| Artwork of the Week  A Touch of Paris Middle School artists Ashley Dugger, Mia Nemesh, Zach Smith and Caroline Skinner created these model-like sculptures of the famous Eiffel Tower as part of their art class. When the weather warms, these creations will be finished with bronze spray paint.
A Note of Thanks  A huge THANK YOU to Suzanne Moon, Jill Coco, Lori Kogoy and Carol Julian for chaperoning for the Junior Theatre Festival. This was no easy task! These ladies hung with 4,500 students as they screamed in excitement all weekend, while supporting MSA students and directors flawlessly. We couldn't have done it without you. THANK YOU Ladies!
Kate McElliott, Jamie Fambrough and Patrick Rose - Fine Arts Dept.
Spelling Bee 
On Thursday, February 12 Mill Springs Academy hosted 60 students from 30 different schools and approximately 50 teachers and parents as participants and chaperones for the GISA Area 1 Regional Spelling Bee. This Bee is one of the first steps in the long process leading to the SCRIPPS National Spelling Bee which is featured on ESPN in May. Victoria Jones of PreUpper and Jessica Connell of Middle were the organizers for the event and our PVA President Becky Lamp'l provided refreshments for the parents in the hospitality room and also assisted with monitoring during the event. The MSA student representatives were Ezra Ekworomadu (M) and George Klein (M) with Avery Terpstra (M) and Jacob Botnick (PU) available as alternates. Everyone had a great time and all the kids did a fantastic job. They were extra excited this year as it is the first Bee series to include a vocabulary portion.
Student Conferences  PU/CA/U Student Conferences
No Classes for PU/CA/U February 27, 2015 During conference days the schools holding conferences do NOT have classes. However, the other schools do, and buses run on the normal schedule.
Valentines Day Party  Last Friday Lower School had an incredible Valentine's Day party! A huge thank you to Laurie Giles (Will's mom) for organizing an amazing party. The kids enjoyed a chocolate fountain, jumped in a bounce house, and made beautiful flower arrangements for their families. Each child took flowers home to their family and enough were made that the teachers and bus drivers all got one as well. Thank you to the many mom's that also came to volunteer and help with each activity.
MSA Wrestling in State Top Ten
 The Mill Springs Academy Wrestling Team, which captured the Regional and AAC Championship last week, finished as the Sixth Place team at the State Tournament this weekend. All wrestlers gained valuable team points through their efforts with four team members coming away with State medals.
- Joe Dalton took 2nd at 132 lbs.
- Jake Martin took 3rd at 126 lbs.
- Devin Hazzard took 4th at 113 lbs.
- Tommy Ray took 6th at 152 lbs.
Pictured: Joe Dalton on the Podium with the Silver.
MSA Participates in Ham Roundup 
Last week, students came to the "short hall" outside of Martha Muir's classroom in the PreUpper Building for their chance to operate our radio station equipment and make contacts with other schools across the country and around the world. Each contact made added points to our score in this contest sponsored by American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national organization for amateur radio. Using primarily PSK-31, a digital mode of radio communication, students made contacts in over 35 states and at least 9 countries. By last Thursday afternoon, the MSA Radio Club had racked up over 35,000 points, over three times the highest score we've ever received in this contest! Students manned the station on Friday for one last push to end with even a higher score. MSA’s licensed hams ... READ MORE
Parent Workshop  Join us for the College Admission Panel parent workshop. It will be held on March 4, 2015 at 7:00pm. Please RSVP HERE.
We have confirmed participation from admission representatives from Young Harris College, Georgia College & State University and Purdue University.
Give from Your Heart  The Level L's in Upper School sponsored the "Give from Your Heart" Advisory Contest during Valentine's Week. Upper School students and faculty donated an amazing $625 for the American Heart Association! Keith Muma's Advisory collected the most money, $183 and won a pizza gift card.
What a Year!
The 2014-2015 Mustangs Season came to close with a 57-45 defeat to the Howard Hawks in the Finals of the AAC Tournament. "Being out rebounded 35-6 in the Championship Game tells the story; and for that, we as a team are responsible. At the end of the day, there is only one team that is satisfied; and that is the team that wins their last game. Howard earned the Championship, and you have to take your hat off to them. So now we have to take this experience, learn from it, and remember how hard we worked to avoid feeling that bad. We will definitely get the horse back on track; and vow as a team, that our last performance will never duplicated." Even though the Final did not go as well as homefolk wanted, the Mustangs had a banner year. Starting the season with a 2-3 record, the Mustangs ... READ MORE
Friday, March 6, 2015 8:00am For the Lower & Middle School Mothers For more information please contact your principal.
Sign Up for Summer Now  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 get your spot secured.
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:
Chinese New Year!  As you may know, this past Thursday was the Chinese New Year and in honor of the occasion, the Mill Springs Chinese classes (taught by Chas and Jo Jo) had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta's Chinatown to experience some authentic Chinese culture. Some of the highlights included a wonderfully-delicious Chinese lunch, a tour of an authentic Chinese bakery, and lots and lots of fireworks! Even with the frigid weather, it was a fabulous time off-campus for MSA!
Level R's in Lower  Lower School's Level R's are growing by the minute! The Level L/R students enjoy going off campus to lunch every other Wednesday. Last Wednesday they were able to go to McDonald's and played in the play area. Pictured left to right - Zach Burns, Joshua Nanney, Sam Benton, Sam Franco, Sahara DiClemente, Holly Stormont, and Level L Matthew Carlson. Our newest Level R, Zachary Schneiderman, moved up to Level R last Friday.
Meeting General Oglethorpe  Last week students from Communication Arts’ Georgia History classes ventured out to the campus of Reinhardt College for an exceptional educational experience! Students attended a press conference held by the founder of the Georgia Colony, James Oglethorpe (as portrayed by expert and historian Mr. Scott Hodges, pictured). Jack Buckley loved the Oglethorpe reenactment, stating “I LOVED seeing James Oglethorpe! He was so interesting, because he was acting like the man from a long time ago. And he brought some amazing stuff, like a rifle, metal dice, and an antique grenade shell.” Students were also treated to a tour of the Funk Heritage Center’s Timeline of Georgia Inhabitants exhibit, and a tour of a Native American long-house. Student Jordan Hayes-Morrisey’s favorite part of the field trip was when he was draped in a deerskin, the winter-wardrobe of GA’s native people. “It was really warm and cozy!” he exclaimed. “I wish we could wear this to school!”
Community Cares & Concerns
Please keep the following from our Community in your thoughts and prayers. 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.
Character Quote of the Week 
A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. --Albert Schweitzer | 
We had a day off to celebrate the President's and one for weather. Then re-enrollment contracts were due this week, the spring PM program began, we celebrated the Chinese New Year, and then there were Student Conferences. So even if it was a short week and REALLY short for some, we had a lot of activity on campus. Hope you didn't miss out on any of it.
