Macon Service League

Macon Woman’s Club

Mrs. Carol Madden

Magnolia Civic Woman’s Club

Magnolia Hills Retirement Maintenance Supply Center

Mama G’s Italian Restaurant

Manchester Woman’s Club

Marietta Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Martin Ms. Sandra Martin

Mr. and Mrs. William Martin

Martin Construction & Grading, Inc. Karen Martinez Torres

Mr. Harold Mason

Ezekiel Massee

Craig Mathis

Leigh-Anne and Danny McClellon

McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe, LLP

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew McClurg

Barbara McCord

Mr. and Mrs. Steve McDonald

McDonald’s of Habersham County

McDonald’s of Toccoa Jake and Emily McGahee MCG Mechanical Lynn and Richard McKay

Charlotte Sullivan Meister

Michael McDowell Consultant, LLC Millen Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Miller

John Miller II Mills Flooring & Design

Milton Martin Toyota

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Mitchell

Mixon, Mixon, Brown and Tench CPAs

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Mixon

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mixon

Judy Mobley

Patrick Mobley

Monroe Junior Woman’s Club Will Morel

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Morris

Morris Nursing Home Investments, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. William Morrison

Morrow Civic Woman’s Club

Norman and Ginger Moseley

Chris Mote’s Pumping Service

Moultrie Federated Guild

Moultrie Junior Woman’s Club

Mt. Yonah Contracting, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Travis Mullis Lawrence Murray

Nannie Westmoreland Trust

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Neal

Erik and May Nelson Dillyn Nichols

Rachel C. Nichols

Mrs. Alice Noel

Diane Norris

North Georgia Credit Union North Georgia Technical College

North Side Woman’s Club

Northeast Georgia Physicians Group

Northeast Georgia Signs & Service, Inc.

The Northeast Georgian Northstar Bicycle, LLC Greg Norton Helen O’Brien

Old Campbell County Woman’s Club

Oliver and Weidner, LLC

Omega Technology Group

Patterson Pump Gayle Payne

Peach State Truck Centers

Dr. and Mrs. Larry Peevy David Pettigrew

Mr. Robert Phillips

Piedmont Metal Processing, Inc. Piedmont University Keturah A. Pittman

Mr. and Mrs. W. Warren Plowden Mrs. Patti Polk Patricia Joy and Justin Pollock

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Popham David Port

Poss Realty

Ms. Julianna Potteiger Mr. Grant Potter Ms. Jackie Powell Miriam Flynt-Hand Powell Mr. and Mrs. George Prince Pro Turf & Landscape Maintenance, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Ron Pruett

Phyllis W Purdy

Rabun County Bank

Rabun County Chamber of Commerce/Forward Rabun Mr. and Mrs. Eric Radford Radlee Heating & Cooling

Rahab’s Rope

Kathryn Ralston

Mr. and Mrs. Mark W. Rasmussen Dr. Geraldine S. Ray

Raymond James & Associates., Inc.

Mark A Reid, Sr

Reynolds Woman’s Club

Ms. Sally Rich

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Rickman Ms. Jana Rivera

Robert Rivers

Riverwild Property Owners Assoc. Mr. Jonathan Roberts Mrs. Sara Roberts Amanda and Dustin Rogers Mr. Michael Rogers Ms. Rachel Rogers Ron Cantrell Construction, Inc.

Angie Roper

Dr. Jana Rose and Mr. David Wehrstein Mrs. Penny Rue Tracy Saine

Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Sanders Sandy Springs Woman’s Club Hannah Satterfield

Michael Schaaf

Tyler ‘Rod’ Scriven Gary and Kim Sekulow Service Guild of Covington Linda Sharrotte

Dr. and Mrs. G. Paul Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sheppard Mrs. Martha Lee Sherman Annette and David Shirley Ms. Jane Shoemaker Mrs. Sue Shoemaker Simco Interiors, Inc. Kathy Simmons

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Simms Melanie and Chris Sims Mr. and Mrs. Robert Slater

Small Business Access Partners Blaine and Danielle Smith

Mr. and Mrs. James Smith Nancy R Smith Peggy D. Smith Rick and Anna Smith Sonya M. Smith

Nick Sommerio

South State Bank

Southern Geotechnical Consultants

Springer Mountain Farms

David St. John Mr. and Mrs. Stanton Stafford Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Stamey Mr. Kenneth L. Staton Ms. Kay Stephenson Theodore Sternhardt PropertyStewards.com Mr. James Stewart Mr. Jeremy Stille Stone Mountain Woman’s Club Rick Story Stout’s Construction Company Frank Su

Suburban Woman’s Club of Augusta Sugartopia

Summit Outdoors, LLC Mrs. Jan M. Swift Sharon Swindle Sylvania Junior Woman’s Club TAG, Inc. Tallulah 1882

Tatum Consulting Dr. Judy Taylor Ms. Sue Terry TFS Fellowship of Christian Athletes TFS Plant Services Department

TFS Swim Team Mr. and Mrs. Jason Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Pat Thompson Linda L Thomson Thornton Brothers, Inc. Tida Nails Tifton Junior Woman’s Club Tom Tilley TJT Investments Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Machine Products

Tomlin Barbeque & Catering Town of Tallulah Falls

Mr. and Mrs. James Troxell Turnerville Garden Center Rev. and Mrs. James E. Turpen, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Turpin

Twentieth Century Library Club

Martha Tyndall Mrs. Wilma Upchurch

Ms. Nancy Usry

Valdosta Junior Woman’s Club

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Van Hooser

Mr. and Mrs. James Vandiver Ms. Pamela Vaughan

Vibez Entertainment Tech ViewSonic Corporation Ms. Cynthia Vinson Virtucom

Vote Terry Rogers, LLC W & W Collision Center Mrs. Ashley Walden

Carolyn J. Walker

Jennifer Walker

Ms. Kay Ward

Dr. Sherry and Mr. W.E. Weeks

Mr. and Mrs. James Weidner Mrs. Liana Welborn

Charles E. Wells, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Wells

Bruce Wells

West Georgia Woman’s Club Ms. Jordan West

Drs. Laura and Thomas West White County News

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Whitener Johnny Wilder

Wiley Tire & Automative, LLC

Wilkinson Concrete & Construction Fred William Colleen Williams Mrs. Michelle Williams

Lynn Wilson

Winder Woman’s Club Mrs. Charlotte Wingate Mrs. Ginny Wolf

Ken and Priscilla Wolfe Caryn Womack Mrs. Gewene Womack Mr. Ray Womack

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wood

Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Woodall

Woodbine Woman’s Club Wood’s Furniture Mr. William H. Worrell

Danna and Christopher Wright

Nelson B. Wright, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Yates

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Zigler

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Zimmerman

DAY Grand

Afavorite tradition for the Tallulah Falls School middle school community returned on October 7 with special guests in attendance for Grand Day.

Students invited grandparents, grand friends or other influential people to join them for a peek into the middle school experience.

After breakfast and a short welcome from administrators, students treated their guests to school tours and special grade-level activities.

A dance featuring The Sock Hops finished out the morning. PE teachers prepped students in advance to master vintage dance moves.

President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy, who invited the band, joined guests and students on the dance floor.

“We were delighted to bring back the Grand Day tradition. Students made terrific memories with their special guests,” Peevy said. “This is such a highlight for our learning community. We truly enjoy welcoming these family members and special friends to campus.”

TALLULAH FALLS SCHOOL

P.O. Box 10 Tallulah Falls, Georgia 30573

Parents of alumni: If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Executive Director for Advancement of the new mailing address at (706) 839-2021 or sonya.smith@tallulahfalls.org.