Event Reminders
January 20-21: MS Musical, Shrek Jr. performances
January 25: Fall Sports Assembly in Gwynette Auditorium at 10:40 a.m.
January 29: NEW: Girls In Self-Defense Workshop 3:00 - 5:30 p.m.
January 31: Saint Thomas Choir performance and visit to Porter-Gaud
Feb. 1: Re-enrollment opens
Feb. 4: Semi - Formal Dance at the South Carolina Aquarium
Feb. 8: Wii Dance Off!: Students vs Faculty
Feb. 9: Sophomore College Extravanganza
February 22: NEW PARENT EVENT: Richard Guerry, national online safety and digital citizenship expert
January - February Highlights
10th grade Class Meeting: College Matchmaking
In a recent sophomore class meeting, Gina Hubbard, Assistant Director of College Counseling, spoke with students about the importance of considering their unique strengths when looking at colleges. Students broke into small groups and identified their common and unique attributes. Gina also introduced a new program, Sophomore Cocoa and Cookies. She will meet with sophomore students in small groups later this spring to discuss broad issues related to college counseling. The session ended with a reminder about the upcoming Sophomore College Extravaganza on February 9. Read more about Gina Hubbard of the College Counseling team.
Early Admission Offers Roll In
We are celebrating a large senior class this year with a lot of talent and personality. Our success is based on each student finding his or her own college fit. We are just at the start of college admission decisions, but we wanted to share a few highlights of early offers:
Anderson University-SC
Auburn University
Belmont University
Brown University
Claflin University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
Davidson College
DePaul University
Elon University
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Fordham University
Furman University
Gardner-Webb University
Georgia Southern University
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampton University
Harding University
High Point University
Howard University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Jacksonville University
Johns Hopkins University
Lander University
Limestone College
Louisiana State University
Lynchburg College
Miami University, Oxford
Middlebury College
North Carolina A&T State University
Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences
Oklahoma State University
Pennsylvania State University - All Campuses
Roanoke College
Southern Methodist University
St. John's College
Temple University
Texas Christian University
The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina
The Ohio State University
The University of Alabama
The University of Georgia
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Wake Forest University
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington and Lee University
Western Carolina University
Winthrop University
Wofford College
Yale University
Senior Leadership Council by Alex Dodenhoff '17
The Senior Leadership Council conducts meetings in order to gauge the Upper School's effectiveness in living out the mission statement of Porter-Gaud. Whether we impart this mission to our freshmen peer group members or while conducting matters in our respective organizations, we are determined to act as role models for every grade at Porter-Gaud. A typical meeting consists of updates regarding peer groups, ideas to fix various campus issues, and plans to lead the Upper School towards increased general respect. Here are the points we covered over the last two meetings:
1. Peer Group updates
AP exam policy
Senior Blazers
Celebration dress
Exam exemptions
Senior gift
Continued Academic Productivity at PG
2. Senior trip
3. Peer Group brainstorming
4. Senior gift
5. Honor at PG
6. Respect at PG
Lastly, The Charleston Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that I founded in memory of my father who passed away as I entered sophomore year due to a rather complicated cancer. Cognizant of the many students in the upper and middle schools whose families have endured grief by cancer in various ways, this foundation's mission is aimed at raising funds for cancer research through the efforts of Porter-Gaud students. We do this by selling T-Shirts. Currently we have a long-sleeve model. If you would like to purchase a T-Shirt for your son or daughter (or yourself), please email adodenhoff17@portergaud.edu with an idea of how many you would like in what sizes. Our inventory is limited right now, but we would like to see it gone soon in order to get even more. Thank you very much for your help! The price of a shirt is $20 and must be paid in cash.
Chapel Service This Week Honors Dr. Martin Luther King
At Upper School Chapel this Tuesday, we continued to discuss the virtue of respect, which is our focus as a school family this month. The service revolved around the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and students read together from King's "A LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL" of April 16, 1963.
"I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."
NEW: Girls In Self-Defense on Jan. 29
On Sunday, January 29th, the Porter-Gaud Girls In program is hosting a special event. (Girls In is a monthly luncheon series where US students hear from female alumni and leaders in the community, and discuss issues affecting young women and girls in our community and world.) This special event is an afternoon of Brazilian Gracie Jiu Jitsu/self-defense. The two-hour workshop, led by the husband and wife team of Pat and Maggie McGuighan is a "gentle art" self-defense program that employs leverage, technique, and timing. The event is open to all Upper School students.
Students will learn how to defend themselves in a fun, safe, and cooperative learning environment, all the while growing their self-confidence and self-assurance. Afterwards, our students will enjoy a Mellow Mushroom dinner together in Washington Hall.
THIS EVENT IS FREE! To register your daughter, email Anne Frazier at afrazier@portergaud.edu.
The World-Renowned Saint Thomas Choir in Concert on January 31st
Join us Tuesday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m. as the boy choristers of the Saint Thomas Choir School visit and present a wonderful evening of music at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke & St. Paul (126 Coming Street) on their fall recruitment tour. Founded in 1919, and located in the heart of New York City, it is the only church-affiliated boarding school of its kind in the United States. You don't want to miss this unique opportunity! For ticket sales and more information, simply visit https://https://yourcathedral.churchcenteronline.c...
The Saint Thomas Choir will be visiting and performing for our students here at Porter-Gaud on January 30th and February 1st. Many of the Saint Thomas choir members are staying with our Porter-Gaud families. We are so grateful to the families who are opening your homes to this extraordinary choir.
PARENT EVENT: Richard Guerry on February 22th
Richard Guerry, founder of the non-profit organization the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2), comes to Porter-Gaud on February 22. Guerry's program "Permanent and Public" will provide students and parents with entertaining and eye-opening stories that offer a solution-oriented concept of how to avoid any self-inflicted digital problem, which is critical to anyone that uses a digital device.
Richard's parent program begins at 6:30 p.m. in Gwynette Auditorium on February 22. He will hold a Q&A session afterwards. Light refreshments will be served.
Richard is also the author of multiple cyber safety and citizenship books, and has been a featured speaker at many national conferences and conventions, including the National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention, the International Bullying Prevention Association, and the National Symposium on Child Abuse. He has also appeared as a digital safety expert on various media outlets like CNN, Radio Disney, MTV, Parade Magazine and many other local, regional, and international networks and publications.
Spring Service Overview by Gretchen Tate
We wanted to remind everyone that we will happily accept Porter-Gaud uniform donations, gently used book donations (children's and adults), and truly any other donation you may have, at any time. Our service program can connect you with a variety of non-profit organizations that are in need of so many things. Please save the date for the following school-wide service efforts and check the Community Service tab for regular updates about our program:
Friday, February 3rd is our next American Red Cross Blood Drive. You can register online for an appointment two weeks before the drive or email gtate@portergaud.edu.
February 20th-March 3rd - Gently Used Book Collection to support our Used Book Sale. All books will be sold for $0.50/each and money will be donated to One80Place Homeless Shelter. The Book Sale will be held on Thursday and Friday, March 9th and 10th in the lobby of the Wendell Center.
Tuesday, March 14th is the annual Faculty vs Student basketball game. This is a school wide dress down day for $2 and we ask that all students and faculty bring in non-perishable food items for the Lowcountry Food Bank as their admission into the 5th grade dribbling contest, the MS student vs faculty game, the US student vs faculty game, and the Slam Dunk contest.
The Upper School students were recently reminded at an assembly that Porter-Gaud's Service Program is founded on kindness. Kindness to humans, animals, and our environment. Our motto for the remainder of the semester is "Above All, Be Kind". We challenge our students and our school community to be kind to everyone and everything, and we demonstrate this kindness with service to others and our community. We are grateful for the parents and caregivers who help support our mission of living a selfless life.