MSA Weekly News - November 17, 2017

November 17, 2017 | Vol 11, Iss 14, No 374

NEWSLETTER

Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving

Well this has been a very eventful week! We began with Coffee after Carpool on Monday, a Wild West Book Fair that lasted the entire week. Thanksgiving Feasts (Middle School's feast is pictured above) all over campus on Wednesday, a workshop for all the 8th graders on Thursday, not to mention the band and JTF/chorus rehearsals. Today brought us all of our wonderful grandparents (we so love our grandparents) and early dismissal. It has been a superb week.

This time of year should make us think about all the things for which we are grateful, it does for me. I am always thankful for my husband, boys, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, my sisters and our extended family. I appreciate my many friends who are sometimes more like family than friends. I am tremendously grateful for my job because it helps provide for my family and let's us enjoy life, it also allows me to use my gifts and spend time with people I enjoy daily. That is just the tip of the Iceberg of Thankfulness. I hope you take a moment to share with your family all the things you are glad to have in your life - some of those 'things' may just be the people you need to tell they are appreciated.

Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

Early Dismissal/School Closed

EARLY DISMISSAL - Grandparents' Day - TODAY!

Friday, November 17, 2017

12:15p – L/M Carpool

12:30p – PU/CA/U Carpool

12:45p Bus Departs

SCHOOL CLOSED

Monday - Friday, November 20-24

Thanksgiving Holiday

Fine Arts Student of the Week

This week's Fine Artist of the Week is Jack Buckley! Jack has been involved with MSA Theatre for six years, and he's not slowing down! You can catch him (if you can...) in the musical this Spring. He will play Agent Cod, one of the Federal officers chasing Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can! He always works hard and is ready for rehearsal with a smile. All this, plus his infectiously positive attitude make Jack Buckley our Fine Artist of the Week!

Thank You to Garon Allen

Thank you once again for showering the Communication Arts staff with your delicious culinary creations! We are so very lucky to have such a kind and generous benefactor. We know that the love you put into the food you bring is genuine, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our stomachs!

Warmest thanks,

The Communication Arts Crew

Immigration Debates

This week in U.S. History class, students participated in their fall semester debates on immigration. The main question focused on illegal immigrants, their role in our society, and if these immigrants should be allowed to become U.S. citizens. Students were given categories to research, these categories included: crime, the economy, borders, immigration quotas, and law enforcement. The class has been working all of November on this research and concluded this week with each class having their own debate! I am proud of the students' and their hard work. The debates went well and I look forward to our spring debates on the dropping of the atomic bomb. Pictured is Parker Johnson in full debate mode.

--Brad Smallwood, Upper Instructor

The Holiday Gift Shop is Coming

Please make a note of the dates in your calendar:

Monday - Wednesday

December 4, 5, 6

CommArts Great Room

The Holiday Gift Shop gives students a chance to buy small gifts for family members and friends The items range in price from 25 cents to $15.00.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Please contact Kathy Espinosa if you are able to volunteer.

Preparations

Lower School has been preparing for Grandparents' Day this week. We have been practicing songs and poems each day. The students also picked colorful leaves from around the campus to make a leaf wreath. We will give these to our grandparents along with a special note on Friday. We can't wait to see the and show them our beautiful campus. The wreath pictured was made by Trey Stormont.

Winning at Wrestling

While everyone else has been preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving feast, our very own Tyler Lillard (8th grader in PreUpper) has been preparing for the upcoming wrestling season. For Tyler, the wrestling season is all year round! These last 3 weeks, he has participated in 2 of the largest Middle/HS events of the Fall Season: Super32 in Greensboro, North Carolina and Middle School National Duals in Toledo, Ohio. At the Super32 Tournament, although Tyler didn't win the competition, he did place 7th in the Top 8, which earned him All-American Status. This competition brings the top Middle Schoolers around the country to compete in a grueling competition. There were over 30 kids in his bracket. The Middle School National Duals tournament in Ohio takes the top middle school kids in the country (sometimes same kids as Super32) and puts them on teams. These teams compete, and the best team wins. READ MORE

Is it Me You're Looking For?

Did you know you can find direct dial phone numbers and extensions for every faculty or staff person on campus on our website? Our website holds a wealth of information, all you have to do is go to:

www.millsprings.org/directory

and you will find them all. Frequently individuals that call know who they need to speak to, they just don't have an extension. So below are a few key individuals, but if you want to speak to your advisory or a teacher, just check out the directory. Thank you.

Lower - Laurie Jones - x1100

Middle - Will Turner - x1200

PreUpper - Susan Sanders - x1301

PreUpper - Nina King - x1302

CommArts - Chelsea Michelson - x1400

CommArts - Taniah Jones - x1523

Upper - Cynthia Traylor - x1530

Upper - Jaime Gutierrez - x1525

Upper - Lisa Imsand - x1550

Counseling - Susan Day - x1730

Bookkeeping - Patsy Beckwith - x1708

Curvy Creations

This week and last week in Algebra and Trigonometry class, my students applied their new knowledge of polynomial equations to do some work in computer-aided design! My students designed a curve that would serve as a part of a product, whether that product is a fancy car or elegant furniture or a handheld controller. Then they learned how curves are represented by polynomial equations whose graphs match the curve the designer drew. My students designed their own curves and used a polynomial regression application to find a polynomial equation that matches their own curves. Designers save and share these curves by saving and sharing the polynomial equations that match. On Thursday the 16th the students presented their designs and equations.

--Sam Adams, CommArts Instructor

Living History

Seniors Jack Abram (R) and Matthew Dalluge (L) were living history volunteers on November 11 for the Holiday on the Home Front program at McDaniel Farm Park in Gwinnett County. Jack and Matthew set up camp and provided musket demonstrations, explaining how Civil War soldiers handled weapons to park visitors. Jack has been a member of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Camp No. 2 for five years. (Thank you for sharing Cathy Abram.)

The Study of Plants

Recently, we took our 7th graders outside of Mill Springs Academy to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Our science class had been studying plants and this was great place to wrap up our study. Students investigated plant adaptations from various biomes which included the desert, mountain elevations, rain forests, and bog gardens. We also visited the Fuqua Conservatory to see important exotic plants such as chocolate, vanilla, rattan, and aloe. Students seemed to really enjoy observing the carnivorous plants as well. Finally, we all enjoyed an outdoor picnic at Piedmont Park. Students are pictured at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

--Bryan Sellers, PreUpper Instructor

Cast Announced

The cast for the Spring Musical, Catch Me If You Can, has been announced and we are so excited to share that with you:

Frank Abagnale, Jr. – Collins Losson
Brenda Strong – Audrey Henderson
Agent Branton – Nick Tate*
Agent Dollar – Cameron Carr*
Agent Cod – Jack Buckley*
Carl Hanratty – Henry Wallace
Betty, Cheryl Ann, Bank Teller, Stewardess, and Nurse – Addison Monette*
Judge, PanAm Executive, & Roger Strong – Jack Hurtsellers*
Railroad Agent, Tailor, & Intern – Connor Doyle*
Assistant – Isabella King*
Assistant, Principal, & Carol Strong – Lilliana Coco*
Hotel Manager, Dr. Wannamaker, & Bartender - John Hartrampf*

* Lots of Ensemble work also

AND INTRODUCING…

Frank Abagnale, Sr. – Patrick Rose
Paula Abagnale – Kate McElliott

We are looking forward to this presentation in April.

BINGO!

"We do algebra in math class. We are learning how to isolate variables to understand them better. We evaluate expressions and solve equations with variables. Variables help you to understand a number. A variable is a letter to replace a number, and we can figure out the value. Coefficients are constants in front of variable." - Will Harvin, 6th Grader (pictured playing Bingo)

"Right now, we are working on translating sentences to equations, and solving equations by isolating the variable." - Temima Izenberg, 6th Grader

This week in Kaylee's 6th grade math class, we played Translating Sentences BINGO. Kaylee displayed a sentence on the whiteboard and we had to find the matching equation on our BINGO board. After we write an equation using variables, numbers, and operator symbols, we solve the equations using inverse operations. Then we have to check our work to make sure we have the correct answer.

Pictures of Mustangs

If you are prone to take pictures of your Mustang at any of the events, on or off campus, I would love to have them to share on our different social media outlets. When you attend any of the athletics or other activities, please keep me in mind and forward your pictures to pictures@millsprings.org. It's so helpful to have other feet on the street. Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it. Cheri

MSA Hosts HamJam

On Veteran's Day, Saturday, November 11, Mill Springs played host to about 200 Amateur Radio enthusiasts, mainly from the metro Atlanta area. They were coming to hear presentations from five nationally known 'hams' and possibly win one of 45 radio related prizes in the raffle. HamJam is a project of the North Fulton Amateur Radio League's Youth, Education, Scholarship, and Activities program (which is commonly abbreviated NFARL's YESA group).

Hams started arriving on our campus around 7 AM for this 9 AM program. They were directed to the two parking lots on campus by the North Fulton Amateur Radio Emergency Services (NFARES) group, a group that helps emergency responders maintain communication ability during storms like Irma and with community events like the GA 400 Bike Ride and local races and parades. Folks parking up the hill were directed to follow the 'yellow vest road' down the hill to the PreUpper and then Upper School Great Rooms. (The NFARES folks were wearing their fluorescent yellow vests and hats.) READ MORE

Shocking!

Upper School Junior, Siobhan Hightower, is "shocked" when her experiment was successful. She made a light bulb using pencil lead (graphite), D batteries, wire and a mason jar. In Keith's Environmental Science class the class is studying energy. We have learned that electricity is the movement of electrons. As electrons move from the batteries through the wire to the graphite, it gets hot and illuminates. The jar offers protection and reduces the amount of oxygen that would prematurely burn out the graphite.

Feasting on Thankfulness in Lower School

On Wednesday Mill Springs had a delicious Thanksgiving feast all across the campus. We reflected on all of the things we are thankful for in our lives. The photo on the left shows Lower School students: Zoe Weaver, Lexi Murphree, Ellie Guyton, and Jack Wallace.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Community Cares & Concerns

The Buckley Family

The Smith 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