February 22, 2011

Service and Achievement

Over the last couple of weeks MHS students have demonstrated once again not only how academically gifted they are, but also how willing they are to give back to the school and community.

Each year the MAIS (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools) sponsors among many activities, a state spelling bee, art contest, and science fairs.

Last week the local winners of the MHS spelling bee participated in the district spelling bee at Oxford University School. Lindsey Axthelm won 1st place in the 4th grade and Zach Hollingsworth won 3rd place in the 5th grade at the MAIS District I Spelling Bee. Elementary art contest winners were also posted and MHS had many district and state winners (names will be released at a later date).

As an example of service, the Interact Club helped with the State AAA basketball tournament and all our varsity and junior high players served as team host. Our Broadcast Journalism class helped WI-FI Sports broadcast all the games live on the Internet. Five members of the Interact club helped the Senatobia Rotary Club with their quarterly Blood Drive. Talk about sacrificial giving!

Even our alumni are making news. Sam Hong, a 2007 MHS graduate who lived as an exchange student with MHS faculty member Mrs. Fay Hurt, received early admission to Emory Medical School in Atlanta. Emory Medical School is one of the top medical schools in the United States. Sam turned down offers from other schools including Vanderbilt Medical School to remain at Emory where he has been working in their cancer research center as an undergrad.

When you think about service, you can’t help but also remember the scores of parent volunteers that help make our school what it is today. This past Thursday evening a great time was had by all and thousands of dollars were raised for Magnolia Heights. The Parents' Club under the leadership this year of April Lipscomb, hosted “Catfish in Como.” Lori Puryear Barrett chaired this year’s event and, along with her committee, provided a fun night for all in attendance. The auction and dinner will provide needed funds for those extra items not in each school budget. Over the years the Parents’ Club has donated funds for technology purchases and upgrades, classroom supplies, teacher start-up money, helped with major purchases such as school buses, and provided delicious food and snacks for teacher appreciation and other meetings hosted by the school. We are forever indebted to our Parents’ Club and the numerous ways they serve the teachers and students of MHS each day.

Service and achievement – integral parts of the tradition of excellence at Magnolia Heights School. Way to go!

February 8, 2011

Yesterday was a great day for MHS seniors Margaret Ellen Ruhl and Colby Ruth Holden. They received notification that they were named National Merit Finalist!

Of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. Of those, 16,000 are chosen as National Merit Semi-Finalist. From those 16,000, the top students are named finalist. All of us at MHS are so proud of Colby and Margaret Ellen and wish them both well as they move on to the next stage of their lives.

Also congratulations are in order for MHS senior Mac McDonald. Mac signed with Coach Ricky Woods and Northwest Mississippi Community College on national signing day. Mac played quarterback and safety for Coach Cliff Young’s Chiefs. He was named first team all North AAA Conference and selected to play in the MAIS All-Star game where he was selected as the MVP on offense for the North team.

This is an exciting week for MHS. We will be hosting the State AAA Division 2 basketball championships. Games will begin Tuesday and Wednesday at 4:00PM, with the semi-finals and championships on Friday and Saturday. The girls’ semi-final and championship games will begin at 1:00PM, and the boys’ at 6:00PM.

The teams involved will include MHS, Lee Academy from Clarksdale, Pillow Academy from Greenwood, Washington School from Greenville, Heritage Academy from Columbus, East Rankin Academy from Pelahatchie, Copiah Academy from Gallman, and Oak Forrest Academy from Amite, Louisiana. I hope that you will make plans to come out and see some great basketball. Also a first, all games will be broadcast live via the internet. You can catch the games by clicking the following link http://www.wfsports.com/?page_id=767.

I hope you get a chance to see the elementary artwork displayed in the Baker Hall corridors. Artwork form Mrs. Andrea Ludwig’s elementary art classes are on display. I know you will enjoy it as much as I have!

Please don’t forget our Spring Fund Raiser, “Catfish in Como.” Tickets are still available in the elementary office. Please help our Parents’ Club as they raise funds to support MHS and its students.

Finally, thanks to all of you who participated in the annual MHS magazine drive. Magnolia Heights will receive 40% of all sales. Even though the drive is over, you can still order or renew your magazines online and the school will still receive credit. Just follow this link http://www.gafundraising.com and enter our account number 1263383, the student’s name and begin shopping.

February 2, 2011

This past Monday night I was reminded again how special our school is.

As evidence of this, the Board Development Committee allocated some $4000 toward the purchase of classroom extras. These are items that we might not be able to purchase out of regular tuition funds. The items ranged from enrichment software to help kindergarten students who are sight-based readers augment their reading fundamentals, technology for classrooms (projectors, screens, etc.), digital protractors for math, to dry-erase geometric marker boards, as well as many other items. These supplies were purchased by your gifts and my gifts to the Annual Fund. In the past 4 years well over $100,000 has been raised by Allison Burris and the school’s development office. Even though this is significant, even more significant is the fact that 40 cents of every dollar raised goes towards the school’s growing endowment which is now over $100,000. This endowment will be used to supplement the school’s educational goals when it reaches maturity in the not too distant future. Although the endowment’s principal cannot ever be spent, interest on the account can and will be when funds in the account reach guidelines set by the Board of Trustees and the Board Development Committee.

I was also reminded of this by the planning efforts of our Parents’ Club. On Thursday, February 17, they will host Catfish in Como. This will be a live and silent auction devoted solely toward raising money for the school. The Parents’ Club over the years has been so faithful, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase needed items for the school. For the past 15 years they have been responsible for the purchase of computers for our computer labs ensuring that the elementary and secondary labs get new computers every three years. Over the years they have helped with the purchase of school busses, new curriculums, as well as providing each teacher with start-up money each August toward the purchase of classroom enhancements.

Without lifelines like these and the many volunteers that who them work, we could not offer what we have today. When you see Allison Burris and Sheila Brownlee from the MHS Advancement Office, thank them for their work with the Annual Fund and when you see April Lipscomb, this years’ Parents’ Club President, Lori Puryear Barrett, Chair of the Catfish in Como fund raiser, or any of the other officers and committee chairs of the Parents’ Club, tell them thanks and that you appreciate their time and effort. Or better yet get involved – give to the Annual Fund and support and attend Catfish in Como. I know I will…