Last year, Joy Phillips, a Foxfire alumnus and language arts teacher at Rabun County Elementary School, and M’ryanne Peacock, a math and science teacher also at RCES, worked with gifted and accelerated fifth and sixth graders in their school to produce a digital magazine in the tradition of the original The Foxfire Magazine. Joy and her students call this publication Foxfire Today. We are excited to announce that Joy, M’ryanne, and their students have done it again and created a wonderful publication.

These students experienced a great deal this year.  As noted in the magazine’s welcome, they “have seen and participated in the exchange of true friendship as they joined together in support of a friend who underwent multiple surgeries and was in the hospital for months. They witnessed the devastation of thousands of acres of our wilderness destroyed by fire, donating supplies and volunteering whenever possible. They expressed sympathy to others during the tragic loss of loved ones. How did this affect them? They pulled together, as most Southerners do, and became their own community. They joined hands, prayed, and uplifted each other, creating an enduring sense of belonging.”

That sounds like a lot of great moments for learning and growth. We love seeing these students come together and not only carry forward the Foxfire tradition of community-based, student-led learning, but also see how they work so hard to capture and preserve the traditions, history, and minutiae of Southern Appalachia. We invite you to pick up this latest edition of Foxfire Today (only $4.99) and show your appreciation these young people and their wonderful work.

~ T.J. Smith