THE ACCOLADE WILSON HALL | " / " B E R 2 0 2 0 Duke TIP Recognition David Texas Ardis, Thomas Creech and Sara Helen Simmons, Class of ‘25, qualified for state-level recognition by the Duke University Talent Identification Program this past spring. To qualify for this honor students had to score at least a 540 on the math portion or a 540 on the reading and writing portion of the SAT. These students, who took the SAT as seventh graders, re- ceived this recognition by earning a score equal to or better than half of the college- David Texas Ardis, Thomas Creech & Sara Helen Simmons, Class of ‘25 bound seniors who took the tests. PTO Alexander Fundraiser a Named Success Over $92,000 was raised for the school through the Mrs. Teresa O’Hare Alexander ‘98 PTO’s main fundraiser of Mrs. Teresa O’Hare Alexander ‘98 was voted the inaugural Teacher of the Month by the the year, the Charleston readers of The Sumter Item. In her 14th year at Wilson Hall, she teaches 7th Grade Com- Wrap sale. You may still position and Pre-Algebra I, and she is the head coach for the varsity softball team. Mrs. support the school through Alexander is the first teacher to earn the recognition in a new contest series called the sale by visiting Teacher of the Month. Presented by Carolina Grove, the public is asked to nominate charlestonwrapstore.com their favorite K-12 teachers in Sumter’s public and private schools. After the nomination (code 18521) through Mrs. Crist Floyd period, the public votes between four finalists determined by The Sumter Item staff. December 7. was the chair of the project The Teacher of the Month will be announced in The Sumter Item’s newspaper and online and Mrs. Stacy Montgomery on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The winner receives a $50 gift certificate to was the co-chair. Carolina Grove, a local restaurant. Better Together Day Middle school students spent the morning of October 14, while high school students were taking the PSAT or SAT, focusing on learning about character educa- tion, mental health, and community service. As a service, the 6th-8th graders made encourag- ing posters, signs and cards for healthcare workers, emergency re- sponders, and residents of Covenant Place in Sumter. They also watched the inspirational HINES FURNITURE film Overcomer by the Kendrick brothers, fol- ATHLETE OF THE WEEK lowed by class discus- BY THE SUMTER ITEM sions regarding facing Hugh Humphries ‘25 makes a thank you card for OCTOBER 15, 2020 challenges while main- healthcare workers in Sumter during the school’s Camryn Bateman ‘21 - Volleyball taining positive attitudes. Better Together Day. Michael Thorne ‘26 & Mary Ellen Thorne ‘26 play an interactive video game Michael created for the class based on the book Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans. Students in the literature class, taught by Mrs. Molly McDuffie, made projects which identified and explained various literary elements from their summer reading choice books. Beatson & Matthews Receive National Recognition for Volleyball Abbie Beatson ‘21 and Lucy Matthews ‘22 of the varsity volleyball team earned recog- nition from the American Vol- leyball Coaches Association as they were added to major watch lists. Abbie was selected to the 2020 Under Armour All- America Watch List, which rec- ognizes the top senior volleyball players in the coun- try. She was one of just 20 players from all of South Car- olina on the list and one of just two South Carolina Independ- ent School Association ath- letes to be chosen. Lucy was named to the 2020 AVCA Phe- nom Watch List, which is Lucy Matthews ‘22 & Abbie Beatson ‘21 recognition of volleyball excel- lence for some of the top un- She is one of 33 South Carolinians on the list, while being one of just two SCISA volleyball derclassmen in the country. players to be selected. Mr. Rip Ripley is the varsity volleyball head coach. Mad scientists Gracyn Coker ‘21 & Kaitlyn Smith ‘21 proudly dis- play their creations in the Ad- vanced Placement English Literature class taught by Mrs. Stacey Reaves. As a fun intro- ductory activity to the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, students created monsters of their own. As the creators, the students wrote a letter to their creations either avowing or de- meaning its existence. This ac- tivity will later link the major themes in the novel. Mary Ellis Luebbert ‘21, varsity cheer co-captain, performs a halftime routine on Spencer Field. FRIDAY NIGHT BARONS Dylan Jones ‘24 runs for a first down in a JV foot- ball game on Spencer Field. The team, coached by Mr. Steve Hudson, earned a record of 5-2. SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 Lucy Matthews ‘22 Dance Volleyball Marathon SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 SCISA Abbie Beatson ‘21 Project PLAYER OF THE WEEK Volleyball In its first fundraising project of the year, the Dance Marathon Committee raised over $1,600 through the Be the Change cam- SUMTER TOUCHDOWN CLUB paign to benefit Prisma Health Children’s PLAYER OF THE WEEK Hospital through the Children’s Miracle Net- SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 work. Students and faculty donated loose Miller Jones ‘21 change (other forms of payment were ac- Defensive Player of the Week cepted) over a two-week period. This is the Graham VanPatten ‘21 first of several fundraisers for the student-led Offensive Player of the Week project which has raised over $48,000 in the past four years for the hospital. Mrs. Liz Mc- Cabe is the faculty advisor and Emily Gray ‘21 is the head director of the committee. Seniors in the Advanced Placement Biology class taught by Mrs. Sheri Singleton conduct an experiment regarding the rate of transpiration. They are using beans as sample plants and students designed an experiment choosing an independent variable and how it may or may not affect this rate. ALUMNI Millie Jones Welch is a Re- altor for Berkshire Hath- 1974 away John M. Brabham Real Estate in Sumter. She graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and from the Univer- sity of South Carolina with a Master of Edu- cation from the University of South Carolina, Millie Jones Welch ‘74 and her daughters: Ann Miller Welch Garris ‘01, Elizabeth Welch and she completed studies at the Real Estate Klosterman ‘98 & Katie Welch Shaw ‘05. School of South Carolina. Millie and her late graduated from Wilson Hall (Elizabeth Welch Klosterman ‘98, Ann Miller husband Stanley have three children who Welch Garris ‘01 and Katie Welch Shaw ‘05) and eight grandchildren. 1979 Curt Spencer ‘79 and his wife Adelaide with their daughters, Sallie Spencer ‘17 & Ellie Spencer ‘22. Curt Spencer works as a licensed real estate sales agent for American For- est Management, a real estate brokerage firm for farms, timberland, recreational and rural property. He graduated from Clemson University Wade Payne ‘21, a student in the Advanced with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Curt and his wife Placement 3D Art & Design-Ceramics class Adelaide live in Sumter and have two daughters, Sallie ‘17 who attends taught by Mrs. Ashley Lareau, uses the pot- ter’s wheel to create a vase. Clemson, and Ellie ‘22. Logan Humphries Bagley is the Vice Presi- dent of Bagley & Associates, a manage- 1981 19 ment consultant services business in Stephen Denemark is a senior service sales specialist and field Taylors. She graduated from Clemson Uni- sales trainer for Bayer. He graduated from the University of South 80 versity with a Bachelor of Science in textile Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in marketing and manage- technology. ment. Stephen lives in Columbia with his wife and two children. Dianne Bleecker Hancock lives in Wagener and works as an English 1984 teacher for Aiken County School District. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in English language and lit- erature and a Master of Science in public health education and promotion. Stephen Todd works as a regional account manager for SafeRack, an international manufacturing company that designs products for worker and environmental safety. He graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in biol- ogy. Stephen lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife and two children. 1985 Melissa Lee Hudson is a senior 1982 chemist for Markem-Imaje in Tim Moses ‘82 Keene, New Hampshire. She Keith Fraley is a communications spe- graduated from Clemson Univer- cialist at the U.S. Army Engineer Re- sity with a Bachelor of Science in search and Development Center in chemistry, Brown University with Vicksburg, Mississippi. He graduated a Master of Science in synthetic from The Citadel with a Bachelor of organic chemistry, and Dart- Arts in criminal justice and the Uni- mouth University with a Ph.D. in versity of Oxford with a Bachelor of synthetic organic chemistry. Melissa Lee Hudson ‘85 Theology. Tim Moses lives in Augusta, Georgia, and is the business manager for Southeast Utilities of Georgia, a con- For part of a Science, Tech- struction support company that spe- nology, Engineering, Arts & cializes in constructing, implementing Math (STEAM) unit taught and operating network facilities for by Mrs. Mollie Kinney connection to the world of communi- McMillan ‘09, Camden cation, information, and entertain- Reese Horton, Campbell ment. He graduated from the United Wylie & Aarav Patel, Class of ‘32, design apple boats States Naval Academy with a Bache- as part of their study of lor of Science in physical science and flotation. After building from the University of South Carolina their boats, the students School of Law with a Juris Doctor. made predictions of Tim served in the U.S.