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Guard Their Hearts
I’m getting older and my memory is simply not what it used to be, but the birth of our first child is something I still recall with clarity. A particular moment that stands out occurred as we were preparing to leave the hospital. For 48 hours or so, our baby girl had been in the care of expert clinicians. Sure, she was wheeled into our room for periods of time but let’s be honest, those moments offered only the illusion of parenting. If she looked odd, smelled odd, breathed too much or too little, we pushed a button and a certified baby professional appeared to whisk her away to safety. But after a couple of days, these otherwise intelligent professionals thought we looked smart enough to try this parenting thing on our own and decided to kick us out. I questioned their judgment then and in hindsight, I still do. Nonetheless, I gathered up our belongings as they put Joann in a wheelchair and down the elevator we went. When we reached the lobby, I ran ahead to retrieve the car and in a matter of minutes, our things were loaded and our baby was secure. Slowly pulling away, I glanced at the waving nurse and then at our newborn and thought, “I have no idea what I’m doing.” The passage of time and the blessing of more children have increased my confidence as a parent, but if I’m being honest, there are still uncertain moments when I’d love to have that magic button to push again.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul reminds us of an important truth found throughout in the Bible, which is this. All that is in this world has been created by God and thus, it belongs to Him (Colossians 1:16). He entrusts what is His to us and holds us accountable for what we do with it. At the top of the list - more important than any other thing he has entrusted to us as parents - is our children. They are not ours; they are His. He has entrusted them to us and expects that we will use whatever wisdom, influence, and resources we have been given to raise them “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Raising children in Paul’s time was hard but in many ways, modernity has only further complicated things. It helps when we partner with others to share the burden, which is why family and a church community are so vital. But even a lifelong Christian school headmaster needs an occasional reminder about the role schools can play in partnering with parents. I received just such a reminder from one of our new parents this week. In describing to me why she and her husband moved their son from a nearby, high quality public school to Mt. Bethel she said, “I wanted to pay for the privilege of having my child’s heart guarded.” Of the many reasons one might seek out this school community, I’m not sure I can think of a better one. God has entrusted our children, and their hearts, to our care. I’m grateful that Mt. Bethel is helping Joann and I guard that treasure. I hope the same is true for you.
Blessings,
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Jim R. Callis
Head of School
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Dates to Remember
Tuesday, August 30 - Friday, September 2, 2016: School Photos
Monday, September 5, 2016: Closed for Labor Day
Friday, September 9, 2016: Doughnuts with Dad
Saturday, September 17, 2016: East Cobber Parade & Festival
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Georgia GOAL Update
GOAL tax credit applications for 2017 are up to 50! We are on pace to exceed last year’s contributions, which is fantastic news for our deserving students seeking need-based financial assistance. Thank you to everyone who has signed on to partner with MBCA through GOAL.
Please take a minute to visit goalscholarship.org. It’s so easy! With no extra cost to you, you are simply reallocating a portion of YOUR state income tax to Mt. Bethel Christian Academy.
• If you are a tax-paying Georgian, you can participate in this free program. Tell your friends! You do NOT have to be a MBCA parent.
• Individuals filing jointly can claim up to $2,500.
• Owners of S-Corps, LLCs and Partnerships can contribute up to $10,000.
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Fall Picture Schedule
All students are to wear Chapel clothes the day of their picture.
Tuesday, August 30: 4th - 5th Grade
Wednesday, August 31: Middle School
Thursday, September 1: JK - 1st Grade & Upper School
Friday, September 2: 2nd - 3rd Grade
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Doughnuts with Dad
Friday, September 9
It's that time of year again. Join us for Friday morning fun in the Fellowship Hall for our annual Doughnuts with Dad!
Middle School: 7:15 - 7:40 a.m.
3rd through 5th: 7:40 - 8:05 a.m.
JK through 2nd: 8:05 - 8:30 a.m.
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21st Annual East Cobber Parade
Saturday, September 17
The Admission Office is seeking adult and student volunteers to distribute MBCA promotional items to parade participants from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on September 17. If you are a middle school student and interested in earning
2 service hours
, please email
Hannah Arch
in the Admission Office to sign-up to help us spread the word about MBCA. We will also need chaperones for our student volunteers. If you are a parent and can volunteer two hours, we would greatly appreciate your help!
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Save the Date for Grandparent's Day!
Friday, October 7
Grandparents Day for Lower School and Middle School is
Friday, October 7
. Please mark your calendars and inform your families, as this is such a special day for our students.
Parents, please log-in to My BackPack, go to My Profile under settings, and update Grandparent address information before
Wednesday, September 7.
We want to make sure that your child’s grandparents receive an invitation.
We encourage you to think of reaching out to a special visitor if a child does not have a grandparent that can attend. Please let your child's teacher know if your child will have a special visitor attending instead of a grandparent.
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Parking
Due to the limited number of handicap parking spaces in the front of the Academy, please refrain from parking in a handicap space unless you have the proper permit.
The safety of our students and accessibility to handicap parking is our top priority.
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MBCA Girls Running Club:
Mondays 3:00-4:15
Calling on girls in grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th interested in training for a 5K. Weekly meetings will be held on Mondays 3:00-4:00 p.m., September through January. Club will focus on learning the basics of training for a 5K while incorporating Biblical, social, and emotional lessons. Come prepared to run! Sign up is limited to 15 girls.
For more information, please email Mary Hadley Ozburn at maryhadleye@hotmail.com
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A HEartY Thank You!
The MBCA Art Department thanks you for all of the bottle caps that were sent in for their color wheel! It hasn't taken much time to collect a wonderful assortment. AnneMarie Cummings, Greer Lovett and Riley Haas helped sort all the colors one afternoon so the students can begin to assemble their color wheel!
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Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
Fourth graders love to read and learn about the world around them. Last week while reading The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo, the students learned why one of the main characters of the book, Sistine Bailey, was named Sistine. She was named after the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy, where her parents met.
After exploring photographs of the Sistine Chapel and researching the artist that painted it, the students got to experience what it must have been like for Michelangelo to spend tireless hours on his back painting, while looking up at the ceiling of the Chapel. Each student laid under their desk, taped paper to the bottom of the desk and used watercolors to paint their favorite Bible story. Maddox Gendron said, "Michelangelo must of had a tired arm." The students realized very quickly that it must have been a very difficult task for Michelangelo to paint such a beautiful ceiling.
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Geometry
Polygon, rhombus, equilateral triangle, obtuse angle…do these words sound familiar, but you have forgotten what they mean? Ask a 4th grader to help you out. They’ve been studying geometry this month and have enjoyed creating examples of all of these with straws and twist ties. As you can see, math can be fun!
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House Points
Fortes: 174
Servimus: 144
Veritas: 116
Fidelitas: 109
Integritas: 97
Humilitas: 94
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MBCA sports are back in action for the 2016-2017 school year. This year, we are members of the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association (GICAA) and the Metro Atlanta Athletic Conference (MAAC - provisionally).
Upper School Volleyball
The ladies were in action on Tuesday against The King’s Academy. It was a close match, but they ended up falling a little short. The scores were 23-25, 24-26, 23-25.
Middle School Volleyball
Both Volleyball teams were on the court this week for their season openers. On Tuesday the B girls were at home against Pinecrest. The ladies defended the gym well with a 2 - 0 victory (25-12, 25-14). The A girls were on the road with JV and Varsity at The Kings Academy. They won 2 - 0 in fine fashion (25-5, 26-6).
On Thursday the A girls hosted Cornerstone Prep. at the Upper School campus. This is their second GICAA opponent of the season. They were the opening game as the US ladies played JV and Varsity matches as well. It was another convincing victory in two games (25-11, 25-6), and the girls are off to a 2 and 0 start in their region.
Cross Country
The Cross Country team ran with the MAAC in their season opener at Jim Miller Park. There were 80+ ladies and 100+ boys on the start line. Results are pending, but each team ran extremely well. Scoring runs from the girls included Addison Seaborn (1st), Madison Contrucci (4th), Caroline York (7th), Maggie York (8th), and Lilla Kate Tucker (9th). The boys had scores from Andrew Herrmann (3rd), Daniel Lathem (4th), Garrett Hauenstein (5th), Alex Garrot (7th), and Bryce Horton (8th).
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Dessert, Coffee & the Talks
September 8
7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
North Campus
Barrett and Jenifer Johnson will present Critical Conversations: Equipping your Kids to Navigate a Hyper-Sexualized Culture.
This event is for parents of elementary and middle school students.
Critical Conversations gives a wake-up call to parents and will help with both “what to know” and “what to do” to help our kids navigate our hyper-sexualized culture.
Critical Conversations equips parents to:
- Confront their reluctance to talk about sex and dating.
- Help their kids see the emotional, chemical, and physical reasons for treating their sexuality as precious.
- Develop a practical approach to dating.
- Train their kids to guard against sexual aggressors (including those they date).
- Create a game plan for dealing with the unavoidable porn issue.
- Understand the impact of social media and peer influence.
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September's Lunch Menu is available here.
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See what's happening on our social sites
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“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 13:1 (NIV)
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Main Campus
Junior Kindergarten - 8th Grade
4385 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
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North Campus
9th - 12th Grade
2509 Post Oak Tritt Road
Marietta, GA 30062
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Phone: 770-971-0245
Fax: 770-971-3770
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