2023 BEST SCHOOL AWARD

allulah Falls School has been voted ‘Best School’ by the The Northeast Georgian in the 2023 Best of Habersham County Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards winners were announced in a special section of The Northeast Georgian newspaper on February 24.

The Best of Habersham County Readers’ Choice Awards is an annual event where the community can nominate and vote for their favorite businesses and organizations in Habersham County. The awards reflect the community’s support and recognition of those who have positively impacted the county.

TFS President and Head of School Larry Peevy accepted the award from Yvonne Marinelli, Marketing

“It is an honor to be recognized as the best school in Habersham County,” said Peevy. “We are committed to providing our students with an exceptional education that not only prepares them for college but also for life beyond the classroom. This award is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and staff, who are dedicated to our students’ success.”

“We are thrilled to receive this award, and we are grateful to the community for their support,” said Peevy. “We will continue to work hard to ensure that our students receive the best possible education and prepare them for a successful future.”

“ We are celebrating students performing at the highest academic level, and we hear great stories from our alumni and positive feedback from the community. ”

DR. LARRY A. PEEVY

Throughout the pages of this issue of On Campus, you will find stories that celebrate our thriving Tallulah Falls School community. I know you will be just as encouraged as I am.

Celebrate with me as we see students participating in activities now more than ever. I was thrilled to hear that over 75 percent of our students are involved in our sports programs. I am especially thankful to see even more of a return to normalcy and our students being happy and succeeding.

We are celebrating students performing at the highest academic level, and we hear great stories from our alumni and positive feedback from the community.

One of my favorite events that I’ve participated in this year was the official induction ceremony of alumni athletes into the Athletic Legends Hall of Honor. Seeing the alumni enjoy visiting the school and seeing the progress over the past several years was a treat.

As you read through this issue, you will read stories about our seniors’ incredible achievements. We continue to receive news of scholarships and educational opportunities our seniors have earned due to their hard work and dedication. It is a joy to share this news with you.

Our middle school boys’ basketball team ended its season as tri-state champions. I am very proud of their accomplishment and what this means for the future of our basketball program. We are going to see great things from these young men.

I am also extremely proud of Madison Dampier and her extraordinary talent and ability as a swimmer. She has provided excellent leadership and set an example for her fellow teammates. I am delighted that she has two more years to swim for TFS.

As we celebrate the end of a successful winter sports season, our spring athletic teams are already off to a winning start. I thoroughly enjoy watching the baseball, soccer, tennis, and track and field teams; we look forward to seeing you out supporting our athletic teams this spring.

Even our community celebrates all the wonderful things happening on campus. TFS has been named Best School by the readers of The Northeast Georgian in their 2023 Best of Habersham Awards. We are truly honored to be the recipient of this award.

All of these success stories would not be possible without the thoughtful contributions we receive from members of the TFS family. I want to personally thank Habersham Electric Membership Corporation for their significant donation to our science department. These gifts allow us to be the school we are today, as a large portion of our annual budget comes from generous monetary and in-kind donations.

It is a pleasure to give you a glimpse into the lives of our TFS community. I could not be more proud of where we have been, where we are and where we are going.

Warm regards,

PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SCHOOL

The announcement of the STAR Student and STAR Teacher at Tallulah Falls School marks a high point for each academic year.

Senior William “Trey” Greene of Demorest earned his class’s highest score on the Scholastic Achievement Test. Greene scored a 1590 – the highest recorded score in the school’s history. Greene selected upper school history teacher Adam Greiving of Clarkesville as the STAR teacher.

Greene will graduate in the top five percent of this year’s senior class. Upon graduation, he will have successfully taken ten honors classes, 15 dual enrollment courses and five AP classes. In addition, not only will Greene have taken every mathematics course offered at TFS, but he will also have the most rigorous transcript of chosen coursework of any student in the senior class. He currently has a 4.64 GPA.

Greene also seeks opportunities to expand his knowledge outside the classroom. He is an avid reader, writer and music enthusiast. In his free time, he studies coding, mathematics and science. Greene participates in several clubs at TFS, including the TFS National Honors Society, TOME Society, Robotics Club and Tri-M.

As part of the honor, Greene, in turn, recognized TFS history teacher Adam Greiving who has played an important role in his success. According to Greene, Greiving helped him come to terms with the world around him. “He helped me find my voice and value my own input,” said Greene. “He has helped me develop as a person and transition into adulthood.”

Greiving offers high praise for Greene’s insightful contributions to his history class: “Trey is a brilliant, insightful student, but he carries himself with remarkable humility. His comments in College U.S. History, regardless of the topic or era, were always to-the-point and profound. He elevated discussions beyond what I expect from a class designed for college freshmen,” Greiving said. “He takes problematic and difficult issues and moves them around in his mind. With each new view, he modifies his own perspective. I look forward to seeing what Trey does with his intellectual potential. I’m grateful for all the meaningful discussions and the time spent in my classroom; I am the better for it.”

Greene has also been named STAR Student for Habersham County by the Habersham Chamber of Commerce. This honor qualifies him to compete for STAR Student of the region later in the spring.

The Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia’s highest-achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development, according to the PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators) Foundation.

Gisa Master Teacher

Tallulah Falls upper school English and journalism teacher Elisha Boggs received the Georgia Independent School Association’s Master Teacher Award at a ceremony on November 29 at Woodward Academy in College Park, Georgia.

Boggs teaches English and journalism in the upper school. She met the intensive and extensive requirements to complete her portfolio, according to GISA’s Stan Whitlock.

“The GISA Master Teacher Program bestows well-deserved recognition to GISA Master Teachers who exhibit best practices in the classroom and a willingness to share and collaborate with other educators,” said Whitlock. “GISA commends its Master Teachers who inspire excellence in the classroom, among colleagues, and especially, students.

2022 Yearbook Award

The Legend yearbook staff won the Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s best small school yearbook award for the 2022 yearbook “Back To Earth.” They received the highest score for small schools in Georgia with a 633 out of 695 points.

Current yearbook staff members Mei Hui de Velasco, Izzy Jones, Dani Prince, Reese Wilson, Kyndal Anderson, Lily Cai, Gemma Farris, Meredith Morris, Emilee Jones, Lawson Fulbright, Andrew Whittle, Layne Kafsky, Aarington Brown, Torri Tilley and Piper Allen worked on the winning book.

Editor Flannery Hogan (‘22) chose the theme Back to Earth. “We wanted to share the story of returning to normal after the tumultuous pandemic,” said Hogan. “The staff was great in supporting bringing the vision to life. I would never have been able to make it a reality without the help of the staff and our advisor, Mrs. Boggs.”

For staff member Reese Wilson, the book was a success because the staff’s teamwork allowed them to cover as many students as possible. One of the main goals of the yearbook staff is to cover everyone in the school.

“The staff focuses on getting to know the student body, and what they discover are hidden hobbies, talents and beautiful stories that they can tell,” said advisor Elisha Boggs. “The staff become storytellers, and those stories make the book stand out.”

Staff member Dani Prince felt encouraged when the staff received the award. “We put so much work into the yearbook, and it is awesome having this award to show for it,” Prince said.

Bringing Science To Life

Science students at TFS were introduced to 20 new microscopes funded by a generous donation from Habersham Electric Membership Corporation.

“My College Biology students have been able to view bacteria under oil immersion from 400x magnification to an impressive 1,000x magnification,” said upper school science teacher Liz Barraco. The funding also purchased a set of microscopes at the middle school, where students will utilize them in each grade level. Fifthgrade science teacher Tamara Griffis shared her excitement, “We are thrilled to have a full set of new microscopes for our middle school students to supplement their science curriculum with hands-on experience.”

Dna Discovery An Inside Look

Upper school students dive into their studies as the second semester begins. Freshman science classes built DNA, replicated DNA and interpreted genetic codes. Students practiced base pairing techniques to better understand DNA structure with science teacher Liz Barraco. “We used beads that were easy to put together and pull apart. This showed us how fast DNA strands can change and how easily different mutations can occur,” said freshman Marissa Kinsey.

Seventh graders in Randy Morris’ Life Science class suited up in protective gear to dissect earthworms. They worked in teams to uncover the secrets of annelids (segmented worms). Some dove right into the cutting process and others were a little more apprehensive. They were each able to complete their task and draw three views of their worm in their logbooks. “When I first saw the worm I was just thinking to myself how are we going to cut into this thing? Well, now I know how to do it,” said Tinsley Hill. “It was a little bit gross but I think the frog will be even grosser than this.” It was a memorable experience filled with scientific discovery and a whole lot of fun!

Lumberjacks Latin American Studies

Aquatics Class Instructor Sara Roberts (‘04) has introduced the lumberjack-inspired sport of logrolling to students in the upper school PE, Outdoor Education and Lifetime Activities classes. “Never in a million years did I picture I’d be teaching log rolling in a pool, but I now love sharing this activity with our students,” said Roberts. “Not only does it practice balance and coordination, but it’s just an incredibly unique challenge. It creates a funny, memorable, one-of-a-kind experience, and that’s what your middle and high school years should be all about!”

Throughout January, Amanda Rogers’ sixth-grade world geography students researched countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region. They used skills from their English class to write about each country’s physical geography, population, government and economy, and traditions and celebrations. In addition, they created beautiful visual aids depicting a unique landmark or cultural feature of their chosen country. “I’m incredibly proud of our students’ dedication to expanding their understanding of the world around them,” said Rogers.

On the final day of International Week, international students at Tallulah Falls School put on a dazzling display of their cultures, showcasing their unique identities and talents. The event, held in the campus Gertrude Long Harris Theatre, attracted a large audience of students, faculty, and staff members who were eager to learn about different cultures and celebrate diversity.

The show began with a procession of students carrying their country flags, representing their pride in their heritage. The hosts and masters of ceremonies, hailing from China, Nigeria, South Korea, Spain, and Jamaica, welcomed the audience and set the stage for the performances to come.

The students presented a wide range of acts, including music, dance, storytelling, jokes, and magic tricks.

The energy in the auditorium was electric, with students cheering, clapping, and dancing in their seats. The audience was impressed by the passion and talent of the performers, as well as the diversity of cultures on display.

“I loved seeing all the different countries represented and the unique talents of each performer,” said senior Rachel Chen. “It’s great to be reminded of the richness and beauty of diversity.”

The show was not only a celebration of different cultures, but also a reminder of the importance of unity and solidarity among all students, regardless of their backgrounds.

“The show was a great way to bring everyone together and celebrate our differences,” said sophomore Wyatt Franks. “It’s cool to see everyone in one place at one time.”

Overall, the International Week celebration was a huge success.