Pointing Fingers
Strike up a conversation with young children and it’s hard to predict where things might go, but I can promise this, if you hang in there long enough you’re going to hear something interesting. Such was the case for me recently as I spent time on the playground with a few of our first graders. I watched as friends waited their turn to descend the slide but, as is often the case, not everyone was waiting patiently. There was a bit of pushing here and there and let’s just say, more than one friend went swooshing down before they were quite ready to do so. When a young man came over to complain to me that his friend had pushed him down the slide, I listened attentively. When he finished I asked, “I understand you don’t want to be pushed, but didn’t I just see you pushing someone in front of you?” “Yes”, he conceded, clearly uncertain what point I was trying to make. “Why don’t we try this”, I offered. “I bet if you stop pushing your friends, they’ll probably stop pushing you and then everyone will have more fun.” And with a quick “OK”, he turned and ran back to the slide. Though it may be hard to see, there is far more happening on a playground than just play. Hundreds of small interactions like the one I just described help shape our children’s sense of truth, consequence, and justice. This same kind of learning works with adults as well; Jesus demonstrated it time and again in scripture.
In the Book of John, Jesus is teaching in a temple. A group of self-righteous men were trying to trick Him into saying something contrary to the Law of Moses. They brought a woman before him who was accused of adultery. “The Law says we should stone her. What do You say?” they asked. Jesus tells them, “Let any one of you without sin cast the first stone.” Realizing they had just been “called out” by the Lord of Heaven, they began to leave one by one until the woman was left alone with Jesus. “Who is here to condemn you," He asks. She looks around and says, “No one.” Jesus responds, “I don’t condemn you either. Go and sin no more.”
When it comes to accusing one another, we are usually no better than quarrelsome children on a playground. Oblivious to our own junk, we point fingers and assign blame. To be clear, there is certainly nothing wrong with speaking truth to someone whose choices are not honoring God, but we must do so with the right posture - a posture of humility. May we all be mindful this week that our righteousness before God is found through Jesus alone and He alone sits in judgment - not us.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1 (NIV)
Blessings,
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Jim R. Callis
Head of School
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All School:
Monday, September 4:
Labor Day; School Closed
Saturday, September 16:
East Cobber Parade and Festival
Monday, September 25 - Friday, September 29:
Fall Break
Upper School:
Wednesday, September 20 - Friday, September 22:
US Retreat
Middle & Lower School:
Friday, September 8:
Doughnuts with Dad
Monday, September 11 - Friday, September 15:
Scholastic Book Fair
Wednesday, September 13:
Jeans Day with Western/country shirt or uniform top
Friday, September 22:
No ASP
Friday, October 6:
Grandparent's Day; Early Release; No ASP
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Grandparent's Day!
Friday, October 6
Grandparents Day for Lower School and Middle School is
Friday, October 6
. 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. Invitations will be mailed before fall break and we want to make sure that your child’s grandparents receive an invitation.
We want your family photos!
Moms and dads, please email us photos of your students with their grandparents for inclusion in a Grandparent's Day slideshow. Baby pictures, Christmas pictures, birthdays, etc. Photos may be emailed to
grandparents@mtbethelchristian.org
. Deadline for photos is September 14.
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New Information from GEORGIA GOAL
Recently, representatives from the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program shared with us the results of their scholarship recipient family survey. Overwhelmingly, the top two reasons these families chose to enroll their children in a private school are 1) better education and 2) religious education. Undoubtedly, these are the same top two reasons families choose to enroll at MBCA.
We are blessed to partner with GOAL and help these students and their parents become a part of a school family that meets their needs. Your decision to participate in the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program can make a superior, Christ-centered educational experience a reality for deserving families needing tuition assistance.
Presently, there are 73 GOAL tax-credit applications designated for MBCA for 2018! This is amazing, as we are well on our way to helping local families obtain the life-changing opportunity of sending their deserving student(s) to MBCA. But we need more. Please take action today and join these 73 donors in maximizing our available financial aid. You will receive a
100% credit
for your contribution when you file your Georgia income taxes. In other words, the state of Georgia is allowing you to "spend" some of the taxes
you must pay anyway
in order to provide funds for deserving students to attend MBCA.
You can now do this from your phone!
Visit the new, mobile-friendly Georgia GOAL website at
goalscholarship.org
and complete the 2018 Tax Credit Application. It takes less than two minutes and nothing further is required until GOAL contacts you for your payment in March of 2018. You will claim the 100% credit in 2019, at the time you file your 2018 tax return.
This program is so popular that you will very likely only be approved for about half of what you intend to contribute. The cap on these credits has been exceeded for the last three years, which is why your participation is so important. If MBCA does not receive these funds, another Georgia private school will!
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Come One. Come All. To MBCA's Country Book Fair!
Volunteers Needed
September 11-15
Who’s got the fairest book fair of them all? MBCA does! We are looking for help with our annual book fair. Please consider donating your time, snacks or lunches for the volunteers. The book fair could not happen without the support of our amazing parents!
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Doughnuts with Dad
Friday, September 8
Join us for Friday morning fun in the Fellowship Hall for our annual Doughnuts with Dad!
Middle School: 7:15 a.m. - 7:40 a.m.
3rd through 5th: 7:40 a.m. - 8:05 a.m.
JK through 2nd: 8:05 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
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East Cobber Parade
Volunteers Needed
Saturday, September 16
The Admission Office is seeking adult and student volunteers to distribute MBCA promotional items to parade attendees at the annual East Cobber Parade on Saturday, September 16 from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Students will walk the parade line distributing goodies to the crowd.
If you have a middle school or upper school student who would like to earn 2 service hours and have a good time while doing so, please
LINK HERE
to volunteer your time.
Adult supervision is required for middle school students.
Volunteers will meet at the MBCA Festival Booth #A7 in the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church parking lot to pick up goodies to distribute to the crowd.
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Studio 7
Student Photos
Your child's fall picture proofs went home this week. Studio 7 requests that you
DO
NOT remove the proof
from the order form
.
If the picture is removed, they have no way of knowing who the child is, making it very difficult for Studio 7 to print the package you requested. Paper form ordering is due by September 15. If you are not happy with your photo(s), please write RETAKE across it, and turn it into the Academy front desk.
Make-up for those that were absent and retakes (only for students whose parents requested a retake) will be taken on the following days:
Tuesday, September 12 Lower School 10:00 a.m. Room 125
Thursday, September 14 Middle School 10:00 a.m. Room 125
Thursday, September 14 Upper School 12:00 p.m. Performing Arts Room
Link
here
to order your child's pictures online!
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Nurse's Notes:
It's been wonderful to see all of your precious children on campus again after summer break. I have seen more of them not feeling well in the first month of school than in years past. Please familiarize yourselves with the policies regarding when to keep your child home from school in the Health & Illness section of the
Parent/Student Handbook
on the MBCA website.
Thank you for the honor of entrusting the nurses at MBCA to care for your children while at school.
Have a blessed day,
Nurse Ethridge
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Important Reminders
Lower School Dismissal:
Lower School checkouts stop at 2:40 p.m. If your child needs to leave early for an appointment, please plan to check out before 2:40 p.m.
Receptionists are not allowed to call students down during carpool unless it is an emergency.
Used Uniforms
: Administration would like to remind parents that the Academy front desk is not to be used for the buying or selling of used uniforms. Please plan to meet elsewhere to buy and sell your uniform pieces OR take advantage of the used uniform sale at the end of the year. Thank you!
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Yearbooks for Sale
Remember the deadline to get the low price of $35 for your child's yearbook is September 22 (Fall break). For a quick and easy purchase, order your yearbook
online
! After September 22, price goes up to $50.
If you have any questions, please contact faculty yearbook advisor,
Christi Hattingh
.
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Chick-fil-A Breakfast
At the North Campus
The Upper School will be selling Chick-fil-A biscuits and minis at the North Campus on
Wednesday
mornings from 7:30 – 8:10 a.m. All profits go toward the Upper School mission trips.
We will offer:
$3 - Chick-fil-A biscuits
$4 - Chick-fil-A 4-count chicken minis box
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Friday Morning Breakfast
At the Main Campus
The Main Campus will be selling breakfast on
Friday
mornings in front of DeVore Hall. All profits go toward the 8th grade mission trip. Sales start no later than 7:30 a.m.
Beginning
Friday, September 8
, the menu will change as follows:
$2 - Chick-fil-A plain butter biscuit
$3 - Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits
$4 - Chick-fil-A 4-count chicken mini box
$1 - donuts
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JK & Kindergarten
Fire Station Visit
The Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes visited the fire station last week. Several parents from each class sent in treats for the firefighters to thank them for all they do for our community. Students enjoyed touring the fire station to see where the firefighters eat, sleep, and work. They taught us a lot about fire safety. We learned that every family should have a family meeting place, not to be afraid of the firefighters when they come in your house, and what to do if you smell smoke. They also reminded us to change the batteries in our smoke detectors! One of the firefighters dressed in his gear and we were surprised to learn how much it weighs. It is heavier than a kindergarten student! We enjoyed sitting in a real fire truck and seeing all the equipment on the fire trucks.
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Kindergarten Art
Mary Cassatt Pictures
While watching a video about Mary Cassatt, kindergarten students drew pictures of their families and houses. Mary Cassatt loved to paint pictures of moms and dads with their children. We also learned the most important part of a picture is called the "Focal Point".
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Third Grade
Edible Rocks
The 3rd grade students had a blast making edible rocks! They made sedimentary rocks by layering crackers and peanut butter together. Igneous rocks were made from hot, flowing chocolate formed into molds, which then cooled. Finally, they made metamorphic rocks by using the heat and pressure of their hands to form salt water taffy into one new “rock”. They had so much fun making the rocks and even more fun eating them!
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Sixth Grade
Breakout Edu
Mrs. Boswell’s 6th grade History class had to think out-of-the-box to get into-the-box. Students used teamwork and critical thinking to solve a series of puzzles that would open the locked box. This Breakout Edu activity centered around the importance of primary sources when understanding our country’s history.
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Eighth Grade
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
The 8th grade math students wrote their own PEMDAS sentences to replace the standard “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”. After the elimination rounds and final voting, the top three were:
1st - Pop-Tarts Ended My Donut Addiction Season - Joseph Lillis
2nd - Please Ellen, Memes Dying Acceleratedly, Stop - Colin LaSure
3rd - Perfect Eggs Must Dive Absolutely Straight - Brady McDevitt
Honorable mention:
People Enjoy Meditating During A Storm - Callee King
People Eat Multiple Doritos At Sunset - Jackson DeCamp
Congratulations go out to all of the students on their creativity!
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Upper School
Love Supporting the Upper School!
Mrs. Black’s second grade class came to cheer on and hang out with the JV and Varsity teams after their matches in the locker room on Thursday night. We had so much fun hanging out and being with all our fun second graders! The volleyball players appreciated the support and we love connecting our two campuses!
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Tome Society
Tome Society had a wonderful mother/daughter night out at the movies on Saturday the 26. Nineteen of us met at Movie Tavern to see “The Glass Castle,” which we read as our kick-off book for this Tome season.
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House Points
Integritas - 340
Fidelitas - 339
Fortes - 288
Veritas - 272
Humilitas - 256
Servimus - 241
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Basketball Clinic - Save the Date
Thursday, November 2
Coach Cal is hosting a fall basketball clinic on Thursday, November 2 after the CODE BLUE game, the Code Blue game is played by the A Middle School boys team from 1:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. The clinic will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for all Lower School girl and boy students.
Be on the lookout for the registration link soon!
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Sports Highlights
Our cross country and volleyball teams were in action again. To view our game highlights, link
here.
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Swim Team
Swim Team is forming its 2017-18 roster. All swimmers in 6th – 12th grades are welcome. Prior swim experience (summer recreation leagues and/or year-round club team) is strongly recommended.
Parent/Swimmer Meeting on September 19 at the Upper School Campus at 6:30 p.m.
Meet Coach Sherry Morgan, get the schedule for the season, and share information about your preferred strokes.
Fifth grade swimmers will be considered on an individual basis. To be eligible, a 5th grade swimmer must be confirmed as currently enrolled in a year-round program, and meet minimum time requirements.
Dual sport athletes participating in basketball, clay shooting, year-round swimming and other club sports are welcome; every effort will be made to accommodate scheduling conflicts.
TRYOUTS
- Tryout practices will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting October 3 at the North Campus Pool - US students from 3:15-4:30 p.m. and MS students from 3:45-5:00 p.m.
- Final roster will be determined by October 13.
- MBCA Time Trial Meet is Saturday, October 21 (at the North Campus).
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“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
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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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