MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY Matters Mill Springs Academy Matters FALL 2014 Each year students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff all gather to celebrate Founder’s Day …

MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY

MattersFALL 2014

IN THIS ISSUEMSA Kicks off Capital Campaign . . . . . . . . 1, 2, 8, 9

Class of 2015 College Acceptances . . . . . . . . 2

MSA Counselor Receives Licensure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PU Teacher at International Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CommArts Learns Quilting . . 3

Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Students Learn Professional Writing Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Lower School Reads… LOTS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Students Thank Our Troops . . 5

Clean Water Essay Contest . . . 6

Andrew Walker Sings at ConnectAbility Run/Walk . . . 6

Upper Students Learn Forensic Science . . . . . . . . . . 6

CommArts Experiential Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 10

Grandparents’ Day 2014 . . . 10

Students Visit ‘Last Frontier’ . . . . . . . . . . 11

Author Visits Lower/ Middle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Upper Student Crowned ‘Jr . Sweetheart Queen’ . . . . . . . 11

MSA Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Middle Students Visit Rock Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

One Act Play . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2014–2015 Annual Fund . . . . . . . . 14, 15

Success inSchool…Success inLife

MSA Kicks Off Campaign for Permanent Lower/Middle School

On Saturday, October 18 during our Founder’s Day celebration, Mill Springs officially kicked off a capital campaign to raise funds for a permanent Lower/Middle School. Campaign Chair and Middle School parent, Ed Coco addressed those in attendance as he proudly announced that

roughly $1 million had already been raised towards the $3 million campaign goal. “This is an amazing show of support for our school,” said Ed, “especially given the fact that 95% of those who have already pledged their support, are not the parents of a Lower or Middle School student.”

The next phase of capital development will focus on the completion of a permanent, 21,300 square foot Lower and Middle School building which will be large enough to accommodate for some growth in grades 1–6. Plans also include relocating the main road, which currently bisects the campus, to the east side of the property and expanding areas for parking. “We will finally have all of our students in permanent classroom buildings,” said Ed. “This will completely change the look of the campus with students moving to and from every building on campus without ever crossing a roadway with cars.”

Continued on page 2

Headmaster, Robert Moore, addresses the crowd on Founder’s Day while standing in front of display boards showing renderings of the future Lower/Middle School and a campaign thermometer .

2 Mill Springs Academy Matters FALL 2014

Each year students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff all gather to celebrate Founder’s Day which honors MSA’s Founder, Tweetie Moore, as well as the rest of Mill Springs’ Staff and Faculty—some of whom have been with the school for over 30 years. Kicking off the Capital Campaign during the Founder’s Day event was a most fitting way to honor the legacy of Tweetie Moore whose vision of teaching the way students learn has blossomed into what Mill Springs Academy has become today.

MSA families enjoy lunch catered by Chick-fil-A .

MSA students are treated to several games and attractions such as laser tag, a rock-climbing wall, and trampoline acrobatics!

Continued from page 1

College AcceptancesCongratulations to the following seniors on their early college acceptances:Paul Bain | Reinhardt University

Lauren Crisp | Kennesaw State University

Alex Gass | Georgia Southern, Valdosta State

Zach Goodelman | Valdosta State University, Georgia Southern

Chandler Holt | Valdosta State, Georgia Southern

Jessica Lublin | Berry College

Morgan McCurley | Young Harris College

Jack Minozzi | Mercer University, Iona College

Parker Mosley | Reinhardt University

Ethan Reish | University of West Georgia, Reinhardt University

Daniel Schmidt | Reinhardt University

Levi Smith | Young Harris College, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Eric Siegel | Western Carolina, University of North Georgia

Maritza Silva | Young Harris College, Reinhardt University

MSA Counselor Receives Licensure

Congratulations to Brandi Smallwood, who

received notification that her application for full licensure as a Professional Counselor was approved on Friday, September 12, 2014. Full licensure represents years of schooling and hard work. MSA is lucky to have Brandi as a counselor! Brandi Smallwood, LPC

Mill Springs Academy Matters 3www.millsprings.org

PreUpper Teacher Presents at International Conference

PreUpper literature teacher Dr. Victoria Jones Fairley spent the summer in Portugal as a presenter at the CEC/DISES International Conference in Braga. Dr. Fairley was invited

to present a short lecture series on three topics, two of which were specific to her experiences at Mill Springs Academy. The most popular of the two was a presentation on the impact of sports on struggling learners. Dr. Fairley truly treasured the opportunity to share with the other attendees her experiences with the student-athletes at Mill Springs: “The kids here face such significant challenges in the classroom. I love seeing them really learn to shine on the trail and in the field. It is amazing to see the transformation that spills over into the classroom once they find that little bit of success to boost their self-confidence. Those kinds of opportunities for students with challenges are lost in ‘No Pass, No Play’ type of regulations and it is really important for policy-makers and administrators to consider this as they support the development of all students in and outside of the classroom walls.” As a participant in the conference. Dr. Fairley was able to benefit from discussion with educators from around the globe and hear about strategies used to address issues in different countries: “I really appreciate Mill Springs Academy supporting me in this opportunity. It was really neat to hear how educators from different cultures addressed issues similar to what we face in our own educational system. I was able to bring back a lot of information to share with my peers.”

Communication Arts Hosts a Quilting Party

As part of their studies of Appalachia for their annual festival this year, the students of Communication Arts learned how to make a quilt. Master quilt maker Laura Davenport,

mother of 10th grade student Corinne Davenport, stressed the importance of quilts as both a household necessity and a decorative work of art. She explained that quilt making was also a social event for Appalachian women who had little contact with the outside world. Showing off her own collection, Laura described the

many intricate patterns women used to create these beautiful quilts. Laura then gave each student some pieces to quilt so they could experience the craft first-hand. “I have a lot of respect for those pioneer women,” said Corey Pratt. “Quilting is really hard. I’d have rather been out in the fields plowing,” he added. The students will be working on quilt pieces which will be joined to complete a full quilt and then displayed in Communication Arts.

The conference concluded with a reception for attendees at the Bom Jesus do Monte overlooking the gardens .

Quilt maker, Laura Davenport, works on a quilt with CommArts students .


Casey Skinner (2006)Casey Skinner, who graduated from MSA in 2006, has a fabulous job in the film & music business, working for the production company called Lionsgate. He is coordinator and organizer for more than ten TV shows, including Madmen, Orange Is The New Black, and Nashville (ABC). When he was in Upper School, he played in several bands and wrote music. He was a writer on Kickin’ It Monthly, and after he graduated, he was a successful competitor on “Make Me a Super Model,” on the BRAVO cable network.

Lauren Crowley (2006)Lauren recently featured and sold many of her paintings at the Duluth Fall Festival which took place in late September. She has sold many pieces over the years and currently enjoys painting on old windows. In fact, her first window painting was from an old window that Gail and G. Paul Kreher donated from their cabin. You can view and purchase her work by visiting her Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/shop/windowsbylauren).

Andrew Carson (2008)Congratulations to Andrew who has taken a new job as a graduate

teaching assistant at the Unviersity of Texas in Austin.

Dave Friedland (2010)Dave is enjoying a successful life in New York City and currently working at REI. He is still taking lots of photos and continues to look for ways he can get involved in the film industry.

Meredith Langford (2012)Meredith is spending the fall semester fulfilling a lifelong dream of living in Australia by becoming

a student at the University of Queensland (UQ) in St. Lucia, a suburb of Brisbane. A biology major at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, Meredith is taking classes in both Australian marine biology and terrestrial biology. She is also enjoying the Australian coast which is giving her numerous opportunities toen-gage her passion for scuba diving.

John Chisholm (2014)John, who was MSA’s Salutatorian last year, is now attending Young Harris College with a double major in Biology and Chemistry. John is also working as ball boy for the soccer team to help pay for college expenses. He recently visited students in CommArts to offer advice on navigating college life.

Daniel Gillen (2014)

After graduation, Daniel joined the military and recently earned the rank of Private in the US Marine Corps. Daniel visited MSA in the fall to share his boot camp experiences with students, which he described as “sometimes brutal, but well worth it.” Daniel also earned his first ribbon for completing the first phase of his training to be a radio operator at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Lindsey Flax (2014)

Lindsey is currently attending Beacon College in Florida where she is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Studio Arts. She is President of the freshman class and a photographer for the year-book.

Windows by Lauren Crowley .

John Chisholm (center) advised students to join clubs to meet new people as well as to seek out help for themselves .

Meredith Langford

Daniel Gillen

Lindsey Flax

ALUMNI NEWS


https://www.etsy.com/shop/windowsbylauren

Mill Springs Academy Matters 5www.millsprings.orgwww.millsprings.org

PreUpper Students Write to Businesses

Part of the curricular approach for Composition class in the PreUpper School is to balance academic writing with professional writing as writing is involved in all endeavors that require some form of communicative focus, regardless of one’s chosen

profession. With that, one of the assignments in Michael Griffeth’s Composition class is to draft a formal business letter to a legitimate business, organization, or institution, with the intent to solicit a response or action on behalf of the recipient. The aim of the assignment is to show students that words (and the messages they present) spark change. Furthermore, if an individual can develop a command over such a task, that individual has the opportunity to exercise a positive and meaningful influence over a much greater entity and can potentially change the world.

“Students initially aren’t exactly thrilled when they learn of such an assignment, but when they realize they get to choose the party to whom they will be writing, attitudes tend to change,” said Michael Griffeth. “Through this assignment, students also learn to develop a sense of audience and tone and they become very aware that their reputation is at stake when they have a vested interest in their address!” Siobhan Hightower, an 8th grade student whose letter addressed Coca Cola with the aim of getting the name “Siobhan” included in Coke’s name campaign commented, “Since these are actually getting mailed, I’m making my request as professional as possible!”

Aside from Siobhan’s efforts at encouraging Coke to include less-common names in its “can campaign”, several other students, including Eli Musgrave, Anthony Papasidero, and Maridy Moore, all wrote to various international gaming corporations in the hopes that they might acquire the opportunity to assist their chosen business with its game development and product testing. . . . MSA, here’s to the power of the written word!

Following the assignment deadline, PreUpper students also managed to get a crash course on postal protocols and once the letters were signed, sealed, and stamped, they all collectively placed them in the hands of the USPS via the school’s mailbox

Lower School Reads…LOTS!!

Lower School had their first 400 Minute Reading party in early October.

The students are required to read at least 400 minutes each month, with many going above and beyond the goal well into the thousands. Congratulations to Lower students who read a grand total of 14,069 minutes for the month of September. Incredible job, kids. Keep READING!

The Big Thank You

This fall, Lower School students participated in the Bert Show’s Big Thank You by writing letters to our troops overseas. The Bert Show is a nationally syndicated talk radio show. This activity has become an annual tradition for the students as they wish

these heroes a happy Thanksgiving and thank them for their service to our country. Every troop who will not be able to be with their family for the holidays will receive a letter.

From left to right: Schoch Weaver, Jack Jenkins, Jackson Kennedy, and Ethan Easterling .


Clean Water Essay Contest

The Water Essay Contest is one of many initiatives conducted by the Metro Water District to raise awareness for conservation efforts and the preservation of water quality in

metro Atlanta. Over the years, the contest has engaged thousands of middle school students and challenged them to think critically about water and our region’s water resources.

2014 marks the 13th year of the Metro Water District Essay Contest. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders in Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale counties are invited to participate in the contest. Congratulations to the following PreUpper students who wrote and submitted exceptional essays in this year’s contest.

8TH GRADERS

Jack Hurtsellers | 1st PlaceJake May | 2nd PlaceNatalie Yager | 3rd Place

7TH GRADERS

Henry Wallace | 1st PlaceGrace Gersack | 2nd PlaceSean Carmody | 3rd Place

The 1st place winners for 7th and 8th grades were submitted to the official contest on October 15. The results of the contest will be posted later this year.

Andrew Walker sings at the ConnectAbility Run/Walk

While these shenanigans might sound like an excuse to barge into Keith Muma’s s health class, the experience held a valuable lesson for our junior investigators; all evidence is important to a case .

ConnectAbility Run/Walk

Congratulations to MSA Senior Andrew Walker, who was the National Anthem soloist for the 4th Annual ConnectAbility 5k/10k Run/Walk in Dahlonega on September 13th.

Andrew sang a beautiful national anthem to motivate the hundreds of runners before the event. The ConnectAbility race was started and is chaired by MSA Music and Drama Teacher Kate McElliott to raise money for ConnectAbility, which provides special needs programming in North Georgia for adults and children. Every year, MSA students and staff have come out to support it, usually by running. Thank you, MSA family, for your community support!

Upper Students Learn Forensic Science

Forensic Science, taught by Vaidehi Rallapalli, is a very hands-on class that involves activities not typically seen in other science classes. Upper students participated in a project

where the class splits in half and each group plans out a crime. The students carefully consider the nature of the crime, the culprit, and the evidence before eventually laying it all out for the other group to solve.

For example, earlier this fall Upper students walked out of their third period class to find something they certainly weren’t expecting. Crime scene tape lined the suddenly muddy hallway, from Jack Minozzi’s locker all the way out the front door of the upper school building. Students wearing unusual get-ups charged into a class-room and accused Upper School teacher, Keith Muma’s dog, Harley, of murder. So what exactly was going on? And why was Jack Minozzi lying down with fake blood soaking through his shirt?

Amateur forensic scientists followed the crime scene tape out of the building to find Minozzi lying in a pool of his own blood. They found bloody gloves near the scene of the crime, explaining the lack of finger prints on the body. When the victim’s locker was searched, they discovered both the murder weapon and some dark gray hair. After careful consideration—and perhaps a helpful hint or two—they decided to confront the suspected murderer, vicious attack dog Harley!


MSA’s Native American Club members surround historian, Jim Dunham (center) .

(from left): Steven Slaymaker, Alana Green, and Marshall Stoddard “learn the ropes” at Zip Stream Ruby Falls .

Native American Club Visits Booth Western Museum

Communication Arts students learned that you don’t need a time machine to learn what life was like for Lakota Indians hundreds of years ago. The Native American Club members

toured the Booth Museum in Cartersville, GA which has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts, paintings, and sculptures.

While there, students were treated to an exhibition of Native American dancing and singing by Jim Dunham, a famous Western historian. Mr. Dunham, dressed in full Lakota regalia, described the complicated history between Western culture and the Native Americans and was impressed by the questions and answers the students engaged in. “In all my years at this museum,” he stated, “I have never met students who have so much knowledge about Native Americans. It’s not every day that Georgia students come in speaking Lakota.”

Student Cory Pratt especially enjoyed the sign-language element. “I’ve taken a signing class, and the Native American way of signing is very similar to the regular way,” he stated. While touring the museum students also learned how the Western tribes used parts of the buffalo. “They now want to tan a buffalo hide with buffalo brains just like the Lakota used to do,” commented teacher Carol Adams. “I told them that if I can locate some buffalo brains, we’ll go for it!”

Communication Arts Visits Chattanooga

What’s so great about the Great Outdoors? Twenty-five Communication Arts students discovered the answer to that question when they visited Camp Lookout

near Chattanooga, Tennessee on a weeklong field trip. Students participated in various activities including hiking along the banks of the Tennessee River, where they spotted wildlife such as river otters and salamanders; touring the Chattanooga Zoo, where they learned about the habitats and behaviors of a large variety of animals from camels to leopards; and visiting Point Park and Craven’s House, two pivotal sites in the Civil War’s “Battle Above the Clouds”.

“We find that when students attempt something that’s chal-lenging outdoors, it translates into the classroom,” said CommArts teacher, Chelsea Michaelson. The ropes course at Ruby Falls was an example of such a challenge. “It was a challenging obstacle course that ended with a spectacular zipline run at the end of the course. I was really amazed by how courageous our students became on this trip while tackling their academic and social challenges.” Another highlight of the trip was a day-long rafting trip down the Hiawasee River where students got a close-up look at the river’s ecology, a habitat well-known for their large number of salamanders. “We got to see a bald eagle right on a tree,” stated 7th grader, Jack Buckley. “Seeing the eagle and our raft getting stuck on a rock was my favorite part of the trip,” he added.


CAPITAL CAMPAIGNBuilding on a Mission—Phase III a Place to be Me

This is an exciting time for Mill Springs Academy! On Saturday, October 18 during our Founder’s Day celebration, Mill Springs officially kicked off our next capital campaign

to build a permanent Lower/Middle School. Simply put, this is the single largest project our school has ever undertaken and we must have broad support from those who truly understand our mission, in order to be successful.

OUR NEEDThe 17 year-old modulars used for the Lower and Middle

Schools are at the end of their lifespan and filled to capacity in most grades. Additionally, Mill Springs’ Middle School program continues to be the primary entry point and engine of the school with the 5th and 6th grades alone having more new students than any other grade. With a permanent building and more classroom space, the Lower and Middle Schools will be shored up to not only maintain the school’s enrollment numbers but also drive growth through the matriculation of students into the PreUpper School (7th and 8th grades) and Upper School respectively. The single roadway originally constructed to access the campus now bisects it as permanent buildings have been constructed over the past 16 years to accommodate growth. Current parking is inadequate and the road system is no longer pedestrian friendly. As we look to build the last of our permanent classroom facilities it is now necessary to re-route our road system to the east side of the campus and also expand areas for parking.

OUR CAMPAIGN GOAL $3,000,000A successful capital campaign within our MSA community will allow us to complete our permanent classroom buildings while relying on

our operating budget to continue MSA’s high standard of programming. Supporting this project represents a smart investment in the future of Mill Springs Academy and most importantly, the lives of our present and future students.



Carol and Tarpley AdamsMichael and Kim AdamsSamuel AdamsArvind and Jyotsna AjinkyaCarolina Ayerbe and Damian FarrierHeather BaileyPaul and Mary BarkleyGretchen BeckPatsy and Firman BeckwithBonnie BergstresserGregory BodeepBruce and Deena BowersMike and Bette Rose BowersBright Wings FoundationMargaret and Robert BritoScott and Michele BrownOliver and Karel BurnsDarryl Butler and Karen FergusonBrian and Lisa BuxtonClaire and John ChristersonBob and Ruth Ann ClaninBruce and Mary ClaytonEd and Jill CocoCarlos ColonJessica and Mark ConnellCharlie and Laura CovertSusan DayEricka De La Garza and Kermit EscribanoSean and Stephanie DeNardoCourtney DownsJodi Easter-Smith and Bruce SmithBrittany EmgeVictoria and Dave FairleyJamie and Valerie FambroughSheila and John FitzGeraldJanet and Scott FordJean FraserMichael and Meredith GriffethLarry and Catherine GrizzleJaime GutierrezKatie HadawayPaul HagedornBrad and Tracy HahnPhil Hanson

Bill and Whitney HarperAnn HartinCheri and Jim HarwoodKris HawksworthTom and Lee HealeyJosh HerskoMichael and Vicky HoltJay and Vicki HudsonDan and Mona HuffmanBranigan and James HughesJim and Christine HurtsellersBarry and Sylvia HymanLisa and Michael ImsandLaurie and Will JonesTaniah JonesKaren KaiserKaty Kane and Keith RateliffShilpee KathuriaKode and Susan KaufmanBetty and Danny KellenbergerKelli KingShannon and Patrick KochJennifer KramerGail and G. Paul KreherRoy and Elise LanderStephen and Tamu LewisEd and Laura LittleJason and Stephanie MackBrian and Clare MartinScott and Wendy MayMatt McConnellKate and Don McElliottSteve MichamChelsea MichelsonAlicia MillerDonna and Patrick MooreRobert MooreKay and Cliff MorrisonMSA Parent Volunteer AssociationMartha A. MuirKeith and Kathy MumaAngel and Dan MurrCarissa and Kevin NelsonRochelle and Vic Northrup

Adam and Amy OrkinJim and Tara PaulMarko and Kimberlie PekezVaidehi and Murthy RallapalliMary and Felipe RamirezDan and Dara RedlerElizabeth RegasLavone RippeonStacy and Cliff RobinsonSherry and Terry RobinsonPatrick and Heather RoseCarol and Rick RothschildJeff RyerJames and JoAnn SampsonLouise and Brett SamskyErrol and Susan SandersDana SchneidermanNimesh and Regina ShahRonnie and Paulette SherrillStuart and Cameron SherrillBob and Beryle SlaydenBrad and Brandi SmallwoodDan and Rhonda SmithLeila and Rusty SmithMichael and Tove SmithChristine StanleyChristopher and Christine StanleyWayne and Deborah SuperSue SwansonKathleen SwiftBill and Leena ThieriotCindy ThorneRoberto TijerinaCynthia Traylor and Daniel DeleveauxWilliam and Molly TurnerHector TurradoHoward and Kathy WaitsJohn and Caroline WallaceShannon WarchalowskySandra WestonAngela WhiteJack and Peggy Withrow

Mill Springs would like to recognize the following donors for their contributions and participation in our Capital Campaign. To date, we have raised over $1,100,000 toward our $3,000,000 goal. If you have made a donation and your name is not listed, please contact Leila Smith in the Development Office @ 678-893-0777.



Students Learn US History While Tie-dying

Chelsea Michelson’s Communication Arts U.S. History class bid adieu to their Colonial America unit with a tribute to one of the earliest cash crops for the Southern colonies:

indigo. Students mixed a traditional indigo dye bath, and invited students from CommArts to tie-dye t-shirts, socks, scarfs, and even shoes using indigo. While everyone had a great time, they found that a traditional indigo dye bath has one major drawback: it smells awful! Students compared the odiferous effusions to “burning rubber,” and “really bad B.O.” Their work paid off in the end with over 25 students creating beautiful shirts using the “shibori” technique.

CommArts students worked hard (and braved the stinky dye) to learn about the historically important crop, indigo .

Grandparents’ Day

Each November, hundreds of grandparents descend on MSA’s campus for a special Grandparents’ Day program. This year was no exception with nearly 250 grandparents in attendance.

The special event started at 9:00 a.m. with a delicious, catered, hot breakfast that grandparents enjoyed as they took in a full program of student performances including MSA’s chorus, band, and Jr. Theater Festival Cast. One of the highlights of the presentation that morning was a special display of student artwork which was used as centerpieces on the tables.

During this year’s program, Headmaster, Robert Moore addressed the group about Mill Springs plans to build a perma-nent Lower and Middle School building. He also announced that a special “Grands Staircase” display would be erected, dedicating the grand staircase, a major focal point in the new building, to all the MSA grandparents whose support has been so integral to the success of the school. “If it weren’t for our grandparents, we wouldn’t have had two successful capital campaigns and years-worth of Annual Fund drives,” said Robert. “We want all of our grandparents to know just how much we appreciate their support

of the school.”After the program, grandparents were

transported via golf carts to join students in their classroom buildings for additional programs and displays of student work and art. Two photo stations were also set up on campus where students could take a professional photo with their grandparent as a special keepsake.

Grandparents gather in MSA’s gym for breakfast and a program before joining their grandkids in their classrooms .

Lower School students sing “Light One Candle”, by Peter, Paul and Mary .


Author Visits Lower and Middle Students

Lower and Middle School students were treated with a visit from Chris Rumble, author and illustrator of the Uncle Stinky series. Mr. Rumble delivered a “Reading Pep Rally,”

played a few reading-themed songs like “My Book” (to the tune of My Girl), and showed students how he draws his book character, “Uncle Stinky”. His advice to our students was to follow their dreams no matter what, and that practice makes perfect.

Upper Student Crowned “Jr. Teen State Sweetheart Queen”

Congratulations to Upper School’s Abby Hayman who was recently crowned Jr.

Teen State Sweetheart Queen 2014 at the Miss Georgia Northlands in Gainesville. She was 1st runner up for the photogenic award and won best in the categories of interview and resume, formal wear, and denim expressions by featuring jeans decorated to show her platform, Girl Talk. Girl Talk is an organization focused on building the self-esteem and self-confidence in young girls by matching up middle school girls with high school mentors.

Lower and Middle School students sing “My Book” (to the tune of My Girl), where the girls sang back up and the boys crooned the “oooo’s!” .

Sean Martin enjoying the experience of a glacial float trip amongst “moody” icebergs at Spencer Glacier .

Johnny Ray capturing the moment of witnessing gold prospecting’s harsh realities at Hatcher Pass’ abandoned mining settlement .

Trip to the ‘Last Frontier’

In September of 2014, CommArts and PreUpper School joined forces and led a Level R/L trip to Alaska, North America’s Last Frontier. “The objective of the trip was to allow students to

experience some of the last true wilderness areas on the continent and to give them the opportunity to further their appreciation for nature,” said PreUpper teacher and chaperone, Michael Griffeth. “We were extremely lucky to have such good weather for this adventure, since the majority of our learning took place outside,” he added.

Michael, along with Communication Arts teacher Taniah Jones, chaperoned MSA students on this exciting, explorative trip. Aided by guides Alana Stickley and Michael Barger from Grand Class-

room, an outdoor-oriented educational travel group, the group had the opportunity to visit Denali National Park, home of the tallest mountain on the continent—Mt. McKinley, as well as experience how Iditarod Dog Mushers train in the warmer months. “Getting towed at 15 mph by 16 dogs was serious fun,” said Michael Bowers of PreUpper. Additional highlights from the trip included touring the Alaskan Wildlife Conservatory and the abandoned gold mine at Hatcher Pass; spotting pods of Beluga whales in Cook Inlet; hiking Exit Glacier; paddling amongst icebergs at Spencer Glacier; and kayaking in Resurrection Bay just outside of the coastal town of Seward. It was a magnificent experience for all those who partici-pated and one our community will not soon forget! Mush! Mush!

Abby Haymen


SPORTS


Volleyball

The Lady Mustang Volleyball Team started off strong with a big win over Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and ended the overall season with a 6–2 record in the AAC. The girls

also maintained their solid record taking 2nd place in the AAC tournament!

“I’m really proud of this year’s team,” said Coach Karen Kaiser. “There were many highlights…from being in 2nd place for the majority of the season, to racking up 3 wins against the Cottage School. During one of those wins, on Senior Night, Maritza Silva managed to achieve the rare feat of serving an entire game to 25 in a row!!”

This year’s team featured many girls who took on the challenge of learning a new sport as well as others who worked hard to im-prove their skills throughout the season. “Next year, we are looking to have separate JV and Varsity teams to make sure all MSA girls who are interested playing can join the team,” said Karen. “And this summer we will be offering a beginners’ volleyball camp as well as a higher level team camp.”

Soccer

Congratulations to MSA’s Varsity Soccer Team who managed to capture their second consecutive AAC Championship with a 3-0 shutout over The Cottage School! Behind the

strong goal tending of Chandler Holt, the Mustang Defense posted their 7th shutout of the season and registered an overall shutout rate of 70%. “The tournament was the icing on the cake,” said Coach Phil Hanson as this year’s team ended the season with a perfect 10–0 record. “I’m really proud of our guys,” said Phil. “They covered each other’s deficiencies, filled gaps, overcame odds, and answered challenges. Many thanks to the parents, support staff and faculty who supported this year’s team. We couldn’t have done it without you!”

The 2015 Mustangs will have to reload as eight seniors will be graduating. “As always, it will all come down to how hard we work in the off-season; and it begins with our Summer Soccer Camp on Tuesday, May 26, 2015,” said Phil.

Cross Country

After a record setting regular season, the Boys Varsity team walked away with three championship titles: AAC Champions, GISA AA Region Champions, and GISA AA

State Champions! On an individual level, Senior Devin Hazzard was the GISA AA State Champion, and Sam Lynch, Cole Landy, and Johnny Ray were in the top 10 with Austin Palmore, James York, and senior Quint Foster rounding out the winning State team. “Brandon McCormick, Tommy Ray, Mac McCullough, Trevor Bush, and Chan Crockett were also a crucial part of the boys’ team,” said Coach Victoria Jones. “Each student showed great improvement over the course of the season.”

The Lady Mustangs also had an incredible season, mustering together a full roster when 8th graders Alli Kogoy and Alana Green stepped up to run for the Varsity team. The girls’ achievements included taking home 2nd place in both the AAC Championship and the GISA AA Region race and Sophie Davis setting a new girls’ 5k school record. With the help of teammates Alana Green, Nicole Thomas, Alli Kogoy, and senior Anna Alex, the Lady Mustangs completed the season with an outstanding 5th place overall finish.

“The Junior Mustangs also put in some heavy training miles this season and the hard work paid off at our three home meets,” said Coach Kelli King. “The Junior Varsity runners ran a 2 mile loop on our home course against 14 other teams and did a fantastic job! In our first meet of the season Grace Gersack led the Jr. Mustangs placing 11th overall and 2nd for girls. Zach Smith led the JV boys with an 8th place finish. At our last meet this season the girls as a team placed 4th overall. The boys did very well as individuals, but there weren’t enough team members for an overall score. I’m excited to see what the future holds for these young and talented runners.”

The varsity mustangs enjoyed a Triple Crown season as league champions, region champions, and state champions .

Mill Springs Academy Matters 13www.millsprings.org Mill Springs Academy Matters 13www.millsprings.org

Ever Slept in a Covered Wagon?

On October 9-10 twelve of the Middle School Level L and R students went to the Rock Ranch, a 1500-acre working cattle ranch owned by S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-

fil-A. This was the Middle School’s first overnight trip of the year! They went to celebrate their accomplishments of achieving the Level L and R status and to collaborate as a select group. While there students experienced the dangerous life and journey of the pilgrims while hearing stories of their many opportunities. Pioneers wanted to bring “civilization” with them and wagons traveled together in a “wagon train.” Each wagon cost $110 and was used for storage space. Everyone enjoyed cooking their own dinner and roasting s’mores over a campfire; hearing legends and spending the night in a covered wagon.

Regional One-Act Play Competition

On November 7th, MSA Drama headed to Carrolton, GA for the regional one-act competition! This year, the group presented the absurdist farce, Soap Opera by David Ives.

Seven schools competed in the all-day event with MSA students Sam North, Lindsey Lopp, Andrew Walker, Alexis Herrington, Daniel Schmidt, and Jack Hurtsellers delivering a great performance and aided backstage by students Cartwright Ayers, Morgan Newman, Mina Pastorello, Sawyer Bailey, Scott Collins, and Caroline Bonds. And while the group did not place in this year’s competition, they saw some great theatre, learned a lot, and are ready to give it another go next year. “We couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” said teacher Jamie Fambrough. “It takes a lot of courage, determination, and hard work to perform at this level, and our kids did an amazing job!” Congratulations to the entire cast and crew on a job well done.

When students awoke and stepped down from the wagon, cows were there to greet them with a “good morning Moo!”

Upper School student, Lindsay Lopp, performs in Soap Opera .

yee haw!


Annual Fund 2014–2015

CurrentParents

Staff/FacultyBoard of Trustrees

CurrentParents

NewParents

ANNUAL FUND 2014 –2015The Annual Fund is one of the most important gifts our parents, board, and faculty/staff are asked to make to the school each year.

THIS YEAR’S GOALS ARE:

• Raise $250,000• Receive 100% participation from our entire school family

(parents, board, faculty/staff )

Please join the following list of families and individuals who have already shown their support to the school by making a gift or pledge.

REMEMBER…participation means a gift of any size!

Carol and Tarpley AdamsMichael and Kim AdamsSamuel AdamsSandra AhernArvind and Jyotsna AjinkyaNick and Debbi AlexKristoffer and Sara AllegoodAnonymous ParentCarolina Ayerbe and Damian FarrierTim and Leigh Ann AyresRalph and Mary BagwellHeather BaileyPaul and Mary BarkleyJanice BartonLaura BartonNathan and Ann BeardGretchen BeckPatsy and Firman BeckwithJames BenjaminBonnie BergstresserGregory BodeepSam and Judy BoghosianRandy and Rita BotnickBruce and Deena BowersMike and Bette Rose BowersRich and Judith BreitkopfAdam and Suzanne BresslerRichard and Linda BresslerJudy BrickMargaret and Robert BritoLee and Edita BrooksElizabeth BrownJeff and Traci BrownScott and Michele BrownJames and Coleen BryantDouglas and Kristi BuceRob and Lynn BuckOliver and Karel BurnsDerek and Mindy BushRon and Sharon Bush

Darryl Butler and Karen FergusonBrian and Lisa BuxtonGrier and Ashley CampbellLaVerne CantrellWayne Carey and Yvonne SatterwhiteMichael and Bre CarlsonDaniel and Deb CarmodyWendy and Derek CarvottaCraig and Laurie CatesDon and Bev ChapmanThomas and Kathy CheekHeidi ChisholmJohn ChisholmClaire and John ChristersonTom and Belle ChristersonBruce and Mary ClaytonEd and Jill CocoMark and Sheila CohenDarryl and Teri ColemanRichard and Leslie CollinsWilliam and Rita CollinsCarlos ColonJessica and Mark ConnellGreg and Frances ConnorCharlie and Laura CovertFred CoyleJohn and Cheri CoyleBob and Mary CullertonTom and Martha DallugeBarbara DaySusan DaySean and Stephanie DeNardoJorge Diaz and Karen HallockTerry and LaDawna DickersonRalph and Gina DiClementeMike and Kim DoreRich and Julie DoucetCourtney DownsJim and Nancy DykhouseJodi Easter-Smith and Bruce Smith

Dexter and Kimpy EdgeBrittany EmgeVictoria and Dave FairleyJamie and Valerie FambroughJay and Jan FisherSheila and John FitzGeraldJanet and Scott FordJean FraserSue and Gerry GarrickColleen Garrick-BisaccaDan and Nancy GarrisonPenny GoldJohn and Joy GrayMildred GregoryMichael and Meredith GriffethLarry and Catherine GrizzleJerry and Sally GrossRael and Vicki GrosswaldPaul and Jacqueline GrupeJaime GutierrezKatie HadawayBrad and Tracy HahnJohn and Marlene HaighLamar and Arista HallPhil HansonBill and Whitney HarperAnn HartinJeanne HarveyCheri and Jim HarwoodKris HawksworthHolly Hayes-MorriseyTom and Lee HealeyJennifer Heiner and Tim GustafsonCharles and Amber HendersonBrenda HerringtonJosh HerskoKen and Libby HeskettKevin and Lisa HeskettMichael and Vicky HoltDavid and Merle Horwitz


Jay and Vicki HudsonDan and Mona HuffmanBranigan and James HughesJim and Liz HughesSirka HummelJim and Christine HurtsellersKaissar and Anita IbrahimLisa and Michael ImsandMark and Juli ItzkovitzDick and Janna JanesDavid JenkinsJo and Michelle JenkinsLaurie and Will JonesTaniah JonesBill and Cammi JonesSteven and Carol JulianKaren KaiserKaty Kane and Keith RateliffShilpee KathuriaKode and Susan KaufmanStanley and Rosalyn KayeBetty and Danny KellenbergerChristopher and Leah KempleSteven and Nicole KennedyKelli KingEric and Chris KiserMary Kay KochShannon and Patrick KochJennifer KramerGail and G. Paul KreherRick and Malinda LackeyJoel and Anne LakeRoy and Elise LanderSteven and Krista LandyAndy and Helaine LaskyStephen and Tamu LewisEd and Laura LittleWilton and Martha LooneyHunter and Laura LossonPeter and Michele LublinJason and Stephanie MackCharles and Gale MacNeillBrian and Clare MartinMichael and Ashley MartinScott and Wendy MayMichael and Barbara McCarthyMatt McConnellWalter and Sammye McCrearyHershel and Carolyn McCroanRoss and Cindy McCulloughKate and Don McElliottSteve MichamChelsea MichelsonAlicia MillerPeter and Diane ModaffDonna and Patrick MooreRobert MooreKaren Morris

Scott and Caroline MorrisKay and Cliff MorrisonAndreas and Lynn MowinckelMartha A. MuirKeith and Kathy MumaAngel and Dan MurrCharles and Judy MurrBill and Neely MusgraveVan and Angela NanneyCarissa and Kevin NelsonJohn and Angela NemeshA.E. and Georgia NivisonEd and Sally NorthRochelle and Vic NorthrupDanny and Cinda O’KeefeTom and Amy OlneyAdam and Amy OrkinDale and Gwendolyn OrredA.G. and Patricia PalmoreJim and Kathy PapasideroMatt ParkeyJohn and Liz ParksJim and Tara PaulScott and Amy PeeplesMarko and Kimberlie PekezEd and Diane PhillipsDavid and Lezlie PipesDavid and Luanne PorperElouise PrattShawn and Tracey RaeVaidehi and Murthy RallapalliMary and Felipe RamirezSteven and Julie RauTimothy RayDan and Dara RedlerEric and Chrissie ReedElizabeth RegasWayne and Rubye ReidMartin and Ralda ReishEd and Eileen ReitlerLavone RippeonStacy and Cliff RobinsonSherry and Terry RobinsonEdward and Marsha RoepeTom and Ellen RoperPatrick and Heather RoseEd and Tanya RosenblattIrwin and Ruth RothchildCarol and Rick RothschildJeff RyerJames and JoAnn SampsonErrol and Susan SandersBrian and Jody SchiltzThomas and Marge SchmidtMike and Ingrid SchneiderDana SchneidermanDirk and Carol SchraderNimesh and Regina Shah

Pat and Patricia ShannonRonnie and Paulette SherrillStuart and Cameron SherrillHelen ShusterRussell and Traci ShusterDavid and Elisa SiegelManny and Elke SilvaBob and Beryle SlaydenBrad and Brandi SmallwoodAaron and Robyn SmithGil Smith and Judy ShurlingDan and Rhonda SmithJoseph Smith and Jill Levenson-SmithLeila and Rusty SmithMichael and Tove SmithMike and Sharon SmithJohn Speir and Mary SamsDiane SprousChristopher and Christine StanleyJeff and Karen StanleyGary and Jackie SteffeyStan and Diana StokeyEdward and Wendy SullivanSue SwansonKathleen SwiftPeggy ThieriotBill and Leena ThieriotPatrick and Renee ThomasCindy ThorneRoberto TijerinaCynthia Traylor and Daniel DeleveauxKris and Jane TurnbullWilliam and Molly TurnerHector TurradoRay and Jane VaughtersJon and Estelle VoreAl and Wilma WalkerJohnny WalkerBetty WallaceJohn and Caroline WallaceShannon WarchalowskyCurtis and Betty WeaverJerry and Sharon WeickenJörg and Tiffany WeissPenelope WeissRobert and Anita WellenSandra WestonAngela WhiteKathleen WhiteChip and Stormy WhiteHal and Jane WilliamsGeorge and Carole WilsonJeffrey and Laura WinstonJack and Peggy WithrowJohn and Kimberly WrightGary and Krista YagerJerry and Sharon Yelverton

13660 New Providence Road Alpharetta, GA 30004-3413(770) 360-1336 www.millsprings.org

MSA administers a non-discriminatory policy of admissions.

Success in SCHOOL … Success in LIFE

MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY

Matters

If a student can’t learn the way we teach…we should teach the way a student can learn .

MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY Matters Mill Springs Academy Matters FALL 2014 Each year students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff all gather to celebrate Founder’s Day …

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