Here we go!

The second semester is off and running. It's hard to believe, but we are on the downhill slide toward the end of school. The school year is really passing quickly.

Miss Allison's 5-K

Today our pre-school students celebrated 100 days with a parade though the elementary and secondary hallways. On the other end of the grade spectrum, our seniors are already making plans for graduation. Invitations and caps and gowns are being ordered and soon will be here.  Basketball and soccer seasons are winding down toward the playoffs, and baseball and the other spring sports are right around the corner.

However, even though extra-curricular activities are ongoing, our students are working hard in the classroom as well. The second batch of ACT scores are in, and it looks like our 11th grade ACT Prep class (new this year) taught by Mrs. Meg Woods is already paying dividends. I love to visit and watch the students work the ACT questions using their MacBooks while Mrs. Woods utilizes her iPad and Apple TV to show the correct solutions to the questions. Because of her and our other teachers' extraordinary efforts, we will soon be announcing a new crop of Mississippi Eminent Scholars (29+ on ACT) from Magnolia Heights School.

2013 MHS Science Fair

The date for the MHS Science Fair has been set (Monday, February 24th), and I'm looking forward to all the great projects and their progression to district and state competition. The research papers have been submitted to Dr. Self and Mrs. Goodwin, and students are now making final preparations for the presentation of their projects. Students are using their MacBooks for graphs and other project components, and I can already see more creativity, collaboration and critical thinking - all essential tenets of 21st Century Education.


Our 7th and 8th grade students are piloting the use of iPads this semester. Each section of our 7th and 8th grades will use the iPads in the classroom and take them home at night to use in completing homework and projects. At the end of the semester feedback will provide insight into which device (MacBook or iPad) that 7th and 8th grade students will use next year. Additionally, 10th grade students in Mrs. Poe's Group Projects Class are creating projects comparing the devices and will be making presentations later this spring with their conclusions. We will use this information as well to help us as we make our final decision.

Soon our parents, as well as other parents who visit us during our preview day, will be making decisions about enrolling their children for the upcoming school year. It's not difficult to look around and see the quality college preparatory educations their children are receiving. One can walk through the halls on any day and see, hear, and feel this evidence. As a parent of two MHS graduates, it makes me so proud to know that our tradition of excellence not only continues but also strives to get even better each year. This is not the work of one person or one particular group, but the collective efforts of many. If you know of anyone who might be interested in our school, please have them call Mrs. Allison Burris for more information or to set up a tour.


As we go forward, please make plans to visit our school for a play, a game, or a Parent's Club function. I also hope that you will download our new MHS app for your Apple or Android device. We are now utilizing it, and its functions will continue to grow to inform an even greater audience of the great things here on "the Hill."