August 27, 2017
Excuses
 My family introduced me to a new show on television a few weeks ago called “Live PD.” The format of the show is fairly straightforward and the name pretty much sums it up. In six different cities across the country, camera crews are imbedded with police officers as they go about a routine shift. These crews record action and incidents as they occur in real time. There is no script and for the most part, no narration, just police officers going about their daily duties. Meanwhile, there is a guy in a control booth in New York who serves as our guide, switching between each city at random, depending on which officer he believes to be in the more interesting situation. And trust me, some of these situations are pretty interesting. You’d be surprised how many vehicles pulled over for a broken taillight or expired tag also contain drugs, guns, or people with outstanding warrants. What may not surprise you is the number of excuses these officers hear on a given night; it is absurd to the point of being almost comical. Such was the case a few nights ago as an officer detained a young man and began to pat him down. The man was struggling to come up with a believable story of what he was up to when the officer discovered and removed a crack pipe from the pocket of his shorts. The young man's reaction? “Oh, that’s not mine. These aren’t my shorts.” The moment was so ridiculous, for a period of time, #notmyshorts was trending on Twitter. I say “almost comical” because as tempting as it is to laugh at such incidents, there is a profound sadness that accompanies addiction. It prompts all manner of excuses as those under it's grip struggle to regain control of their lives. But the truth of the matter is, the addicted don’t have a monopoly on excuses. When the God of heaven detains us and searches our hearts, we discover something that is hard to admit - we’re all excuse makers.

Writing to the Christians in Rome, the Apostle Paul said this in Romans 1:20 :

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The truth is, we have no excuse. We have no excuse for pretending we don’t know what is right. We have no excuse for ignoring what God expects of us. We have no excuse for deciding to pursue what seems right in our own eyes instead of what we know to be right in His. And speaking as someone who has spent his entire adult life working with children, I am mindful that excuse making can cause collateral damage. When we, as adults, make excuses in the company of children, we harm not only ourselves, but them as well. Children look to us to point out the boundary line between fact and fallacy. And the guidance that speaks the loudest is our actions, not our words. If God has blessed you with the opportunity to influence a child, you have an additional, powerful reason to live a life marked by truth. May He strengthen each of us to accept that opportunity this week and always. No excuses.

Blessings,
Jim R. Callis
Head of School
Dates to Remember
All School:
Monday, September 4: Labor Day; School Closed
Monday, September 11 - Friday, September 15: Scholastic Book Fair; Main Campus

Upper School:
Wednesday, September 20 - Friday, September 22: US Retreat

Middle & Lower School:
Friday, September 8: Donuts with Dad
Friday, September 22: No ASP
Save the Date
Book Fair: Calling All Volunteers!
September 11-15
The Book Fair is just around the corner! You can be part of this fun and festive event in many ways. Please consider volunteering to help with setup on September 7 and 8, working sales September 11-15, or with take down September 15. If none of these are right for you, we need snack and lunch volunteers. The Book Fair could not happen without the support and help of our amazing parents! 
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 in the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church parking lot to pick up goodies to distribute to the crowd. 
It's Back! MBCA Variety Show
Friday, October 27
All parents with students in grades 3rd through 8th should have received the Variety Show information via email last week. If you did not receive the email, please contact Karen Poe .
Announcements
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
Important Reminders
1. 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. OR use walkup or carpool as scheduled.  Receptionists are not allowed to call students down during carpool unless it is an emergency. 

2. 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!
New Home Needed
Our Piano Needs a New Home
MBCA was given another piano to use for Lower School Music and this lovely Yamaha piano needs a new home. It is an 88 key piano, in fair condition and would be great for a beginning piano student. Please email Karen Poe if you are interested in taking it. You would need to make arrangements to have it moved.
Lands' End Promo
For a limited time, 30% off all kids' and school uniforms styles, plus 50% off all backpacks and lunchboxes. Use promo code LOCKER and PIN # 9158 to take advantage of this offer. Valid until August 28, 2017.
Reminders
Walk-Up Carpool Reminders
For those who choose not to use the carpool line in the afternoons, we offer an alternative option through “walk-up carpool”. During a scheduled period of time, parents may walk up to pick up their students. 
  • Students in grades JK, kindergarten and 1st can be picked up outside their classrooms at 2:50 p.m. 
  • Students in grades 2nd and 3rd can be picked up from the outside door of the Library from 2:50 – 2:55 p.m. 
  • Students in grades 4th and 5th can be picked up from the outside door of the Library from 2:55 – 3:00 p.m.

The carpool line begins at 2:55 p.m., so we ask that our “walk-up parents” adhere to a few simple procedures:
  • Please be on time. Once the carpool line begins, the outside doors are closed and we ask that you either use the carpool line, or wait until carpool is over and go to the front desk for your student to be called down.
  • Please park in the area in front of the school that is designated for walk-up carpool on the carpool map. Do not park in the back of the school where carpool is taking place. It is very dangerous to cross over the active carpool line.
  • If your child is playing on the playground after school hours, please supervise your child closely and do not allow them on the grass or in the bushes and trees. We want to keep our little ones safe. Our newly landscaped front lawn looks beautiful and we would like to keep it that way.
MBCA Prayer Circle
Previously Moms In Prayer
MBCA would like to invite you to our Prayer Circle on Thursday mornings.
What?: Intentionally praying for our Academy family and our local community.
When?: Thursday mornings while school is in session from 8:15-9:00 a.m.
Who?: ALL are welcome! Moms, dads, grandparents, teachers, visitors, younger children, and anyone wanting to pray (or needing prayers)!
Where?: Room B106 (Bride's room in B building)
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

If you have any questions, please contact faculty yearbook advisor,  Christi Hattingh .
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
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. 

We will offer:
$3 - Chick-fil-A biscuits
$3 - Chick-fil-A 3-count chicken minis box
$1 - Donuts
Class News
Fourth Grade
Solar Eclipse: A Gift from God
Fourth graders are studying the solar system in science. The solar eclipse on August 21 gave us a great example of how the earth and moon revolve around the sun and sometimes line up perfectly! What an amazing creator we have in our God! Visit our Facebook page to see more pictures.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years..." Genesis 1:14
Middle School
Eclipse Myths
Mrs. Lovett's science classes studied different Eclipse Myths in honor of the solar eclipse. They chose an eclipse myth to illustrate, and enjoyed "solar" snacks such as Moon Pies, SunChips, and Capri Sun.
Upper School
Stylin' in Eclipse Glasses
Our Upper School students enjoyed the first solar eclipse of their lifetime on Monday! Our faculty and staff joined in on all the eclipse fun, glasses and all!
Outdoor Club
The Upper Schools' Outdoor Club traveled to the Ocoee River in Tennessee this past weekend. Nine students, Mr. Hensler, and Mr. Jones went whitewater rafting down the river, which was full of class 3 rapids! Check out some of their action shots!
Sports
Sports Updates
Our cross country and volleyball teams were in action this week. To view the game highlights, link here .
Middle School Cheerleading Tryouts
Who can tryout?
  • Girls: grades 6th-8th
  • No experience or skill required; we will guide and teach you!
2017-2018 Tryout
1.Sign up for tryouts by August 29 using this link .
2.Attend tryouts: Thursday, August 31 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m .
  • Location: Christian Athletic Center (CAC)
  • Learn a sideline cheer, a quick dance, practice some jumps and then break up into groups of 3 for tryouts
  • 2-3 Pope High School cheerleaders will assist with the tryouts
3. Mandatory Parent Meeting: 5:00 p.m. in the Olympia Room (CAC)
4. Squad Announcement: the 2017-2018 MBCA MS Cheerleading Squad will be posted here by August 31 at 8:00 p.m.
MBUMC News
Pivot Step One
As a parent, of course you want to manage your money well, eliminate debt, and enjoy the benefits of financial freedom. For better or worse, the way you handle and relate to money makes a lifelong impact on your children. They are watching what you do with you money, listening to how you talk about money, and learning from you every single day. Your child's future financial decisions hinge on what you're doing now. What would your child want you to do? Watch this video to find out. 

This fall, make an intentional step towards financial freedom and responsibility that you can share with your kids as they grow. Learn more at  pivotstepone.org .
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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
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