MILL SPRINGS ACADEMY Matters SUMMER 2011 IN THIS ISSUE Graduation 1–2 Senior Honors/ Awards 3–4 CommArts DC Trip 4 Senior Trip 4 Spring Concert & Art Show 5 Lower School Performs Shakespeare 5 CommArts Values Classes 6 MSA Takes On Bee Hive 6 Prom 7 Alumni News 7 Senior Presentations 7 Golf Tournament 8 Tellus Field Trip 8 Putnam County Spelling Bee 8 Chattanooga Field Trip 9 Dyslexia Awareness 9 GA GOAL Scholarship Program 9 Spring Honor Roll 10 Honors Day Awards 10 Retirement Corner 11 Sports 12–13 Annual Fund 14–15 Success in SCHOOL… Success in LIFE M ay 21, 2011— Forty happy graduates of Mill Springs Academy, the largest graduating class in Mill Springs’ history, completed their academic requirements and made one last walk up the hill from the Upper School/ Communication Arts classroom building to the Tweetie Lewis Moore Student Activity Center, where family, friends, teachers, administrators and returning graduates cheered their success. The program was started off by retiring Board Chair, Mark Droege, who welcomed the large audience of about 400+ guests and shared Graduates toss their caps in celebration Cla 2011 Graduates process into the gymnasium to begin commencement exercises Continued on page 2
May 21, 2011— Forty happy graduates of Mill Springs Academy, the largest graduating class in Mill Springs’ history,
completed their academic requirements and made one last walk up the hill from the Upper School/ Communication Arts classroom building to the Tweetie Lewis Moore Student Activity Center, where family, friends, teachers, administrators and returning graduates cheered their success.
The program was started off by retiring Board Chair, Mark Droege, who welcomed the large audience of about 400+ guests and shared
a heartfelt thanks to the teachers and staff who made such a big difference in the lives of his own children who attended Mill Springs.
After an invocation by graduate Justin Haynes and a performance by Mill Springs’ Glee Club, alumnus Erik Olney (Class of 2006) addressed the Class of 2011, imparting the wisdom he gained while obtaining a BBA in Management from Georgia College and State University. “You’re go-ing to make mistakes in college…it’s unavoidable,” said Erik. “But you are not defined by your mistakes. Instead,
you will be defined by how you handle those mistakes and move on from them.” Another highlight of the ceremony were the speeches given by several graduates who shared fond memories and expressed gratitude to family, teachers and friends.
Diplomas were then presented to graduates by Assistant Upper School Principal, Cynthia Traylor, Communication Arts Principal, Kay Morrison, and Director of the Upper School, Bruce Brownlow.
ALLISON ELIZABETH ASHLOCK Georgia Tech SavannahREBECCA LEIGH ASCHER Reinhardt UniversityAARON ALLSEP BRADSHER Oxford at EmoryDAVID ELLISON CAUTHEN Universal Technical Institute, NCCHRISTOPHER THOMAS CLAUGUS United States ArmyALEXANDER HARRIS FOUNTAIN Young Harris CollegeMORGAN PERRY FRIEDMAN Reinhardt UniversityBRENNA MICHELLE GATES Reinhardt UniversityJENNIFER ALLISON GOLD Georgia College & State UniversityREBECCA MARIE HALLOWELL Reinhardt UniversityROMAN FREDERICK HANNA Reinhardt UniversityJUSTIN THOMAS HAYNES Reinhardt UniversityLAUREN ROSS HAYS Agnes Scott CollegeLUKE THOMAS HOWELL Georgia PerimeterMAX HARRISON INTNER Full Sail University, FLANDREW SCOTT KATZ Chattahoochee Technical CollegeJEREMY LEIGH KATZ Chapel Haven, AZJASON TYLER MAZA Valdosta State UniversityIAN ALEXANDER MCNABB Lynn University, FLABIGAIL MARIA MILES Lee University, TN
PETER JOHN MILORD North Carolina Wesleyan College, NCMALLORY ANN OBERHOLTZER Reinhardt UniversityWILLIAM ENNIS O’NEAL, JR. Andrew CollegeERIC DENISON PETERSON UndecidedCARLY ANNE REYNOLDS Warren Wilson College, NCJESSE ADAMS RHODES University of GeorgiaJEFFREY CARLYLE ROBERTS Reinhardt UniversityREBEKAH ASHLEY SCHULTHEIS Birmingham Southern College, ALMICHAEL CLEMENT SCOTT UndecidedDOUGLAS HUGH SEAMAN Gordon CollegeBRENTON MICHAEL SHEPHARD UndecidedWILLIAM ALEXANDER SYRETT Georgia PerimeterHOLLY ANNA THILLET Reinhardt UniversityJOHN JOSEPH THOMAS Andrew CollegeCHRISTOPHER JAIME TORRES University of West GeorgiaBARBARA ELENI TSAROUHAS Andrew CollegeHANNAH ROSE TWERY Savannah College of Art and DesignAARON PAUL WEISS Reinhardt UniversityCHRISTOPHER JAMES WHITE Georgia PerimeterBROOKE MARIE WOOLF Brigham Young University, UT
You are not defined by your mistakes. Instead, you will be defined by how you handle those mistakes and move on from them.New DestinationsCongratulations to the class of 2010! May your next steps in life lead you down a successful path.
Academic Accomplishment Brooke Woolf
Most Improved Christopher White
Citizenship Max Intner
Valedictorian Allison Ashlock
Salutatorian Hannah Twery
STAR Student Jesse Rhodes
AJC Award / Best All Around Rebecca Ascher
Bruce Brownlow Achievement Award Jeff Roberts & Eleni Tsarouhas
Senior Appreciation Award David Cauthen
100% Mustang Award Aaron Bradsher
Diane Lewis Award (Level L) Alexander Fountain
Outstanding Achievement, Dedication & Musicianship in Band Aaron Bradsher Chris Claugus Rebecca Hallowell Roman Hanna Doug Seaman
ART
Senior Sketchbooks Commitment to Creativity Becca Ascher Jason Maza Abby Miles Peter Milord
Excellence in Art 7 Brenna Gates
Completion of Art 7 Mallory Oberholtzer
Excellence in Art 6 Holly Thillet & Brooke Woolf
Acknowledgement of Eagle Scout Art Table Aaron Bradsher
MuSIC
Literary Festival Trophy and Conduct Pin Alex Fountain
“Vocalist of the Year” Eleni Tsarouhas
GLEE Medal Aaron Bradsher
Performer Award Medallion: Chris Torres
“Assistant Tech Director Glee, Drama, & Overall Awesome Person Award 2011” Max Intner
Theatre
Excellence in Theatre for Spelling Bee Aaron Bradsher Abby Miles Chris Torres
Jenny Gold Allison Ashlock
Teen Writes Honesty and Integrity of Spirit Alex Syrett
Integrity and Open-mindedness Rebecca Hallowell
Rising Above and Open-mindedness Allison Ashlock Peace Keeper Abby Miles
ACADEMIC SuBJECTSAE = Academic Excellence MI = Most Improved
Political Science Carly Reynolds AE
World History Hannah Twery MI
Yearbook Bekah Schultheis MI
Senior Banquet “Banquetlaureate”
This year, in place of Mill Springs’ traditional “baccalaureate” program, graduating seniors, along with their proud parents, family members, friends and MSA faculty and staff gathered
for an evening of celebration and recognition at the Marriott Hotel in Alpharetta on the evening of May 20. Nearly 300 people attended the event called “banquetlaureate”—a term coined by Upper School Vice Principal, Cynthia Traylor. “We tried to do something a little different this year by combining a dinner with our traditional awards ceremony,” said Ms. Traylor. “But most of the program, especially
the speaker portion, was left the same.” Instead of invit-ing speakers from outside the Mill Springs’ commu-nity, the school features graduates both at its awards program and graduation ceremony who speak to those gathered. They call to mind their reasons for attending MSA, their suc-cesses and friendships; but, most of all, they thank
family, teachers, staff and friends for their invaluable support.
In March, nine Communication Arts students flew to Washington, D.C. for a three-day trip that allowed them to learn about every-thing from the history of flight to the Holocaust. First on the tour was Aurora Flight and Sciences, where experi-
mental aircraft are designed and built. John Langford, CEO of the company, is the uncle of Meredith Langford, a junior at MSA, so the students got a special look at the inner workings of the company. Designers and engineers guided the students through the process of designing aircraft, and then allowed the students to sit in one of their planes.
Amid a city blanketed in cherry blossoms, the students traveled to several historical sites, visiting the Capitol, the Smithsonian Museums (Air and Space Museum and The Museum of Natural History), the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. “I feel as if I just lived through two
centuries,” said student Mason Taylor. The final destination for the students was the Holocaust Muse-
um. “This was a real eye-opener,” said Meredith Langford. “I really liked the way we were given the passport of a real person and given the chance to see at the end of the tour what happened to them. That made it seem so real.”
Chaperone Taniah Jones said her only regret was that they didn’t have more time. “It’s so great to see the kids learning by visiting these museums,” she said. “There’s so much to see in Washington that we could have stayed there for a year.”
Senior Trip—Disney!
Twenty-eight seniors and 5 chaperones took a 2-day whirl-wind tour of Walt Disney World for their senior trip. While there the group stayed at the All Star Music Resort and did
their best to take in many of the parks spectacular attractions such as Epcot Center, House of Blues, and Blizzard Beach. However, the highlight of the trip for most everyone was when the group attended Disney Grad Night at the Magic Kingdom. During Grad Night, The Magic Kingdom Park is closed to the public, and open only to high school seniors. Everyone was given unlimited access to all the park’s rides, attractions, and interactive video games, treated to live music by Ryan Star, Pete Wentz, Taio Cruz, and 3OH3, and witnessed a special Class of 2011 fireworks display.
Psychology Brooke Woolf AE Jeff Roberts MI
Economics Roman Hanna AE
Applied Math Jeremy Katz AE
Honors Senior Literature Hannah Twery AE Allison Ashlock MI
Senior Literature Becca Ascher AE Aaron Bradsher AE, MI Morgan Friedman MI
The 55 piece MSA Band put on a spectacular performance on the night of May 5th, covering songs from a wide variety of artists such as Avenged Sevenfold and Europe. The night
was shaped largely by the five seniors in the Band (Aaron Bradsher, Chris Claugus, Rebecca Hallowell, Roman Hanna and Doug Sea-man) who each received a special request from the audience to play an instrument or special song. For example, the Band opened with a request to senior, Doug Seaman to play an instrumental hip hop piece by Venezuelan musician, Jorge Quintero. Rebecca Hallowell was also directed by the crowd to put down her flute and head back to the percussion section to play drums.
Two student compositions, “Bell Tower Rush” by Aaron Brad-sher and “Symphony of Sorrow” by Roman Hanna, were also per-formed by the band as Senior Requests, which was a first for MSA. The two composers stood up and introduced their pieces, giving the group insight into the songs which were both impressive and inspir-ing! It was a truly amazing event and fun was had by all!
MSA’s GLEE Club also performed that evening featuring solos by Seniors Eleni Tsarouhas and Alex Fountain who both won honors at GISA’s Vocal Solo Competition earlier this year as well as the GLEE Club’s newly-formed “Middle School” group who per-formed a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin.” The concert raised a total of $650 which was donated to the Birmingham Salvation Army to aid victims of the recent tornados.
Lower School Takes on Shakespeare
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” It is the East and LOWER SCHOOL was the Sun!
Lower School students took on Shakespeare this year for their year-end drama performance putting on two short plays, “The Life of Shakespeare,” and an adapted version of “Ro-meo and Juliet.” Students learned all about what life was like in the time of William Shakespeare; staged combat techniques and posi-tions for fencing; and learned all about the language of Shakespeare! Every Lower School student in grades 1 through 4 took on roles, some memorizing many of “Romeo and Juliet’s” original
lines for performance and some acting out parts as Shakespeare’s parents, kids, teacher, and even becoming part of the Globe Theatre.
The entire project was done in collaboration with the art depart-ment as art teacher, Brian Buxton and many art students painted panels of the Globe Theatre for students to reconstruct on stage in the part of Shakespeare’s life story when he builds his theater. Low-er school drama teacher, Kate McElliott, directed the play. When asked her favorite part of doing the show, Kate quickly replied, “The excitement! How exciting it was to have first, second, third, and fourth graders saying- yay!! We have Shakespeare practice today!! I LOVE Shakespeare! How exciting in a world of video games and TV sitcoms to hear things such as this and to see the excitement come alive on stage!” And alive it did come…from students dancing to and fro at the Capulet’s party in Romeo and Juliet, to the famous balcony scene, to a mini re-enactment of the first play Shakespeare saw, “St. George and the Dragon.” The Stallings Theater was alive with enthusiasm, history, and culture in this night of Shakespeare.
unexpected Togetherness
The Spring Art Show on April 14 and 15, brought together the
best artwork of MSA’s in-credibly creative and artistic art students. Even a pass-ing tornado watch couldn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance. Instead, it brought everyone together …literally.
All grades from 1 through 12 were represented through various drawings, paintings, block prints, sculp-tures, and pottery which filled the gallery in the gym. Over $600 in art pieces were sold…a record for the yearly event! Huge thanks to all who purchased artwork and to all who attended!
A .painting .by .Senior .Brooke .Woolf—Acrylic .Paint .on .Canvas .
Mill Springs Academy Matters 5
Students Learn About Religious Tolerance
As part of their “Religious Tolerance” series, Communica-tion Arts students were treated to several lectures by various individuals from different faiths. The group started their
studies in the early spring with a lecture from a Deacon in Formation (class of 2012) from St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Mr. Tom McGivney, who walked students through the history of the Catho-lic Church and then answered students’ questions about the faith. “I think it’s neat to learn about other people’s beliefs,” stated Carly Reynolds. “Maybe there wouldn’t be so many wars if people tried harder to understand and study different ways of worshiping.” Stu-dents also enjoyed lectures from members of the Episcopal, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and Muslim faiths.
Communication Arts Learns how to Make healthy Choices
As part of their continuing series on “How to Be a Healthy Teen”, nutritionist Carol Ann Brannon, MS, RD, LD, talked to the students about how to get a good start to
their day by eating the right kind of foods for breakfast. Students studied food labels to discern which cereals were healthy choices. “I had no idea that some of these cereals contained so much sugar,” exclaimed surprised student Ace Webber. Ms. Brannon emphasized the importance of having a breakfast to jumpstart your body. “It’s great to educate the kids to read food labels,” she said. “Even most adults rarely know the value of what they’re eating.”
For their final project in “Healthy Teens,” Ms. Brannon chal-lenged the students of Communication Arts to bring in food labels. Erin Horst brought in organic apple juice for the healthiest snack, and Luke Han-rahan won with the unhealthiest snack, a pack of Twizzlers. After learning nutrition facts all year long, students conclud-ed their studies by playing“Nutrition Jeopardy”.
Last November, Don Durocher, master beekeeper and grand-father of PreUpper student, Jake Connell, offered to donate a bee hive to MSA for educational observation and to collect
our own Mill Springs honey. After completing the necessary due diligence in regard to the legality and safety of establishing a hive on
school property, as well as the work required to maintain the hive, Mill Springs gladly accepted.
Mr. Durocher and Mr. Bill Dunn, another master beekeeper, have graciously agreed to donate their time and expertise toward the upkeep of the hive which can be found alongside the PreUpper School. The hive has been used as a learning tool throughout the spring semester as students study everything from pollination and bee reproduction, to how bees contribute to a healthy and more sustainable world. For the latest information on the hive as well as ongoing learning opportunities, please visit thebeestang.blogspot.com which was started by PreUpper teacher, Michael Adams.
Jacob Weinberger (2007). Jacob is graduating in May from Goucher College with a BA in Psychology and has been ac-cepted into the Masters program for Counseling Psychology at
Loyola University. He has played an active role at Goucher College; serving as the VP of finance for the Student Government Associa-tion; holding the lead student worker position in the school’s IT department; and participating in the ESOL program for the Latino community in the Baltimore area. Thanks for keeping in touch, Jacob and please keep us informed as your plans progress.
Nick Pasquariello (2009). Nick recently fin-ished his sophomore year at NGCSU and is transferring to GA Tech next fall. “North Georgia has a pretty campus, but it doesn’t have an engi-neering department, which is my career path,” said Nick. “I am interested in mechanical engineering and in particular, developing renewable energy sources.” As some may recall, Nick’s Senior Project two years ago was on the electric car. Best of luck at GA Tech, Nick! Study hard!
David Rossi-Espagnet (2000). David graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School with distinction in 2010 and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia later that same year. He is now working as a counsel attorney for Nathaniel L. Smith PC, in Newnan Georgia.
James Evitts (2005). A group of teachers and seniors from MSA recently met up with James while they were on a senior trip at Walt Disney World. James works as a lifeguard at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and was kind enough to take the group from MSA to the “special” slides within the resort.
Andrew Smoltz (2010)—Andrew completed his first year at Oglethorpe University and plays baseball for the college’s team where he hit an out-of-the-park homerun during his first time at bat. Andrew helped open this year’s graduation ceremonies at MSA by giving the invocation.
A group of Alumni were spotted in the crowd at this year’s graduation ceremonies: Kirsten Smith (2010), Mitchell Katz (2005), Jack Trantham (2009), Josh Turner (2010), Chris Magill (2009), Patrick Marco (2009), and Catherine Simpson (2010). Thanks for coming back to visit!
Senior Presentations
Senior Presentation Week is a time for the graduating class to shine! All eyes are on them. Seniors choose a topic that is interesting to them, research it, and develop a plan to engage
the audience with pleasing graphics and data, and finally present their work to the MSA Community during a two-day event to which parents, teachers, and students are all invited. Each year, students
dedicate about eight weeks to prepare for the event. Upper School teacher, Gail Kreher, who organizes the event each year, provides 22 pages of guidance and requires regular submis-sions from students along the way. “Students have the chance to push themselves out of a comfortable place, beyond high school expec-tations and into the next level of academic achieve-ment,” said Mrs. Kreher. “This orchestrated pressure prepares them well for the rigors and heat of college studies.”
Mill Springs’ students and their dates dance the “Electric Slide” during the 2011 prom.
Mill Springs Academy Matters 7Summer 2011
Prom
Mill Springs’ prom was held on Sat-urday, April 16, at
the Atlanta National Golf Club in Alpharetta. About 80 Upper School and Communi-cation Arts students and their dates enjoyed this year’s event which celebrated the theme of “Old Hollywood”. The seniors were surprised when the occasion was used to give out Superlative Awards.
Mill Springs’ 13th Annual “Tee-Off For Technology” golf tournament was held on Monday, April 18 at The Capital City Club. This year’s event was attended by 108 golfers
and raised over $20,000 in support of the school’s technology infra-structure. A big thanks to the sponsors, raffle & silent auction do-nors, as well as the committee members and volunteers who helped make this year’s event a success. Last but not least…Congratulations to this year’s winners!
n 1st Place—Joe Smith, Walt Price, Dave LaVeille and Kyle Davis
n 2nd Place—Lou Kramer, Nathan Klein, Nate LaFera and Jason Ruyle
n 3rd Place—Jason Attaway, Randy Rodon, Mark Cowart and Brian Quandtz
The “Tee-Off For Technology” Golf Tournament was estab-lished in 1998 in order to raise money for MSA’s ever changing technological needs. Mill Springs is one of the only fully integrated laptop schools in the state of Georgia. Because technology is very costly and MSA is a not-for-profit private academy, our school is actively engaged in several fund raising opportunities to help this worthwhile program. All the proceeds from the Golf Tournament benefit our “Laptops for Learning” program.
Communication Arts Digs the Tellus Museum
It’s not every day that students get to stare into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but that’s exactly what the students of the Communication Arts Department did at the Tellus Museum
Fossil Gallery on a field trip to Cartersville.The students took a walk through history which took them
past millions of years of dinosaurs, reptiles and giant mammals that dominated the land, sea, and air before becoming extinct. Students studied the geologic time scale, observing the evolutionary changes in species of fossilized life. The students physically mod-eled the time line in the gallery and then played a unique geologic time game called “Geo-pardy” modeled after the popular TV game show “Jeopardy” in which they defined the various divisions on the geologic time scale. Students then learned how to use a dichoto-mous key to classify several actual fossils and concluded their visit to Tellus by going on a mock fossil dig uncovering bones from extinct creatures. “I had no idea these creatures were so gigantic,” exclaimed Morgan Taylor. “I’m glad they’re extinct.”
Congratulations to the cast and crew of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!” Students in theatre performance from Com-munication Arts, PreUpper, and Uppper Schools rocked the new “Stallings Theater” with three hilarious performances of this very challenging musical! Lynn Stallings outdid herself with her final musical at Mill Springs and audiences were treated as well to a guest
performance in the show by her husband, Don Stallings, who has volunteered kazillions of hours to MSA over the past 20 years.
You are already paying income taxes to the state. Why not re-direct some of those taxes to provide Georgia children with Greater
Opportunities for Access to Learning (GOAL)?When you re-direct your Georgia income taxes to GOAL, you can designate that the
contribution be used to provide scholarships at Mill Springs Academy. Thus, the school is able to:
1. Increase the financial aid that it can offer new students;2. Increase school enrollment; and3. Increase the funds available to improve educational offerings.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to contribute before the end of 2011, so that you may take this credit on your 2011 Georgia income tax return. Please log onto Mill Springs’ website to learn more and download your forms today (www.millsprings.org/GAGOAL).
Mill Springs Academy Matters 9Summer 2011
Redirect Your GA State Taxes to Mill Springs
Communication Arts “Gone With the Wind” Trip to Chattanooga
What’s more exciting than a kayaking trip to Chattanooga? How about a trip to Chattanooga that’s filled with downed trees, power lines, and tornados?
Several Communication Arts students and staff members trav-eled to Camp Lookout in Rising Fawn, Georgia, for their annual three-day camp adventure. When they arrived at Camp Lookout, Director Don Washburn stated that they had had a little wind come through that morning, but he thought the worst was over. Everyone unpacked their gear and put it into their cabins and headed for the Chattanooga Aquarium. While at the aquarium, everyone had to go into the basement at one point because they said “a strong cell was coming through.” After the aquarium visit which everyone enjoyed immensely, staff and students headed to the I-Max theater to watch “The Big Wave: Tahiti,” a movie that explained the dynamics of ocean waves and showcased the people who ride the waves. When Principal Kay Morrison called Don Washburn to let him know they were returning to the camp, he stated, “We just had a tornado come through...we have no water or power. We’re looking for a place for you to stay.”
The MSA group went to dinner and sat on the bus while Kay’s daughter, Jana Michelson, entertained them with an impromptu con-cert. The group then received a call from Don that “no hotel in town has any vacancies...they’ve been full since noon, and they’ve closed I-75.” Principal Kay Morrison was raised in Chattanooga, so she put plan B into action. “I called my cousin and said, ‘How would you like a little company tonight?” Kay’s cousin and her husband, Cathy and Wendell Smith, graciously accepted the entire CommArts group into their home. Everyone ended up having a great time and they were never actually exposed to any of the really bad weather. In fact, the next morning a vote was taken on whether the kids wanted to go back to Atlanta or continue the adventure even though the kayaking portion had been cancelled. They unanimously voted to stay!
Plan B included another I-Max movie, “Born to Be Wild,” about rescue programs for orphaned orangutans and elephants. Then students hiked around Chattanooga’s exquisite Riverwalk, where they visited the outdoor sculpture garden, walked across the pedestrian bridge, had ice cream, and spent the rest of the day playing games in Coolidge Park by the Tennessee River. The next morning, everyone visited Chattanooga Zoo, and enjoyed viewing chimpanzees, snow leopards, and a variety of other wildlife. As they drove by Ringgold, Georgia, on their way home, the group was shocked by the devasta-tion they witnessed: “The McDonald’s was completely blown away and looked like a bunch of popsicle sticks,” said student Emily Chas-tain. “It was horrifying.” Principal Kay Morrison stated, “I couldn’t have traveled with a better group of kids. They were simply wonder-ful. There was no whining and no complaining. I’m very proud of them all.”
The DASH is coming! Tell EVERY-ONE! It’s a race to spread aware-ness about dyslexia! On Saturday,
October 22, 2011 runners and walkers will gather for this 5K run/walk! There will be prizes, music, t-shirts, a bounce house, spin art, race packets filled with “goodies,” information tables, and so much more! Visit www.dyslexiadash.com to register or to make a donation. Also, if you wish to volunteer for the event in any way, please email officials at [email protected] or (404) 256-1232, to be a matched with a task that suits your schedule.
Susan S. Sanders Scholarship AwardPaul Bain
Alex Levitt Citizenship AwardCarly Reynolds
Nelle Lewis Memorial AwardMatthew McConnell
President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence (Gold and White)
UpperJustin Armenta Aaron Bradsher Hanna Bowler Annie Carter David Cauthen Austin Coleman West Connor Mary Claire Corwell Philip Early Brenna Gates Rebecca Hallowell Roman Hanna Luke Howell Max Intner Brett Jackson Carter Madison Michael Matthews Spencer Murphy Jake Northrup
Mallory Oberholtzer Jeff Roberts Bekah Schultheis Hannah Twery
PreUpperKaan Acarkan Andrew Asher Jon Mark Brasher Ken Carmon Madison Ewing Jay Karner Tyler Legg Jasmine McDow Thomas Moore Colin Nelson Sam North Austin Palmore Dylan Porper Ethan Reish Noah Rittenberg Cameron Schrader Tim Schultheis Eric Siegel Sam Sigman Alex Silverman Claire Sims Levi Smith Andrew Walker
honors Day AwardsOn the last day of school, MSA’s students and their families are joined in the Tweetie Lewis Moore Student Activity Center by faculty and staff who honor students for their academic and social achievements.
After the final performance of this year’s spring musical (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spell-
ing Bee) Headmaster, Robert Moore, dedicated the theater housed inside the Tweetie Lewis Moore Student Activity Center to long-time MSA Theater Direc-tor, Lynn Stallings, naming it the “Stall-ings Theater”. After 20 years with MSA, Lynn has decided to retire from teach-ing and devote the rest of her working years building up “Atlanta Workshop Players”—a theater group founded and run by Lynn and her very talented husband, Don. Next fall, when you are coming to see awesome performances and concerts directed by Kate McEl-liott, Jamie Fambrough and Elizabeth Plastiak, you can say, ‘I’ll meet you in the Stallings to see the show!’
When Lynn made the announce-ment of her decision to retire from MSA earlier this year, many of her col-leagues took the time to put into words, just how much she has meant to them over the years. The following quotes truly illustrate the impact Lynn has had on Mill Springs over the past two decades.
“Lynn and I go way back. I met Lynn at the old campus in Sandy Springs on Brandon Mill when MSA used to be called “The New School.” I’ve always been fascinated with her positive energy and how this energy is contagious, not only for me but for the kids as well. Like PE, there weren’t any facilities but she made do like many of us, so believe me when I tell you we are appreciative for where we are now. I am so disappointed that she will be leaving us but she leaves her legacy and spirit in “The Stallings Theater! “You will always have a place in my heart and we will miss you terribly!” —James Sampson (Athletic Director and 27-year MSA Veteran).
“I remember when Lynn first came to Mill Springs Academy. She brought energy and enthusiasm as well as structure to the fledging MSA theatre program. The students loved her immediately and poured an enormous amount of effort into their work. I also had the pleasure of teaching Lynn’s son, Lane. If I am remember-ing correctly, he was in my world history class. Over the years, the MSA theatre productions have become more sophisticated and involved more and more students…I have always enjoyed them. Lynn laid a solid foundation for the theater program at MSA and I know her influence will be felt long into the future.”—Susan Day (Counselor and 22-year MSA Veteran).
“Lynn has always been like a ray of sunshine - she is always animated and smiling. I have been absolutely blown away with her productions and what she has done with our kids. She really created a place where our kids, who struggle in so many areas, can build self-confidence and feel a part of something. She really is amaz-ing.”—Laurie Jones (Lower School Principal and 20-year MSA Veteran).
Farewell to MSA’s Favorite Librarian
Media Specialist and Librarian, Woody Driskill, is retiring from a life-long career in education after four years at Mill
Springs. “These four years at MSA have been the happiest in my professional career,” said Woody. Woody always welcomed visitors with kindness and interest making students and faculty feel at home in the library. We hope Woody will visit often—come early and stay late.
Teaching Veteran Retires From MSA
After 42 years of teaching at the secondary, collegiate, and Mill Springs’ “PreUpper” levels, literature teacher Errol Sanders, is finally retiring. Errol, a Georgia native, graduated from
Columbus High School and later attended the University of Georgia, where he earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in English. After kicking off his career teaching at the collegiate level, Errol landed a job at Wood-ward Academy in College Park, Georgia, where he was a dormitory teacher, a cross country coach, and an English teacher for 10th and 12th grades. Errol taught at Woodward for 21 years and says the experiences there are what made him the teacher that he is today.
Mr. Sanders’ first time teaching a class of learning-disability students occurred in the mid 1970’s. “Teaching that class was some of the best fun I’ve ever had in a classroom,” said Errol. Little did he know that he was destined to end his career teaching that same type of bright and vibrant student at Mill Springs Academy.
In addition to teaching at the PreUpper and secondary levels at Woodward Academy, Ye-shiva Atlanta, and Mill Springs, Mr. Sanders has taught at the collegiate level at the University of Georgia, Columbus College, Andrew Col-lege, Morris Brown College, and Valdosta State University. During the last levels meeting of his teaching career at Mill Springs’, Errol was hon-ored with “feedback” from students as well as faculty who have worked with Errol through-out the years. Fellow teacher, Hank Jones, said “Errol taught me at Woodward Academy; he was a great teacher and very knowledgeable and practical. I was very pleased to see him here when I arrived at MSA to teach.” Carolyn Halde-man who taught English with Errol in the Upper School at Mill Springs and worked with him in the Governor’s Honors program at Valdosta State said, “Remember when we were required by our superiors at Valdosta State to come up with “essen-
tial questions” and fancy bulletin boards? You ignored it all, walked in with your Faulkner, read to your students, and wowed them to become life-long Faulkner lovers.” Comments from students such as, “you know how to make things interesting,” and “you explain things so that I understand them,” rounded out the experience for Er-rol who was greatly touched.
After an undefeated regular season and a runner up finish in the GISA AAA regional tournament that won them a trip back to the State tournament, the MSA golf team capped
off the AAC golf season with a dominating display that led to their second championship in three years. Austin Coleman was low medalist with a 5-over-par 77, and Robert Golden was the 3rd low-est overall score with an 89. The team ended the year at the State Tournament at Jekyll Island Golf Club, placing 11th overall—just missing the top ten by two strokes. “This season overall was an excellent learning experience for the kids,” said golf coach Matthew McConnell. “We are already looking forward to going back next year and doing even better!”
Track and Field
Mill Springs’ track and field team completed a very fast-paced championship season, placing 3rd overall at the AAC League Championship Meet, and placing 5th overall
at the GISA State Championship in Albany, GA. “I am very proud of everyone who participated this year,” said coach, Victoria Jones. “It was a successful season with many new records set, and for the first time, enough of the kids qualified for State to allow the entire team to travel to Albany to participate! Full season results with indi-vidual, team, and school records can be found at http://ga.milesplit.com/teams/MSPG. Also, to view and/or purchase photos of this year’s track team events, please go to http://www.enjoyphotos.com and plug in the username “track” and password “35022-track”.
Tennis
Mill Springs’ Varsity Boys and Girls Tennis Teams both received 1st place trophies and were declared the 2011 AAC Division Champions! Trophies for the 1st, 2nd, and
3rd place teams were presented prior to the AAC Individual Tour-nament at Brenau University on April 28th. Following the awards ceremony, the hunt was on for individual champion positions in both singles and doubles. The following is a list of results from the AAC Individual Tournament:
Boys:Alex Davis—Singles FinalistJesse Rhodes—Singles Semi-FinalistTyler Legg—Singles Semi-Finalist Alex Davis & Jesse Davis—Doubles ChampionPaul Jarvis & Matt Sedacca—Doubles Semi-Finalist
“We enjoyed watching many exciting and close matches during the season and are grateful for the sportsmanship that our team members displayed on the courts,” said tennis coach Anne Holland. “A special thank you to Rhonda Acarkan, Melissa Adams, and Philip Rhodes for being our team parents.”
VOLLEYBALLMost Improved—Rebekah BowersCoaches’ Award—Madison OrrMVP—Jenny GoldAAC Conference Volleyball Player of the Year—Abby Miles
TENNISGirls Most Improved—Jenny GoldCoaches Award— Mallory OberholtzerMVP—Holly ThilletBoys Most Improved— Jake NorthrupCoaches’ Award—Jesse RhodesMVP—Alex Davis
TRACKMost Improved—Logan SingletonCoaches’ Award—Michael PalmerCoaches’ Award— Matthew McNaughtonMVP—Erin HorstMVP—Jake Lipsitz
GOLFMost Improved— Francis AbernethyCoaches’ Award—Robert GoldenMVP—Austin Coleman CROSS COuNTRYMost Improved—Ryan ArdagnaCoaches’ Award—Becca AscherMVP—Aaron Bradsher BASEBALLMost Improved—Garrison Brown Coaches’ Award—West Connor Mustang Award—Jake Kamrass MVP—Addison Reed BASKETBALLMustang Award— Austin ColemanCoaches’ Award— Jake LipsitzMost Improved— Michael Scott WRESTLINGMost Improved—West ConnorCoaches’ Award— Brent Shepherd MVP—Tylor Johnson
Baseball—by Coach, Jack Withrow
I wish to thank the Baseball Parents and Coach Keith Muma for helping make my ninth year as the MSA Head Baseball Coach another successful season. The Baseball Mustangs finished the
Atlantic Athletic Conference (AAC) campaign in second place with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. Freshman pitcher Addison Reed
threw Mill Springs’ first no-hitter and fol-lowed that performance up with a second no-hitter in the opening round of the AAC Tournament. He lost a heartbreaker in the Finals as the underdog Mustangs fell by a score of 2 to 1 to the heavily favored Bran-don Hall Panthers. Sophomore Captain Jake Kamrass also made the All AAC Team with a batting average of .475. With the exception of senior and team manager, David Cauthen, the entire team will be returning next year. The Green and White look forward to the 2012 season with high hopes of capturing the AAC Championship.
MSA Awarded Its Third Commissioner’s Cup
During this year’s AAC All Con-ference Sports
Banquet, Mill Springs Academy was presented for the third time with a very special and prestigious award…The Commission-er’s Cup! The Commis-sioner’s Cup is awarded to the school who earns the most cumulative points which is based on how the school’s teams placed in each competitive sport during the season.
Donor ListDaniel & Christine AbernethyRhonda AcarkanCarol & Tarpley AdamsMichael & Kim AdamsDeb AdkinsJason & Donna AdlerCarmen AllenIvan Allen IVMargaret AllenMike & Courtney AntonucciMark & Phoebe ArdagnaBrian & Julie ArmentaDanny & Sue AscherAndrew Y. AsherHugh & Kim AsherTom & Spring AsherJayson & Jackie AttawayCarolina Ayerbe & Damian FarrierTim & Leigh Ann AyresDavid & Janet BainJoe & Cheryl BalogBruce & Michele BalohPaul & Mary BarkleyJerry & Janet BarnettJanice BartonLaura BartonCliff & Beverly BartowBilly & Caroline BarwickBrent & Tana BeasleyDonna BerkowitzMark & Cathy BermanGregory BodeepRussell & Jill BondsWill & Jackie BorderBruce & Deena BowersKen & Debbie BowersMike & Bette Rose BowersJohn & Barbara BowlerSteve & Trish BoyerKaren & Justin BradleyRichard Brandt & Carmen NeyraMark & Pam BrasherJohn & Rita BreenLisa BrinkleyMargaret & Robert BritoDebbie BrownJeff & Traci BrownLisa BrownScott & Michele BrownEric BrownBruce & Marie Brownlow
Doris BryantJames & Coleen BryantIan Buda & Bari CalaisBill & Lori BudwitzErin BuiceDon & Kim BunkerJeff & Pam BurdickBrian & Lisa BuxtonMonte & Pam CagleWayne Carey & Yvonne SatterwhiteWarren & Stephanie CarmonAndrew & Jinny CarterDennis & Lisa CasselJim & Lisa CauthenA.J. & Sherri CervantesNicholas & Margaret CetoDon & Bev ChapmanJan ChastainWayne & Beth ChiuMichael & Jinjie CiccoBob & Ruth Ann ClaninMark & Heather ClarkJon & Gail ClarkeTom & Karen ClaugusFran ClineRaymond & Devonda CobbElliott & Judith CohenMark & Sheila CohenSusan CohenDarryl & Teri ColemanGilbert ColemanJim ColemanJoyce ColemanLynda ColemanGrant & Susan CollingsworthFrances CollinsRichard & Leslie CollinsAllison ComisJoe & Judy ComisClarence & Anne ConkinChris & Trisha ConlinKeith & Gina ConnellMark & Jessica ConnellGreg & Frances ConnorJamie & Lin ContinoSteven & Heidi CookKarla & Donald CoopVirginia CorwellMichael CowanJohn & Sylvia CutchinTom & Martha DallugeArthur & Kathy DarrLarry & Laura Davenport
Jesse & Sharon DavisBarbara DaySusan DayCharles & Nancy DeaglePeter & Lorrie DeSantisEllen DeweeseJosh & Paula DeweeseJorge Diaz & Karen HallockBruce & Sylvia DickLarry & Karen DomenicoWoody & Genie DriskillMark & Monique DroegeDon & Barbara DurocherGregg Dwyer & Kelli BeechlerCarolyn EarlyJae & Lee Ann EarlyJodi Easter-Smith & Bruce SmithTom & Marcia EdwardsVictor & Josephine EkworomaduWayne & Jenny ErgleHeiko & Sylke EscheBob & Mary Elizabeth EtheridgeTroy & Angela EwingJamie & Valerie FambroughKris & Scott FarrellJeff & Robin FeltonMark & Martina FitzSheila & John FitzGeraldBob & Gail FlaminiHugh & Robyn FlaxJeff & Claire FoltzJanet & Scott FordJim FosterHank FreemanTonya FreemanVincent & Monica FreseLance & Susan FriedlandKen & Simone FrisardGerry & Sue GarrickDan & Nancy GarrisonNeil & Jacki GassDoug & LeAnna Gates
Steve & Kelly GlennKaren GoldPenny GoldRobert & Patty GoldenJon & Nancy GoldmanChip & Lora GonzalesHilda GoodelmanLeonard & Deborah GoodelmanMike & Joane GoodroePete & Leigh GoodwynBilly & Gail GordonDaniel & Maritza GraciaKristin GraffinJohn & Joy GrayFred & Lauren GreenShirley GreerMichael GriffethAnne GrossmanRael & Vicki GrosswaldJaime GutierrezJamie & Lisa GuttmanKatie & Mike HadawayDeborah HaertelJohn & Marlene HaighRandy & Sandra HainDavid & Paula HallowellMark & Lindell HannaFred & Lynn HannaPhil HansonGary & Annette HarmonDonald HarrisAnn HartinCheri & Jim HarwoodScott & Linda HaymanGeorge & Linda HaynesEd & Carol HaysPaul & Dawn HazzardThomas & Lee HealeyAndrew & Karen HebertWayne & Brenda HerringtonDon & Jeanne HodsonAnne & Jeff Holland
Annual Fund 2010–2011
The Annual Fund is the most important gift our parents, board, and faculty/ staff are asked to make to the school each year. This year’s goals are:
n Raise $250,000n Receive 100% participation from our entire school family
(parents, board, faculty/staff )If you have not yet made your gift of participation, it’s not too
late. Gifts for this year’s Annual Fund can be made through July 30, 2011. Please contact the school or visit the Development link on Mill Springs website to make your gift today. And REMEMBER…participation means a gift of any size!
Annual Fund 2010–2011
CurrentParents
Staff/FacultyBoard of Trustrees
CurrentParents
NewParents
14 Mill Springs Academy Matters Summer 2011
Michael & Vicky HoltDarren & Stacy HorstArnold & Mollie HorwitzTerry & Paige HowellJim HudsonJay & Vicki HudsonBranigan & James HughesRolf & Waldtraut HummelSirka HummelAmy HurstBarry & Sylvia HymanJim & Mindy IntnerBryant & Kim IsaacsMark & Teresa JacksonDick & Janna JanesRon & Stacy JarvisSteve & Wendy JensenDavid & Patricia JohnsonStan & Cristy JohnsonHank Jones & Saisai ZhangLaurie & Will JonesTaniah JonesVictoria Jones & Dave FairleyKaty Kane & Keith RateliffTodd & Julie KarnerBarry & Barbara KatzDavid & Karen KatzStanley & Rosalyn KayeBetty & Danny KellenbergerNita KendrickEd & Teresa KennedyMike & Cristina KennedyMartin & Bobbie KiteSheila KleinLexi KlupchakShannon & Patrick KochJennifer & Lou KramerPaul & Gail KreherWarren & Stephanie LampertPaul LandySteven & Krista LandyLori LaneDavid & Leslie LangfordJack & Margaret LangfordMary LanningRon & Carol LarroAndy & Helaine LaskyRachel LaskySally A. LeFevreJon & Bobbie LeighDiane LewisLaura LinkArthur & Barbara LiskerEd & Laura LittleDennis & Sandy LockhartWilton & Martha LooneyJuan Lopez-CarrionDavid & Leslie LoppRobin LucasJason & Stephanie MackNeil & Leslie MannaLisa MarcotteHilbert & Betty Ann MargolPhil & Carol MartensJudy & Henry MartinMichael & Ashley MartinRob & Julie MartinRafael & Leyda MartinezGeorge & MaryAnn Masson
Larry & Susan MatsumotoCharles & Kim MatthewsBob & Dianne MatthewsMike & Nancy MattoxPaul & Robin MazaConnie McCallumMichael & Barbara McCarthyMatt McConnellJeff & Carrie McCormickHershel & Carolyn McCroanRoss & Cindy McCulloughAlan & Roxanne McDonaldKate & Don McElliottErin McGeePatrick & Tammy McHughLanny & Janie McNabbDoug & Melanie McNaughtonBill & Jane MengelCurtis & Elaine MilesEdgar & Marcia MonterrosoCarl & Robin MooreDonna & Patrick MooreDoug & Donna MooreRobert MooreThomas & Sara MooreCraig & Kelli MoraesDavid MoraesKaren MorrisScott & Caroline MorrisKay & Cliff MorrisonMartha A. MuirKeith & Kathy MumaChristopher & Christine MurphyMark & Karen MurphyAngel & Dan MurrBill & Neely MusgraveLaura & Jeff NagelJeff & Leah NedblakeCarissa & Kevin NelsonEric & Cheryl NelsonRob & Winona NewmanA.E. & Georgia NivisonJackie NoonanPasi Noronen & Patrice VillemureJim & Judy NorrisEd & Sally NorthBill & Katherine NorthRochelle & Vic NorthrupMark & Sharon OberholtzerJohn & Frances O’BrienTom & Amy OlneyEnnis & Margaret O’NealAdam & Amy OrkinCatherine PalmerChris & Beverly PalmerA.G. & Patricia PalmoreAlan & Lisa PalmoreJohn & Liz ParksJayesh & Seema PatelJulian Pawlowski & Kim DooleyMichael & Janine PearmanDon & Jill PeckScott & Amy PeeplesScott & Kathy PettyElizabeth & Ivan PlastiakDavid & Luanne PorperHeffy & Mary ProvostShawn & Tracey RaeAngela & Corey Ragsdale
