& THE PREUPPER SCHOOL

The PreUpper School program is designed for students with average to superior abilities who learn best in small classes.  Incorporating multi-sensory and experiential instruction, the school’s holistic approach allows students to learn about and achieve mastery of themselves and the world around them. The goal of the PreUpper School is to enable students to become independent, lifelong learners. Self-respect, self-discipline, and regard for others are engendered in an atmosphere of individual acceptance, respect, and commitment. Mill Springs Academy is fully accredited by SAIS, SACS and the Georgia Accrediting Commission.  We are members of the Atlanta, Georgia, and National Associations of Independent Schools. Faculty and staff are members of applicable professional organizations.

Note: The school is not an appropriate setting for students with behavior and emotional disorders.

Reading a Play

Community Levels Structure

Winter Learning       Exam Schedule 08-09

& LAPTOPS FOR LEARNING PROGRAM 

Beginning in the 1997-98 school year, Mill Springs became part of a Toshiba/Microsoft laptop project with the goal of becoming a model program for other schools. Every student is required to own a laptop. Through the school’s Local Area Network (LAN), students are able to connect to the Internet as well as communicate with the faculty and staff and access the various portfolios of information stored on the server. The role of the computer as a learning tool is emphasized throughout the program.

& WINTER LEARNING PROGRAM

The Winter Learning Program (WLP) is a hands-on, experiential learning program. Students take a variety of interest-generated courses on a Pass/Fail basis. This program, which lasts two weeks in January, is a pure learning environment in which students attend workshops, internships, and week-long seminars, and participate in “mobile classrooms” on topics such as Scuba certification, Theatre Production, Sculpture, rock climbing, Science fiction films, cooking school, comedy classes, abstract impressionism painting and trips to Cape Canaveral and Los Angeles.   Students choose two seminars from the course catalog and then spend the two weeks learning about each topic.

& COMMUNITY LEVELS SYSTEM

Mill Springs Community Levels System is an integral part of the program and sets Mill Springs apart from other independent schools. The Levels System is a school-wide, reality-based structure that clearly defines student responsibilities, choices and rewards. The system allows the student to make fully informed choices and to assume personal responsibility for those choices. The weekly Levels/Community meetings incorporate peer and faculty feedback. All students participate in daily values groups that focus on character development.

& ADVISORY/ADVISORS

“Advisory” is the morning and afternoon class where each faculty member works with a small group of students.  The goal of this time period is to enhance communication, to support our students and their families, and to integrate them successfully into the life of the school. The ultimate reward is a school climate that fosters community. Another role of the advisor is to disseminate information regarding the advisees to faculty and staff. Advisors routinely call the parents of his/her advisees in order to keep parents current with their student’s progress.

& BLOCK SCHEDULE AND CURRICULUM 

The PreUpper School utilizes a block schedule. This approach involves three, two-hour classes per day and allows for more intensive individual attention to the instructional needs of each student and more in-depth coverage of the class topics. The curriculum is challenging with emphasis on the courses required for success in the upper grades. The curriculum design is innovative and individualized with a variety of approaches for presenting material and information, including focusing on individual learning styles.  Every student works individually with each of his/her teachers to draft course syllabi that best meet the student’s learning style and academic goals.

Credits transferred from another school will be individually evaluated

Honors Classes (H) require teacher recommendation.