#LeadingFromTheMiddle
Dear Middle School Parents & Students,
Next Friday marks the end of our third quarter, leaving us nine short weeks in the school year. Soon, those wide-eyed 5th graders will become the leaders of the 5/6 Academy, the 6th graders will graduate to the top floor of the Middle, our 7th graders will become the bold leaders of the Middle, and our 8th graders will begin their Upper School journey. We are going to make the most of these final weeks! The Middle School Faculty Team has been charged to utilize every moment of our limited time to continue preparing our students for their transition. Students will feel this in the classroom, in the hallway, on the field, and in intentional conversations with teachers and administrators. Please encourage your children to finish strong by completing homework, studying for quizzes and tests, attending Tutorial for extra help, and giving their best effort in class.
Thankfully, we will all enjoy a week off for Spring Break before the final sprint. The MSFT wishes you blessed family time and safe travels. May you all return refreshed and ready to finish the fourth quarter strong.
Sincerely,
Marie Woods
Head of Middle School
mwoods@mountpisgahschool.org | 678-336-3368
Please mark your calendar with the following March events.
Important Dates
- Friday, March 2: Student Council Chick-Fil-A biscuit sale
- Friday, March 2: 9th Grade Preview Day-Parent Meeting, 8:45-10:15 a.m., Geier Hall LEC
- Friday, March 2: 9th Grade Shadow Day for Current 8th Grade Students, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 6: MS/US Orchestra/Chorus Concert 7pm, South Hall
- Friday, March 9: Student Council Chick-Fil-A biscuit sale
- Friday, March 9: MS/US Spirit Wear
- Friday, March 9: End of Quarter 3
- Monday, March 12 - Friday, 3/16: Spring Break - No School
- Monday, March 19: Teacher Workday- No school
- Tuesday, March 20: Classes Resume
- Thursday, March 22: 6th Grade Fieldtrip to Shakespeare Tavern
- Friday, March 23: MS/US Chorus Fieldtrip to Southern Star Competition
- Friday, March 23: Habitat Pizza Sale
- Thursday, March 29, Friday, March 30 and Monday April 2: Easter Break - no classes/offices closed
9th Grade Preview Day
On Friday, March 2, all current 8th grade parents should plan to join us for a special day, as we open our Upper School doors to welcome you. During this event, you will be able to meet our Upper School Administration Team and 9th grade Faculty members, plus take a tour of Geier Hall. Please remember to RSVP.
** This event is for parents only**
A separate event for 8th grade students will be held at 11 a.m. this same day.
DATE: March 2
TIME: 8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
WHERE: Geier Hall | LEC
WHO: All Current 8th Grade Parents
Questions? Please contact Mary Ann Morris | 678-336-3416 or mmorris@mountpisgahscool.org
Youth art month
By Anita Hunter
Youth Art Month is upon us and to kick it off we had four of our very own showcase their artworks at the Georgia Capitol Art Exhibition. Congratulations to Grace McGhee (6th), Kamiso Dawe (6th), Reagan Kruse (11th) and Andrew Sawyer (12th) for this great accomplishment. The Capitol Art Exhibition is co-sponsored by Georgia Art Education Association and the Office of the Secretary of State. It is the premier event of Youth Art Month and the largest student exhibit in the state. The purpose of the exhibit is to share with our legislators and to the public the exceptional, creative ability of Georgia's students. This year State, Superintendent Richard Woods and several state senators and representative attended the reception. Our state district representative, John Albers, attended the event and spoke with our students. This was a great day of advocacy and community arts support. Mrs. Searcy and I feel so blessed to be part of these students lives and thankful to have a small part in their creative development.
In the celebration of this incredible month, we would like to also celebrate our many students who have received honors and recognition for publication in Celebrating Arts and for being on display at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.
For All-State District: Linda Chen, Kate Vallely and Reagan Kruse
For The Atlanta High School Exhibition: Amanda Foreman and Emma Tepper
For The Airport Exhibition: Moriah Woodham, Reagan Kruse, Sophia Nassar and alum Jira Smith
For Celebrating the Arts publication: Taylor Langley (High Merit), Jane Kim (High Merit), Wendy Yan (2 works) (High Merit) and Linda Chen (High Merit), Sydney Dreye, Jacob Horwitz, Kamiso Dawe, Parker Devore, Aliya Blevins, Madeline Callaham, Abigail Hart, Jack Capell, Kate Vallely, David Woodward, Julia Northrop, Carly Phares, Erica Lu, Adelaide Taylor, Lynn Liu, Maddy Blumberg, Carly Phares, Angie Biele (High Merit).
Also upcoming this month is the Mt. Pisgah Photography Gallery which will be on display in Geier Hall on March 22-27. Digital students will have an opportunity to participate in a juried competition that will allow entry into the high school Photography competition at PACE Academy. This exhibition is co-hosted by PACE and Atlanta Celebrates Photography.
Spelling bee winners!
By Lisa Stark
Congratulations to this year's middle school spelling bee winners!
5th Grade - Aliya Blevins
6th Grade - Ryan Callaham
7th Grade - Sophia Rhoades
8th Grade - Mythili Kartik
Sophia Rhoades was the top scorer in round two and Mythili Kartik was the second place winner for the MPCS competition. Both girls participated in the GISA Spelling Bee Round One on Thursday, Feb. 8 where they competed with winners from other independent schools in the region. At the Round One competition, Sophia and Mythili spelled 100 words stemming from 13 different languages such as Latin, French, French, Asian, and German. Mythili placed in the top 10 and will go on to represent MPCS for the GISA Spelling Bee Rounds Two and Three on Feb. 27. Congratulations to Aliya, Ryan, Sophia, and Mythili!
6TH GRADERS VISIT BETH JACOB ORTHODOX SYNAGOGUE AND THE CARLOS MUSEUM
By Emily Harrington
Our 6th graders journeyed south into Atlanta on Feb. 7 to tour the Carlos Museum at Emory University and Beth Jacob Orthodox Synagogue. Both stops were to enhance what has been learned in the classroom this year about ancient cultures and the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. At the museum, students viewed artifacts from Ancient Egypt and the Near East. They enjoyed being a "college student for the day," eating at the university dining hall and touring the ten-story campus library. At the synagogue, Rabbi Tendler led them in an hour Q&A session with his own students, and Mount Pisgah students respectfully dialogued about issues of faith, history, and ritual practice. It was a beautiful day to tour the sites and learn more about the biblical events and faith we study!
7TH GRADE VISITS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CENTER, EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH, HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
By Heather Parker
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Mount Pisgah's 7th grade students headed downtown to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. While there, students watched a 28-minute film documenting the life of King. The film included information about his ministry, his personal life, and even talked about the time his house in Alabama was bombed. Next, we walked across the center to the museum where were able see, hear, and read about the life and death of Dr. King. His speeches came alive and the students were able to walk down Sweet Auburn Avenue with men, women, and children in peaceful protest. Later we walked to Dr. and Mrs. King's mausoleum. It was explained to the students that that is where the two are resting in peace. Lastly, we took a stroll down to the historical Ebenezer Baptist Church where MLK, his father, and grandfather all pastored. The students filed in, sat, and quietly listening to the preaching's of Reverend King over the speakers.
After lunch at CNN, the students walked briskly through Centennial Olympic Park to the Human and Civil Rights Museum; this was the real treat of the day! The students began their tour in a special room dedicated to Dr. King. Here, they were able to see his college blue books, his college writings, his sermons, and even the books on his shelf (which several kids noticed "The Raven". On the third floor, we visited the Spark of Conviction: The Global Human Rights Movement gallery. Upon entering the Human Rights wing, students saw, to the left, the OFFENDERS and the right, the DEFENDERS. There stood life-like images of Adolf Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot. Students were able to see them and read about the atrocities they had placed on people during their lifetime. Additionally, students were able to interactively move "books" on computer tables that highlighted the struggles of women, the disabled, and children. Once finished, our tour guide Scott, took us to a round room where we were able to see pictures and video focusing on the March on Washington where MLK, Jr. addressed thousands with this "I Have a Dream" speech. The students learned here that the purpose of the march was to give equal rights and pay to African-Americans in our country.
After watching the March on Washington, the students headed down to the second floor to go through Rolls Down Like Water: The American Civil Rights Movement. Here the students walked through a hallway. One side was entitled: white and the other entitled: colored. Here the students were able to glean a bit into the life of both groups (or perception of what the world thought), all the while the truth was above us: KKK, bombings, segregated schools and churches, and horrific lynching. Once we passed through, the students were met with TVs from the 1950s and 1960s that showed some of the chaos that was occurring in the south. The gem of the entire trip was, by far, the "counter" experience. Here the students were able to put themselves in the shoes of young, black and white peaceful protestors. These protesters were college students in North Carolina who demanded equal service at Woolworth's Lunch Counter. Our students sat at the counter and with headphones were able to hear (and feel) what the students felt and heard while protesting: name calling, pushing, shoving, yelling, chairs were kicked, threats, and the students could even feel the breath of their antagonists on their necks. After this experience, we as teachers, could tell that our kids were affected by what they had experienced. There were tears and looks of complete disbelief. The tour ended with a walk up and around the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee - the place of MLK's assassination.
This trip was awesome!
Pennies for Patients
By Paul Martini
After three weeks of intense competition, the dust has settled and the winners have been determined. No, not the Winter Olympics, the Pennies for Patients competition right here in the Middle. Through many wild swings of points, an intense rivalry between the 5th and 6th grades, and many coins and dollar bills stuffed in jars on the final day for double points, the winner of the 2018 Pennies for Patients competition, hosted by Middle School Student Council, is...[insert drumroll here]
5TH GRADE! - With a total of 9,010 points!
5th graders will receive 3 Spirit Wear days next week (March 6, 7, and 8) as their reward for a great competition.
7th grade took 2nd place with 6,097 points and will get 2 Spirit Wear days (March 7 and 8) and 6th grade took 3rd place with 2,670 points and will get 1 Spirit Wear day (March 8).
The teachers - not in last place this year - held on to their precious 80 points while 8th grade, in the lead until the final moments of the competition, was unable to overcome a pile of bills stuffed into their jar on Friday afternoon and ended up with a negative 198 points and last place.
Overall, the Middle School raised over $2,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society this year (up from last year) and we sincerely appreciate your help in contributing to this cause. Thanks to everyone who donated!
