Vol. 3 No. 2 - Spring 2012

Experience pisgah post

Vol. 3 | No. 2 Spring 2012

inside pisgah

College Prep. Life Ready.

You won’t want to miss the fun as the Patriot Athletic Campus is transformed into a spectacular country fair for Pisgah’s 25th anniversary celebration.

The PArC After Dark will feature carnival-style attractions and games, food, entertainment, silent and live auctions with exciting outings and items, and much more. This is the biggest event of the school year and will bring the entire Pisgah family together to celebrate 25 years of the Pisgah Experience.

3 Think Tank Pisgah News Network

6 Culinary Lab Honored History Museum

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The fun begins at 4:00pm on Saturday, April 21st and continues until 9:30pm. Tickets will be available on the school website.

Serving Others Great Debate

10 East Campus Enhancement

11 Italy Immersion

12 Pisgah Arts

14 Pisgah Athletics

Mount Pisgah Christian School 9820 Nesbit Ferry Road Johns Creek, Georgia 30022

PRESORTED FIRST CLASS US POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT #6306

Look for QR codes throughout the Pisgah Post to scan for even more information.

Interactive Instruction Initiative (I3)

by Dr. Bryan Smyth, V.P, Academic Affairs

One of the primary goals of the Pisgah strategic plan is to assure the school is delivering on its mission to provide an outstanding college preparatory education. It has been said, “If we teach today, like we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”

To be truly outstanding, we must constantly improve our academic program. An important question that educators all over the world must answer is, “What should schools teach to prepare our children for the global and digital economy of tomorrow?” From writings on the 21st Century Learning goals to Sir Ken Robinson’s convincing talks about changing the education paradigm to Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, it is clear that technological and economic forces have created a critical mass in education. To assure that your children and mine are prepared for a far different and increasingly competitive world, first our definition of “college prep” must evolve. Within the next few months, we will share with Pisgah about our blueprint for a new college prep curriculum and what Pisgah is doing to achieve the best academic preparation for your children. We will clearly integrate whole thinking and life skills into the curriculum and classroom experience in order to prepare today’s students to excel in tomorrow’s world. Our 7 C’s Model adds Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, and Cultural Competency to our already strong Core curriculum and Christian faith and character.

To bring students to achievement in each of these areas Pisgah will leverage strong relationships between teachers and students, expand our teachers’ skills, and use space to influence students’ acquisition of these skills. For those interested in seeing the first iterations of how we can leverage space to facilitate the achievement of the 7 C’s, be sure to come see the American History Lab and the Pisgah Think Tank Classroom.

First, to achieve our goals in the areas of Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity and Collaboration, Pisgah is building a new technology platform for our students.

Over the past 18 months we have been building the foundation for the platform, upgrading the wireless network, purchasing laptops and tablet/PCs for teachers in the Preparatory School, and purchasing tablets and carts for our mobile computer lab. We’ve established personalized professional development plans for all teachers to support these technology initiatives. We’ve recently invested in a redesign of our network server environment and help desk responsiveness to be sure that the platform is reliable and troubleshooting can occur immediately. In many cases, technical support addresses potential problems before they even arise preventing interruptions to the school day. By the fall of 2012, a new firewall and filter will be in place to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that unwanted content and viruses do not reach our learning environment in order to protect our children and their equipment.

See examples of Pisgah’s Interactive Instruction Initiative - I3 Continued on pages 3 and 18 wherever you see this symbol.

pisgah post Reflections

by Tammy Mozingo, Director of Admissions Life is a funny thing. Just as soon as you think you have parenting all figured out, your last child has graduated from school and left home. This is my eleventh year at Pisgah and my first year without a student (who is my own child) walking the halls with me. For me, this is a time of reflection about the value of the Pisgah Experience.

As the Director of Admission at Pisgah, I’m often asked to articulate the difference between a Pisgah education and all others. First and foremost, Pisgah is a Christian school that embraces our mission to instill a love and personal relationship with Christ throughout the community and in the hearts of our students. As a Christian school, we are called to be excellent in all we do because we answer to God and not man. Second, we are committed to being college preparatory. We focus on developing each student into the portrait of a graduate from the moment they enter Pisgah whether that is at six weeks old, six years or sixteen. Each level of development and grade has been carefully planned to equip our students with the tools necessary to be successful in their next stage of life.

We have a whole school, whole child philosophy that seeks to have a seamless transition from one grade to another so that the end result is a graduate excellently prepared to face the challenges of college and life. Third, Pisgah embodies community and family. The Pisgah family places a high value on quality relationships established in trust and meaningful communication. Parents work together with faculty and each other to build a culture of trust and unity. Faculty and students have a mutual respect and care for one another. This fosters confidence in our students, promotes self-advocacy

and creates respect for those in authority.

As a teacher and administrator, I live the Pisgah Experience and see its value more from the service/input end -- but as a parent of two Pisgah alumni, I also reap the rewards and benefits from the outcome of the Experience on a daily basis.

As I watch my sons, one a UGA freshman and the other a UGA graduate, successfully continuing their education and going into the workplace, I am so thankful for the partnership of my family with Pisgah. While the sacrifices were great, the lifelong benefits of establishing a sound academic experience built on a Christian foundation and expectation of trusting relationships with peers and authority far outweigh the monetary costs. While my boys don’t walk the halls of Pisgah with me now, they carry with them the values and principles instilled while living the Pisgah Experience.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to share the Pisgah Experience with others. If you would like to tour the whole school or know a family that you think would be a good fit, please contact me at 678-336-3443.

Experience pisgah

Executive Leadership Mount Pisgah Christian School 9820 Nesbit Ferry Road Johns Creek, GA 30022 678-336-3443 experiencepisgah.org

Scott Barron President Blake Davenport General Manager of Athletics Tammy Mozingo Director of Admissions Nancy Purdy Head of Primary School Bill Shelnutt Head of Preparatory School Brenda Slack Director of Finance Dr. Bryan Smyth Vice-President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Williams Director of Marketing & Communications

Pisgah Celebrates

25 Years!

Daily Tours Available

College Prep.

Life Ready.

Ages Six Weeks through 12th Grade

mount pisgah

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

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9820 Nesbit Ferry Road • Johns Creek, Georgia 30022

(678) 336-3443 • experiencepisgah.org Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Pisgah News Network The Pisgah News Network keeps Lower School students and faculty in the know! Twice a year, fifth grade students submit applications and are selected for the PNN Team based on grades, behavior, and general leadership ability. Every morning, a PNN Team of three or four students is responsible for setting up all the equipment including the transmission tools, lighting, tripod, camera and set, practicing the script, and finally, broadcasting the live newscast. Students view the newscast in their classrooms on the SmartBoard. The script consists of the introduction of the Watch Dog Dad, weather, Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, description of the virtue of the month, school prayer, announcements, and a daily fact, riddle or joke. Serving on the PNN team provides students with valuable experience in developing their presentation and organizational skills. Pisgah families are welcome to see students in action on the Lower School announcements panel outside the school office.

Think Tank Engagement, excitement, and loads of creativity – learning comes to life for students at the new Lower School Think Tank. The Think Tank is the enrichment classroom for kindergarten through third grade. The enrichment team has redesigned the classroom environment, creating a space that is more conducive to creative thinking and collaborative learning. The space is used as a laboratory to test learning strategies for classroom use that challenges students in practical ways and develops teamwork, confidence, and problem-solving skills.

Each class comes to the Think Tank once a week. Classes are co-led by Mrs. Fetz and the classroom teacher allowing for a more in-depth and customized experience for all students.

Many of the foundational ideas incorporated into the enrichment curriculum stem from Harvard’s program called Project Zero which stresses thinking routines and Stanford’s Design Thinking which encourages practical problem solving skills. There is great excitement surrounding what will be discovered as faculty and students practice innovative ways to make learning engaging.

Classroom Connection Pisgah students make global connections thanks to the innovative use of technology in the classroom.

Ms. Powers’ kindergarten class was privileged to Skype with Maggie Dowd’s Dad, John, who is stationed in Bagram, Afghanistan. John was a surprise reader for the class and Maggie’s mom, Beth, said “he loved being able to not only surprise Maggie and meet her teachers and classmates but it also gave him a feeling of participation in her school day. Skyping reconnects him to home and lets him mentally leave the desert for a while. We feel God has called him to be there. We are grateful to Pisgah Preschool and Lower School administration and our teachers for the support we have received. In addition to skyping Maggie’s Kindergarten class, he was able to skype with younger sister Abby’s preschool class this year.”

Mr. Dowd works for the Department of Homeland Security supporting all branches of the military and is proud to serve his country. He was deployed for 18 months and safely returned home on January 27. The following Monday, he served as a Pisgah WatchDog Dad. Mrs. Winfield’s kindergarten class also skyped with one of their classmates in Korea. William Kim was visiting his grandparents in Seoul, Korea. It was difficult to coordinate the skype session with the 14 hour time difference, but William’s parents let him stay up late (it was 10pm), and the class was greeted with William’s smile on the Smartboard when they arrived at school in the morning. William recited the Korean alphabet for the class and showed them around his grandparents’ apartment. He said he was having a wonderful time in Korea but was anxious to get back home to his friends at Pisgah.

Plugging In What happens when students bring laptops into the classroom? Learning gets personal, students become creative, and teachers make good use of valuable classroom time.

Pisgah students in grades 6-12 have benefited from the integration of technology into the curriculum with the new PC tablet mobile labs that were implemented this year.

David Rogers taught his Algebra II class for two weeks using the convertible tablet PCs to get a feel for the one to one scenario. He found several benefits. Students were able to spend more time on the actual material and less on the mechanics of note taking. The ability to write with the stylus allowed the students to work examples just as they would with their homework and not worry about how to create exponents and math symbols while typing. Students were able to complete a lesson with virtual algebra tiles that allowed everyone to participate simultaneously. “In the past, we would not have had the space or resources to do this particular exercise in this way,” says Rogers, “Microsoft OneNote allowed me to easily give the students an entire semester’s worth of material. The versatility of the pc/tablet allowed students to be comfortable because they could write and/or type. The new medium also sparked some creativity from the students.”

www.experiencepisgah.org

Creativity abounds in Darla Bumgardner’s seventh grade Science class where students create an online interactive poster using the application Glogster.

Students are able to connect to various scientific internet resources including National Geographic and present the lessons they learn in a creative way on their “glog.” Their research on volcanoes is presented in multi-media fashion as they easily research needed information and present it in various creative ways using images, video, recordings of themselves and friends, hyperlinks, text captions, and much more.

Students in Advanced Chemistry are given lectures as homework utilizing Power Point and a screencasting application. Students are able to listen to and watch a lecture several times and review notes as the teacher presents material in real time. They then arrive to class with questions to ask for help in solving problems. This flip of the paradigm allows for more interactive instruction in the classroom with teacher guidance and support. Students can review lectures as homework and revisit material as needed.

Students benefit from using technology to do many of their daily tasks. Organizing and annotating notes, reviewing lectures, and creating original presentations from research are just the beginning. Connecting to the many resources available and collaborating with other students and teachers is a vital skill for 21st century learners and Pisgah students are right on track for a bright future as teachers integrate technology into the classrooms more and more every day.

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pisgah post Pisgah Preschoolers learn that with persistence, anything is possible.

As part of a unit on hibernation, the four year olds in the Full Day Kingdom Room search for their elusive teddy bears. With the aid of flashlights and friends, classmates and bears reunite with big bear hugs. Miss Cindy’s Rainbow room transforms into a bear cave as students explore the hibernation habits of bears by going on bear hunts and watching videos of bears preparing to hibernate. Center time is filled with bear activities, including making bear snacks. The week ends with the children wearing their P.J.’s to school and hibernating with stuffed animals during rest time.

What a fun week, with lots of hands-on learning!

At Pisgah Preschool Half Day, teachers build tent ‘caves’ for the children and have them hide inside like bears, escaping the cold outside. They paint with blocks of ice and the older preschoolers build their own little caves where they can put their baby bears while they sleep over winter. They come dressed in their pajamas and “sleep” in their bear caves.

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“I just wanted to share with you what a difference you are making with my son. Yesterday when we got in the car he told me he was sad because we were leaving school. This made my day since this is the same little boy who would cry on the way to the other school.

Previously I would ask him about his day and he would tell me he didn’t do anything. Now he tells me daily without my asking all the great things he does and teaches me new songs. He is thriving and I can’t thank you enough! Thank you for loving my son. It has made a huge difference on our lives!”

YOUR FAMILY SHOULD ASK…

an informative video for preschool parents

QUESTIONS 4

Scan this QR code to watch

Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Continued from page 4 From hibernation to polar bears and everything in between, the children use their imaginations to take them everywhere in the world. Through the wilderness on the bear hunt during hibernation week, to the Arctic to explore polar animals, and migrating south for the winter with the birds, their imaginations are endless.

“It has been so rewarding to see how much our children are learning through play at Pisgah Preschool,” said Preschool Assistant Director Charmaine Botha. “How blessed we are to have such innovative and wonderful teachers, who use their creative, God given gifts to make learning a hands-on experience for our children.”

In ballet, preschool students learn how to dance with a partner and synchronize movements. During music and movement, they squeal with delight as they learn about cooperative and non-competitive play, holding up a parachute as a whole group and moving it to the count of three.

Geography comes alive as the two year olds grasp the concept of circling the sun every year on their birthdays. They know that God has got the “Whole World in His Hands” and sing along as they “walk” a trip around the sun for every year that they are on earth.

During a special evening together, Pisgah Preschool dads experience highlights from their children’s day at school. It’s a blessing to witness the interaction as the individual quality time with dads is so evidently appreciated by the children.

“Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” The four year old class had a blast watching The New Adventures of the Gingerbread Man at the Center for Puppetry Arts. The children were introduced to a variety of different puppets and puppetry styles and had the chance to make their very own gingerbread man shadow puppets in the Center’s Create-A-Puppet Workshop. The children are still singing the songs, and the puppet center is filled daily with students reenacting the tale.

View event photos online at

PisgahPhotos.com Password: patriots

PisgahPhotos.com is a fundraiser for Mount Pisgah Christian School www.experiencepisgah.org

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pisgah post Living History Since the grand opening of Pisgah’s History Museum, Lower School students have experienced history lessons in a working history laboratory. While learning about the Declaration of Independence, students reenacted the actual signing process. Instructor Deanna Orr taught students to make and then write with quill pens, using homemade walnut ink. As they sealed their documents with sealing wax, students learned the importance of securing documents. They were surprised by how long the actual writing process must have taken for the original documents.

Phase two of the museum has now opened, featuring a pioneer log cabin and general store.

Students have enjoyed handling and learning about antique items including measuring scales, a spinning wheel, dishes, farm equipment, and more. Mrs. Terpstra’s fifth grade Reading classes held lessons on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie inside the cabin. They compared the details of Laura’s prairie home with Pisgah’s log cabin, noting many similarities. According to Mrs. Terpstra, “The students were so excited to read this classic historical novel and then be able to hold and examine objects similar to those in the book. It really brought the novel to life for our children.”

The museum’s creation and development was spearheaded by Nancy Hanks Purdy, Head of the Primary School. She is grateful to the many families and friends of the museum for their assistance in getting it up and running in such a short time. “I am thrilled that our students have the chance to bring history lessons to life in such a creative, hands-on environment. We could not have accomplished all of this without the support of Pisgah’s families, who are so generous with their time, talents, and treasure. We are truly blessed to have such an involved community.” Mrs. Purdy went on to explain that she is excited about the response to the museum from the North Fulton community as a whole.

“One of our most generous benefactors had no previous connection to Pisgah. She read about our opening in the local paper. Because she supports our objective of creating meaningful, hands on American History lessons, she and her husband have both donated and purchased a number of important items for our museum.” When asked why History is such an important subject, she replied, “History is so much more than the memorization of facts. Its applications give our children the basis to become strong, informed citizens in the future.”

Dear Students, The history museum is amazing! It has a little section that is all Mount Pisgah history. It has a copy of the Declaration of Independence. I loved cutting the rope to open it up. I know you will have a lot of fun in the museum! I hope you will enjoy it.

From, Olivia Tanzy

Culinary Lab Honored More exciting opportunities are cooking in the Lower School Culinary Lab. Lead teacher Kim Byne was notified by Kroger’s corporate management that Pisgah has been awarded a $1500 grant through their Healthy Living contest for schools. “We are thrilled with this honor and the opportunities it provides us.” says Mrs. Byne.

“We will use part of the grant for additional healthy ingredients and other cooking supplies. We also plan to start a culinary garden, so students can use the freshest ingredients possible and also better understand food sources.” The first items grown will likely be a variety of herbs, along with commonly used vegetables such as tomatoes and onions.

The purpose of the Healthy Living contest was to demonstrate how schools promote healthy living.

Mrs. Byne and instructor Deanna Orr created a video showing culinary classes in action. They highlighted learning about healthy ingredients as well as core academic integration into the curriculum.

The Culinary Lab has been rewarding for everyone involved. According to Byne, the most exciting thing has been the fact that since this is a new class, each week has been a new experience.

“Each lesson involves a risk. Each week we are able to give the students more independence and responsibility, and each week they rise to meet it.”

In addition to new responsibilities, students try a number of new foods. Creating and then tasting things such as homemade pickles, dried fruits, and vinaigrettes has helped many students open their minds to trying more sophisticated foods.

Culinary Lab lessons intentionally integrate a large spectrum of academic skills. Younger students gain Language Arts experience through following written directions, identifying letters and words, and examining punctuation. Literature is incorporated into lessons as well. Reading stories such as “Gregory the Terrible Eater” opens discussion of healthy food choices. Lessons for older students consistently incorporate social studies and math concepts. Before cooking, students may be required to double recipes using fractions or to convert recipes using decimals. According to Mrs. Byne, these lessons provide a “true application of skills in the most authentic way possible.” With innovative and interactive instruction such as this, it’s no wonder Pisgah was honored with the Healthy Living grant!

Parlez-vous?

Beginning French and German are now offered at the Lower School as after school enrichment classes. Sylvia Pracht, who has lived and studied in Europe and South America, utilizes a variety of teaching techniques for maximum effect. The students play games, cook and taste different foods, learn about European traditions, and role play to learn foreign languages for use in travel, business development and in order to share God’s love with people in other lands. Learn more about Pisgah’s after school enrichment classes on page seven.

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Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Pathfinders: Spirit of Giving Pisgah Pathfinders has always sought ways to introduce the children in the after school and summer camp programs to the joy of helping others.

Each Christmas, local families turn to North Fulton Community Charities for help with their holiday needs and Pisgah supports the charity’s worthwhile efforts. Pathfinders adopts at least one of these families in tribute to what they fondly refer to as the Pat Izer “Spirit of Giving”. Miss Pat is well known to the Pisgah community, having retired this past year after two decades of service to the Pathfinders program. Her caring and giving spirit left an incredible legacy of love at Pisgah.

The Pathfinder students are told that the children of these families are very much like themselves; they go to their schools, they play in their parks, with the exception that they are unlikely to receive gifts for Christmas from their parents. After the shock fades from their faces and it has been explained that Santa will undoubtedly visit these children, (but parents like to give their children gifts too), each after school student is asked to look at their very own Christmas Wish List and give something that they wanted to see under the tree that year. Their willingness to sacrifice is overwhelming, as children shout out the gifts they are willing to be without that year in order for their parents to instead donate that money to the “Spirit of Giving”.

The efforts of each Pisgah Pathfinder family paid off this past season in the amount of $1,315.65. With the money raised, the eight adopted children of two families, ages three months to ten years old, were able to receive numerous gifts including four bicycles, transformers, soccer balls and books. Each family also received a gift card enabling them to purchase additional gifts or groceries.

The staff of Pisgah Pathfinders was extremely impressed by all of the students for their generous giving, and sacrifice, which allowed these families to have a very merry Christmas.

Scientific Studies What better way to learn about the solar system than to put yourself into orbit?

Second graders recently took on the role of planets to better understand their properties and rotation. They also visited the Star Lab Planetarium at the Elachee Nature Science Center located in Gainesville, Georgia. The children were able to view the sun and a “hidden planet” through a high powered telescope. They also learned about many different constellations and their location in the sky.

Third grade science students enjoyed yet another collaborative demonstration with Lower School science guru, Mrs. Jan Clark: the process of sublimation. This is defined as the change of matter from a solid instantly to a gas. Donna DuBois, parent of third grader, Danielle DuBois, supported the effort by supplying the dry ice for the lab. Thanks to modeling nationally recognized scientist, Steve Spangler’s work, Mrs. Clark dazzled the children by sublimating distilled water, dishwashing liquid, and dry ice resulting in billows of cascading gas bubbles which the students caught in gloved hands! The third grader’s study of matter culminated in this remarkable transformation “Las Vegas” style!

Fourth and fifth graders had their own close encounter with the world of science. Each student prepared an experiment at home to show the class during Super Science Day. Highlights included Lukas Aden making “elephant’s toothpaste” demonstrating a chemical reaction, Tori Dalton showing her generator that lit up lights in her miniature Christmas tree, and Katie McKroskey using a light and the sun to run her solar car that was constructed out of a soft drink can. Students gained public speaking experience, as well as prepared written reports to demonstrate their knowledge of the science concepts they learned.

patriotcommunitysports.com

678-336-3140

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SUMMER CAMPS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 4 – 18

Baseball

Todd Greene Baseball Camp also offered!

www.experiencepisgah.org

Football Soccer

Basketball

Softball

Cheerleading

Speed & Agility

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pisgah post Chess

Enriching Experiences Computer programming, chess, science magic, seasonal art, dance and much more…

When students walk through the doors of Pisgah Pathfinders enrichment programs, they’re entering a whole new world of discovery.

Each quarter, students have the chance to sign up for Enrichment classes to fill their afternoon with one of the many fun, engaging and unique programs that are offered. Classes are taught by Pisgah’s talented faculty as well as local specialists.

Seasonal Art After a successful holiday Arts program, locally owned “Out of the Box Art Studio” returns to Pisgah to offer another entertaining Art class.

In this Multimedia class, students will draw and paint with all sorts of wonderful tools and media. Students will craft with watercolors, stained glass, canvas and acrylics, string, pastels, drawing media, creating seasonal pieces as well as masterpiece inspired art by Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet, fun folk artists and more.

Enrichment programs are one of the many services offered to Pisgah Primary students through the Pathfinder program. To learn more about Pisgah Pathfinders after school, summer camp and early bird programs visit www.pisgahpathfinders.com

Science Magic Mrs. Jan Clark, fourth and fifth grade Science teacher, has offered many science courses for students over the years. This season she has created a brand new science class. Students will grow crystals and make rock candy, build and launch rockets, make ice cream, create a tornado bottle and thermometer, learn how to put out a fire two ways, and experiment with dry ice. As with all of Mrs. Clark’s courses, students are sure to enjoy many educational and fun handson experiments and projects.

Tap~Ballet~Jazz & Hip-Hop Creative Movement and Dance offers two varieties of yearlong dance classes at Pisgah. The Tap Ballet and Jazz course presents an exciting dance class that offers a wide range of fun and upbeat movement.

Children learn self-discipline, listening skills, strengthen coordination and patterns in movement while studying ballet, tap, and jazz dance techniques. Also in the program, students are exposed to Broadway and fun popular styles of dance. Hip-hop, the most contemporary dance form that is a very fast paced, athletic dance style, is also offered this year. The routines taught in this class are age appropriate and fun. This class will help students develop the strength, flexibility, rhythm, leaps, balance, combinations and safe body mechanics to dance confidently in a social atmosphere.

Offered for several years now as an Enrichment class, Chess is one of the most popular offerings. Chess is rapidly growing as a competitive sport in the United States at every level. People everywhere are realizing the benefits of this ancient game. Chess develops creativity, focus, problem solving skills and is fun. Chess will be taught by 2011 (U2200) GA State Champion & 2011 World Am Representative, Candidate Master Jim Mundy. Students will receive level cards both for home study and to track progress, will have an active rating on the club ladder, access to computers and training software, Chronos clocks for blitz and bughouse, and of course chess sets! All students will be recognized for their efforts with medallions and certificates, and will have chances to win trophies as well. This course is taught to all age ranges and to all levels; beginner to advanced.

The Cyber Bug Bytes Mrs. Leeann Denham, Pisgah’s Lower School Technology teacher, has designed this course for students who want to think, reason, create, strengthen math skills and play with the computer at the same time. During the session they create their own drawings and write programs that have cats and dinosaurs dancing, fish swimming, aliens playing in bands, even use their creations as game pieces for the more adventurous users. Over this nine week course students are introduced to Scratch, a programming language developed by the MIT Media Lab. It allows students from kindergarten to college to instantly see the result of a command - like snapping Lego blocks together. In addition to Scratch, students use other online programs to create gallery-worthy designs from pictures to animations to games.

Year to Date Report from P.A.L.S. Whether it is showing appreciation to all our teachers, planning fun events for our families, or raising money, P.A.L.S. (Parents Are Loyal Supporters), had a busy fall and accomplished much! We thank our many parents who served as the hands and feet for these events.

“Being involved with P.A.L.S. makes me feel very connected to the school and affirms what a blessing it is to have our children here,” said volunteer Heather Wilson. “It is also the best way to meet people that you otherwise might not meet. I have many friends who I have met volunteering for various P.A.L.S. events over the years. Being involved and connected is what makes Pisgah feel like family.”

P.A.L.S. kicked off the year with their big Back to School Events which included lunch and snacks for Lower, Middle and Upper School teachers as well as fun Pizza Picnics for the Lower, Middle and Upper School students and parents. The Kona Ice Truck also came to welcome the children back to school. In addition, we gifted our Preparatory School teachers with carrying cases for their new laptops.

Watch Dog Dads is also a very special parent program at the Lower School.

Each September we have a Watch Dog “Donuts with Dad” kick off meeting.

Dads come to school with their children for donuts and fellowship while hearing about this wonderful opportunity throughout the year to spend a day at school and volunteer.

P.A.L.S. continued their momentum into the fall with lots of fun activities. Trunk or Treat at the PAC was a great family night with a ton of trick or treaters, candy and fun! In December, P.A.L.S. hosted its annual Thankful Friday and Operation Christmas Child Event. What a great day of service for the Lower School students and their special guests. Pisgah collected more than 500 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, and Upper School students earned over 50 service hours as they helped pack and load the boxes. A fall parent education

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Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Service Day Great Debate Seventh graders, Amy Rhee and Arnold Hong, performed exceptionally well in a public forum debate tournament in Greenville, S.C. The tournament was sponsored by the South Carolina Junior Forensic League. Competing against pairs from middle schools or debate academies in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, Amy and Arnold went undefeated and finished in first place.

Their debate topic was: “Resolved that the costs of a college education outweigh the benefits.”

Each team was required to research and prepare arguments on both sides of the issue.

Pisgah Middle School students shared their time and talents in the annual Day of Service. The students served our community and residents by volunteering at the Roswell Senior Center, Global Soap, Somerby Nursing Home, Arbor Terrace Nursing Home, Sunrise Tapestry House, the Hope Store, Beacon of Hope, North Fulton Community Charities, and they also helped package donated toiletry items for Divine Beauty.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the students from Mount Pisgah Christian School at the Roswell Senior Center as we do always on your “Day of Service”. Your students represent your school very well. We appreciate all of you for choosing to spend this day with us. Many of our seniors remarked as they were leaving, “What a great day this has been!” You make a difference.”

Sandra Hanson, Roswell Senior Center Manager

Year to Date Report from P.A.L.S. seminar was also hosted at the Middle School and was a great success.

P.A.L.S. has continued the tasty tradition of monthly donuts sales. Everyone looks forward to those mornings with yummy Krispy Kreme treats. Our quarterly Chick-fil-A nights bring the entire Pisgah community together for dinner. Thank you to everyone for making those nights a BIG success.

There are more to come in the winter and spring!

The School Store has been very busy with record sales in the beginning of the school year, and it has continued to be a fun place to shop throughout the year. There are always new and exciting items.

Throughout the year, P.A.L.S. always tries to show how much our wonderful teachers are loved and appreciated. We have hosted two Teacher Appreciation Days so far this year with another one yet to come. P.A.L.S. also shares love in small ways throughout the year by hosting monthly breakfasts during staff meetings, bringing in monthly

www.experiencepisgah.org

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snacks, providing preparatory school teachers with homemade Christmas cookies, restocking coffee supplies, and more.

Thanks to your collection efforts we have raised: $1,304 from Target “Take Charge of Education” $1,305 from Box Tops $776 from Publix $1,800 from Georgia Natural Gas When asked why she volunteers for P.A.L.S., Mimi Doss explains, “It is not because of one reason, but because of many different reasons, too many to list.

Our family is fortunate to have found a school that fit our son year after year, and volunteering my time is one of the ways I give back. Through P.A.L.S. I’ve enjoyed being a small part of a big group in achieving huge goals on behalf of the school. I draw inspiration from the willingness, dedication and commitment of other volunteers. It is humbling to be among so many giving hearts. I truly believe that

P.A.L.S. is an integral part of the Pisgah Experience.”

P.A.L.S. is currently seeking committee chair people and volunteers for the upcoming 2012-2013 year.

There are many different ways to be involved, and we welcome anyone who wants to lend a hand!

Please email Leigh Ann Bishop at leighannb@ bellsouth.net if you are interested. It is a great way to get connected and be a part of the full Pisgah Experience. As P.A.L.S. volunteer Kim West said, ““Life is short. Spend your time working for what you believe in!” We look forward to hearing from you!

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pisgah post East Campus Enhancement Beautiful brick columns and black fencing have been added to east campus helping to define the property and identify Pisgah’s Preparatory School.

Underbrush has been cleared away, opening visibility to the high school and gymnasium.

Tall spindly pines have been taken out and new magnolia and cypress trees put in place.

Thanks to these enhancements, Pisgah’s entries have been transformed and it is now evident that the school campuses are linked.

The east campus beautification project will continue through the spring with a Phase One landscape plan. The project includes the addition of bushes, plants, sod, ground cover and sod along the fence line facing the street. As landscaping is completed, lighting of the columns and major landscape components will be installed. The Phase Two plan focuses on the slopes facing the Upper School, Middle School and Gymnasium.

Issues with runoff will be resolved with the addition of sod, ground cover and plantings.

By summer, the transformation should be complete.

Projects such as this are not funded from tuition or even from the Excellence Fund.

Those dollars are targeted for children’s education and education enrichment. It takes a Pisgah family with a passion and willingness to step forward and take action to fund a capital project of this size. A family who wanted the public to see the vision we have for Pisgah’s future … a campus of great warmth and beauty.

Similar vision and generosity helped make the South Hall theater renovation possible.

Students now perform in a beautifully expanded facility thanks to 13 families who felt strongly that a theater opens up many opportunities for curriculum enrichment.

Since its completion in August, the theater has been put to great use: Lower and Prep School choral and band concerts, expanded Chapel programs for Lower School, and drama productions for Lower, Middle & Upper School.

Do you have a vision for a project at Pisgah?

If so, the school welcomes your enthusiasm and your gifts. Please contact the Office of Advancement. A member of the team would love to meet with you to explore how you can help and be part of Pisgah’s exciting future.

Minimesters: Creators of Content

by Bill Shelnutt, Head of Preparatory School

There would have to be a very good reason to suspend the traditional academic schedule for two weeks at the start of each semester. Giving students the access to over 80 new elective courses that include international study-travel is reason indeed. The goal of the Minimester has always been to give students more choices and more opportunity to explore coursework for which they have a passion or perhaps just a curiosity.

The Minimester course offerings also offer a global focus with four unique courses over the four years of high school. At the conclusion of the freshman year all 9th graders take a course entitled American Federalism. In the first week of the course they study the three branches of government at the municipal and state level here in Atlanta, followed by a week-long trip to Washington DC to study the same functions of government at the federal level. In 10th grade students have the option of a course entitled In the Footsteps of Jesus, a two week journey to Israel that includes archaeological digs near Tiberius and a remembrance of Baptism performed in the Jordan River. The junior and senior year have a two part course entitled Our Christian Heritage I&II. Both courses are designed to give students an appreciation for the manner in which their Christian Faith has shaped the intellectual, artistic and historical landscape of western civilization. The junior year seminar is set in Rome and Florence and examines the Church rise from the underground catacombs to its Renaissance grandeur. The senior year capstone course is set in London, Oxford and Cambridge and examines the post Reformation influences that shaped our own nation’s founding.

The classroom of today is different than it was 20 years ago. Whether students are studying coursework here at Pisgah or across the globe, the emphasis is the same. The minimester is about the application of knowledge and experiential learning. Students are no longer simply consumers of content; our goal at Pisgah is to help them to learn to instead become creators of content.

“Ta ng lin g wa s fun an d rela xin g be ca use we we re able to exp ress our ideas an d talent s in creative wa ys. It ma de you rea liz e that eve n if you thi nk you are n’t art istic, you rea lly ca n be!” - M ari e Ke ete r

Minimester: Tangling “Teaching Introduction to Tangling 101 as a minimester this year has to be one of the most rewarding things I have ever done during my five and a half years here at Pisgah,” said Jacque Solomon. “My students were exceptional and their artwork was over the top.”

Drawing “tangles” or repetitive patterns is an art form that produces many benefits besides a beautiful piece of art. It is used in prayer, meditation, art therapy, architecture, graphic design and with children who have learning disabilities. “The best thing about learning to tangle is that anyone can do it and you do not have to be artistic,” added Ms. Solomon. If you are interested in learning more about the art of tangling or know of someone who might benefit, please contact Ms. Solomon in the President’s Office.

“In the Tangling minimester, I learned that creativity is within all of us and it just takes a passionate teacher to help us open the door!”

- Christine Laursen

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Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Minimester: Italy Immersion

by John McDonough, Senior

Our Italy minimester experience was an extremely fun trip that had multiple effects upon me spiritually, educationally and relationally. From Rome to Florence we experienced the Italian culture at its fullest as we learned about the historical, artistic and spiritual aspects of our Christian heritage.

It’s hard to report all of the experiences we had throughout the trip within this one article, but I’ll try my best to point out the highlights.

Our time on foreign soil officially began when we first landed in Italy and took a tour by bus through Rome after meeting up with the Greylings, our guides. We caught our first look at some of the notable sites such as the Coliseum, the Victor Emmanuel Memorial and the Forum. We were able to tour the Church of San Clement, which dates back all the way to the early Christian church and is said to have been started in the home of San Clement himself. During our time in Rome we were able to see a lot of unbelievable things. We got to walk the Forum and see other sites such as the catacombs, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Pantheon. We were also able to race on the Circus Maximus and see art from Bernini, Michelangelo, and Raphael in the Borghese Art Gallery and the Vatican Museum (although we

www.experiencepisgah.org

were unable to see the Sistine Chapel to Mrs. G’s dismay). We also had the opportunity to really experience the Italian culture while we were in Rome. We sampled some wicked good Italian food (especially the night my group ate with Dr. Smyth) and we were able to see a lot of Rome as we would get lost going to dinner (which would become a common theme). We also learned how God used the Roman Empire to circulate the message of Jesus Christ and how the Church had a founding role in spreading the Gospel.

After Rome we then left for Florence, with a stop at San Gimignano which is a small town on a hill near Florence that is made up of a lot of medieval buildings. We were able to enjoy some unbelievable food there and we were given a couple of hours to explore the town on our own.

My favorite part was when a couple of friends and I climbed one of the tallest towers in the town that overlooked the city and the Italian countryside.

Once we got into Florence, we were able to see some unbelievable historic and artistic sites. We saw the statue of David and many paintings from Renaissance artists. One of the highlights for me in Florence was when we climbed the Duomo, which is the highest point in Florence. It offered a breathtaking view of the city of Florence and its countryside. We were also able to experience a lot of good meals in Florence, many of which were discovered while we were just wandering around.

During the middle of our stay in Florence, we visited the city of Siena. While there we climbed

another tall tower that overlooked the city, saw one of the city’s major churches, and toured one of Europe’s oldest hospitals.

On our final day in Italy we made a stop at the leaning tower of Pisa, and then departed to the Pisa airport. Our trip was filled with unbelievable experiences that included ancient landmarks and famous artwork.

We also had the opportunity to experience the Italian culture with our friends and teachers by eating Italian cuisine and exploring the streets of Rome, Florence, San Gimignano, and Siena. But most importantly, we were able to learn about our Redemptive History in Italy and how God used the Church in Italy to spread the message of Jesus Christ.

On the morning of registration for the Italy trip, John arrived at the school at 4:00 am to be the first person in line.

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pisgah post UGA Band Festival Five Pisgah Band students recently spent a four day weekend at one of the south’s premier band festivals.

Seniors Thomas Ludwig and Garrett Condon; Sophomore Nicholas Doss; and Freshmen Sam Black and Ross Bullock attended the University of Georgia’s 62nd annual JanFest.

The first order of business at JanFest on Thursday is to audition the more than 800 attending students and place them in one of eight honor bands.

Thomas and Garrett were assigned to the band being led by Associate Professor of Bands from the University of South Carolina Rebecca Phillips. Sam was placed in the band directed by David McGrath, who is the director at the nationally acclaimed Kennesaw Mountain High School. Nick and Ross were in the band led by T.K. Adams, the 36 year veteran Director of Bands at Cousins Middle School in Conyers, Georgia, and father to the Head of Percussion Studies at University of Georgia’s School of Music, T.K. Adams Jr. In addition to spending hours in rehearsals, the students also participated in master classes led by the instrumental faculty at UGA. The students also attended performances presented by many area band programs and a Friday night performance of the UGA Jazz Band and the UGA Drumline. The weekend concluded with the students presenting concerts demonstrating the results of their hard work.

Principal’s Gallery

Headed to All State Two Pisgah students have been selected to attend All State Orchestra this spring.

Conrad Venizelo and Sasha Popov had two rounds of auditions – one at the district level and another at the state level. Select students from all over the state audition for this exclusive group. Auditions are very rigorous, and these two students have worked very hard to prepare for them. Congratulations to Conrad and Sasha!

More than Pitch Perfect Is your overall goal optics or substance? From a marketing perspective, the optics (how something looks) is of the utmost importance.

What’s behind the picture matters, but to a lesser degree than the picture itself. To my delight, the Pisgah Choral Program can proudly boast being picture-perfect and stupendously substantive.

The student singers don’t just look good, but they also sing and serve well. Over the next few months our choral students will expend their time and talent to entertain the elderly, raise funds for a good cause (that is not self-serving) and bring hope and a ray of sunlight to some people who have suffered greatly. Cantabile, the Upper School Mixed Chorus has taken particular interest in reaching out to victims of human trafficking.

I am proud that forty-three of our sixty sixth graders sing in chorus. I am also proud that nearly twenty seventh and eighth graders have chosen to participate in chorus. I am elated that more than ten percent of the Upper School sings in chorus and I could not be more ecstatic that we now have a Glee Club of Renaissance men who are having a ball making music, but also take seriously the very prominent role they get to play in modeling enthusiasm, attitude and proper comportment to the singing middle school guys

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Make a point to visit the Lower School Principal’s Gallery to see just how talented Pisgah’s young artists are. The gallery, located outside the Lower School office, features a collection of creations from different grade levels throughout the year. At press time, the gallery showcased second grade observation drawings in ink with watercolor washes. Later this spring, all classes will make a project out of clay. This is a much anticipated, favorite activity!

by Erik Buxton, Preparatory School Chorus Director

who look up to them.

Much of the aforementioned will go unseen by most people and such should be so; however, you will have the opportunity to see and hear these phenomenal student artists display their wares very soon. Our next concert is Monday, March 5th in South Hall. Brio, Capriccio and Cantabile will present very exciting programs that night, but I expect that you will revel in the new addition to our choral program. Renaissance, the Upper School Men’s Glee Club will make their debut that night and I guarantee that it will be an historic performance. In addition to singing the Plain White T’s “Rhythm of Love”, you will see these men do a box step and a few other choice dance moves that will have you tapping your own toes before it’s over. Do not miss this show.

Due to the nature and timing of the event, you will not be able to see our students perform at the Southern Star Music Festival sponsored by Six Flags Over Georgia, but you can certainly support us with your good wishes and a little prayer offered on our behalf. You can be proud that last year, Cantabile represented Pisgah at this event and brought home a Silver Award for their very fine performance. Participants in

the festival hailed from various states and parts of Georgia including public and independent schools. This year on April 13th we will return to the festival aspiring to bring home the Gold!

Take every opportunity to encourage our choral students. They contribute far more than a song or two to the fabric of Pisgah, but when they offer a song, it is always incredible. Be sure to attend our next concert Monday, March 5 at 7:00 P.M. in South Hall.

Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Bringing Creativity Together The Design Fundamentals Gingerbread Village Project had another successful year, this time bringing Upper and Lower School students together to express their creativity.

Students in this introductory level visual arts course are required to create complex sculptural confections comprised solely of milk cartons, icing, candy, and graham crackers. The class is divided into two teams and assigned a theme. Teams assign members elements of a village such as a police station, a church, a school, a city hall, and a fire station. This year’s theme was a nautical one and because of the theme, a lighthouse and a clipper ship were added to the mix.

Upon completion, the students set up their own displays in the Upper School foyer and are judged on presentation, cohesion, and execution of the theme. The Gingerbread Village is in its fifth year, and this year yet another dimension was added to the project. The second graders, who collected cartons for the project, lent a hand. Each student was paired with an Upper School artist and helped in the execution of their artist’s vision. It was a wonderful opportunity for the Upper School students to problem solve with alternative materials while directing a novice builder and for the second graders to get a sneak peek at the Upper School offerings in the years to come.

Thank you for letting me go to your school with my class to

make a gingerbread church. it was very fun to make it with Jeff.

Who won the competition? i’m glad we used icing instead of glue. From, Cole

Upcoming Arts Events March 1 LS Band & Strings Concert March 5 Prep School Chorus Concert March 8 Prep School Band & Strings Concert March 15 Third Grade Play April 19, 20 Prep School Spring Musical April 26 Prep School Band & Strings Concert April 28 NAHS Exhibition April 30 Prep School Chorus Concert May 3 LS Band, Chorus & Strings Concert May 17 KPrep Play

Scan for more information

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u ch f o r m o s u o y k n a h T I rea lly e. m o c s u g in t t le w h e n we rt a p e h t d e y jo n e ca rt o n s. e h t st ro f o t t o g s rea lly a w it t h g u o h t I t u s h a ve le o t u o y r o f e ic n ly, K at e re e c in S . y d n a c

East of the Sun Wows Audience

By Kelly Hogue

As director Anna Burrell promised, during the Middle School production of East of the Sun, audiences were indeed transported to “a time of princes and princesses” and a land faraway. We joined Snowdrop, delightfully portrayed by MC Tracy, on her journey to a distant kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon. East of the Sun offers a narrative twist to traditional fairy tales, for Snowdrop is no fainting damsel in distress. Instead, it is the dashing Prince Nordo, played by William Harrison, who needs rescuing.

A sharp-tongued enchantress, Ancilla (guest performer Allison Tanzy), has kidnapped the Prince and is attempting to force his marriage to Princess Long Nose, whose moniker betrays the unfortunate stature of her most prominent facial feature. As Princess Long Nose, Angelico Frascino entertained the audience and annoyed Ancilla with her incessant chatter and constant requests. Throughout the play, Ancilla benefits from the advice and assistance of her trusted sidekick, Hob (Lauren Brasher). Tanzy and Brasher embraced the comedic potential for their characters’ good-natured exchange of insults, and their joint efforts brought the snappy dialogue of these scenes to life. Besides Hob, a group of sprightly trolls (Laura Price, Natasha Roy, and Emily Jackson) assist Ancilla in her schemes to marry Princess. These three ladies play doubly-duty by also appearing as Snowdrop’s mother and sisters and the supernatural sisters in the forest of the hags.

Like Alice in search of Wonderland, Snowdrop encounters many strange characters and places on her way to Ancilla’s castle, including a talking bear and a coven of magical sorceresses. When finally she arrives, Snowdrop saves Prince Nordo from Ancilla’s clutches and marriage to the Princess and her prodigious nose. In her director’s note, while contemplating the childhood joy of fairytales, Ms. Burrell shares her desire to again be enraptured by a fantastic story of “once upon a time.” Thanks to Ms. Burrell’s vision and direction and a hard-working cast and crew, this production of East of the Sun provided such an escape. Like Snowdrop, we were lucky to find ourselves in the illusive land east of the sun and west of the moon.

PAPA Thank You Thank you to the Pisgah family for your support of the Evening of the Arts. With a sold-out crowd, exciting performances, and record memberships for PAPA, the event was outstanding.

Thank you to the Pisgah Arts Parent Association for their leadership and countless hours of service to help make this and other Arts endeavors such a success! To join PAPA, visit the school website: experiencepisgah.org/arts/papa.

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pisgah post Pisgah Wrestling Debuts

THIS JUST IN

Pisgah athletics debuted its newest program this winter– wrestling, featuring varsity and Middle School wrestling teams, as well as a youth program for students as young as five.

“Overall, I think for a first year program the season has gone very well. We have over 45 wrestlers in all three programs combined, which is great!” said head coach Josh Merry. “On the High School level we have had at least three wrestlers place in every tournament, and brought home a second place finish. The same goes for the Middle School & Youth Level.

We have had numerous wrestlers compete and place at local tournaments around the area.

The wrestlers on all levels seem to be having a great time learning this new sport and are enjoying competing at this new sport of wrestling at Pisgah.”

“We anticipated the wrestling program starting off strong, but it has surpassed our expectations in many ways. It’s been interesting to see how much the sport of wrestling is booming in this area,” said Blake Davenport, General Manager for Pisgah Athletics. “The biggest blessing has been having coaches the caliber of head coach Josh Merry and his assistant Gene Lydick. Coach Merry quickly made a great impression on everyone as both a coach and a teacher. He has established a process for this program that’s generated a lot of interest from our students, kept them motivated throughout the adversity wrestling brings and accomplished a competitive level that would be hard to match by any first year program. Coach Lydick’s enthusiasm is contagious. The man loves this sport and it shows.

He is also a great man who understands this sport and how to use it to build young men. He has done a phenomenal job with our Patriot Community Sports youth program as well.”

This season the varsity team has picked up match wins over Blessed Trinity, Yeshiva and Mount Paran. They also finished second at the South Metro Wrestling Tournament, bringing home their first team trophy of the season. The Patriots finished behind host school Fayette County.

“The wrestlers have been GREAT! I understand that wrestling is not for everyone so I have a policy that allows anyone to come out and try it for a week. If they decide within a week it’s not for them then they aren’t considered “quitters” in my book. Well, we didn’t have one wrestler quit during the season. Every single wrestler rose to the challenge. There were a few boys I never would have thought they would make it out of the first week, and they are still here. As a coach and person that makes me feel great that the boys are out there week in and week out giving 100% -- that show a lot about their character,” Merry said.

Davenport echoed Merry’s sentiments regarding the dedication of the student-athletes. “I’m very proud of our wrestlers because they are showing everyone around them that our kids are able to do hard things. Wrestling is hard and there’s no way around that. These coaches push them and have shown them they are capable of doing things they didn’t know they could do. This generation is known to have a higher fear of failure than any before because they’ve been so protected from failure and fed so many excuses when things don’t work out. Wrestling provides one of the best platforms to get past this fear and deal with adversity without the convenient excuses to choose from. The Athletic Department’s biggest goal is to develop more of these “Life Ready” environments.”

Merry credits part of the programs early success to the support it has received from the Pisgah administration, parents and community.

“The overall support at Pisgah has been great. This has been a new experience with me. Having support is key in developing a successful program. Our parents have been attending both home and away competitions, and taking great care of us,” said Merry. “I

At press time: Pisgah Boys Varsity Basketball wins the region and heads to state tournament!

Fall Awards Congratulations to the many Pisgah athletes who have been recognized with awards.

Football

All-Region 5-A Shingirai Chigwere – First Team Alex Dixon – First Team and co-Lineman of the Year Kyle Sloter – First Team Dylan Dixon – Honorable Mention Foster Gailey – Honorable Mention Flint Geier – Honorable Mention Jeremy Morris – Honorable Mention Chris Piccapietra – Honorable Mention GHFD Preseason All-State Alex Dixon North Fulton Touchdown Club Player of the Week Kyle Sloter – Offensive Player of the Week Dylan Dixon – Defensive Player of the Week.

Johns Creek Herald All-North Fulton Alex Dixon – First Team Kyle Sloter – Honorable Mention Johns Creek Neighbor All-North Fulton Alex Dixon – Honorable Mention Kyle Sloter – Honorable Mention

Softball

All-State Madison Claytor – First Team Morgan Walters – First Team Madison Wickline – First Team Nicole Peters – Second Team Courtney Condon – Second Team All-Region Courtney Condon – Pitcher of the Year Nicole Peters – First Team Morgan Walters – First Team Madison Wickline – First Team Madison Claytor – Honorable Mention Jennifer Sapp – Honorable Mention

Cross Country

Sam Reilly – All-State, finished third at Class A State Meet, Second Team All-State by ESPN the Magazine, Team Georgia, Atlanta Track Club’s AllMetro Boys Cross Country Team

Continued on page 20

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Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Volleyball Signing Day February 1st of each year has become a big day in the world of college athletics, as that is the first day potential college football players can put pen to paper and sign a letter of intent with colleges.

This year two Pisgah Patriots took part in National Signing Day as quarterback Kyle Sloter signed with Southern Mississippi and offensive lineman Alex Dixon signed with Princeton.

While both players had other opportunities to play in college, Sloter felt comfortable with the Southern Miss coaching staff, while Dixon couldn’t pass up the chance for an Ivy League education. Southern Miss finished last season 12-2 and were ranked No. 19 at the close of the season. Princeton finished 1-10 in 2011.

But it’s not just Sloter and Dixon who will be moving on to play in college, as other Pisgah athletes are being recruited by college coaches.

“We are excited that each year more and more of our athletes are getting scholarship opportunities.

This is a testament to their talent and the hard work that they have put in,” said Athletics Director Doug Dixon. “It is also shows some of the benefits that our athletes are getting from the weight room and SpeedTracs. But none of this would be possible if we didn’t have committed coaches helping our athletes achieve their goals.”

Fellow seniors Sam Reilly (cross country and track), Joseph Marco (basketball and baseball), Will Jamieson (tennis), Brian Krouskos (tennis) and Nicky McHugh (soccer) will also have opportunities to compete at the college level.

Reilly has spoken with coaches at Ivy League Schools Yale and Dartmouth, as well as Division III schools Williams College, Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Bates College, Connecticut

New head varsity volleyball coach Michael Webster has brought a new attitude and a new direction to the volleyball program. The Lady Patriots improved in 2011 going from 2-28 in 2010 to 7-18-1 last season. But with 12 players currently playing on club teams, even brighter days are ahead for the program.

“There was a lot of uncertainty from the girls in the program. There had been quite a lot of turnover in coaches over the previous few years and 3-4 girls from the previous year decided not to continue to play as seniors,” said Webster. “There was definitely a period where the girls and I were getting to know one another, but across the board there was tremendous growth from the team.”

Webster coaches four of the players on his 15-and-under team for the A5 Volleyball Club. Last year Webster’s club team finished fifth at the USAV Nationals.

“Like anything else the more you participate and practice something, the more you improve. It is essential to our continued growth that the girls are making the decision to improve themselves by playing volleyball more than two months out of the year,” he said.

In just the eight months since he was hired, Webster has already begun to see many changes in the culture of the program. “The biggest difference is the growing interest and number of girls playing club volleyball in the offseason. We have five girls playing for A5 Volleyball Club from the 12U to the 17U. There are also a half dozen others that play for other clubs in the area,” Webster said. “It [the volleyball program at Pisgah] is growing. We continue to get more interest from the students at Pisgah as well as outside of the school. It will take time for us to be consistently qualifying for the state tournament (given that our Area is consistently the most difficult in GHSA A/AA), but that is where we look to go.”

Webster came to Pisgah following a one year stint as the head coach at The Weber School where he was named the GISA Region I Coach of the Year. Prior to his year at Weber, Webster was the head coach at Georgia State for six years where he spearheaded the program’s transition from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Colonial Athletic Association.

Before coaching at Georgia State, Webster was the top assistant coach on the women’s volleyball staff at the University of Connecticut for three years. For the Huskies he was heavily involved in recruiting, focused on setter development and assisted the head coach in program management, communications and regulatory compliance.

Other assistant coaching stints for Webster took place at the Universities of Central Florida, Maryland and Ohio. Webster played collegiately with the University of Maryland’s Club team where he was recognized as two-time All-American at Collegiate Club Nationals, a three-time AllACC first team selection and a two-time ACC Most Valuable Player.

Webster will be holding workouts for anyone interested in playing fall volleyball the week of March 26th and April 9th. Camps will also be held this summer though Patriot Community Sports.

Continued on page 20

GHSA Changes The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has been busy making many changes for the 2012-2013 school year. While not all of the changes will affect Pisgah, there will be a few new faces on the Region schedule for varsity teams next year.

The first change the GHSA made was to increase the number of classifications from five to six. While Pisgah will remain a Class A school, some former Class A schools such as Bacon County, Bremen, Bryan County, Social Circle and Wesleyan will all be moved to AA. The second GHSA change for next year involves new Regions. Every two years, the GHSA reclassifies schools to keep up with enrollment changes.

(For example a school may move from AAA to AAAA if their student population grew.) During this process they also realign many Regions.

When the new 2012 Regions were first announced Pisgah was placed in sub-region A of Region 6. Joining the Patriots in this sub-Region would have been Darlington (Rome), Mt. Paran (Kennesaw), Mt. Zion-Carroll, North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw), Southwest Atlanta Christian, Walker (Marietta) and Whitefield Academy (Smyrna).

However, Athletics Director Doug Dixon successfully petitioned the GHSA to move Pisgah to sub-region B of Region 6.

“Coach Dixon has done a very tactful job navigating through a murky

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situation to put Pisgah in the best position possible. It’s unfortunate that there are many people involved in this process that aren’t focused on what’s best for the children, but Coach Dixon has represented our school in a way that we can be proud because that’s been his focus. His work towards finding an equitable solution resulted in our appeal being approved while most appeals from other schools were not,” said Blake Davenport, General Manager for Athletics. “I think the changes from GHSA are far from being finalized. It appears the final decisions may be less than desirable, but Coach Dixon’s efforts have already kept them from being worse. “ Further juggling of the Region was done after this decision in order to keep an equal number of football playing schools in each sub-region.

Continued on page 20

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pisgah post

Members of

left their mark in Costa Rica…

Allison Tanzy collected and donated hundreds of uniforms, jackets and shoes.

Anna Gibson made and sold over 500 cupcakes and donated the proceeds to the Costa Rica team.

Costa Rica Missionaries What a difference two weeks can make! Pisgah families serve each year in Costa Rica and give the glory to God for the opportunity to be part of his work. On the latest mission trip, students and adults:  Provided vision screenings for many people at three different churches, supplied donated reading and sunglasses to those in need, and provided medical exams from an Atlanta area pediatrician complete with lab work and medication for more than 100 people.  Installed a new sound system in one of the churches and built an Internet Café at Los Guido, providing them with a needed revenue source.  Installed two donated PC’s for church member and community use and replaced a Pastor’s non-functioning computer with a fully functional donated unit and provided two additional donated PC’s to a local new Methodist orphanage for staff and resident use.  Gave the Los Guido’s parsonage a much needed facelift by painting the bedrooms and kitchen plus gave the Pastor’s wife new towels, sheets, kitchen gadgets, bathroom mirror, and a floor fan (to help circulate the hot air in house).  Sorted and distributed new clothes, toys, school supplies and games (purchased by the team) to the children at the new Methodist orphanage.  Provided a donated laptop to a local resident who assists the team on every trip.  Completed significant electrical work to install new lights and switches at Los Guido and painted the exterior of one of the churches.  Held Vacation Bible School at four churches

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where the team shared four Parables of Jesus with the children. Pisgah students organized and lead the Parables plays, played games (Bible Bingo is a BiG hit), did crafts, sang songs, shared Bible stories and gave out LOTS of donated Legos, toiletries, rice, beans, etc... to hundreds of kids at four churches!

Shared the Love of Christ with over 550 children at the four churches.

Provided much needed shoes (including 100’s of soccer cleats) to children at two churches.

These shoes and cleats were solicited, collected and distributed by Pisgah students!

Provided a new riding lawn mower for one of the churches with significant acreage so local children can play soccer on mown fields and relocated restrooms and made them handicap accessible to allow one of the churches to conform to local ordinance and stay open.

Provided blankets, clothing, games and toys to children at four churches.

Made plans to do significant electrical and structural work at two churches on the next trip.

Returned to Atlanta with a 17 year old girl who now attends Mount Pisgah Christian School.

Shared the love of Jesus with all of those they interacted with on the trip!

Spiritual Retreat Success Scenes from Pisgah’s annual spiritual retreat for all Middle and Upper School Students

Annabelle Geier collected and donated more than 150 soccer cleats.

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16

Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Laura Blanco, Class of 2010

A Passion for Christ

By Jenny Keeton, LS Teacher “Passion 2012 was an experience like no other, it was a time which allowed me to experience a spiritual high and be in a personal relationship with God that made me want to live within his glory for all eternity. I would recommend this experience to anyone in the future because it is a great way to grow closer to God in your life no matter what point you are at in your walk of faith.”- Peter Giglia, Class of 2011.

This January, more than forty thousand 18-25 year olds, including several Pisgah students, alumni and faculty, gathered in Atlanta for Passion 2012. Passion is more than a conference it is a movement of young adults who are leveraging their lives for the things that matter most. What matters most to Passion is Jesus. The Passion organization, led by Louie and Shelley Giglio, which began in 1997, has one purpose at its core. Centered on Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for you, for your name and your renown are the desire of our souls,“ Passion desires to see spiritual awakening on college campuses all over this nation and in the world.

“I’ve never seen worship on the same scale and with the same energy as Passion. This kind of energetic worship has made me so much more excited about worshipping and growing in my relationship with God.”- Jonathan Smith, Pisgah Senior.

Students gathered to seek the face of Jesus and to serve the world through the Do Something Now campaign. Do Something Now operates under the belief that ‘together we are a force for good.” It challenges students to rise up and be a voice to those in our world who have none. Over the past six years, Passion has helped with 75 projects and raised nearly six million dollars for causes all around the world.

The cause this year was freedom for the 27 million people who are trapped in modern day slavery. The goal set for these college students was one million dollars. At the end of the four days, these students had given $3.3 million. As money was given, a 103 foot high sculpture of a hand was erected outside the Georgia Dome as a symbol to the world, that slavery is not okay, and this generation would not be silent until freedom is brought to all those in need.

“This was my first year at Passion, it blew my expectations away! I would highly recommend it for any high school senior or college student.”- Andrew Pease, Class of 2011.

www.experiencepisgah.org

Laura is currently a Music major with a Vocal performance minor. She is involved in a quite a few ensembles and performance classes: PC Choir, Chamber Choir, (an auditioned choir that travels), the PC Ringers auditioned Handbell choir, Pep Band, and Opera Workshop. Laura plans to compete in a singing competition called NATS (National Association of Teachers of Music), and she plans to compete in Sophomore Review.

“I love my life as a Music Major. I’m learning way more than I ever expected to learn! I also get to sing literally every day of the week. The people up here at Presbyterian College are some of the nicest people I’ve met in my life. They are truly a second family to me!”

Matt Cubin, Class of 2010 From July until December of 2011, Matt served an internship at The White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. He was a volunteer leader in economic mail analysis, where he managed volunteers in the reading, coding, and response process of constituent mail to President Obama. He’s had the chance to bowl in the Truman Bowling Alley, watch the president depart the South Lawn in Marine One, and tour both the East Wing and the West Wing, including the Oval office This spring, Matt will intern with a senator on Capitol Hill. He is currently writing a humorous, informative, and inspirational book for young adults and teenagers to help them start on the path for success.

Anna Lee, Class of 2009 “Since graduation, I have been involved in a summer retreat called Korean Christian Youth Conference which is completely planned, organized, and executed by college-aged students and young adults. Our mission is to reach the Atlanta youth and provide an opportunity for relationships to form where the staff can guide the students through the Word. This year I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as the retreat’s coordinator.”

Please send your alumni news and updates to rwilliams@mountpisgahschool.org

There are really no words to describe what it was like to experience serving these students. I have been privileged and humbled to serve at four Passion events and the best word I can come up with is “HOLY.” What God did in those days and what he continues to do in the hearts of these students cannot be measured on this side of eternity!

“The Passion conference really woke me up. I have never felt so alive in my relationship with Jesus Christ! I am on fire for my Lord and I feel extremely led to share this love with everyone I encounter on

campus at GCSU! This conference showed me just how powerful God really is!” –Hank Shaw Class of 2011.

“I keep reminding myself that Passion 2012 isn’t just an event, but it is a movement. I AM changed.”Joe Blanco- Pisgah Senior

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Interactive Instruction Initiative (I3)

pisgah post

We’ve also traveled to other schools and investigated different implementations of technology integration into the classroom. Within the context of our Interactive Instruction Initiative, we are pleased to announce the next phases of our plan.

Phase Two: 2012-13 Preparatory School • Pisgah will be launching two goals: A move toward E-Books and the Integration of a Learning Management System (LMS)  The E-Textbook is an emerging technology that is beginning to become more readily available. Some e-books will be optional for students to use instead of physical textbooks. The e-books have tremendous value added to them—the ability to highlight, link to the web, take and share notes, and the ability to log how long a student has spent reading the page. The e-book can be accessed on a laptop, iPad, or phone (droid or iPhone) with cloud synchronization. However, publishers are just starting to offer this, so we do not expect 100% availability for textbooks.  An LMS is an interactive personalized online syllabus. It allows teachers to store and modify lessons, embed online content, and modify/ supplement the e-textbook. It can perform some grading functions so teachers don’t have to do all grading by hand and tracks progress toward the completion of the course. The benefit to students is a more customized education that provides better real time feedback to students about their progress.  Laptops will not be required, but encouraged, particularly in grades 9-12. For those who use an e-book, they will effectively be required to be brought every day.  A clear and strong “acceptable use policy” will be put into place. If students are using the technology in inappropriate ways, appropriate consequences will be employed.  The curriculum for sixth grade students’ technology classes will incorporate the technology learning needs for seventh grade and beyond. It will teach the students to use the programs/applications and the laptop responsibly. Student in sixth grade will not need a laptop at this time. Teachers will incorporate the use of the mobile computer lab when teaching a technology-integrated lesson.

Lower School • You’ll read more about the Think Tank classroom on page 3. We plan to equip the Think Tank with a classroom set of iPads. iPads are engaging and offer an abundance of educationally sound applications that advance a student’s learning and reading ability. With the launch of iBooks Author, even more interactive digital content will be quickly available. Computers are already used in the Lower School and Preschool curriculum and faculty will continue to incorporate their use in the classroom.

Phase Three: 2013-14 Preparatory School

• We are planning a 1:1 Laptop program for grades seven to twelve beginning in 2013-14.  The program will be BYOL (Bring your own laptop). This means we will not be raising tuition to cover the cost of a laptop, nor will we require you to purchase a new machine if you already have a computer that meets the minimum requirements.  Pisgah will offer parents the option to purchase a laptop or Tablet/ PC through the school’s secure website. This provides the benefit of a protection plan so in case the computer breaks, the student can swap out for another computer – right at school. For students who do not choose one of these computers, we will publish the minimum requirements (e.g., i5 processor with at least 4MG RAM, 64 Bit, with Microsoft Office - Student Edition etc.). However, if their machine breaks, they are responsible for their own repairs. We may have a limited amount of rental machines if they need one.  Macs will be allowed. However, our teachers operate using a PC environment. The student is ultimately responsible for ensuring the laptop is ready for school. If, for whatever reason, there is a problem with the laptop conforming to the needs of the class, it is the student’s responsibility to comply with those requirements.

Why are we doing this, rather than going device specific (i.e., requiring students to all buy the same machine)? There are a number of reasons: 1. Cost to families. Many, many students already have a laptop. To force parents to purchase a specific new laptop or tablet, or embed the cost in tuition as other nearby schools have done, when they already have a computer is an unnecessary burden, especially for those with multiple children.

2. Proliferation of web-based applications. In the past, the main reason some schools required students to all have the same machine was to accommodate a common image (or set of programs) to be placed on the hard drive. Because of the proliferation of web-based applications (Moodle, Google Docs, Microsoft 365, Naviance, Evernote, Wikis, Blogs, conference call and online meeting programs), a common image is no longer required.

Specific programs needed for a class that are now available online can be part of the requirements for the class, just like a textbook.

3. It is the model that colleges use. Colleges do not use common machines.

Students bring what they need and use web-based programs or commonly available programs (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat) to read and produce content. When colleges have tried requiring a specific machine (e.g., Stanford tried iPads), the programs failed because students want to customize their tools and do not believe that one-size fits all. As such, they reject the device.

4. Device-specific programs run the risk of being about the machine, not about the learning or the learning relationships. In device specific schools, teachers are figuring out ways to use the machine, even for lower-order thinking tasks. Research shows this is detrimental to learning. We want a laptop to be a tool through which students produce content, collaborate with each other, learn to think critically, organize their work, etc., not become the central interface for the class. A key component of our Interactive Instruction Initiative is classroom relationships. In the device-centric schools we visited too much energy was spent on the device because of the pressure to use it in every way possible—and the relationship was set aside. We can’t risk that for our students.

Continued on page 19

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Mount Pisgah Christian School

Vol. 3 | No. 2 | Spring 2012

Interactive Instruction Initiative (I3) Continued from page 18

Why are we not launching a mandatory 1:1 program this coming August?

1. Infrastructure. As noted above, progress has already been made toward this technology infrastructure. However, there is still much work to be done. Over the next year, infrastructure improvements will be made to safely support a sufficient number of users at one time on the East Campus.

2. Time for teachers to develop curriculum and lessons. We all recognize that it will take time for teachers to orient their lessons to using the technology.

Teachers will continue to seek new personal learning and implement lessons through the year to be ready for 2013-14.

3. Time for parents to plan their computer purchases. Giving parents time to financially plan for purchases over the next 18 months is to be cognizant that not all families have the means to immediately purchase a laptop.

This is an exciting time for Pisgah. Our academic program is truly Christian and college preparatory as evidenced by our very high placement rate of applicants at some of the most selective schools in the nation. Our acceptance rate at Ivy League colleges for the last four years is 30%, when the national average is about 10%. Our Middle and Lower Schools have seen expansions in the Arts programs of band and strings when other schools are cutting their programs.

We offer lab science in all grades K-12. We’ve added an enrichment program, the Think Tank Classroom, the Culinary Arts program, the Inventions Program, and American History Museum and Lab. Upper School students just returned from Italy where they were studied History, Art, and Christian Heritage during their minimester course. These are all examples of how Pisgah has already implemented many of the components of the new college prep and made the classroom more interactive. Within this publication you’ll find many more examples of how this is occurring. I encourage you to read them all and rejoice in the fact that Pisgah has outstanding college preparatory academics grounded in Christian faith and values.

Pisgah Students Teach at University Seniors Chris Lewis and Will Jamieson recently taught at an Advanced Placement Computer Science Workshop at Georgia Tech. The class was made up of future AP teachers from across the state of Georgia who wanted to learn teaching techniques and strategies for engaging students during advanced computer lessons. “In addition to teaching this workshop, I served an internship at a software development company this past summer,” said Will Jamieson. “I was able to do both of these because of the many things I have learned about programming at Pisgah. My teacher Mr. Otieno has done an excellent job of teaching me and has gone way above what he is required to do. Two other of my classmates and I finished all there was to learn in computer science while in high school so Mr. O decided to teach a course designed for college students to just the three of us this year. Mr. O has definitely helped expand my knowledge in computer science and has set me up for success in college.”

Pisgah’s Literary Magazine is Defying Gravity Pisgah has always supported a strong tradition of outstanding academics, athletics, and the arts.

The talent of the school’s students is diverse and unique, and each student demonstrates skill and ability in many areas. As students discover and pursue their individual interests, they are also learning and developing lasting skills, which will contribute to their lifelong experience of learning.

For creative students, inspiration is the elixir of personal expression. For the writer, the poet, the artist, the musician, and the photographer, creativity is a special gift that transforms ideas into words, art, images, and sound. Visual arts capture aesthetic beauty, while words paint ideas as a story and emotions as a poem. Within this dynamic domain of idealistic dreamers, it is important to have a place reserved exclusively for them to present their creative talents. A digital canvas provides the medium for these students to display and share their work with the world, merging art, images, words, and music with technology. Thus, the viewer becomes both reader and listener simultaneously, enjoying a place of quiet reflection and permanent beauty.

This year Pisgah’s Upper School literary magazine is going digital. Defying Gravity is an online creative publication that incorporates all aspects of the arts including poetry, short stories, essays, art work, photography, and music. Students will enjoy reading poetry and stories, viewing original art work and photographs, and listening to instrumental music in a virtual environment.

As technology progresses and influences the way teachers instruct and students learn, their creativity will inevitably be affected. In an age of rapidly changing technology, new platforms of educational media such as e-readers, digital text, and virtual learning are emerging and impacting

www.experiencepisgah.org

students’ total learning experience. Students are free to explore their interests and develop their knowledge independently.

This year’s literary magazine celebrates Pisgah’s students who are artists, writers, photographers, and musicians—dreamers and idealists alike whose work provides imagination and creativity in a digital environment. Caleb Swift, a Pisgah senior with extraordinary musical talent, was inspired to compose a symphony that captures the theme of this year’s magazine. His musical work will serve as a background musical soundscape that complements the visual and textual elements of the entire magazine. In collaboration with musician and sound recording artist Peter Jacobson of Knock Hard Productions, Caleb’s musical work defies gravity, and his musical vision has become a reality. “Witnessing these two musicians speak a language I do not was truly amazing,” states Meredith Morris, the literary magazine’s sponsor. “I was mesmerized by their creativity and even more impressed with the final product. Caleb’s musical talent and ability to write such a beautiful and inspiring musical composition left me speechless,” she continued. “I am so proud of the entire staff’s efforts, and I know the Pisgah community will be equally impressed.”

The creative writing class and literary magazine staff are comprised of many students whose work will be featured in this year’s digital magazine. The artistic work of this year’s front cover artist MinJae Kim will be featured as well the photographic skill of back cover photographer Sierra Adams.

The editorial work of Lila Mills and Maggie Denham demonstrates exceptional attention to detail with language, structure,

and expression. The technical expertise of Tyler Austin and the musical skill of Caleb Swift provide a professional edge to a sleek and stylish publication. The many writers, editors, poets, photographers, artists, musicians, and tech staff have all contributed their time and talents to make this magazine a creative masterpiece. Perhaps it is realizing the innate talents we possess that enable us to reach higher and allow us to discover our natural abilities so we can achieve our goals, soaring higher, defying gravity.

Ms. Morris commends the talent of the entire literary magazine staff stating, “It is with sincere gratitude that I honor the many students who have chosen to share their inspiring and creative gifts with the Pisgah community in this outstanding publication.” The magazine will be presented at the end of April during National Poetry Month on Pisgah’s website.

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pisgah post 100 days to 100%

by Lauren Kennedy, Annual Fund Coordinator

Continued from page 15

Gen·er·os·i·ty [jen-uh-ros-i-tee] noun.

Eagerness or openhandedness in giving.

In January, Pisgah launched 100 DAYS TO 100% because we need every family to go ABOVE & BEYOND to meet this year’s Excellence Fund goal of $1.25 million. Moreover, when our school community is fully invested, we have greater opportunities to secure outside funding through private foundation grants.

The simple truth is that tuition doesn’t cover it all. Without the annual Excellence Fund, the Pisgah would not be able to offer some of its most treasured programs, and it would not be able to project for its future growth. This year your generosity ABOVE & BEYOND tuition enables Pisgah to offer the experiences that set our school apart: the Sharptop spiritual retreat, the American History Museum, Culinary Lab, technology for the interactive instruction initiative, as well as faculty resources for professional development.

We have entrusted the Pisgah community to help raise our children, and it is incumbent upon all of us to contribute through the annual Excellence Fund to uphold and expand upon the many opportunities our children have to grow and learn in a rigorous educational environment that also encourages the development of their Christian faith and values.

And generosity is at the heart of our faith.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) May we all embrace generosity, and join the call to go ABOVE & BEYOND.

Signing Day

Georgia Goal Did you know you can redirect a portion of your Georgia income tax payments to provide scholarship assistance to incoming Pisgah students. Learn more about Goal today and help deserving students Experience Pisgah.

Pisgah Wrestling Debuts Continued from page 14

also feel the administration has been very supportive during this inaugural season. Since this is a new sport at Pisgah, I feel that the administration had to go out on a limb and really trust me, because of all the new things involved with bringing a sport like wrestling on campus. The administration has been able to provide everything a wrestling team needs to have a successful year like we are currently having.”

“I have had numerous conversations and received several emails from parents being very complimentary of both coaches and the program as a whole,” added Davenport. “We appreciate the family that stepped forward with a donation to financially support launching this new program.”

Based on their early success Merry sees great things for the program in the future. “I feel the future of wrestling looks very promising after the success we are having this season. With wrestling you only get better with more ‘mat time’ during the off season. Since most of the wrestlers have never wrestled before we are going to introduce a great program, along with football, this summer to help both teams. Plus I know I have a great group of returning youth wrestlers who are looking forward to working hard and getting better for next year.”

20

College and the University of the South.

Marco has visited Oglethorpe University, while McHugh is also being recruited by the University of the South.

Basketball player Brian Ginty received attention from Berry College, but has decided to attend Georgia Southern and not play college basketball.

Juniors including Emily Raymer (basketball and volleyball), Flint Geier (football), Kyle Jackson (baseball), Adrian Celata (baseball), Taylor Carlson (tennis) and Madison Claytor (softball) are also getting attention at the next level.

Sophomore softball player Morgan Walters got in on the action by verbally committing to the University of Missouri this fall. Fellow sophomore tennis players Aryn Greene, Samantha Russell and Sam Edwards are likely to receive many calls soon. Greene said she has already begun receiving letters from college coaches.

The girls varsity soccer team has a talent rich sophomore class, many of whom will have the opportunity to play in college and will get closer looks from college coaches this summer and into the fall travel soccer season.

Included in this group are Kayley Janico, Ashley Zambetti, Erin Lutz, Alli McHugh, Anna Froshin, Lena Johnson and Rachel Freyre.

Varsity softball coach Haley Brooks also has several players who have been in contact with colleges including Madison Wickline, Camille Tracy and Courtney Condon.

NCAA rules vary in each sport on when coaches may begin to contact high school players and even how they may contact the student-athlete.

The Patriots also boast a long list of freshman and sophomore athletes who have yet to begin the recruiting process, but should be getting good looks from college coaches soon.

GHSA Changes Continued from page 15

For 2012-2013 Pisgah’s sub-region will be composed of: Kings Ridge, Fellowship, Walker, Whitefield, North Cobb Christian, Mount Paran and St Francis.

The other sub-region will include: Darlington, Mt Zion, Southwest Atlanta Christian, Trion, Excel Christian, Georgia School for the Deaf, Christian Heritage and Gordon Lee. The final, and possibly most controversial, change for 2012-2013 is separate 16 team state playoffs for public schools and private schools in Class A. This change was made in part after a group of approximately 30 Class A public schools threatened to leave GHSA and start a new organization. These schools believe that private schools have a competitive advantage over public schools, including a private school’s capability to bring in students from a larger geographic area than public schools.

According to S. Thomas Coleman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “A number of GHSA executive committee members said the threatened defection was the reason they voted to separate public and private schools for the playoffs.” (January 30, 2012) The final piece of this puzzle is how to determine which 16 private schools get into the playoffs, as many Regions contain both public and private schools. This is a topic that Dixon says is still under discussion.

Mount Pisgah Christian School