September 24, 2017
God of the World
How many languages do you hear in a day? If you're anything like me, the answer is most often "one." I rarely stop to consider how incredibly boring that is until I find myself in a place like Disney World. Before sitting down to a bountiful breakfast in the lobby of my hotel in Animal Kingdom, I have already enjoyed conversation with guests and staff from Morocco, New Zealand, and Brazil. Thankfully, each spoke my native tongue, but seated around me I can hear at least three languages other than English being spoken. I must tell you, it is truly delightful.

The advances of travel and technology have made our big world small. But we make it smaller still when we fail to look outside ourselves to consider the existence of other languages, other cultures, and other people. Billions of folks made in God's image, just like us, are living in all corners of the world, but how often do we consider them? Leaving my room this morning, I was greeted by Myriam, a friendly member of the housekeeping staff preparing for her morning rounds. We chatted as I waited on the elevator and I learned she is from Tunisia, the tiny African nation wedged at the top of the continent between Algeria and Libya, along the Mediterranean Sea. I asked about her homeland and she told me that while she missed her extended family, America is a much safer place for her and her two daughters. Her country, like many in that region, is suffering under a repressive regime, and women, in particular, have little freedom and even fewer rights. Myriam and her family fled across the sea to Italy when tribal leaders learned they had converted from Islam to Christianity. They moved as religious refugees across Europe until they were eventually able to make it to the U.S. "I pray for my country all day. There are other Christians there and they are in danger, always." The elevator chimed and the doors opened. I thanked her for the conversation and stepped in with a "God bless you." "Yes, He already has." she replied with a smile.

Newsflash…the family of God looks more like DisneyWorld than East Cobb. Many cultures, languages, and traditions, and every one loved by the same God who loves us. The next time your path takes you across someone who doesn't look like you or speak your language, I hope you'll make the effort to exchange a greeting. You may find, as I did this morning, you have a sister on the other side of the world you never knew. 

Blessings,
Jim R. Callis
Head of School
Dates to Remember
All School:
Monday, September 25 - Friday, September 29: Fall Break
Monday, October 2 - Friday, October 6: Homecoming Week
Friday, October 27: Academy Variety Show

Upper School:
Friday, October 6: Homecoming Dance
Wednesday, October 11: PSAT for 9th-11th Grade

Middle School:
Thursday, October 5: Homecoming Spirit Dress Day (with purchase of Homecoming t-shirt)
Friday, October 6: Grandparents Day; Late Arrival; Early Release; No ASP (wear Chapel uniform)
Tuesday, October 10: MS Band & Chorus Concert
Thursday, October 12: 8th Grade Shadow Day at US

Lower School:
Thursday, October 5: Homecoming Spirit Dress Day (with purchase of Homecoming t-shirt)
Friday, October 6: Grandparents Day; Late Arrival; Early Release; No ASP (wear Chapel uniform)
Wednesday, October 11 - Friday, October 13: 5th Grade to Jekyll Island
Friday, October 13: Early Release at 11:45 a.m.
Development
!! IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR Grandparents Day !!
Friday, October 6
Grandparents Day for Lower School and Middle School is Friday, October 6 . This is not a normal school day schedule so PLEASE read carefully to make sure you have your student(s) and their grandparent(s) or special friend to the festivities at the correct time.

The Grandparents Day schedule is as follows:
  • 9 - 10 a.m. Grandparents and students are welcome to enjoy a drop-in breakfast in the Fellowship Hall. Plan to arrive together between 9 - 10 a.m. for a hot breakfast, fruit and coffee (note the late arrival time)
  • 10:00 a.m. Chapel program in Sanctuary (Reminder: Students wear Chapel uniform)
  • 11:00 a.m. Classroom visits
  • 12 p.m. Dismissal

PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING:
  • Students and grandparents should NOT arrive to the main campus before 9:00 a.m. and should NOT report to their homeroom. Please go directly to the Fellowship Hall for breakfast, or plan to arrive at 10:00 a.m. and head directly to the Sanctuary. No backpacks are needed on this day, but MS students should bring their laptops.
  • There will NOT be any morning or afternoon bus service for LS/MS; Only intercampus bus service for US students
  • Students should wear Chapel uniforms
  • School is dismissed by 12:00 p.m. and there is NO ASP!
  • Students will be ARRIVING and LEAVING with their grandparents/special friend
Save the Date
MBCA Middle School Presents:
The Lion King Jr.
First All Cast Rehearsal, Friday October 27

Performances:
Thursday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Auditions are open to all middle school students and will be held on October 2 and 3 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. with callbacks on October 6 . Students are responsible for picking up an audition packet and signing up for an audition time slot. Packets and signups are located outside of the Chorus Classroom, Room F002.
Virtual Day 
Tuesday, October 31
We wanted to make you aware that we will be having a virtual school day on Tuesday, October 31 for students in fifth through twelfth grades. On this day, students in those grades will NOT come to school, but rather will work on assignments from their laptops at home. The purpose of this day is to prepare our students and teachers to conduct virtual school days should we be out of school for multiple days due to inclement weather or other reasons. If you have any questions, please contact Chip Barber.
Announcements
A Very Heartfelt Message From the Library:
We want to extend a very sincere thank you to the amazing team of women and men that helped to bring our county fair book fair vision to life.

Thank you, Courtney Cofield, Carrie Howell, Mistye Wilson, Cristin Odom and Missy Sparrow for the countless hours you gave throughout the year, planning, creating, serving and giving so generously of your time and talents.

We also want to thank all of the volunteers who served last week helping our students shop throughout the book fair or helped to provide lunch, snacks, and beverages for the volunteers.

Our book fair is a true labor of love for our students. We have enjoyed experiencing all the fun and excitement in the library! Have a beautiful Fall Break!

Love, 
Mrs. Sauvé and Mrs. Smallwood
Importnat Message from Safety Patrol
We love our Safety Patrol and could not do without them! They assist our students safely into their cars every afternoon, in heat, cold, wind, and rain! It is an honor to be chosen to be on the Safety Patrol. They take their job seriously, and we expect them to be focused and attentive when on duty. This is where we ask for your help. There are several cars that come through carpool each day fondly known as the “Candy Cars.” They disperse candy to the Safety Patrol and it often causes them to leave their spots, which slows down the carpool line and creates a safety issue for the students being loaded. While we appreciate the fact that others want to treat the students working, we respectfully ask that this custom is suspended. We honor our Safety Patrol with a special pizza lunch after each term of service, so we too realize the importance of expressing our appreciation to such an awesome group of students who serve their school in such an important way.  Thank you for your help in keeping our carpool line safe and moving quickly.
DUKE TIP 7th Grade Talent Search
Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is proud to announce that approximately 60% of our seventh graders have qualified for the 2017-2018 Duke University TIP Program. The students identified for this honor scored at or above the 95th percentile on specific grade level standardized achievement subtests within the past two years. If students choose to enroll in TIP, they are given the opportunity to sit for either the SAT or ACT college entrance exams. Taking these challenging assessments in the seventh grade allows them insight into their abilities and also provides them with valuable resources sponsored by Duke University. Students who were eligible for the TIP program this year were mailed a letter on September 22 with information about participation and testing dates. If you feel that your student should have qualified, but did not receive a notice, please contact the Middle School Counselor, Patty Petiot, at 678-202-4339. Congratulations to each of our seventh grade students who qualified for this recognition!
School Directories
You should have received your family copy of the School Directory last week. If you would like an additional copy, you can purchase one for $5.00 each at the reception desks at either the Main or North Campus.
Lands' End
Friends and Family Promo
Lands' End is offering 40% off all regular priced items during their Friends and Family promotion. At checkout, manually enter the promotion code: LESUFRIEND and PIN:4911. The code/pin are valid now through September 26, 2017, in stores and online.
Reminders
Schoology App
Download the Schoology app and stay connected. On the app, you can see the school calendar, posts from the school and teachers, and check grades for 4th grade and above. The app is available for the iPhone and Android. If you have questions, email Chip Barber.
Schoology Help Sessions
Hey parents! Do you need some help navigating Schoology? Got some questions? Sign up for one of our parent help sessions next week and let us help. We will offer a help session at BOTH campuses. We will offer more help sessions after fall break, including a few night sessions. Questions? Email  Chip Barber.  Sign up below!

Click  here   to sign up!
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
Friday Morning Breakfast
At the Main Campus
We will NOT have Friday morning breakfast on Friday, October 6 . Instead, come enjoy the complimentary breakfast for Grandparents Day!

Regular Friday morning breakfast will resume on Friday, October 13.
Class News
First Grade
Smarty Barty's Arty Party
First graders were invited to Smarty Barty’s Arty Party hosted by Barry Mann. Mr. Mann is a professional storyteller who brought a few of our favorite stories to life. These stories include Harold and the Purple Crayon , Amazing Grace , Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse , and Where the Sidewalk Ends . The students enjoyed Mr. Mann’s creative props, puppets, acting, and audience participation.  
Second Grade
Prayer Parents
Our wonderful Prayer Parents, Dr. and Mrs. Alarcon (Henry’s parents), taught us about prayer this week and how Jesus was the perfect example of how we should pray. 
Third Grade
Tellus Museum
The third grade visited Tellus Museum to culminate their unit on rocks and minerals. The students mined for rocks, sorted and classified rocks, and explored the rock and gem gallery. They had a wonderful time!
Fifth Grade
Commas Escape Room
Some of our fifth graders didn't make their escape from our Commas Escape Room! Working in groups of 3-4 students, they had to work together to get out of Mrs. Kelly's room by solving a variety of comma puzzles. They had a great time working through the challenges together as a team and practicing their grammar in an interactive, fun way!  
House Points
 Integritas - 932
Veritas - 911
Fidelitas -  895
Humilitas - 892
Fortes - 775
Servimus - 697
Sports
Sports Highlights
Our cross country and volleyball teams were in action this week. To view our game highlights, link here.
Fishing Club
This past weekend Brooks Anderson and David Britts competed in the 1st of an 8 tournament series with GABassnation (Bassmasters) on Lake Sinclair. They placed 12th out of 151 high school teams from throughout Georgia. The top 10% of each tournament qualify to go on to the Bassmasters Georgia High School State Championship to be held on Lake Eufaula, June 3 and 4. MBCA will have a team there for the 3rd consecutive year. The top 10% of the top 10% will qualify for the National Championship.
Eighth Grade Volleyball Recognition Night
Tuesday, September 19, the Volleyball A-Team took on the Perimeter Christian Eagles. They won 25-15, 25-27, 15-1. It was the eighth graders last regular season home game. Before the game, they were recognized for their years playing for MBCA. Pictured: Blake Berto, Elisabeth Hill, Ansley Kirk, Mary Lusk, Jennings Ray, Katherine Servaes, and Helen Stadler. They are the #1 seed from their region and will be hosting the GICAA North Central Regional Championship Tuesday, October 3 at 4:00 pm against Fidelis. The winner qualifies for the Middle School State Championship Tournament to be held on Saturday, October 7.
Congratulations!
Cross country traveled to Perimeter Christian on September 21 for the Perimeter Invitational. There were nine schools in attendance with right around 100 runners per race. The ladies came away with a first-place finish and a trophy for their efforts. The boys ran hard and placed 5th overall. 
MS Basketball Tryouts
  • October 9: Girls, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Parent meeting to follow, Olympia Room (CAC-2nd floor, adjacent to walking track)
  • October 10: Boys, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Parent meeting to follow, Olympia Room (CAC-2nd floor, adjacent to walking track)
  • October 11: Girls, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
  • October 12: Boys, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Participants should plan to attend BOTH tryout dates.
Basketball Clinic - Save the Date
Thursday, November 2
Come fine-tune your basketball skills at the Fall Basketball Clinic. This clinic will be led by the Mt. Bethel Varsity players and coaching staff after the CODE BLUE game on Thursday, November 2. Athletes will be trained on ball handling, shooting, defensive footwork, and team concepts. There will be individual and team competitions. T-Shirts and dinner will be provided for each participant. The clinic will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m. for 5 -11 year olds. 

Link to register!
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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