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Raptor Report
October 15, 2025
from AMHS Partners in Education (PIE)
| | It's Time for the Pink Out at AMHS This Friday! | | | | |
Students and staff are welcome to show their support for breast cancer research this Friday, October 17, with the AMHS Pink Out Fundraiser ($2 per student and staff member). Please bring donations to Ms. Ryan (Rm. 7111) at class transitions. All proceeds will benefit the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC.
The goal this year is 80% participation and $1,000. Don't forget to wear PINK!
| | BUY TICKETS TODAY: Celebrate Culture and Diversity at the International Dinner | | |
The International Dinner is less than two weeks away! This fun and delicious annual AMHS tradition is a wonderful community-building event and a great way to spend a Saturday evening. While one option is to host a table, anyone is welcome to just attend and enjoy this community building event!
We still need parent and student volunteers to help with set-up (10/24) and break down (10/25). Please click here to sign up.
THANK YOU so much to those who generously donated all of the items from our Amazon Wish List!
Please buy tickets here. (Scroll to the bottom of the Spirit Store page to purchase tickets.) Online ticket sales close 10/24. It's best to buy tickets in advance; prices will increase by $5 at the door, and only cash or checks will be accepted the night of!
Please click here for a helpful FAQ sheet and feel free to reach out to
amhsinternationaldinner@gmail.com with any questions!
| | Congratulations to AMHS Boys Varsity Swimming: SCHSL 3A State Champions | | |
Congratulations are in order for the AMHS Boys Varsity Swim Team for their strong victory in Columbia last Friday evening, finishing first out of 22 teams from across the state in divisions 1A, 2A, and 3A.
Leading the team in points were the two swimmers who earned first place in indivdual events, making them state champions! Parker Hamilton '26 is the 3A 100 Freestyle State Champion; and he placed 2nd in the 50 Freestyle (with a time that was the 3rd fastest of all times from the four SCHSL meets). His 100 Freestyle time of 46.67 seconds set a new AMHS school record! Logan Patterson '29 is the 100 Backstroke State Champion; and he placed 4th in the 100 Freestyle–achieving both feats as a freshman!
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Parker and Logan also made trips to the podium for third place finishes in the 200 Medley Relay (along with Steven Moody '26 and Fletch Thurmond '26) and the 400 Freestyle Relay (along with Steven Moody and Finley Connors '25). The 200 Freestyle Relay team also made a trip to the podium for another 3rd place finish: Fletch Thurmond, Reid Aikman '29(SOA), Iaroslav Abramov '28, and Gabriel Kuprel '27.
Other top 10 finishes included:
Iaroslav Abramov – 10th 200 IM, 9th 100 Breaststroke
Keith Aikman '31(SOA) – 7th 200 IM, 8th 100 Butterfly
Reid Aikman – 5th 200 Freestyle, 6th 100 Breaststroke
Finley Connors – 7th 100 Butterfly, 7th 500 Freestyle
Gabriel Kuprel – 9th 50 Freestyle
Steven Moody – 4th 200 IM, 4th 100 Breaststroke
Noah Pomerantz ‘29 – 10th 200 Freestyle
Fletch Thurmond – 8th 50 Freestyle, 8th 100 Freestyle
Max Tippey ‘26 – 9th 100 Backstroke
Other state team members were: Clayton Chisholm '29, Ian Clair '28, Brayden Knauer '29(SOA), Alex Koster '29, Nathan Wright '29(SOA), Yidong Ye '27, and Yiqing Ye '26. Coaches are Ms. Jacqueline Healy, Ms. Danielle Hainline, and Mr. Ben Harley.
The girls team finished at their meet in 2nd place. Read more in the Raptor Athletics section down below!
| | AMHS Booster Club Hosting Oyster Roast Nov. 16 | | |
Shuck, Sip, & Support!
The AMHS Athletics Booster Club Oyster Roast is coming up soon! Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 16, 2025, 4–7 pm at Holy City Brewing!
Enjoy oysters and plenty of other great bites, plus drinks and great company, while supporting AMHS Athletics. Tickets are going fast at bit.ly/AMHSOysters Be sure to get yours by October 31!
Don’t miss this fun evening with our Raptor community!
| | Registration Open for Senior Class Trip | | Join the Team Behind the Teams! | | |
The AMHS Athletics Booster Club is where Raptor spirit takes flight, and we’d love for you to be part of it!
Come to our next Booster Club Meeting to hear updates, share ideas, and help support AMHS athletes.
Monday, October 20 | 5:30-6:30 PM
AMHS Room 7235 (2nd floor)
Let’s show our Raptors what teamwork looks like—on and off the field!
| | It's Time! Order a Yearbook & Create Senior Ads! | | |
Congratulate your Academic Magnet High School senior by surprising them with a message in the 2026 yearbook. Let them know how proud you are of their accomplishments. Secure your ad space now by visiting YearbookOrderCenter.com using order code 25698. Order a 2026 yearbook while you’re there, too! The current price for the yearbook is $65.
CREATE YOUR AD TODAY!
| | Donate Sports Equipment at Friday's Football Game! | | | | Sports teach invaluable life lessons, yet many kids miss out on this opportunity due to the rising costs of sports equipment. Help reduce this inequality by donating new or gently used sports equipment. Two donation boxes will be set up at the entrance of D4 Stadium to collect any donations at all home games this season. There will be a collection at Ravenel Stadium at the game against Philip Simmons on 10/17. All collected equipment will be donated to the local nonprofit organization, Kids on Point, for disadvantaged kids around South Carolina. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tyler Perez at 854-202-5098 | | Students May Request Student Peer Tutoring from NHS | | |
The following link below is the official Academic Magnet National Honor Society (NHS) internal tutoring request form. Students can fill out the form to request peer tutoring if they need help in any of their classes for the 2025-26 School Year. The form is posted on the school website under students/National Honor Society. Or you can view here at this link.
Completing this form with as many details as possible will allow NHS to match the student with a tutor (an AMHS NHS junior or senior).
Disclaimer from AMHS NHS Tutoring Committeee:
The most important thing to remember when signing up for tutoring is that the National Honor Society Tutoring Committee is completely student-led and student-run. This means that scheduling and availability is entirely up to the committee members. We do our absolute best to make the perfect match for your student as the request comes in, taking into consideration the student's needs and preferences. However, we can not guarantee that all preferences are filled. It is important to understand that because this committee runs on a volunteer basis, hours and the ability to commit to regular tutoring are restricted.
Please allow 3 to 5 days for AMHS NHS to respond to your tutoring request. We will try to make a pairing as quickly as possible, but submitting a request in advance gives us ample time to fulfill the request properly. For example, if you have a test on a Thursday, notify us by Monday or sooner that you would like to schedule a tutoring session. If you have a test on Monday, notify us by Wednesday of the previous week or sooner.
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Please contact your counselor if you have any questions about your schedule or what seniors need to do to prepare for the new year (an email was sent to all senior families about Xello, the Common App, and more!).
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SENIORS: Click here for
College Planning Guidance
How To Prepare for the 2026–27 FAFSA® Form
Prepare now so you can complete the 2026–27 FAFSA form as soon as it’s available. Here are some ways you can get ready:
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Colleges often visit AMHS or the Charleston area. Keep up to date by visiting this document.
October 15: University of Richmond (VA)
October 16: Furman University, Mercer University (GA), and Boston University
October 17: University of Notre Dame
October 20: St. John's University (NY), Auburn University, Eckerd College, University of the South: Sewanee (TN)
October 21: Wake Forest University, Queens University (NC), Roanoke College (VA), University of Florida
October 22: Syracuse University; Rhodes College, Lawrence University (WI), Jacksonville University (FL)
October 23: Davidson College, Rollins College (FL)
October 24: College of the Holy Cross (MA), Vanderbilt University, Denison University (OH)
| | Click here for Resume Tips! | | Click here for Interview Tips! | | SAVE THE DATE! CCSD has set graduation dates for 2026 and our AMHS seniors will walk across the stage on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 3 pm. Graduation will be held at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. | | |
Essay prompts for 2025-26 can be found here.
Learn more about the Common App here and here.
| Early Action Deadlines for Clemson University and the University of South Carolina are TODAY - October 15, 2025! | | AMHS enjoys the support of three parent-led, community supported groups and an active SIC group. You can read about each group's mission and get updates below or find out more under the Parent Tab on the School Website. | | Show your AMHS pride with t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more! Scan the QR code above or visit this link! | | Raptor Parents - Do you have a business or service that PIE might be able to partner with when looking for vendors for special events? Please let us know! Email us at: amhspie@gmail.com | | Haven't joined yet? Memberships and sponsorships are still welcome even though the official campaign has ended!!! Join PIE or renew your membership or sponsorship HERE. | |
Next PIE Board Meeting is Thursday, October 16, at 4 pm
AMHS Conference Room #7235
Please contact Kate Williams at amhspie@gmail.com with any questions.
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Learn more about the AMHS School Improvement Council (SIC) here.
Questions for SIC? Reach out to Chair David Northrup or Ms. GG.
The SIC Report for 2024-2025 can be found on the AMHS website. Read it at this link.
| | Help spread the good news! Got scoop on a current or former Raptor making their mark in the world? Share it with the Raptor Report here. | |
The AMHS Student Newspaper. Read it here to "get the word on the birds."
| | Girls Varsity Swimming Finishes as Runner-up at SCHSL 3A State Championship! | | |
The AMHS Varsity Girls Swimming Team competed in the SCHSL 3A State Championship on Saturday, October 11 at the University of South Carolina Natatorium, and took 2nd place overall behind St. Joseph's Catholic School in the upstate.
The girls did well, with several trips to the podium! Isa Jickling ‘26 earned 3rd place in both the 200 and 500 Freestyle. Charlotte Connors ‘29 was on the podium for 3rd place in 100 Freestyle, and also finished 8th in 50 Freestyle.
Two relays finished on the podium:
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2nd Place - 400 Medley Relay – Charlotte Connors, Elena Barber ‘26, Whitney Gwisc ‘27, and Isa Jickling
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3rd Place – 200 Freestyle Relay - Charlotte Connors, Judith Suttle ‘27(SOA), Whitney Gwisc, and Isa Jickling
Individual finishes in the top 10:
Elena Barber – 9th place 100 Freestyle
Whitney Gwisc – 5th place 500 Freestyle, 7th place 200 Freestyle
Sarah Gray Heinemann ‘27 – 9th place 500 Freestyle
Judith Suttle – 6th place 100 Butterfly, 9th place 200 IM
Nineteen girls were on the state team this year and they were strong competitors in Columbia, finishing 2nd out of 22 teams.
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What's on the Schedule... | |
Know of an opportunity from which AMHS students might benefit? Share it with the Raptor Report here.
| | Seniors May Apply for the Lyceum Scholars Program at Clemson | | |
Open to incoming first-year students of any major, the Lyceum Scholars Program uses a great books approach to studying the moral, political and economic foundations of a free society. All Lyceum Scholars receive a $60,000 scholarship disbursed over their four years at Clemson University.
Those interested in becoming Lyceum Scholars must apply first to Clemson University. After submitting an application to Clemson, the Lyceum Scholars Program application will be available in their Clemson admissions portal. The deadline to apply is Dec. 7, 2025.
| | Applications Open for the United States Senate Youth Program | |
The United States Senate Youth Program, established in 1962 by U.S. Senate Resolution, is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The 64th annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week will be in Washington, D.C. March 7 – 14, 2026. The national deadline for all states to submit their delegate selections is December 1, 2025. Two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity will spend a week in Washington experiencing their national government in action. Students must be actively serving in high-level elected or appointed leadership positions to qualify to apply (see How to Apply).
Student delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies, as well as usually participate in meetings with the president and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. All transportation, hotel and meal expenses will be provided by The Hearst Foundations. In addition, each delegate will also be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science. Applications are due prior to December 1. Please inquire to your school counselor.
Learn more: https://ussenateyouth.org/
| | Know a Raptor Interested in Medical Career? | |
Are you interested in a career in the medical field? Ms. Kaley, the AMHS athletic trainer is accepting applications for student aides who are interested in learning more. Please complete this application and reach out to Ms. Kaley at Mixonka@musc.edu with any questions.
| | Community Service + Activities | | |
Guidance counselors will regularly post opportunities for service on students' Canvas page and those are also sometimes shared on AMHS social media accounts. Students are encouraged to find opportunities for service in their own communities. Additional opportunties that are shared with the Raptor Report are listed below.
Have a service opportunity to share? Email raptorreporteditor@gmail.com.
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Volunteers are needed for the annual Walk for Autism on Saturday April 25th, 2026 from 7 am to 1:30 pm. Any students wishing to volunteer can come for part of the hours or all. If interested in volunteering please contact Rose O'Neal at 843.553.1316 or rrzoneal@hotmail.com. Volunteers will be needed in several tasks: setting up tables and tents, manning jump castles, food stations, silent auction tables, merchandise table, ticket sales and at the end of the event breaking down tables and tents along with clean up.
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The Raptor Report is published weekly by AMHS PIE on Wednesdays during the school year except for holiday breaks.
Faculty, students, and parents are encouraged to submit articles and/or pictures of AMHS events, honors, and needs.
Please email your information to the Raptor Report Editors by 5 pm on the Monday preceding the Wednesday publication date.
Feedback or suggestions for improvement? Please send an email as well.
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2024, No. 7
2023, No. 8
2020-22, No. 2
2019, No. 1
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