MSA Weekly News - September 30, 2016

September 23, 2016 | Vol 10, Iss 7, No 331

NEWSLETTER

This week has been filled with LOTS of different activities. Counseling held a workshop on financial aid for college which I heard was terrific. The Big Sky trip returned from Montana - we shared a little of that last week as we got news (in Facebook and the Weekly News). Communication Arts L and R's took a trip to Chattanooga. Then we had what seems to be the last of the MAP testing. There have been several soccer games, volleyball matches, and a gigantic cross country meet! We have hosted a lot of visiting schools on our campus this week. Much of that was outdoors and the weather has been perfect for that sort of thing!

Speaking of weather, I have to confess...this morning it was 51 degrees as I was driving in and I turned on my seat warmer. :) I hear confession is good for the soul.

Have a terrific weekend - see you Monday!

Art of the Week

Janet Ford and Patrick Rose's Art in the Community class are creating art for the Communication Arts Greek Festival which will be held on November 30th in the Upper Great Room. Pictured are the artists displaying their completed Contemporary Greek Tragedy Masks: Caitlyn Lago, Sam Lynch, Cameron Carr, Emily Van Aken, Andrew Border, and Emily Kane. These wonderful creations were chosen as this week's Art of the Week.

Thank you Mary and Sarah Nettles!

Thank you to 7th grader Sarah Nettles and her mother Mary Nettles for the donation of used medical scrubs to be used as new paint smocks. We thank you and we are sure all the parents of art students whose uniforms are now better protected from paint thank you too!

Brenda Smith

Art Teacher

Musician of the Week

Congratulations to PreUpper student Matthew Birnbaum, one of MSA Band's talented trumpet players! Because of his excellent work ethic, exuberant attitude, and his enthusiasm for music, he is our Musician of the Week!

LAST CHANCE at this price!

The school portrait photographs are now available and retake photos should be posted soon. To access/purchase them, please click on your school link below:

The password is MSA202 (it is case sensitive)

NOTE: Make sure to order your photos before Friday, September 30. There will be a 10% price increase beginning TOMORROW on all galleries.

The Bert Show's BIG THANK YOU

The time of the year has come again for Bert's Big Thank You!! This is a campaign to send a handwritten THANK YOU letter to every troop that is overseas and has to be away from their families for Thanksgiving. This is such an important cause, because those that have to be away from their families for the holidays can get some love and gratitude from all of us here at home.

It is an annual tradition for Mill Springs to get involved in the Big Thank You. Last year we sent over 100 letters, and we would love to send even more this year. We would love you to get involved! The letter does need to be handwritten and heartfelt. It can be a short thank you or as long as you would like to make it (within one page). If you get your letters to me in Lower School by October 21st, I will make sure they get to the station to be sent out to our troops. Thank you so much!

Link for The Big Thank You in case you would like more information: http://thebertshow.com/bigthankyou/

Link for the letter format/specifications: http://thebertshow.com/big-thank-letter-format/

Carissa Nelson, Lower School

Dual Enrollment
Our awesome Senior, Rachel Fisher, is currently dual-enrolled at SCAD! While in the MSA art studio, she worked on and asked for feedback regarding her Non-objective Line Drawing (pictured) for her SCAD class, Design 100 - Elements and Organization.

Shake Down the Thunder

September 20 - Soccer Mustangs vs. Howard Hawks

The Mustangs wasted no time disposing the Hawks as they jumped out to an early 4-1 first half lead behind the scoring of Jake Garrett's two goals, Brendan Nemesh's one goal, and Yates Smith's one goal. "Coach Mike Smith's pregame adjustments put a charge into our offense, and our guys went to the post. Our defensive line of Evan Smith, Jack Buck, Sean Nemesh, and Michael Flanigan all recorded assists, and they are starting to see every nuance of the game.

In the beginning of the second half, MSA's Jake Garrett's third goal of day extended MSA's lead to 5-1; however, the Hawks quickly capitalized on another defensive breakdown and cut the lead 5-2. "Physical mistakes you can handle, but continuous mental mistakes are tough to stomach. Both their goals were direct by-products of no communication and lack of discipline, and we have to rectify making the same mental mistakes. READ MORE

SCHOOL CLOSED

In honor of Columbus Day

Mill Springs Academy

will be closed

Monday, October 10

There is a Teacher Work Day on

Friday, October 7

This will be an Early Dismissal for students

12:15p - L/M carpool

12:30p - PU/CA/U carpool

12:45p - Buses depart

Take a Big Sip of MILK!

Upper School Newspaper history has been made! The recently-assembled staff of what was formerly known as Kickin' It Quarterly puts together their first issue of the newly unearthed MILK. MILK, which stands for Mustangs, Issues, Lifestyle and Knowledge, represents a new age in MSA journalism and seeks to inform, entertain, and amuse the populace. Our pilot staff (pictured) includes Seniors Lindsay Lopp, Rachel Fisher, Andrew Balog, Kyle Phillips; Juniors Cartwright Ayres, Sammy Mishkin, Casey Purser as well as Sophomore Peter Cook. MILK Advisor Shilpee Kathuria says, "I am beyond excited to see how much ownership, enthusiasm, humor, and thoughtfulness this staff is bringing to our high school newspaper: they are helping set the bar really high for future staffs!"

What's Happening In the World of Counseling

Last week Susan Day, our director of counseling, attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conference in Columbus, Ohio. One of the most notable sessions was led by featured speaker Dr. Frances Jensen of the University of Pennsylvania. Jensen is the author of The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. The focus was on her research into how brain development influences thought and behavior patterns. It was both informative and entertaining!

We have two upcoming visits next week: On Tuesday, October 4 @ 2:00, a representative from Agnes Scott College and Wednesday, October 5 @ 10:30 the College of the Ozarks will be here.

Just a reminder for senior parents, the 2017-2018 FAFSA will open on October 1st, 2016. For more information about the changes and how to prepare for October 1st, please visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/fafsa-changes

Clayton State invites junior and senior students to Freshman Preview Day, Saturday, October 8, 2016! Here's what your students can expect:

Meet faculty, staff, current students and your future classmates
Learn about the admissions and financial aid process
Talk to faculty and advisors about degree programs
Tour our Freshman Residence Hall (Laker Hall)

This event promises to be both engaging and informative. The event is FREE, and a light breakfast and lunch is provided. To register, visit www.clayton.edu/admissions/events.

Cross Country Rocks Again!

Hats off to Coaches Angela White, Katie Winokur, Brandi Smallwood, and Kate McElliott on doing an outstanding job here yesterday at the cross country meet. Despite the large number of participants they put on a first rate event. It was nice to see how well we could accommodate so many schools (almost 20, including at least one very large public high school). Thanks to the coaches and parents for all of your help ... and to Taniah for setting up concessions.

--James Sampson, Athletic Director

Are YOU Stuck?

I love it when I am driving somewhere and I see a car with a MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY sticker on the back window. This morning as I was driving in I followed a car that had one (pictured). I wondered who it was, and hoped it was a parent. I took a picture while we were sitting still and emailed all the teachers asking "Is this you?" Well I got some funny responses and an inquiry of curiosity about why I was asking. I thought if it was a teacher, I wouldn't share it, but if it ended up being a parent then I would put it in the Weekly News. SOooooo.... it ended up being a parent AND a teacher. Judy Norris was a parent before she became a substitute and now a full-time teacher with her 2nd child in attendance. She hadn't seen the email, but someone told her I was looking for the owner of that car. This was not near as dramatic as her mind was making this out to be, but the morning was funny.
All of this is to say, "Are YOU Stuck?" If you don't have a sticker STUCK to the window of your car, come on by and I will be glad to give you one. I'd love to see YOUR car in front of me on the road one day!

--Cheri Harwood

Greeceopoly

The past two weeks my 3rd period history class has been studying Cultures of Ancient Greece. The students were to develop a board game for two to four players that shows the routes between Greek city-states. They had to use the map of ancient Greece to plan routes. Also, the students were to point out the sea routes, which will be the most straightforward, but that land routes are also possible, merely more difficult. The paths they plot from city to city should take into account the potential alliances and rivalries among the cities. The students must have full written rules for playing the game.

The students truly enjoyed creating the board game. They worked as a team. Each member was assigned a task and it was completed on time. The students decided to name their board game "Greeceopoly". I am very proud of this group. They worked very hard on this project. Pictured Anna Patrick and Alex Orred.

--Taniah Jones, CommArts Asst. Principal

Barn Bash 2016

Thank you all for coming out to the Barn Bash on Saturday! T-Olive Properties provided fabulous Filet Mignon for dinner and Joe Lamp'l stepped in for the Chicken Poop Bingo game. Marcus Barela volunteered his time at the Live Auction, and so many more volunteered countless hours to make this event a success! Without volunteers this event could not happen. Thank you also to those families who donated sponsorships and items to auction off.

We need a chairperson for next year's event! Please step up now if you are interested! You may contact your PVA by emailing millspringspva@millsprings.org.

Run Mustang Run

The bell rang and your Mustangs were off and running to a 9-0 Victory against AAC Rival AASD. Before the patrons could unfold their chairs and take their first sip of Coke, MSA's Tyler Harrell scored three goals giving the Mustangs a commanding 3-0 lead. "Coach Mike Smith continues to do a great job of developing, implementing, and utilizing our players' skill set and putting them in an offensive system that is cost effective-efficient to them." With a 3-0 lead, the Mustangs Offense continued to push forward as goals by Jake Garrett and Reid Cohen extended MSA's lead to 5-0 at the half. "We are working well together, and Sean Nemesh, Jack Buck, Michael Flanigan, Evan Smith, Yates Smith, Richard Brooks, and Christian Kelm are doing a super job of distributing the ball and keeping us on the attack."

With the first half in the rear view mirror, the Mustangs continued their scoring onslaught throughout the second half. Goals by Jake Garrett, Reid Cohen, Trevor Murr, and Yates Smith did the trick, and the Mustangs ran to a convincing 9-0 Victory. READ MORE

College Essay

When students apply to colleges, they frequently have to provide some type of written work. To follow is an essay written in response to a specific topic. Michael has applied to both Embry Riddle and Lynn University.

Author: Michael Flanigan, Upper School Senior

Topic: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

As long as I can remember, I have always loved flying. When I was young, I would go with my family to DeKalb Peachtree Airport and watch the planes takeoff and land. I was so intrigued by the large aircraft that I could spend hours just watching them. It was one of the only times that I could actually sit still. I used to collect little plane models and make little airports out of blocks and Legos. For hours, I would sit and pretend that I was a pilot, taking the majestic plane to faraway places. I loved traveling by plane and looking out at the wing, fascinated by the flaps and ailerons cutting through the clouds. READ MORE

Fine Arts is Looking for ....

Janet Ford and Patrick Rose are asking for donations of baby dolls and GI Joe action figures (at least 18 inches). They are for an art project in the art studio! They will be altered and will not be returned. Please put in a bag with your name on it (so we know who to thank!) and my name on it (so it makes its way to us). THANKS!

Social Studies is Scrumptious

Lower School students in groups 1 and 2 have been learning about the regions and rivers of Georgia. They learned about all five regions of Georgia and six major rivers. As a culminating activity, the students decorated sugar cookies that were in the shape of Georgia. They had to put chocolate chips in the mountain regions, M&Ms in the piedmont region, and marshmallows in the coastal plains region. Who knew Georgia could be so tasty!

-- Branigan Hughes, Lower Teacher

Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.

--Charles Schultz

Community Cares & Concerns

The Heskett Family

The Jones Family

The Swift Family

The Vargas Family

If 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