| Artwork of the Week  Middle School Student Lilliana Coco's large doughnut sculpture is currently on display at the Alpharetta DaVinci's Donuts!!
Honors Day Honors Day Schedule - May 22, 2015 Parents YOU are invited to join us at ALL Honors Day activities. 
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8:30-9:30am Final Levels Meeting and Awards Ceremony for each School (in your School). -
10:00-11:00am Honors Day Program - In the Tweetie Lewis Moore Student Activity Center -
11:00am Dismissal -
11:15am Bus Transportation will leave
We'd Love to Shoot You an Email
 Class of 2015 now that you are Alumni, I have included you in this email. However, I have sent it to your MSA email address. If you would like to continue to receive the MSA Weekly News after you graduate, please send me a more permanent email address and I will continue to include you. You can email that information to me HERE. The newsletter will allow you to keep up with your friends and favorite teachers here at MSA. We would love to send you the Weekly News. Send me your email TODAY!
SCHOOL CLOSED 
Mill Springs Academy will be CLOSED on Monday, May 26, 2014 In honor of Memorial Day
A Note of Thanks (1 of 4) 
Thank YOU ... Deborah Super! Thank you to Mrs. Super for volunteering Ryan's piano, speakers, and microphone for the talent show, as well as coming in to set it up and take it down for the audition day and the day of the talent show! All of the students really appreciated it and had a phenomenal talent show because of your generosity. Courtney Downs - Middle School Teacher
The Social Scene  Wanna know what's going on here on campus during the summer? Join us on the Social Scene. We have a few Pinterest boards with helpful and/or interesting information for parents, students and teachers. You can also follow us on Twitter (@millspringsacad) or Like us on FaceBook (Mill Springs Academy). We’ll post some things through the summer that might be interesting, like construction pictures! Keep in mind there won't be the MSA Weekly News to keep you informed, so let’s get together on the Social Scene!
Hamvention  Last week, PreUpper students Eli Musgrave and Christian Kelm, along with PreUpper teacher Martha Muir attended the Dayton Hamvention, the world's largest convention of Amateur Radio enthusiasts. Organized by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, this meeting attracted over 25,000 hams from around the world. Thanks to Jim Stafford and Chuck Catledge, members of the North Fulton Amateur Radio League, who seem to know everyone, Christian, Eli, and Martha met and had their photo taken with the authors of the books we use in our ham programs, the presidents/founders of leading suppliers of Amateur Radio equipment such as Martin F. Jue (MFJ Enterprises), Bruna Begali (Begali CW Equipment), Gerald Youngblood (FlexRadio), as well as the heads of Amateur Radio organizations such as Dave Sumner (the American Radio Relay League, the national organization for Amateur Radio) and Ken Reid (QRP ARCI). READ MORE
Summer Office Hours  Please note that the Administration office is open during the summer months.
The hours of operation are from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Come visit us!
Brian Buxton Retires
Our amazing art teacher, Brian Buxton, will be retiring from MSA after 12 years in the art studio and, prior to that, many more years in the publishing industry! He will be greatly missed. Please send an email to let Brian know what a difference he made in YOUR world! You can send it to bbuxton@millsprings.org. We wish you lots of love and blessings in your retirement years! Congratulations Brian.
Summer Reading & Math
I know the students will be sad to hear this, but like every other year in the past, there will be summer reading and math for most everyone. We are in the process of getting it all out on the website, and I hope to have it all available to you by the end of next week. Check the following page on the website for everything you need to know about summer reading and math for your school: www.millsprings.org/summer
141,000 Minutes of Reading  The Lower School is proud to announce that the students read 141,000 minutes total this school year! The students enjoyed a reading party at the end of each month to celebrate the time they had put in to reading. Thank you to all of the parents that sent in snacks each month for the party. Our last reading party was this Wednesday, and the parents sent in wonderful breakfast items for us to enjoy! Another successful year of reading!!
Library Offers Free Downloads 
Read Free E-Books This Summer! Just a reminder that even though our school library is closed this summer, our OverDrive e-books and downloadable audiobooks are still available! There are great fiction and nonfiction titles to choose from, hand selected just for MSA. From Harry Potter to Flat Stanley, there are titles for ALL ages. Download the OverDrive app, or go to https://misbo.libraryreserve.com to start checking out books now. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Librarian, Brittany Emge. Visit our website for more information on how to log in and start using this great resource. Have a wonderful summer, and happy reading!
First Day of School
 I know ... we are just barely out of school and I am already talking about the first day of school. I bring it up because in the printed handbook, that many of us rely on, the date is listed as tentative - that is because when we put the calendar together for the school year to come, we can't begin to guess when school will really start, but we take an educated guess. This past year's guess was incorrect. We have decided to give you three extra days of summer, that makes the first day of school:
Monday, August 17 So enjoy them!
From the Sports News Desk 
Congratulations to the following individuals for the awards they received, which are listed below. These were awarded during the annual Sports Banquet. - Spirit Award - Maritza Silva
- Sportsmanship Award - Johnny Ray
- Best All-Around Award - Chandler Holt (2 years in a row)
GO MUSTANGS!
The latest issues of Kickin' It Quarterly are available. Click below to read them: May 2015 - Issue 128 Graduation - Issue 129
A Note of Thanks (2 of 4)
Thank you to ... Adam & Suzanne Bressler! I would like to thank you for your consistent willingness to embrace and support our community as a new Mill Springs family. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you over the course of the school year and am looking forward to next year as well! Thank you. Michael Griffeth - PreUpper Teacher
Swim Camp  Just a reminder about our 2nd annual Mustang Summer Swim Camp. The swim camp is going to be an awesome way to beat the heat, make new MSA friends, get a terrific full-body workout, and of course get ready for next year's swim season!
Here is what you need to know: - Dates: July 27 - 30 (Monday - Thursday)
- Time: Noon - 3pm daily
- Transportation: Swimmers can either meet at MSA by 11:45am and ride the bus to the pool OR meet us at the pool at noon. Bus will be back to MSA by 3pm OR parents can pick their swimmers up from the pool at 2:45pm.
- Location: Chattahoochee Gold pool located at 103 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock (same place we hold practice during the season)
- Cost: $325
- To sign up fill out THIS FORM and turn it in with payment to the Administration office. (Also please let Josh Hersko know that you have signed up)
Looking forward to seeing everybody at camp in July. --Coach Josh Hersko
Best Thing This Year  In Lower School for a journal topic this week, the students were asked to write about "What was the best thing that happened to you this year." Here are a few responses: The best thing that has happened to me this year was the 400 Minute Reading breakfast and the last Reading Counts Store. I had a great school year. I cannot wait until next school year. --Jackson Kennedy, 2nd Grade The best thing that happened to me this year was the end of the year party. There was a water slide and water guns. Also there was cotton candy and snow cones. It was really fun! --Schoch Weaver, 2nd Grade The most interesting thing I learned this year was when I learned about cool events in Worldly Wise. I like the story about Anne Frank's Diary and the one about the Great Pyramid. READ MORE
Signs of Tennis  To honor our girls' tennis team, James had these signs made and posted on our tennis courts, this past Tuesday. In an effort to show our appreciation for your commitment to the program and to show your accomplishments for year to come ... KEEP PLAYING TENNIS Y'ALL! --Coach James Sampson
Gail Kreher Retires
Gail Kreher leaves the teaching profession after ten years in the Forsyth County School District and thirteen years at Mill Springs Academy Upper School. In her own words, Gail says…”I am so grateful for the opportunity to work in what I have always called Teacher Heaven—a classroom that includes two rooms, with a pass-through window, more windows that open to fresh air, a door that leads to comforting cool shade, students with white nets—passing by, looking for ladybugs, cross country runners whizzing by, and the pop of tennis balls on sunny days. I remember the curtain calls and applause, the midnight deadlines and hundreds of pages of writing for Kickin’ It Monthly, the tears of appreciation at Spring Concerts. The spotlights and triumphs on Senior Project Days, the worried faces of students who slipped up and the faces of joy when they fixed it. READ MORE
A Note of Thanks (3 of 4)
Thank you to ... Junior Class Parents
As you all know we have sent our Seniors on their way, but in order to do that I had tremendous help from our Junior class parents. The Upper School staff wants to thank all who have helped in making our Graduation and Baccalaureate a success. I would like to thank Jill Bonds and Holly Horwitz for recruiting Barbara McCarthy, Luanne Porper, Katherine North, Kim Site, Allison Stoddart, Cathy Berman, Chris Kiser, Valerie Davis and Tracy Dalton. Thank you all for volunteering your time. Next year we will let you sit back and enjoy the festivities!
Lisa Brown - Upper School
Persuasive Writing Guest Journalist - Adriano Hagedorn, Lower  There are many great reasons why MSA should have vending machines. To begin with the money that the kids pay for the items will benefit the school. What if someone forgets their lunch one day? Problem solved!! Students can buy a sandwich and some chips. We also can also have a couple vending machines that are peanut free and dye free. Vending machines will not be in sight of students in the classrooms. The Level R's and L's could restock the machines when needed. Especially important, we could have a vending machine that gives you a fidget item or some kind of thing to help with stress. Last of all we could have vending machines that give you drinks, but not drinks that would make students hyper. These are some reasons why I think the new Lower and Middle building should have vending machines in it.
Reflections on Ronald McDonald 
On Monday, May 19th, Ben Shlanta and Hailey Lober (pictured) of the Middle School went on a Level L trip to the Ronald McDonald House located by Emory Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House is a home for families to stay that do not live close the Atlanta metro area and cannot afford a long term stay at a hotel. Hailey and Ben have encouraged their peers and teachers to collect poptabs to raise money for the RMDH throughout the year. The two students toured the main level which included the welcome center, large spotless kitchen with an oversized fridge and pantry stocked with donated food, technology room, and the entertainment room full of toys for infants up to late teens. Both students said the best part of the trip was being able to help the families. Ben and Hailey ask for the continued support by collecting poptabs and donating pantry food, and cleaning supplies. They look forward to seeing the Ronald McDonald House grow!
Track & Field Wrap-Up 
The track and field teams enjoyed a record breaking season, in spite of some pretty terrible weather, and ended up with 12 new school records- the majority of which were set at the State Championship- and the most State Qualifiers at the GISA State Championships. The boys and girls also both brought home the League and Region Championship trophies for the first time ever and then saw their names on the leaderboard at the State Meet with the girls finishing 4th over-all and the boys finishing 7th. At the end of the season we said goodbye to our outgoing Seniors Maritza Silva, Chase Watson, Quint Foster, and Devin Hazzard- we wish you well in college! Their skills, attitude, and dedication to the team will certainly be missed but, at the same time, we are very excited about the upcoming young talent eager to step up and fill their shoes. READ MORE
Oceans of MSA 
I just wanted to share some photos of our booth at the Atlanta Reef Club’s Coral Expo this past Saturday at the Gwinnett Convention Center. Coral growers and vendors from all around the country were in attendance, along with Jin Butler, 8th grade, and Sophia Bressler, 7th grade, (pictured) of the MSA Coral Lab. Everyone who stopped by the booth was very impressed with our project and how much the girls knew about corals, water parameters, and oceanography. We offered complimentary water testing for those interested and actually had several people take us up on the offer . . . it was a great day for the Coral Lab and for reef enthusiasts in general . . . Nice job, gals!!! The ocean’s awesome!!! --Michael Griffeth
A Note of Thanks (4 of 4)
Thank you to ... MSA PVA, Parents & Students! Thank you for the very generous end-of-year gift. We know how much you take care of all of us and it is really appreciated. Have a wonderful summer. All of the Staff and Faculty of Mill Springs Academy
Attention! New Lower Students  Here are some things that students new to Lower School need to know, put together by some of the current Lower School students to help you be successful in your new school:
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You need to be the 3 C's - courteous, considerate and cooperative. -
Miss Laurie is nice and she helps you with anything. -
Miss Donna is a good teacher. She is fun. She has a store for you to shop in when you learn about money. -
Try to earn break and Fab Friday. -
Fab Friday is a day where the kids have snacks and special things happen on Friday after community meeting. -
Community Meeting is where you get help from your teachers and friends. They tell you what you need to work on to be a better person. Also you can ask to be a Level R or L. -
Lunch is nice. -
PE is fun with KK, James and Phil teaching you games to play. -
Be quiet in the library and follow directions. Check out your books, read, and return them in good shape to the library. -
After school there are different kinds of clubs you can sign up to do. Like Art Barn, Explorer and KK's Club. Hope to see you in the fall, Spencer, Joshua, Trey and Nathaniel
Observing Bees at Work  Middle School is buzzing with excellent guest speakers! The Middle School was honored to have Ms. Holly Bayendor from the Atlanta metro Beekeepers visit our school and speak to the students about the amazing little pollinators. Ms. Bayendor brought in a bee observatory (pictured) to see the honey bees hard at work on the combs.
Join us this Summer!  This summer we are offering Summer School (for high schoolers), Sport Camps, and Mark Trail Camp. All of our programs are open to the general public and advertised outside of school as well. So don't wait to secure your spot and invite your friends.
If you need or know someone that needs Summer School (rising 9-12 grades), come to MSA this summer. We are offering core classes and certain electives under our Forward Thinking program. Look for SUMMER SCHOOL INFO HERE. We are offering a different sport camp each week over the course of the summer where students can practice or learn new skills. You can find the SUMMER SPORTS INFO HERE. Information on the MARK TRAIL CAMP is HERE. MTC is an activity based camp for 6-14 year olds. Any questions? Contact:
Support PVA All Summer Long
 Support Mill Springs Academy PVA by shopping at Amazon Smile. When you shop at Amazon they will donate to Mill Springs Academy every time you shop. All you have to do is remember to select MSA as your charity the next time you shop at Amazon Smile. CLICK HERE to do that now!
You shop. Amazon gives. It's that simple!
Effective July 2, 2014, all children born on or after January 1, 2002, who are entering 7th grade, and new entrants* to Georgia schools in grades 8-12 will be required to have Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) and Meningococcal Conjugate vaccines before entering school for the 2015-2016 school year. Visit your family physician to get these vaccines now. *New entrants include anyone that is entering Georgia schools for the first time or is returning to a Georgia school after being gone for more than 12 months or one school year.
Ready for Summer Reading?  As you may know, Mill Springs Academy uses a resource called Bookshare (www.bookshare.org) to get accessible digital books and reading tools for school. This service is free through an award from the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. Members can also use Bookshare at home for free, getting access to hundreds of thousands of titles and free reading tools to assist with homework or independent pleasure reading.
This year we are enabling individual student memberships to Bookshare for all students. As virtually all our students are minors, parents are required to apply online or via mail and accept provisions of the membership. If you want to sign your child up for their own Bookshare account email Claire Christerson, cchristerson@millsprings.org, and she will send you an individualized form with activation ID for your student. For other questions, contact Paul Barkley, 770.360.1336 or pbarkley@millsprings.org. Do it now so you are ready for Summer Reading. ;)
Community Cares & Concerns
Please keep the following from our Community in your thoughts and prayers. Class of 2015 Summer Travels Unemployed Families Please email me at any time with individuals you would like to include on our list as their needs arise. For privacy, I will only list names and claim ignorance if you ask me for details.
Quote of the Week 
Character is not in the mind. It is in the will. --Bishop Fulton J. Sheen | 
