Georgetown County School District -

GCSD invites you to attend our FREE Summer BEACH Program finales: Summer Music Presentation - June 26 at 10 a.m. in the GHS Auditorium "Junie B. Jones, Jr., The Musical" - June 26 at 5 p.m. in the GHS Auditorium "Junie B. Jones, Jr., The Musical" - June 27 at 10 a.m. in the GHS Auditorium Summer Art Program Gallery Walk - June 27 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the GHS Auditorium Lobby We hope you will join us as our students showcase all that they have learned! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS: Junior Shark Tank 2024 D.S.E. Sports Lab was the winner of GCSD’s 2024 Junior Shark Tank! Celebrating its twentieth successful year with the Georgetown County School District, Junior Shark Tank showcases the talents and creativity of our budding Futurepreneurs. This program challenges students to think critically and creatively, encouraging them to become innovative entrepreneurs through problem-based learning. Fifteen 8th through 10th grade students participated in the four-day Junior Shark Tank program held June 10 - 13 at Georgetown Middle School. The students were divided into four teams based on the results of a skills and personality test administered on the first day: **Group 1: The Innovators** Ella Pegg, Ainsley Coffey, and Zayden Sturkin **Group 2: D.S.E. Sports Lab** Joshua Wright, Brooke Carter, Ahr’quez Jenkins, and Chloe Sheppard **Group 3: Clean Coastal Café** Abigail Dukes, Aiden Boyette, Lorelei Brooks, Tayshaun Verner, and Abigail Vereen **Group 4: Phone Lockdown** Benjamin Rowell, Kaleb Porter, and Jordyn Wright Each student was assigned a specific role within their group, with the understanding that meeting all their responsibilities was crucial for the project's success. This experience not only fostered positive competition in a professional setting but also ignited a passion in students for creating and taking ownership of their projects. The program culminated in a judging event on June 13 in the GMS auditorium. Mirroring the format of the TV show "Shark Tank," students presented their business plans to a panel of business experts (the sharks). They faced challenging questions about finance, production, and marketing. All four groups presented well-thought out projects challenging the judges in declaring only one winner. Ultimately, “the sharks” chose D.S.E. Sports Lab as the winner of the 2024 GCSD Junior Shark Tank. Congratulations to all of the participants for another outstanding season of Junior Shark Tank! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Want to help your rising 4K or 5K student feel more confident and prepared for school on August 1st? GCSD is hosting "Shoot for the Stars" on Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the J B Beck Administration & Education Center. The event is open to all rising 4K and 5K students and will include learning and activity stations, school basics, a school bus visit, and much more. Space is limited and registration is required. Email fcohens@gcsd.k12.sc.us to sign up to attend - include your name, your child's name, and the number of attendees in the email. We can't wait to "Shoot for the Stars" with you on July 20! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff #GetReadyToLearn #readyforkindergarten #readyforprek

** REMINDER – WE WANT YOU BACK ** All families are encouraged to complete online registration as soon as possible to prevent delays with class schedules and bus transportation when school starts on August 1. Registration is required for all students – new and returning. It is a web-based process completed online through Parent Portal (https://gcsd.powerschool.com/public) and cannot be completed through the Parent Portal App. Need help registering your student for the 24-25 school year? Assistance is available on Mondays and Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Call 843-436-7058 or send an email to scollins@gcsd.k12.sc.us. Ensure your student is ready for the 2024-2025 school year. Don't delay – complete online registration today!

Georgetown County School District's 2024 First Tee Champions Challenge was held May 28 at Wedgefield Plantation Golf Course. Congratulations to all of the students selected to participate in this year’s event! Red Division – Small Schools 1st Place: Coastal Montessori Charter School 2nd Place: Pleasant Hill Elementary STREAM Academy Blue Division – Large Schools 1st Place: Waccamaw Intermediate 2nd Place: Maryville Elementary Individual Winners – Red Division Girls 1st Sophia Krause, CMCS 2nd Zoey Huggins, PHES 3rd McKinlee Streett, SES Boys 1st DeAbre Frasier, PHES 2nd Mac Seaton, CMCS 3rd Colton Morris, SES Individual Winners – Blue Division Girls 1st Katheryn Williams, WIS 2nd Sawyer Cox, AES 3rd Rachel Stuckey, KES Boys 1st Mitchell Paxton, WIS 2nd Frank Cegledy, WIS 3rd Davis Johnson, KES #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

The May 21 GCSD Board of Trustees meeting included recognitions of students from Carvers Bay Early College & Career High, Georgetown High, and Georgetown Middle. ** Carvers Bay Early College & Career High ** Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students from CBECCHS, under the guidance of adviser Melissa Alston, were recognized for their achievements at the FBLA State Leadership Conference held in April. Akasha Haynes—3rd Place Help Desk Serenity Greene— 2nd Place Intro to Programming Zahira Warren— 1st Place Future Business Educator Asher Mezzatesta—1st Place Entrepreneurship Lillian Bryant—1st Place Client Service And, Alyssa Gamble was recognized for two years of service as an FBLA state officer. ** Georgetown High ** GHS junior Avidan Wright and his Business/Computer Science teacher Angelia Jackson attended the 35th Annual Economics and Financial Literacy Awards Luncheon held on May 17 at the Brookland Banquet and Conference Center in West Columbia. During the luncheon, Avidan was celebrated for being selected as South Carolina’s Fall High School InvestWrite state winner. ** Georgetown High ** In April, the Bulldog Navy JROTC unit was named the Most Outstanding Unit for Navy JROTC Area 7. They were selected as number 1 out of 33 Junior Navy programs across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia to receive this recognition. And, for the third year in a row, Bulldog Navy JROTC was designated as a Distinguished Unit, a title given to only the top 30% of JROTC units globally. In addition, this year, they also received the designation of Naval Honor School. Accepting the recognition on behalf of the unit were: The former Commanding Officer, Cadet Lieutenant Commander Briar Long and the new Commanding Officer, Cadet Lieutenant Commander Rivers Ramsing The former Executive Officer, Lieutenant Jonathan Espinoza and the new Executive Officer, Cadet Lieutenant Adriana Sanchez-Aca Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Michael Blackstone USMC Retired Commander David Kaiser US Navy. ** Georgetown Middle ** The GMS band, under the direction of Jonathan Greene, was awarded the 2023-2024 South Carolina Band Director Association Outstanding Performance Award. This is the highest possible award given to a band program in the state of South Carolina. This recognition speaks to Georgetown Middle’s outstanding concert performances and individual student performances as well as the high-quality teaching taking place in the school’s band department. Accepting the recognition on behalf of the GMS band were: Band Director, Mr. Jonathan Greene Kelvin Funny Ja'keem Grant Malayah Green Julian Guillermo Islas Arthur Hemingway Shavadria Newton Yanielix Sanchez Cotto Jewel Thompson Congratulations to these students, programs, and schools! #hardworkpaysoff #GCSD

Georgetown High School senior, Ariel Baker Alston, represented her state at the 58th Annual NCDA Poetry and Art Contest. Out of the 16 winners in the Poetry category, Alston is among the 3 winners from South Carolina. With a prompt of “Art of the Mind: The Connection Between Wellness and Career Success,” she crafted her poem that went on to rank 3rd on the national level for the senior division. Congratulations, Ariel! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

The 2024-2025 GCSD Assistant Principal and Principal of the Year were announced during a luncheon held today at the J B Beck Administration & Education Building. Denetria Middleton was named Assistant Principal of the Year and Travis Klatka was named Principal of the Year. Both are administrators at Waccamaw Intermediate. Congratulations Ms. Middleton and Mr. Klatka! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Nancy Crawford, school nurse at Kensington Elementary, was named the 2024-2025 GCSD Support Staff of the Year during a luncheon held today at the J B Beck Administration & Education Center. Congratulations, Ms. Crawford! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Congratulations to the 2024 GCSD Bus Driver of the Year Barbara Snyder! Ms. Snyder is a driver for the Waccamaw Area. #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bradshaw from Waccamaw Middle on being named the 2023-2024 GCSD Rookie Teacher of the Year! Other finalists for Rookie Teacher of the Year were: Paul Carotti ~ Maryville Elementary Kirsten Williams ~ McDonald Elementary Equanda Wearing ~ Rosemary Middle Angelica Hanna ~ Carvers Bay Early College and Career High. #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

High school seniors who will be entering the military or attending a military service academy were invited to attend a statewide recognition ceremony on Tuesday, May 14 at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia. Fifteen GCSD seniors were recognized at the event: • Jennings Avant ~ CBECCHS • Orlando Camacho – GHS • Matthew Capps ~ CBECCHS • Diamond Franklin ~ GHS • Zachary Jones ~ GHS • Jayden Lewis ~ AHS • Angel Medina Olguin ~ GHS • Jalice Morris ~ AHS • Paul Parker ~ GHS • James Rice ~ CBECCHS • Evelyn Sanchez-De La Cruz ~ GHS • Kristafer Sheets ~ GHS • Jaiden Smith ~ GHS • Ny’Asia Washington ~ AHS • Kimon Winns ~ CBECCHS The guest speaker at this year’s ceremony was U.S. Army Lieutenant General Milford Beagle and musical selections were provided by the 282nd Army Band of Fort Jackson. Each student was presented with a red, white, and blue honor cord to be worn during their school’s graduation ceremony. Congratulations, students! Thank you for your willingness to serve our country. #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Waccamaw High seniors Wheeler Marlow and Kenneth Wessely were selected from thousands of applicants across the state to be recognized at the 2024 STEM Signing Day held on May 8 at the USC Alumni Center. STEM Signing Day offers a chance for students to be celebrated for their achievements and future aspirations. Students had the opportunity to network with members of the General Assembly, business executives, and SC Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver. This year’s event was sponsored by The Boeing Company, and in partnership with BWM Manufacturing Co., Michelin North America, Nucor Berkeley, SC Future Makers, and SC Manufactures Alliance. Congratulations, Wheeler and Kenneth! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff #STEMSigningDay (Not pictured - Kenneth Wessely)

Michelle Marshall, a fourth grade teacher at Andrews Elementary, was named the 2024-2025 Georgetown County School District Teacher of the Year on Thursday, May 2 during the annual Teacher of the Year banquet held at Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. Other finalists were: James Rowell ~ Andrews High Cassidy Altman ~ Brown’s Ferry Elementary for the Creative and Performing Arts Julie Paynter ~ Carvers Bay Early College and Career High Kiley Wilson ~ Sampit Elementary. Other school level Teacher of the Year winners are: Edrick Alston ~ Carvers Bay Middle STEAM Academy Katie Wilson Morris ~ Coastal Montessori Charter Dr. Edward Thomas ~ Georgetown High Jennifer Roberto ~ Georgetown Middle Brandy Caroway ~ Howard Adult Center Justin Winns ~ Kensington Elementary Janice Dozier ~ Maryville Elementary Chelsea Gruber ~ McDonald Elementary Velma Langley ~ Plantersville Digital Immersion Krista Poston ~ Pleasant Hill Elementary STREAM Academy Brian Gary ~ Rosemary Middle Elizabeth Bullard ~ Waccamaw Elementary Lawrie Ann Brone ~ Waccamaw High Michael Loser ~ Waccamaw Intermediate Laura Gabriel ~ Waccamaw Middle. Congratulations to all of our outstanding teachers! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff #teacheroftheyear

Join us for the BEACH Singers Spring Concert on Sunday, May 5th at 5 p.m. at Winyah Auditorium. Admission is FREE (donations accepted). We hope to see you there! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

During the April 23 GCSD Board of Trustees Meeting, members of the Georgetown County Association of Educational Office Professionals (GCAEOP) were recognized for their election/appointment to the board of the South Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals (SCAEOP). Included in the recognition were: ~ Clarice McKnight, President Elect ~ Pamela Lance, Area Director ~ Tina Gillard Rice, Presidential Advisor ~ Syndey Rice, Community Service Co-Chair ~ Sharon McLean, Website Coordinator ~ Daphne Smith, Meeting Site Coordinator Additionally, Sharon McLean, Senior Secretary/Bookkeeper at Waccamaw Elementary, was named the Georgetown County Association of Educational Office Professionals of the Year for 2023-2024. Congratulations! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

“Reading is important, because if you can read you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.” - Tomie dePaola On Tuesday, Mr. Price, Dr. Giles and Mrs. Thompson shared their love of reading with students from Pleasant Hill Elementary STREAM Academy. This was final stop for #GCSDReads for the 2023-2024 school year. We've had a fantastic time encouraging GCSD students to develop a love for reading while sharing our favorite books with them! #GCSDReads #GCSD

During the April 23 GCSD Board of Trustees Meeting, we had the privilege of recognizing remarkable students and schools for their exceptional accomplishments: The Windtalkers, Waccamaw High School’s competitive speech team secured the 3A State Championship for an impressive 14th consecutive year! Congratulations to individual state champions Lillie Danysh (Novice Reading) and Ellie Forrest (Prose Interpretation) for their outstanding performances! Vanessa Hidegcuti, a student from Carvers Bay Early College and Career High School, was a winner in the ART-OLINA: Youth Art Gallery of the Carolinas annual contest. Her piece, Abstract with Watercolors, will be on loan to the gallery for the next year. Waccamaw High School’s Student Council earned the 2024 National Gold Council of Excellence award for the second year running, showcasing their dedication to leadership and service. Carvers Bay Early College and Career High School received the Award of Excellence from the South Carolina High School League at the SCAAA Athletic Directors and Administrators Spring Conference for their exemplary sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity in athletics. Waccamaw High School was honored with the 2024 Gene Bottoms Pacesetter Award from the Southern Regional Education Board for implementing the Making Schools Work key practices and achieving significant school improvement goals. Congratulations to all our students and schools for their outstanding achievements and contributions to our community! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff

Today, let's take a moment to appreciate the backbone of our workplace - our amazing administrative professionals! Your dedication and hard work keep everything running smoothly. Happy Administrative Professionals Day! #GCSD #hardworkpaysoff #AdminProfessionalsDay #ThankYou

GCSD's Multilingual Learner Program is hosting a Spanish Family Information Fair on April 24, 2024, from 1-6 p.m. at J. B. Beck Administration and Education Center (GCSD District Office). Learn more about attendance, immunization, community resources, and GCSD's multilingual learner program. Staff members will also be available to assist with 2024-2025 registration. Register to attend at https://tinyurl.com/muk6476z.