January 14, 2018
Extremism
We are a nation beset by extremism, both without and within. From a distance, we hear extremist rhetoric from North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere that incites violence and all too frequently results in bloodshed. From the halls of our own government, we hear extremist rhetoric that offends our most human sensibilities and all too frequently results in gridlock. How did we get here? Since the time of Cain and Abel, history has documented the quarrelsome nature of man. Though millennia have passed, 2018 finds us seemingly no more enlightened, our penchant for offending one another, often to the point of violence, seemingly unfazed.

In the late 1960’s, the epicenter of our hatefulness towards one another concerned race. A hundred years had passed since President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and yet, our brothers and sisters of color were still unable to claim the full promise of a nation founded on freedom and liberty. There were many men, women, and institutions during this time working hard to right a national wrong. Tomorrow, we will pause to celebrate a venerated hero of that struggle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..

Among his many admirable qualities, Dr. King was a powerful and persuasive orator. His “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most studied speeches of all time, and for good reason. I hope you’ll enjoy the opportunity to hear or read it again this weekend; I certainly will. Thinking about Dr. King and his legacy, I’d like to close this week with an excerpt from another King classic, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” , a letter that touches on this theme of extremism. King was labeled an extremist and as only he could do, King skillfully situated that allegation in historic and biblical context.

“So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.”

May we not fear the opportunity to be “extreme” for the cause of Christ this week and always. Amen.

Blessings,
Jim R. Callis
Head of School
Dates to Remember
All School:
Monday, January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day; School Closed
Wednesday, January 31: Re-enrollment Ends
Friday, February 2: You Fed Me Event; Early Release 1:00 p.m.

Upper School:
Wednesday, January 17: Open House at the North Campus || 9:00 a.m.

Middle School:
Tuesday, January 16: Geography Bee, 6th - 8th Grade
Thursday, January 25: MS Honor Roll Ceremony in Sanctuary
Friday, January 26: Jeans Day

Lower School:
Tuesday , January 16: Geography Bee, 4th - 5th Grade
Friday, January 26: Jeans Day
Admissions
Don't Forget to Re-enroll for the 2018-2019 School Year!
Re-enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is underway and can be completed online. To view your re-enrollment contract, please log in to your My Backpack account (see My BackPack under Quicklinks on the MBCA website) and click on "Enrollment/Re-enrollment". To secure your child's placement for 2018-2019, all current families will need to sign and submit the re-enrollment contract along with a tuition deposit equal to 10% of  Full Tuition  (not Single Pay) by Wednesday, January 31. Families with multiple children enrolled will sign a contract and submit a deposit for each sibling. The deadline to secure your child's placement for next year is  January 31 . If you've already submitted your re-enrollment contract/s without payment, your tuition deposit must be received by January 31 to reserve a spot. Please note: to view your re-enrollment contract, you must first review, update AND submit your Family Profile located in the Enrollment/Re-enrollment module.

If you're having difficulty locating your re-enrollment contract, please contact  Jackie Grasty , Director of Admission for Lower and Middle School or  Cal Boyd , Director of Admission for Upper School. We look forward to partnering with you again for the upcoming school year. 
Now Accepting New Applications for 2018-2019
Applications are now being accepted for new students for the 2018-2019 school year. Students applying to Junior Kindergarten through 5th grade will be assessed for admission on  March 3 2018 . New applicants interested in 6th through 8th grade will need to register to take the  SSAT  (school code is 5260). The SSAT is administered monthly at our Upper School campus, however, you may choose any location that is most convenient for your student. Students applying to 9th-12th grade will need to take the SSAT or submit their PSAT scores.

For more information, contact  Jackie Grasty,  Director of Admission for grades JK- 8th or  Cal Boyd , Director of Admission for the Upper School.

MBCA Siblings
For our current families, if you will be applying a sibling for admission for the next school year (a rising Junior Kindergartner, Kindergartner or unenrolled sibling), please go to our  Admission page  on our website to begin the application process. Siblings of current students applying for the first time will need to submit an application and schedule a shadow day (exception: JK and Kindergarten applicants do not shadow). We love seeing brothers and sisters join the MBCA family!

Financial Aid
For families anticipating a need for financial aid next year, the deadline to apply is  Friday, February 23 . Plan accordingly, as your completed 2017 Federal Tax Return must be submitted before a request for aid can be considered. The  Parent Statement of Need  will also need to be submitted to Jackie Grasty, Director of Admission. If you've received financial aid this school year and will need assistance again next year, please note that you must re-apply.  Link here  to begin the application for financial aid. For more information, contact  Jackie Grasty .  
  Upper School Open House
Grades 9th - 12th
2509 Post Oak Tritt Road, Marietta
January 17 at 9:00 a.m.

Mark your calendars for our Open House at the North Campus on  Wednesday, January 17  to visit the Upper School campus. We hope you can join us, and please be sure to spread the news to friends and neighbors as well! 

Questions? Contact  Cal Boyd , Upper School Director of Admission.
Save the Date
Spring Fling and Auction
March 24, 2018 || 7:00 p.m.
Roswell River Landing

Mark your calendars for MBCA's Spring Fling, Saturday, March 24 at Roswell River Landing! Funds raised from past events have been used to purchase playground equipment, AV studio and equipment, e-readers and much more! Please consider attending as this is the only social event exclusively for parents held for the school.
Announcements
Engineering For Kids Club
Register by January 20
Engineering for Kids Club is offering a limited time enrollment for MBCA students. Program fee is $252 per student, which includes the supply fee. Register here .

For more information call 770-648-KIDS or email matl@enigneeringforkidsmetroatl.org. View flyer for more information.
Class News
Fourth Grade
"Word Goals"
Fourth graders are starting 2018 off right with new “Word Goals”. Each student chose a word on which to focus for this year. They explained why they selected the word and then formulated three action steps to make their goal a reality. Some of the goal words were honesty, hustle, peace, patience, and responsibility. These students are on the right track for a successful 2018!
Fifth Grade
The Gingerbread Man
Fifth graders studied persuasive writing, friendly letter format, and point of view using the classic picture book,  The Gingerbread Man.  After reading the story, students had to write a letter to the fox, from a gingerbread boy or girl perspective, indicating three reasons why the fox should not devour them. Even more challenging, one of those reasons had to be Biblically based! Students then decorated a gingerbread person to match their descriptions. The resulting letters are quite humorous and are posted on their bulletin board for all to read.
Fourth - Eighth
Spelling Bee Winners
The winner of the 4th-8th grade MBCA spelling bee is 8th grader Caitlin Foster, and the runner-up is 6th grader Parker Prevost. Both Caitlin and Parker will move on to GISA’s competition, which will take place at McGinnis Woods Country Day School on February 8.

Congratulations to Caitlin and Parker and to all who participated! 
House Points
 Veritas - 2,927
Integritas - 2,857
Fidelitas - 2,772
Humilitas - 2,658
Fortes - 2,611
Servimus - 2,263
Sports
Varsity Boys Basketball Update
Varsity boys basketball team played 9 games over the Christmas break. We went 7 – 2 playing in some great events.

On December 16, the team played in the SEBA Showcase event at Pope High School and defeated a very good 7A Berkmar School out of Gwinnett County, 64 – 55. Stanley Eze earned the Player of the Game Award scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 boards. The boys played the 5th ranked Single-A GHSA school, Wesleyan, on the road and defeated them, 56 - 44. On December 22, the Eagles were fortunate enough to be invited to play in the 1st Annual Atlanta Hawks Classic at Norcross High School. Mt Bethel along with other top programs in the state participated. All the games were broadcasted on SUVtv. Our Mt. Bethel Eagles defeated another very good opponent, Holy Innocents, 68 – 56. Jordan Meka had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Coleman Boyd had 13 points and 7 assists. Stanley Eze had 17 points and 7 rebounds, and Jaquez Gilbert had 16 points. 

Next, the Eagles headed up north to Nashville, TN for the prestigious NXTLVL Tournament. Eight top teams from the southeast and midwest participated including a very good Hopkinsville team ranked #8 in Kentucky. Mt Bethel played very well and defeated Hopkinsville in the first round of the tournament. In the semi-finals, the boys were matched up with local powerhouse, Brentwood Academy, led by 5-star recruit Darius Garland (Vanderbilt commit). Mt. Bethel played them tough in a great game, but came up short in the end. The next day, the Eagles bounced back to take 3rd place in the tournament by defeating Baptist Prep out of Arkansas, 64 – 62 in overtime. Jaquez Gilbert scored 7 of their 9 points in overtime to lead them to victory. Coleman Boyd chipped in 11 second-half points, and Matt Gilliland and Will Ross made some good plays as well. Jordan Meka earned All-Tournament team award, and Jaquez Gilbert, Coleman Boyd, and Stanley Eze were all top performers in the tournament.

Mt. Bethel is currently 17 – 5 and 5 – 0 in region play. Next weekend, our boys travel south to Ft. Myers, Florida to play two of the top schools in Florida, Miami Christian and Lakewood Ranch. The boys have a few more home games coming up in January, plus Senior Night on January 26. 
MBUMC News
DNOW
Save the Date
On February 9-10, students from all over East Cobb will come to Mt. Bethel for DNOW – Disciple Now weekend. Throughout the weekend, they will experience incredible worship, hear challenging messages, have fun fellowship, and serve the community. Most importantly, students will have the chance to unpack what they’ve experienced with college leaders who have come to serve from universities throughout the Southeast. MBUMC college leaders are madly in love with Jesus and want nothing more than to lead and serve the students. MBUMC hosts are fabulous church members who graciously open their houses to the students throughout the weekend. For more information about registration or volunteering click here .
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  Quicklinks
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
Main Campus
Junior Kindergarten - 8th Grade
4385 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
North Campus
9th - 12th Grade
2509 Post Oak Tritt Road
Marietta, GA 30062
Phone: 770-971-0245
Fax: 770-971-3770