Foxfire and TFS

FOXFIRE

P A R T N E R W I T H T F S

Apartnership between Tallulah Falls School and the Foxfire organization will bring students closer to regional history.

Students at both the upper and middle schools are contributing literary works to the Foxfire magazine. The spring/summer issue of the magazine featuring TFS student submissions will be published in late June/early July.

“It is a pleasure to cultivate this wonderful relationship between our TFS students and Foxfire,” said President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy.

On March 24, the seventh grade visited the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center in Mountain City.

“Dr. Peevy hopes each grade at the middle school will make the short trip to Foxfire to become more acquainted with the history of the area,” said middle school English teacher Kim McClurg.

TFS seniors contributed articles about the heroes in their own communities, in the United States and abroad, who made a difference in the lives of others who were struggling during the pandemic, according to upper school English teacher Kelli Bly.

“The students were enthusiastic about highlighting those in their communities who made meaningful contributions to the lives of others during this difficult past year,” Bly said.

According to Foxfire Fund Curator and Educational Outreach Coordinator, Kami Ahrens, the Foxfire magazine is an exciting opportunity for students in Rabun County to publish their academic and creative work in an internationally read magazine. In 1966, local high school students created the magazine in their English classroom and started a tradition that carries on to this day. The magazine provides students with a platform for creative expression and investigations into the world around them and connects them with their peers and their community.

The mission of the Foxfire magazine is to empower students to share their voices and visions with an audience beyond the classroom by providing a platform for creative expression and investigations into the world around them. Foxfire is committed to inclusiveness and accessibility to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ageor national origin. The legacy of the first Foxfire class – which started all the way back in 1966 – continues today through the creation of the magazine.

Good news arrived for the Tallulah Falls School Tome Society chapters this spring after judging was completed for the annual awards, typically held in conjunction with the TOME Conference. This year’s awards ceremony was broadcast virtually.

According to TOME Advisor Dallas Barron, the Upper School Tome Student Literacy Society Chapter was named Chapter of the Year with members Flannery Hogan, Reagan Brode, Madison Perdue and Colton Augustine winning first place in the following categories:

It List Book Review Blog – Flannery Hogan

Chapter Service Flyer – Flannery Hogan

Digital Cover Redesign – Reagan Brode

It List Poetry – Madison Perdue

Historical Fiction Infographic – Madison Perdue

It List Book Review Vlog – Colton Augustine

Middle School TOME Chapter winners included:

First place – Fan Art – Elijah Barker

Third place – Fan Fiction – Caroline Smith

Third place – Book Trailer – Mitchell McGahee

TOME AWARDS

The TFS Middle School Reading Bowl team placed third overall in the state, said TOME advisor Kim McClurg. Team members include Caroline Smith, Allison Bailey, Chloe Erwin, TJ Cox, Raegan Duncan, Lizzy Wanner, Jedd Thomas, Elijah Barker, Carsyn Griffis, Sarah Lundy, Tate Turpin, Charlie Harris, Meredith Orr and Josh Lander.

From L-R: Caroline Smith, Elijah Barker and Mitchell McGahee

MATH CLUB WINS TOP HONORS

Shown, back row, from left, are Math Club sponsor Linda Harris, sophomore Zhigao Xiong of China, freshman Zhaohe Guo of China, senior Yuji Xue of China; front row, sophomore Walker Bailey of Lula, juniors Jingyi Sang and Jingan Sang of China. Not shown: sophomore Jue Wang of China, an online student this year.

For more than 20 years, the Tallulah Falls School Math Club has participated in the annual Mathematics Tournament hosted by the University of North Georgia, but this is the first year the students competed via a digital platform.

During the week of March 8-12, under the supervision of the club sponsor Linda Harris, the club met after school on two afternoons to participate in the three components of the tournament.

Junior Jingan Sang of China and sophomore Walker Bailey of Lula tied for first place and junior Jingyi Sang of China won third place in the Multiple Choice category. Jingyi Sang also won third place in the Ciphering category.

“The team placed second overall in Problem-Solving, which is the most difficult portion of the tournament, requiring major thinking-out-of-the-box skills,” Harris said.

UNG awarded medals to the top-place winners and certificates of participation to the other team members, Harris added. Other team members included senior Yuji Xue, freshman Zhaohe Guo and sophomores Zhigao Xiong and Jue Wang.

Art students at Tallulah Falls School heard good news from the Georgia Independent School Association. This spring GISA announced the winners of its first-ever annual art competition, with one upper school student and four middle school students from TFS.

GISA received 70 artwork submissions from 15 member schools.

Junior Macy Murdock First Place, High School Sculpture “Biland Flamenco”

Upper school art teacher Tina Cheek said Murdock is a creative, talented young artist who works in a variety of mediums.

“For this sculpture, Macy used stoneware clay with low-fire glazes expressing the spirit and movement of the dancer. She worked on this piece over a period of a few weeks perfecting the dress and facial features,” Cheek said. “Macy was inspired by having learned the flamenco dance in a dance class. We were pleased to be invited by GISA to participate in its first art show and competition this year and look forward to future participation.”

Middle school art teacher Cat Schappach said the students showcased diversity in selecting mediums.

“I am really proud of how creative they are,” Schappach said. “I feel joy remembering each instance, from when they had the spark to create their art to the time they successfully finished. I appreciate GISA for giving students this opportunity to shine during the pandemic when so many avenues for the arts have been altered.”

Digital arts teacher Stephanie Witham worked with Olivia Henderson to prepare her entry.

“I could not be prouder of Olivia. I can recall every minute she spent behind the screen of the computer arranging words, changing colors, making sure everything fit perfectly right while still learning to use a tool that was completely new to her,” Witham said. “She has combined her creativity, talent and hard work to create something truly worth watching.” Sixth-grader Olivia Henderson Second Place, Middle School Open Media 2D “Swimmer’s Thoughts”

Eighth-grader Emma Barron First Place, Middle School Drawing “Pears”