February 10, 2017 | Vol 10, Iss 22, No 346
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| Love is in the Air
Well conferences have begun - Lower and Middle are finished and 7-12th grade ones are getting ready to start up. We have held a couple more Parent Ambassador trainings (see more about that below), there was a very well attended Open House, and we have some students away on a Thespian Conference trip. We are gearing up for Valentine's Day.
I've got some great stuff to share, make sure you read all the way to the end so you don't miss anything, like how many minutes the Lower School read last year!
The weather is going to be great, so have a wonderful weekend!
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| Art of the Week Upper Student CJ Espinosa created a replication of Van Gogh's work using oil pastels and chalk pastel pencils. Gorgeous!
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| Thank You to Taylor Mallady's Grandparents
We want to send a big thank you to Taylor Mallady's grandparents who own the Bruster's on Highway 92 as they gave our Winter Learning groups a desert on the Friday of Winter Learning. It was an excellent way to end the week!
--Josh Hersko, Michael Griffeth, and Will Turner
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| Congratulations
We'd like to congratulate the following students on being accepted to the indicated schools:- Lindsay Lopp - Indiana State University
- Kyle Phillips - Auburn University and University of Mississippi
- Victoria Toscano - Georgia Gwinnett College.
Way to go Mustangs! #SuccessinSchoolSuccessinLife
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| Musician of the Week Congratulations to Cartwright Ayres, our MSA Musician of the Week! Cartwright, who is a junior, is currently rehearsing for his role as Don Lockwood in "Singin' in the Rain" and he will be a featured singer for the upcoming Music Festival in the amphitheater March 9th (BIG news on the festival coming in a newsletter soon!) Cartwright has been performing at MSA for 7 years and his hard work has paid off - he is a dynamic performer with a great future in performing arts ahead!
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| Conference Schedule Your student will NOT have school on the following conference days. Your principal will schedule your specific conference. Buses run on their normal AM/PM schedule for those students that are here.
PreUpper/CommArts/UpperNO SCHOOL February 17 and 24
Again, your student does NOT have school on their conference days. | |
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| Happy Valentine's Day - However you Say it
In preparing to celebration "El Día del Amor y la Amistad", Spanish students in María González' classes created a poem that explains their idea of love, or explains what a real friendship is to them. They wrote their ideas on heart-shaped mail boxes they made in class. They also wrote a message to their friends and classmates wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day. Students listened to several "boleros", a timeless musical style that defines--like no other genre--the essence of the romanticism we find in Latin music. These songs are used in Hispanic countries to serenade loved ones. The students learned the important fact that in several Hispanic countries, the day of love and friendship is celebrated on the 14th of September, and one does not need to be in a romantic relationship to celebrate it. The students were able to express themselves both artistically and through verbal expression. They enjoyed the process and the end results, which you see in the picture. | |
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| College Counseling Questions?
No matter what grade your student is in, you may have questions about college? Come join Counselors Susan Day and Brandi Smallwood for this informal gathering as we discuss frequently asked questions such as: - How does college counseling work here at MSA?
- Where do MSA students typically go to college?
- What can I do to help my student?
Wednesday, February 15 8:30 - 9:30am Upper School Great Room Open to ALL Parents | |
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| Working the "Write" Way Ms. Carissa's class is working hard on the writing process. This week we learned about transition words and wrote our first "how-to" writings. The students begin with an organizer, write a rough draft, and then edit their work with Ms. Carissa. Finally, they complete a beautiful final copy to put in their writing books. The following are examples of how-to writing by Sammy Lesser and Max Young (pictured working on their final drafts):
How I Get Ready for School First, I get out of my pajamas and into my uniform. Second, I eat breakfast. Next, I watch a little TV. Then I brush my teeth. Last, I go to the bus stop.
How I Get Ready for Bed To begin, I brush my teeth. Next I get my jammies on. After that I put Nanna to bed. Then I say good night. Finally I go to sleep in my bed. | |
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| Presidents' Day Monday, February 20 SCHOOL is CLOSED in honor of Presidents' Day | |
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| Dystopia or Utopia? That is the Question!
Guest Journalist - Zach Burns, 6th Grade, Middle School
This week Mrs. Gretchen's and Ms. Courtney's class has been meeting together and we started reading The Giver. Not only did we start The Giver but Mrs. Gretchen and Ms. Courtney divided the students into groups of four to work on projects. The first project was called "Should we live in a dystopia or a utopia?" The kids researched using specific safe searches and edu. sites and then presented their projects and persuaded the other students to have the same opinion on the situation. We made our projects on Google Slides which is somewhat like a Powerpoint. The differences between Google Slides and Powerpoint is that the kids can be on the slides together at the same time and the teachers can see on their own computers what we are doing and can check the slides simultaneously. We were really into it and even wanted to keep working over our breaks. Also, when the students read The Giver with the teachers, we got to bring our blankets and pillows and sit on the ground and read. Mrs. Gretchen's and Ms. Courtney's groups of students are going to do even more projects in the future too! | |
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| Varsity Basketball Finals
Here is the schedule for the Atlanta Athletic Conference Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament (all games are away at the Howard School):Monday, February 13, 2017 Girls 2:00pm - #1 AASD vs. #4 MSA (MSA gets the #3 seed if they defeat Howard on 2/3) 5:00pm - #2 Howard vs #3 Cottage Boys 3:30pm - #1 Howard vs #4 MSA 6:30pm - #2 Cottage vs. #3 AASD
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Girls 2:00pm - Consolation Game 5:00pm - Championship Game Boys 3:30pm - Consolation Game 6:30pm - Championship Game
Mark your calendars and come out to cheer your team on! | |
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| Re-Enrollment Contracts Went Out The Admissions Office has mailed out the re-enrollment contracts for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year. If you don't receive your contract in the mail by Monday, please contact Sheila FitzGerald. She will be glad to provide a second set of paperwork. Re-enrollment contracts are due back in with your deposit no later than February 21. That is when we open up enrollment to outside families. | |
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| Parent Ambassador Program Many parents participated over the past two weeks in a new program, driven by the Board of Trustees and lead by Educational Consultant, John Littleford, that started with multiple focus groups providing input on their thoughts on MSA. The data from these sessions will be presented to the Board for review. The second phase of this program is establishing a Parent Ambassador Program so that more people can know and understand the mission of Mill Springs. This is well underway with three training sessions completed this week. Alumni Parent Frances Connor (West Connor '13) is leading this effort and will have three Committees; Internal Marketing, External Marketing, and Admissions Process. These groups are organizing now and would love to have ALL parents with a passion for MSA join. If you are interested, please contact Frances at fcconnor@outlook.com for more information. If MSA has benefited your child and your family, let's share our story with others! #SuccessinSchoolSuccessinLife | |
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| Slice the Price - Booster Club Fundraiser Information was sent home about this wonderful opportunity for our Booster Club. We are taking orders for the Slice the Price Card. If you have any questions you can contact Taniah Jones, Booster Club Chairperson. Here is a little information:
•It is good when you buy a large pizza, you get a large pizza FREE!
•The card sells for $10.00.
•If the card is used just one time, your customers save more than the cost of the card!
•The card can be used as many times as your customers would like until Sunday, December 31, 2017.
•The Slice the Price Card is valid for delivery or carryout!
•The best part is that it can be used for multiple purchases.
Examples: 1. Buy 2 large pizzas, get 2 large pizzas for FREE!
2. Buy 11 large pizzas, get 11 large pizzas for FREE!
3. Buy X large pizzas, get X large pizzas for FREE!!!!!
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND HERE | |
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| 2017 National Geographic Geography Bee Every year Mill Springs Academy participates in the National Geographic Geography Bee. The purpose of the bee is to motivate students to want to learn about the world and increase public awareness about geography. The winner of the National Geography Bee wins a $50,000 college scholarship and a National Geographic trip! This year we had an extremely successful Geography Bee. Last week we had around 75 students who participated in this year's bee, they were in grades 6 - 8. The preliminary rounds were held in the PreUpper social studies classes. This year our third place went to 8th grader Iris Dunn. After completing a tough championship round, this year's runner up was 8th grader Bradley Dore. The Geography Bee MSA champion was 8th graders Jesse Taylor (pictured). Last week Jesse took the state qualifying test which will determine if he moves on to the state level competition. Jesse will know if he is moving on to the next level of competition in March. All participants in this year's Geography Bee did a fabulous job! --Karen Kaiser, PreUpper Instructor & Bee Organizer | |
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| Demystifying Medication On Wednesday, February 22nd the Counseling Department will be hosting a parent workshop on Demystifying Medication. Our speaker will be Dr. Angel Luis Perez from the Atlanta Area Family Psychiatry Clinic and will be held in the Lower School Great Room from 6:30 - 7:30pm. This promises to be a very informative workshop where you can get your questions about medication answered.
Please RSVP HERE. | |
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| Historical Research In the Communication Arts World History and Georgia History classes the students are doing some historical research during class. We are working with Brittany in the library on how to find facts using internet resources. Which includes the Georgia online library system and how to tell whether or not a website has accurate information. We are then going to work with Erin in English classes to make sure our work is cited correctly and we have amazing grammar. Hard at work in the library are Mason Ogryzek, Zack Peppers, Zach Hale, Nic Allen, Nathan Mostyn, Miles Robinson, Jack Holt, Ethan Turnquist | |
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| Announcing Spring PM Programs We are very excited to announce our Spring PM Programs! These programs begin on Monday, February 27th and run through May 18th. We've partnered with Nexplore to offer two new programs: Zumba and Games! We've also added a Book Club and another unique opportunity to earn service hours by crafting for our community. Make sure you check out the complete line-up on our website, and look for an email with details. Visit our website at www.millsprings.org/pm for more information. | |
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| Georgia Legislative Day I attended Georgia Legislative Day on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. The day was organized by the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) and attended by high school and college admissions counselors. We were hosted by Georgia State University where we met and heard from speakers such as Lonnie King, Civil Rights Activist and Tricia Page Chastain, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration for the University System of Georgia. As a group, we discussed three hot topics: access to quality counseling, need-based financial aid, and rigorous curriculum for all students. We then went to the capitol where we met with various lobbyists, senators and representatives to discuss our concerns and advocate for college access. We also learned about various education related bills currently being discussed. It was a very informative day. --Susan Day, Counseling Director | |
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| Barnes and Noble Book Fair is Coming! Our annual Barnes and Noble Book Fair is quickly approaching! Our MSA Fine Arts department is teaming up with the Library for a night of books and talent! Come see a preview of the Spring Musical at 6:15pm, and student artwork will be displayed around the store. All purchases made at the store that night will benefit our Library. We love showing our community the tremendous student talent at our school, and we can't wait to see you there! What: Barnes and Noble Book Fair When: Friday, March 3rd from 4:00-7:00pm (Spring Musical Preview at 6:15pm) Where: Barnes and Noble Alpharetta near Northpoint Mall | |
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| Lower School Loves Reading Did you know that through the past school year (2015-2016) our Lower School students (we had 34 that year) read for a whopping 152,452 minutes! On average, that is almost 4500 minutes for each student. WOW! How awesome is that? | |
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| Educator of Distinction The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) recognizes and rewards academic excellence by connecting high-achieving students with opportunities to develop their strengths and pursue their passions. Behind every high-achieving student, there is a team of dedicated educators setting rigorous standards, offering constant encouragement and going the extra mile to ensure each student fulfills his/her unique potential. NSHSS salutes and recognizes the contributions of these exemplary educators. Mill Springs' very own Vaidehi Rallapalli from the Upper School is one of those educators. She was nominated by graduate Brandon McCormick '16. "I am humbled and thrilled to share the joy of being recognized by NSHSS as an 'Educator of Distinction'," remarked Vaidehi. The nomination Brandon submitted stated, she "went the extra mile," and made sure "every student has a chance to succeed." He also said, "Vaidehi is the kind of teacher that I wish I had for every class. READ MORE...
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| Got Pictures?
As you take pictures through the course of the school year, when you attend sporting events or any other school activity (on or off campus), I would love to have copies of them!
I am always looking for nice, clear pictures of our Mustangs in action for all kinds of things: MSA Weekly News, advertisements, Facebook, the website, printed items, Instagram, the lobby monitor in the Administration building, etc. Email your awesome camera work to pictures@millsprings.org and I will be glad to put them to work! If you have any questions, call Cheri Harwood at 770-360-1336. Thank YOU! | |
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| Summer Camps and Summer School
You can sign up NOW for any of our Summer Programs.
We have several different Summer Sports Camps that will be available this summer and are lead by our own coaches. Find that registration HERE.
As usual Mark Trail Camp is bound to be a lot of fun so watch for that information to come soon.
If you need or know someone that needs Summer School (rising 9-12 grades) we are offering core classes and certain electives under our Forward Thinking program. Look for those offerings HERE.
Any questions? Here is who to contact: Summer Sports Camps - James Sampson
Mark Trail Camp - Will Turner
Summer School - Cynthia Traylor | |
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| Community Cares & Concerns
The Barkley Family The Carlson Family The Cloy Family
The Espinosa Family The Smith FamilyIf there is ever a care or concern you would like to share with the community, please just email me at any time, I will be glad to include either names or situations. For privacy, I will only list names and claim ignorance if anyone asks me for details. Cheri
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| We can do no great things - only small things with great love.
--Mother Teresa
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| UPCOMING EVENTS
February 11 GA Thespian Conference Trip returns
February 13 Varsity Girls Basketball • Away @Howard vs. AASD • 2:00pm
February 13 Varsity Boys Basketball • Away @Howard vs. AASD • 3:30pm
February 13 Board Meeting
February 14 Valentine's Day
February 15 College Coffee Talk Upper Great Room • 8:30am
February 15 Varsity Girls Basketball • Away @Howard Consolation Game • 2:00pm
February 15 Varsity Boys Basketball • Away @Howard Consolation Game • 3:30pm
February 15 Varsity Girls Basketball • Away @Howard Championship Game • 5:00pm
February 15
Varsity Boys Basketball • Away @Howard Championship Game • 6:30pm
February 17 NO SCHOOL - PU/CA/U PU/CA/U Conferences
February 20 SCHOOL CLOSED
Presidents' Day
February 21 Re-enrollment Contracts Due
February 21 Chick-fil-A Makeup Day
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