Experience pisgah post College Prep. Life Ready. C Vol. 2 | No. 2 Winter Edition
inside pisgah 2 Serving America
4 Alumni News
6 Pisgah Preschool
7 Going Global
8 Pisgah Serves
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What does it mean to be a Pisgah Patriot? “We the People”, educators and parents working together, have been given the responsibility of developing young citizens who learn from the past and can live out the values needed to shape the future of our world. Pisgah Patriots have an advantage because they experience excellent academic, service, and life-learning opportunities that challenge them on a daily basis. Pisgah Patriots also develop the skills that made this country great: hard work, perseverance, faith, courage, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a “can do” attitude. Pisgah is a community of learning where students discover their God-given gifts, become independent thinkers, and learn to serve others through an intentional grounding in their American and biblical heritage. While many independent schools are Christian, and most others are college preparatory, Pisgah is unique because we are Patriots and nobody can match our ensemble of attributes.
Life Ready Lessons
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Innovative Teaching
Pisgah Arts
16 Pisgah Athletics
D r. Ju an it a Fo rre ste r
Pis Pisgah and Biology teacher Dr. Juanita Forrester have received the GISA Grant for Innovative High School Teachers. The award was given on behalf of the Loveday In Foundation by the Georgia Independent School Association. Fo The T award committee reported they “were most impressed with Dr. Forrester’s project entitled, Growing Scientists, Growing Communities and felt that this creative project e will greatly impact the students and community.” The project focuses on creation w and cultivation of a special garden. “I believe that scientific literacy is best achieved a when students learn to apply their knowledge to their own worlds,” says Dr. Forrester. w “Place-based, experiential learning is a great way to promote student achievement, engagement, and scientific knowledge. A school garden is a great way to provide opportunities for hands-on experiments and projects. Learning is no longer bound to school settings; now it can be part of everyday life.” Continued on page 4
WINNER
Private School in North Metro
Mount Pisgah Christian School 9820 Nesbit Ferry Road Johns Creek, Georgia 30022
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College Prep. Life Ready. Preschool – 12th Grade
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pisgah post Colonial Days U Understanding our past helps us make the most of our future. As a part of Pisgah’s Social Studies curriculum, the second grade stup dents enjoyed hands-on activities to better understand what life was d like during Colonial times in Georgia. The students made candles, l games and butter. They tasted corn cakes and bean fritters. Everyone had a blast writing with quill feathers! ers the M acken zie Du bberly dis cov g! tin cha llen ge s of quill wri
Mayflower Descendant Pisgah third graders were enlightened by the 13th generation descendant of John Alden who was #1 on the Mayflower ship manifest 368 years ago. The grandfather of Pisgah student Will Pascucci, also named John Alden, spoke about the perils of travel in the tiny boat across the North Atlantic in the winter and of survival in the new land. Will Pas cucci and his gran dfat her John Coincidentally, the Alden/Pascuccii clan just returned from a ThanksAld en giving trip to Boston, Massachusetts, where Will and his cousins toured the John Alden home. John Alden turned out to be the longestt living survivor of the original passengers from England. History came alive and Mr. Alden provided a memorable experience for all.
Presidential Project T Third graders develop computer skills and learn American history lessons at the same time. They are collecting and entering data l about each United States President in Excel spreadsheets, including a hyperlinks to online databases. The students will continue this projh ect throughout the campaign and election.
Mich ae l Aliff sha rpe ns his
com put er skills.
Pisgah sophomore Katie Strawinski won a national award for a video she produced about the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at constitutingamerica.com Katie Strawinski is congratulated by Constituting America’s Janine Turner and her daughter Juliette.
rating th e Am erica n tra dition Pisg ah fa milie s enjoy ce leb wo rking tog eth er on se rvice by of Th an ks giv ing ea ch year an kfu l Fri da y. g rin projects du Th
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Pisg ah Lower School an in over 350 poun ds of d Pathfi nd ers st ud ents brou ght ca ndy U nited St at es Troops w which wa s th en se nt to ou r ho are se rv in g overseas .
Serving America God’s provision for our lives comes in different shapes and sizes, and not always in a way that we expect. John and Beth Dowd, parents of two Pisgah Preschool students, learned this lesson when John left his family in December to go to Afghanistan for a full year. Before he married Beth eight years ago, John served in the Navy as a Nuclear Reactor Operator ET1. He later worked in security sales, where he never traveled for more than a week at a time. When John’s company shut down, he was laid off. The couple began to pray for God to provide a job that would fulfill John’s desire to make this country a safer place for future generations and utilize his security skills. Seven months later, John received an offer of contract from a company to be an Electronic Technician, supporting the Marines. From May through September, John was in Afghanistan. This time gave Beth a trial run of what her life would be like as a single parent of their two girls, Abby and Maggie. He left for a full year on December 1, 2010, and will be returning for only three weeks of rest and relaxation at home. On top of the stress of such a huge life change, the family is also moving in May to be closer to Pisgah. “The hardest part will be being a single parent 24 hours a day,” said Beth. “I am praying for patience and energy.” Although 2011 will be a tough year for the Dowds, Beth has already received encouragement from the girls’ teachers. Abby’s two-year-old class, taught by Ms. LeAnne and Ms. Susan, asked John to hold the flag as everyone said a special prayer for him on “Date with Dad” day. John will be a Mystery Reader via Skype for Maggie’s 4-year-old class, taught by Ms. Margaret and Ms. Virginia. “Our teachers have been such a huge support with prayer and extra special gifts. We love them all,” Beth said. Beth believes that her family’s story is a testament to God’s faithfulness, even with the challenges she will face. “What we’ve learned from this is that when God answers, it doesn’t always look as we had imagined but when we obey, it is always so much more than we expected,” Beth said. Join the Pisgah faculty, students, and parents in praying for all of our families who have loved ones serving overseas.
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Pisgah Patriots Believe | Unite | Act Stand | Pledge
Pisgah Patriot Pride by Erik Buxton, Choral Educator August 27, 2010 saw the opening of Savior Field at the Patriot Athletic Campus. That date and occasion hold many memories for Pisgah as a monumental event in the life of the school as we moved into a new era as possessors of our home field. The night was festive, the lights were bright and all Patriots were both ecstatic and humbled by God’s blessings expressed in this wonderful gift. In addition to the corporate celebration I shared with all of my Pisgah family, I received many other gifts as a result of that evening’s happenings. I had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the inaugural game and little did I know, as a result, I would receive e an invitation to sing the National Anthem at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on September 17th - Constitution Day! My wife, Shannon and I were flown to Philadelphia and treated like royalty as we were the special guests of Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie, the co-founders of Constituting America. Constituting America is a foundation committed to educating school-age children about the history of and current relevance of America’s founding documents, including and highlighting the U.S. Constitution. The centerpiece of Constituting America’s year is their We The People contest (go to www.constitutingamerica.org for more information) which culminates in an awards ceremony for the winners and their families on Constitution Day. After being asked to sing the National Anthem at this ceremony, I was subsequently asked to sing “God Bless America” and “America, The Beautiful” at that ceremony and two other events. Though exciting, I have to confess the most valuable gift of the weekend was not singing for this prestigious ceremony at the National Constitution Center. The gift most precious to me is the rekindled love and awe I have for America and all that has been done and given to make her great. I stood in Independence Hall where our founding fathers discussed, yea, fought about the ideals that would frame this republic. I sat in the room where Ben Franklin sat as he admonished those men of great courage to consider the providence of God in the endeavor and enlist his aid moving forward. I read passages from the U.S. Constitution in Signers’ Hall at the National Constitution Center and signed my name in the registry joining millions of other signatures of the more than four million visitors the center has hosted in its seven year history. As a Georgian, I was struck to have stood in the room where Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton joined fifty-three other patriots as they affixed their names to the document that declared America’s independence from Great Britain. I was marked by the solemnity I felt as I walked through the chambers where men proclaimed that it was better to die for liberty than to live under tyranny. The city of Philadelphia is rife with the story of America and Shannon and I got a guided tour of all the monuments and historical sites by a National Park Ranger. We were inundated with facts and got a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the men and women who were ultimately willing to give their lives to birth a nation unlike any in the human experience. One of the most moving opportunities I had was to watch a swearing-in ceremony for new citizens while there. I could not help but be touched by the emotion and resolve represented by those new American citizens as they clutched their hands to their hearts with tears rolling down many faces and declaring allegiance to this country. I actually said aloud, “America is beautiful.”
What does it mean to be a Pisgah Patriot? Continued from page 1
Õ Pisgah Patriots BELIEVE. We are a Christian community who believes in God and a common set of Christian beliefs. At the same time, our students come from a wide variety of faith traditions.
Õ Pisgah Patriots UNITE. We are a family community who highly values the multitude of close relationships between students-parents-school.
Õ Pisgah Patriots ACT. Actions speak louder than words. Active learners maximize their potential and learn better than passive learners. To succeed in this competitive world, it is not enough just to passively learn content later found on some standardized test. College Prep, Life Ready means students do something active with their knowledge. They think critically and are prepared to act when they have opportunity to lead.
Õ Pisgah Patriots STAND. We stand up for God. We stand up for others. We stand up in order to make a difference and keep America strong.
Õ Pisgah Patriots PLEDGE. We pledge allegiance to America. We pledge to teach American values. We pledge to hold true to our honor code and develop great Christian citizens.
As honored as I was to sing at the Constituting America events and soak in the history of America in a new and refreshing way, I was most impressed and was most impacted by the contest winners. I saw and heard from them, not just the story of America’s past, but was challenged with their view of America as it is and as it will be when the fate of this great nation is placed in their hands. These students espoused an understanding of the founding documents that would rival many adults I know. I watched and listened to elementary, middle and high school students articulate a vision for America’s future deeply rooted in the U.S. Constitution and the fortitude and vigor it took to bring the dream of America to fruition. From the youngest to the oldest, these students were able to enunciate a clear and unwavering belief in and a refreshing exposition of the U.S. Constitution with all its flaws, blemishes, promises and possibilities. I left encouraged and genuinely hopeful about America, the last best hope of earth. Who would have thought that a person could reap so much from one high school football game?
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pisgah post Innovative Teaching (continued from page 1)
Alumni News Taylor Hall, (Class of 2008) and Fedale Hall, (Class of 2009) met up this past fall when the Air Force Prep team traveled to play the Army prep team. Based on the college-preparatory education Fedale received at Pisgah, he reports that the academics at the Air Force Academy are “not that hard.” By the way, in the game, Air Force beat Army 35-28.
Phase I involves planning and set-up. Dr. Forrester and her students will build ten raised garden beds this spring. They will engage in planning and implementation Jay Tys on and F lint Ge ier work in the of “best” practices. They must research appropriate UG A La b plants, evaluate soil quality and nutritional / environmental requirements for the plants, as well as plan for the fall season. on Phase II involves a partnership with the Mimosa School, a local elementary school with limited Pisgah students will engage in service learning and share resources as they develop a resources. Pisg community garden. Students will instruct, assist, and mentor younger students. The number true communit beds in the garden will now be increased thanks to the grant award. of raised bed once the garden is established. Real-world experiments including pesticide Phase III begins b fertilizer efficacy, and biological control agents will be conducted. Each individual testing, fe will reinforce sound scientific practice and method. project w Dr. Juanita Forrester holds a B.S. in Biology from Reinhardt University and both a M.S. Dr and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Georgia. She served as a National an Science Foundation Teaching Fellow for five years during graduate school and enjoys Sc her continuing relationship with UGA. Dr. Forrester took a group of Pisgah students to UGA for a special summer study program in 2010.
Diving into Learning
Laurel Denham, (Class of 2007), spent two weeks of her summer livening up the walls of the Lower School with her interpretation of famous book characters. You’re sure to recognize some of your favorites! When asked if she was satisfied with the outcome, Laurel said, “I’m just looking at the picture on the book and the character is flying up on the wall! It’s exciting to see this in the school that laid a solid foundation for me.” Currently, Laurel is a senior studying Art Education at the University of Georgia. She is preparing to spend spring semester studying in Italy. There, she will have the opportunity to fine tune many of her skills in a setting known for its artists, as well as to teach Italian children in local schools. Watch for more of Laurel’s creativity to touch the Lower School halls!
Please send your alumni news and updates to rwilliams@mountpisgahschool.org
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Studying how submarines work makes learning about buoyancy and density fascinating. Using a mini-submarine, fifth grade students used a syringe attached by rubber tubing to a diving ball. The device was placed in a tank of water and when they pulled the syringe, a vacuum was created that sucked in water. The sub became dense enough to sink. They pushed the syringe back in to force the water out, and the submarine was light enough to resurface. They also had a contest to see who could achieve neutral buoyancy first. M rs. Parker’s fift h gra de cla ss In another exercise, students designed a boat out of a 6 inch by 6 inch div es in to scie nce experim ent s square of aluminum foil. They floated their boats in a foil tray or bowl. They added paper clips one by one to see how many clips the boats would hold before sinking. One team actually got 200 large paper clips into their boat before it sank. By experimentation they discovered the principle that boats with a larger surface area have more water under them to support them and therefore can hold more weight.
Going for Gold Striking it rich in learning, first graders recently visited the e Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega. Adding to theirr classroom study of landforms and history of Georgia, the students were able to see mining tools, clothing, and living conditions of the miners and were even able to pan for gemstones.
Gra ce Alexa nd er an d Ste pha nie St. M artin pan nin g for gem stones
Fourth grade teachers Andrea Couch and Jenny Terpstra, (along with former Pisgah teacher Nicole Martin), participated in the Zooma Atlanta 5K. The teachers have been training together since summer 2010 and were so proud to have completed this event together. They are already planning their next run, maybe even a 10K!
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
From the Board of Trustees
Thoughts from a Trustee
The Pisgah Board of Trustees welcomes several new members: Keith Cooper, Brad Dalton, Joan Delk, Joe Gaynor, Keith Hughes, Larry Payne, and Mike Reinsel. Learn more about these new members by reviewing their bios, (as well as those of all the Trustees), at the school website: experiencepisgah.org How are Mount Pisgah Christian School Trustees selected and what is expected for them? Trustees are asked to sign a “Statement of Faith”, as well as “Principles of Good Practice”, “Mission Policy”, and a “Conflict of Interest” statement to acknowledge their roles and responsibilities as Christian leaders. Trustee nominations are made by the sitting Board, and processes are in place to evaluate candidates based on the following profile of an Ideal Trustee: Commitment to Christ A Trustee is passionately committed to his or her personal relationship with Jesus Christ and models the best reputation for faith, integrity, spiritual leadership, unity, humility, ministry, and grace. He or she diligently prays for the ministry of the school, including the administrators, faculty, staff, students, and parents. Loyal Partner A Pisgah Trustee is enthusiastically devoted to achieving the vision, mission, and strategic objectives of the school, putting aside any personal agenda for the good of the whole. He or she understands that the School Board works as a collective group, exercising decisions and influence as a single unit rather than as individual Trustees. School Ambassador A Pisgah Trustee facilitates relationships among
Trustees do many things including ensuring the school stays true to its mission: providing a college preparatory education grounded in Christian faith and values. As they set goals and make decisions, they ask for God’s guidance. Years ago, they began the practice of sharing devotions on a rotational basis – some convey a Bible verse or lesson – others share a personal story such as this one… On October 20th, I traveled to Boston. I typically stay near Cambridge Square. If you know that area, it has tremendous American history. Seemingly, every corner has something. It is also an area that causes one to think about education -- in the immediate area are Harvard, MIT and Boston U. I like to look around at the people. There are many students, professors and others on the street, as well as many homeless folks, etc. It seems there is always someone sharing the gospel on the streets, including a guy who has many writings about the Bible (he has a pamphlet stand-all of them are handwritten /photocopied etc.). I have stopped and spoken with him and he feels God has called him to do this. He said he gets out on the streets four to five nights a week. There are people gently offering ‘tracts’, etc. All of this is an area where they may seem to be outliers---an area in the shadow of a school that originated from the church (Harvard). For what is Harvard known? Excellent academics, an enormous endowment (and its competition with Yale’s endowment -- regarding investment return),
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pisgah post Date with Dads
New Toddler Class What an eventful start to the year at Preschool Half Day. “We are thrilled to have started our new Toddler class,” said Half Day Director Charmaine Botha. “It has been sweet to see evidence of little living dolls in the room as they move around with their enormous hair bows on the tops of the little girls’ heads. We call them our little presents and God has blessed us with their presence!” Teachers report that the toddlers have transitioned very easily to this new class. It has been so successful that another 18 month toddler group was added after Christmas.
To better accommodate more father’s work schedules, the “Donuts with Dads” program was replaced with “Date An nie Lin an d her fat her We i Lin with Dads”. This special evening event exceeded all expectations, Whether dads came dressed in suits, bought their little girls corsages, or simply came casual for a relaxed evening, a great time was had by all! Dads joined their sons and daughters in the classroom exploring the room, on the playground, doing the Hokey Pokey and in the Science lab. The two’s had fun following an obstacle course in the rainy day room and were surprised when dads (and teachers) weren’t able to crawl through the tunnel!
Fall Fun Fall brings many creative opportunities for learning. Pisgah Preschoolers learned how apples grow, what’s inside them, and asked the questions - how do they taste, smell and what do they weigh? Do they sink or float? See the star inside – just like the star inside me! Students even got to make apple sauce. They also enjoyed Harvest Time and came dressed as their favorite animal. It’s such a delight to see the children dressed as cows, chickens, little pigs and ducks!
Right - Birthday Boy Carter Barnett enjoys finger painting. His family is new to Pisgah this year. The theme that day was ‘sight’ and red was the color of the month, thus the eyeglasses and pom eyeballs stuck onto red finger paint! Left - Assistant Rachel Cummings, who also works in Pathfinders, presenting God’s Time at Circle. Notice how attentive the children are and how much they enjoy this devotion and lesson time.
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Young Explorers The Dove and Kingdom Room classes have had a blast with their new Young Explorer Computer. This computer gives teachers the opportunity to select specific programs for the child to play. For the child who needs to work on Math skills, Millie’s Math House opens (as the child selects his name), enabling him to practice basic skills. Or if the teacher decides the child needs to express herself, Tony the Loon’s Lagoon, a creative enrichment game, opens when the child enters the program. Children have a logo that is specific to them, which helps with name and letter recognition. The mouse and
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keyboard are perfectly fectly kid-sized, enabling the child to practice fine motor skills. And the best part is, all of this is happening while the children are having fun! We are looking forward to all the enrichment that this computer has to offer, and cannot wait to see all that the children gain! This computer was awarded to Pisgah through a grant program.
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Pisgah International A the Pisgah Post went to press, students were As experiencing England, Korea, and Costa Rica through e the Preparatory School minimester program. Future t publications will feature their reflections of these once-in-a lifetime trips where they studied architecture, business, education, art, theology, and performed service and mission work. These trips help our students gain an understanding of a variety of world cultures. A Pisgah education includes an appreciation for American heritage, as well as experiences that help students compete on a global level. And now students who live thousands of miles away can benefit from a Pisgah education cation too. too
Pisgah Korea Bill Shelnutt Head of Preparatory School In October I traveled to Seoul South Korea to represent Pisgah at the largest student recruitment fair in Asia. There were 350 exhibiting schools from around the world and nearly 8,000 Korean students interested in studying abroad. South Korea invests more money on education as a percentage of GDP than any other country in the world. Their goal for their children’s education is simple and clear; they want advantage. While I was in Korea I had the opportunity to meet for dinner with the parents of our current Korean students. Several had traveled hours away from the very southern part of the country to the capital of Seoul in order to attend this dinner. They wanted to hear firsthand about Pisgah and their children’s experience here, since most of the Korean parents send their children to live with a guardian and never even visit the school themselves. I wanted to learn why they would sacrifice so much to send their children halfway around the world and I was very touched by their responses. They chose to apply to Pisgah for two primary reasons. The school enjoys an excellent reputation for academic rigor and excellence within the Greater North Fulton/Gwinnett county Korean community which numbers nearly 75,000 people. These families want their children to gain access to their first choice colleges and our record on college placement is also well known to this community. Nearly 94% of last year’s seniors were accepted to the college they indicated was their top choice school. These parents told me that they also chose Pisgah because it is a Christian school. I was delighted on my visit to see the proliferation of Christian churches throughout Seoul. The Church has been very successful in leading nearly one in three Koreans to Christ. This evangelism is evident when you see the number of Korean congregations that are omnipresent in
our own community. In Korea, the best preparatory schools are also Christian schools and that is good news for the Kingdom indeed. As I reflected on the plane during the 14 hour flight back to Atlanta, it occurred to me that the reasons parents sent their kids 9,000 miles away to Pisgah were really the same reasons I am sending my own son and daughter. I want for my children the advantage that comes from an education that provides an “outstanding college preparatory education grounded in Christian faith and values”. Nancy Shaw Head of the Primary School I remember it so clearly! Last summer, while meeting with Admissions Director Tammy Mozingo, I mentioned that in order to maintain diversity in our school, we needed to look at ways to better serve children and families from the global community. I committed to praying about this specific area of interest. Approximately two weeks later, President Scott Barron called and asked me if I had a passport. He told me about the possibility of opening a school in South Korea. I had been praying that God would show me how to serve children and families from other countries - little did I know that would come to mean traveling half way around the world to South Korea! It never occurred to me that my first trip out of the country would be a trip to Asia! After the initial shock and excitement wore off, I began preparing for
my trip. Weekly conference calls were held with the staff at Pisgah Korea. Because of the time difference, these calls took place at 7:00p.m. Language and cultural differences sometimes presented a challenge, but the more time we spent together, the better the communication became, and Pisgah Korea was born. The success of Pisgah Korea is due largely in part to the wonderful staff at Pisgah Lower School. Teachers put in numerous hours writing detailed lesson plans that could easily be shared with other teachers and schools. While this was a huge endeavor, archiving current lesson plans in a standard format benefited current students as well. Pisgah teachers were happy to help teachers at our new “sister school”. They saw the needs of the school and staff and were quick to jump at the chance to provide extra support. Leeann Denham and Jenny Terpstra coordinated the collection and posting of lesson plans. Their commitment and dedication to this project was certainly appreciated by the faculty and staff. While in Korea, I observed classrooms, attended open houses, and provided staff training. The teachers were eager to attend professional development opportunities and to learn more about the instructional strategies we use at Pisgah. I will continue to work with their teachers and administrators to help them set and attain their educational goals.
Trip to England Upperclassmen will walk in the shoes of artists, statesmen, scholars, and theists as they spend nine days in the United Kingdom. At press time, the students and faculty were preparing for their “hop across the pond”. Their whirlwind tour will include very busy days experiencing the culture and history of this fascinating land:
Ey Will Jamies on on the London
e wit h Big Be n in the ba ckg
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rou nd.
La ura Ha iley an d Ca roli ne Mose ley River Th am es an d London Cou in front of the nty Ha ll.
A cruise down the river Thames St. Paul’s Cathedral Tower of London Westminster Oxford Home of C.S. Lewis Theatre
Museums Wesley’s Chapel Churches and Cathedrals National Art Gallery Buckingham Palace Cambridge
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pisgah post Pisgah Serves Cleats for Costa Rica One of the greatest strengths of the Pisgah community is the ability to see a need and meet it—and the students are no exception. Fifth grader Annabelle Geier is a perfect example of that generous spirit with her “Cleats for Costa Rica” project, an effort to donate used cleats Ann abelle Geie r to children in Plantanares, Costa Rica. While attending a mission trip to Costa Rica with her family, Annabelle instantly connected with the kids of the community through a type of universal language: soccer. It was then that she noticed that many of the kids’ shoes were worn out. “Their toes were sticking out of the ends of their shoes,” Annabelle said. One morning, on her way to school, Annabelle got an idea: why not give some of the cleats she had outgrown to the children of Costa Rica? The Geier family rallied around Annabelle’s idea, and put out the word to her soccer teams, as well as the recreational program Patriot Community Sports. “Some kids outgrow their cleats before they even get a chance to wear them,” said Diane Geier, Annabelle’s mother. All in all, they received around 70 pairs of cleats, some of them barely used. Most of the cleats went to Plantanares Methodist Church. That church will be hosting a soccer program in an effort to encourage fathers to spend time with their children, and will hand out the cleats as a part of that program. As for Annabelle, she was able to give a pair of cleats to a special friend she had made in Costa Rica. “He was so happy,” she said with a smile. Annabelle plans on continuing the program through graduation and will be collecting cleats even during years that she does not go to Costa Rica. “Whatever it takes to get them there, we are willing to do,” her mother said. Lower School counselor Alison Powell is proud of Annabelle’s efforts. “I think it is incredible when our Lower School students show a service initiative – they are truly making a difference in the world. The children in Costa Rica will be so excited to receive a pair of cleats from an American friend.”
Hands to Serve A total Christian education at Pisgah consists of three parts: the e head, the heart, and the hands. Through Bible class, studentss are able to learn the head knowledge that forms a foundation n of faith. In chapel, advisory, and at Sharp Top, students are e called to believe with their hearts. As for their hands, studentss have been given the opportunity to serve and give back, whether through projects, service days, or mission trips. In the past two years, the Upper School has added a program to support that aspect of an overall Christian Education by creating a Service Hours requirement for graduation. Each year, every student at Pisgah’s Upper School is required to perform 25 hours of community service, most of which are done outside of school hours. The students may take the opportunity to help with church programs, mission trips, or recognized non-profit organizations. They have worked with a variety of organizations: Senior Daniel Park volunteered his time with the Asian American Resource Center; Senior Ad ria n Cel ata hel ps build a fen ce for Kristen Laukes traveled to Valdosta for Group Workcamp; a M ont an a chu rch Sophomore Rachel Plate volunteered with a wheelchair basketball league; and Sophomore Juseub Yoon went on a medical mission trip with Vision Care Service. This is just a small sampling of the overall greater help Upper School students are providing the community. Last year, Sophomore Adrian Celata went on a school-sponsored mission trip to Montana. On that trip, he and five of his friends helped build a fence for a church. “I didn’t think it would be that fun,” Celata said, “but I felt like I had helped someone in need.” Mary Ann Morris, who oversees the nuts and bolts of the program, keeps service opportunities posted outside of her office. “We are always looking for opportunities in the community to support this program,” she said. Graduating seniors will leave school having done 100 hours of community service over their four years at Pisgah. This year alone, the Upper School students will be performing over 6,000 hours of Community Service. “This program is a fantastic way to infuse leadership characteristics in a real world way,” said Upper School teacher Andrew Jones. Students at Pisgah are certainly living out the truth in the Bible, and the basis for the Service Hours Program, which says “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back -- given back with bonus and blessings. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38
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Be of Good Cheer Pisgah seventh grader Anna Baade recently had her eyes opened to the desperate plight of some of her fellow Atlantans. “It’s amazing that kids just like us could be living such different lives because their parents have lost their jobs,” said Anna. During a recent service project, Anna and her fellow Middle School cheerleaders discovered the impact of the recession on area families. “I thought about how we take everything for granted,” said seventh grader Savannah Russell. “There are people out there who can’t provide food for their families. It really hit me hard. It was hard seeing kids that don’t even have winter coats.” The girls, some of their moms, and Coach Bumgardner served with “Project Kids Eat!”, by preparing 150 bag lunches that included their notes of encouragement, Bible verses, coloring books, crayons, and even their own gently used coats. The care packages were distributed to Gwinnett County’s homeless shelters. “It was really fun to work together to help people,” said eighth grader Ally Smith. “It was sad to hear their stories, but nice to know that we could help!”
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Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Pisgah students and faculty collected more than 5000 food items for needy families through the Patriot’s Pantry and are well on the way to collecting even more this school year.
Karis Pesola planned, organized and ran a garage sale to raise money for Young Hearts for Africa. Even with the freezing cold weather that day, she raised $129 dollars!
Operation Christmas Child 2010 Pisgah shares Christmas joy with children around the world. Students and their families created memories as they filled their boxes with treats and treasures to be delivered across the globe. This year, Pisgah served as a drop-off location for the community.
Cha s Grube and Sam Reilly
Daddy Daughter Dance 2011 February 5th Details at experiencepisgah.org This event supports Pisgah Missions. A nn a M et zg er an d Jo
Young Hearts for Africa “It was God who sent me to Swaziland, Africa in July 2010,” said fourth grade teacher Jenny Keeton, “and I will never be the same because of what I have experienced. On the long plane ride home, the words from Brooke Fraser’s song “Albertine” kept playing over and over in my mind…“now that I have seen..I am responsible…faith without deeds is dead..now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are..” The challenge…what did God want this dedicated teacher to do once she was home? She felt God wanted students at Pisgah to hear about the Swazi children she had met. God planted a tiny idea in her mind, which He has grown into a God sized ministry! The fourth grade teachers decided to have a year-long service project that would directly help the children in Swaziland: “Young Hearts for Africa: “Changing” the World One Child at a Time. Students collect change and the money is used to purchase maize flour for Swaziland churches. This flour is feeding the children, and is most likely their only meal that day. “My dream for this service project has been expanded to God sized proportions!” exclaimed Miss Keeton. “So far, through the change received, we have been able to purchase 7 bags of maize flour. Each bag of maize feeds approximately 250 children!” Some students raised money through lemonade stands and sweet stands in their neighborhoods. They are truly living out the scripture in Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than your selves.” The Young Hearts for Africa club meets once a month at 7:00 A.M. They have made collection jars, written letters and drawn pictures to encourage the pastors of the three local churches they are serving, and had a bake sale. With the money made from the bake sale and a generous donation from a fifth grade parent, the club has purchased a milking cow for Project Canaan in Swaziland. “ I am so grateful to God for the opportunity to work at a school like Pisgah,” says Miss Keeton. “The opportunity I have as a teacher to share my faith and encourage young people to live out their faith in BIG ways, is a true blessing and privilege! I can’t wait to see what God does next!”
e M et zg er
www.experiencepisgah.org
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pisgah post Life Ready Lessons Ali Ga yno r
Ca roli ne Wa yco
A Pisgah graduate is prepared for college, and even more importantly, ready for life. Students of all ages have remarkable opportunities to discover their God-given talents, explore new and exciting things, and develop the skills and habits that will help them succeed in life. The following articles highlight some of these valuable Pisgah Experiences.
Real World Experience How many of us would have loved to have spent time trying out a career before we headed off to college? Imagine the value of having this experience – prior – to selecting a college major. This year the Lower School has been blessed by the smiling faces and helping hands of three Upper School Student Interns. Seniors Brantley Black, Ali Gaynor and Caroline Wayco have spent the end of each school day assisting in first and second grade classrooms. Each is considering majoring in Education in college, and this experience has greatly helped them in their decision making process. First grade teacher Pat Raftery states that Ali has been quite helpful to teachers and students, and that the students look forward to her daily visits. Second grade teacher Jan Hailey says, “Caroline brings a smile to every second grader at Pisgah. She works with individual students as well as our small groups to reinforce skills previously taught.” According to Head of Primary School Nancy Shaw, “The internship program has allowed these students to gain valuable classroom experience. They have prepared teaching materials, read to children, reinforced math concepts through games, and provided oneon-one support for our students. We are very pleased with their contributions.” The Student Intern Program is another way that Pisgah helps its students to be “college prepared, life ready.” Perhaps in the future, Pisgah will welcome new educators who began their teaching journeys right here.
Young Entrepreneurs Have you ever dreamed of starting a business? Mrs. Brooks’ and Mrs. Knoblock’s third grade students did just that! As the culmination to a unit they studied in Social Studies about consumers and producers, each pupil created a business by choosing a product or service to sell, creating an advertisement and setting the price. They also authored comic strip descriptions of the process they underwent in making their enterprise happen. On the day of the sale, they set up shop and hawked their wares to their classmates. The currency was not what you might imagine. They used the movie theater-style tickets which they earn throughout the year for making positive choices. Products ranged from seasonal decorative items to delectable baked goods. There were even services offered such as a chance to snag some candy with the “claw” machine. Sweet! Now that’s social studies!
Shible y, Elijah Mich ael Aliff, Lu kas Frey re tan Tris d Gre en, an
Oliv ia Tan zy an d An na Ba ker
Joh nny O’N Katie Ro se M cCroskn ey, ing er ess M an d M ega
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Learning to Lead Pisgah student leaders inspire their classmates to get involved, serve others, and make the most of the opportunities their school provides. The list of achievements of Pisgah’s Upper School Student Government is impressive:
Pennies for Patients Fundraising 2006-2007: $657.00 2007-2008: $2029.79 2008-2009: $5301.54 2009-2010: $6250.00
Patriot Tournament of Champions A yearlong competition that promotes attendance at Pisgah events with the award of a free trip for the class to Six Flags.
Student Government Retreat Grant Program
Power of One Empowering students to make smart life choices – just one reason Pisgah recently hosted “The Power of One” at the Lower School. These age specific performances included a series of skits presented by professional actors who portrayed “what bullying is, what can be done about it, and how every child has the power of one – the power to report bullying when he sees it.” “The Power of One” shows students different types of bullying, including verbal, physical, and exclusion. It examines the roles of the bully, the target, and the bystander, and encouraged everyone to move beyond the role of bystander. Lower School students concluded this educational and entertaining program by taking part in an anti bullying pledge: “I will not bully others. I will not stand by while others are bullied. I will report bullying whenever I see it, because I have the Power of One.”
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The Grant Program was established in 2007-2008 school year for the disbursement of surplus funds. A total of $2175.00 has been given out so far to programs including the Future Problem Solvers, US Missions, Pisgah Christian Leadership, Habitat for Humanity and Student Conservation Corps.
Used Uniform Sales
Summer tradition introduced for 2009-2010 year.
Canned Food Drive Introduced as a joint venture with Christian Leadership in 2008-2009 school year 2008-2009: Statistics not available for fall can drive 2009-2010: Total of 611 items raised in fall can drive
Over the past two years, the sale has raised more than $10,000.
Homecoming and Mr. Pisgah Pageant Congratulations to the winners of this homecoming week tradition: 2008-2009 Paul Martini 2009-2010 Will Grande 2010-2011 Chris Piccapietra
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Evening of the Arts More than 250 people attended the second annual Evening of the Arts Veterans Day tribute. The talents and creativity of Pisgah’s singers, thespians, and artists impressed the enthusiastic crowd. As a fundraiser for Pisgah Arts, this event resulted in double the number of PAPA members over last year! 88 families have joined PAPA (Pisgah Arts Parents Association), 25 of those are facultyy families. Pisgah Arts supporters can join PAPA year round d by visiting the Arts section of the Pisgah website:: experiencepisgah.org. For more information on Pisgah Arts, please contact Bryan Hatmaker (bhatmaker@mountpisgahschool.org, 678-336-3117.
Pisgah Arts Calendar February 3: Middle School Theatre Production February 17: Primary School Band, Chorus and Strings Concert March 3: Middle & Upper School Chorus Concert March 10: Middle & Upper School Band & Strings Concert April 8 & 9: Spring Musical April 28: Middle & Upper School Band & Strings Concert April 30: National Art Honor Society Show May 5: Primary School Chorus, Band and Strings Concert 6:00pm May 5: Middle & Upper School Chorus 7:00pm May 13: Primary School Art Show
From the Board of Trustees (continued from page 5) the school’s constituency and strengthens the school’s reputation throughout the community. Protector of Unity A Pisgah Trustee is thoroughly honest, refrains from gossip, and defends the honor of the school and its constituents. He or she understands the requirement to maintain proper use of information, consistently guarding confidentiality. Tireless Supporter A Pisgah Trustee demonstrates support for the school by sacrificially giving time, talent, energy, and money to build a great school for today and the future. The Trustee reliably delivers on commitments, and he or she is prompt and prepared for planned events. Accepting of All A Pisgah Trustee desires to meet the needs of a diverse student body, enabling the school to reach out to families regardless of their race, faith, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Friendly & Flexible A Pisgah Trustee is friendly and courteous, responding to adversity with wisdom and selfcontrol. The Trustee exercises a collaborative spirit and is flexible in adapting to change. Pisgah’s Board of Trustees meets monthly and attends an annual retreat each fall at SharpTop where they review the school’s strategic plan and set goals for the school year. Trustees are committed to the school’s mission and work in partnership with school leadership to further the vision. The Board is accountable for the financial well-being of the school, including capital assets, operating budgets, fundraising and endowments. The composition of the Board reflects a balance of expertise and perspectives needed to achieve the mission of the school. The Board develops itself through new trustee orientation, ongoing education, and leadership succession planning.
Elegant Evening Feb 12 ♥ 6:00-8:45pm South Campus (South Hall) Nothing says love to your spouse than a nice gourmet dinner, romantic music, and learning how to enrich your marriage! Get tickets at mountpisgah.org or the Mount Pisgah Bookstores (limited seating). Nursery available by reservation 678-336-3133. For more information email totalmarriage@mountpisgah.org
9820 Nesbit Ferry Rd | Johns Creek, GA 30022 678-336-3000 | www.mountpisgah.org
www.experiencepisgah.org experiencepisgah org
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pisgah post Pisgah Traditions Trunk or Treat Hundreds of families descended upon Pisgah’s Eastt Campus for a night of fun at the annual Trunk orr Treat event on October 30th. The decorations and d costumes exceeded expectations again this year! Congratulations to the first place winners of the trunk decorating contest: the family of second grader Gracen Beilstein with their Neverland theme. 2nd place award to the family of Skyler Kasselmann for “Barbie in a Bind”. 3rd place award for the Alice in Wonderland inspired d theme by the family of 2nd grader Morgan Boylan.
Powder Puff Game Presented by the Prom committee as a fundraiser, the always popular Powder Puff game was a huge success. Congratulations to the sophomores on their win! Pisgah students host a Creepy Crawly lab during Trunk or Treat to teach younger children cool facts about interesting creatures from the Biology lab.
Snapshots from the Retreat at SharpTop Lifelong memories are made and spiritual lives are enriched each year at the annual Upper and Middle School retreats at SharpTop. Thank you to all the many volunteers who help make this meaningful experience possible for Pisgah students.
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Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Homecoming Alumni were welcomed back, super heroes roamed the halls, and there were flashbacks to several past decades as part of this year’s Homecoming celebration. Congratulations to Homecoming Queen Rachel Strang and Mr. Pisgah g Chris Picapietra. p
View event photoss online at
PisgahPhotos.com Password: patriotss
PisgahPhotos.com is a fundraiser for Mount Pisgah Christian School
Math = Fun A wildly popular fall event, the Lower School Math Carnival helps children discover the fun side of math through creative activities, problem-solving, puzzles, prizes and games. Watch for another evening of fun this spring at Primary School Reading Night!
ha rlie M Berg en Pet erson, C
a n a nd Ja ke M a n
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Kindergarten students learn about symmetry as part of the Everyday Math curriculum. By creating jack-o-lanterns, they learned that symmetry describes something that has the same size and shape on both sides of a dividing line.
Elsa M oo re, As hly nn Agin an
d Ju lia Fra nz
Pisgah Post is a publication of Mount Pisgah Christian School Editor: Rebecca Williams Contributing Writers: Daryl Brooks, Katie Evans, Anita Stuart, and Alison Powell Graphic Design: Adam Brown (browncreativedesign.com) Printing: Brandon’s Printing (Dave Cragg)
www.experiencepisgah.org www experiencepisgah org
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pisgah post P.A.L.S. (Parents Are Loyal Supporters) by Patti Pease, P.A.L.S. President P.A.L.S. (Parents Are Loyal Supporters) would like to thank everyone for supporting and participating in our Fall P.A.L.S. events! The Back To School Picnic was the biggest ever; Popsicles on the playground was very popular with the four and under crowd; our new School Store site opened to rave reviews (see below for more details); Chick-Fil-A nights are off and “MOOOO-ing” to the delight of any parent wanting a kitchen break on the 4th Monday of each month; Mom’s and Friends Fall Bible Study is winding down and getting ready for a winter Beth Moore Bible study; Trunk or Treat was the BIGGEST, CREEPIEST AND CRAWLIEST ever with hundreds of students and families enjoying treats and Dr. Forrester’s Science lab. Who knew science could be so much fun! Operation Christmas Child expanded to become an outreach to the Johns Creek community with providing a Relay Center in the church’s parking lot, servicing all of the schools, churches and businesses in Johns Creek with a drop off spot for their shoe boxes. Thousands of boxes were received, prayed for and transported to the main processing center for the Atlanta area; Thankful Friday provided a wonderful opportunity for students in the Lower School and their special guests to prepare a box for a needy Operation Christmas Child… Wow…and this is only the Fall activities! P.A.L.S. has many ongoing programs that could not be possible without the unselfish support of the many parents who coordinate, organize and volunteer to participate in the Teacher Appreciation Days, Teacher Birthday Celebrations and
Parents Coffees in the Preparatory ry school! Our WONDERFUL Room m Parents (Primary School) and d Grade Level Representatives in the e Prepatory School make all of thiss possible – THANK YOU! Watch h D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)) is an ongoing, wonderful program at the Lower School, giving dadss a chance to “Watch” and assist teachers and students for an entire San di Che ek and Susan Sm alle y ma ke day! sm oot hies for Tea che r Appre ciation How can you support PALS? Watch for emails asking for help from your Room Parent (Primary School) or Grade Level Rep (Preparatory School). Visit our NEW School Store located on the South Campus across from the school office. We offer lots of new Pisgah items for students of ALL ages including the new P.E. T-shirt! Continue to collect your Coke Rewards points, Box Tops and Campbell’s Labels For Education. Use your Publix School card. Purchase a PALS Cook Book. Two new opportunities… TrueBlue School through Georgia Natural Gas and Johns Creek SAT Prep and Tutoring…Sign up today!
Watch D.O.G.S. Report (Dads of Great Students) Pisgah’s Watchdog Dad program celebrates its 2nd birthday in January! This program invites fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other special men in our students’ lives to give up a day of their busy lives to come and serve at our school. On their day of service, they greet students as they arrive, offer extra support to teachers, eat lunch with the students, play on the playground and much, much more. Many dads say a day in the life of a Watchdog Dad is more exhausting than a typical day in the office! Even so, fathers that experience the joy, laughter and exuberance of our Lower School children keep coming back for more. Let’s see what several “dogs” have to say about the program. Shawn Lindblom is what we call a “new” dog. This is his family’s first year at Mount Pisgah. When talking about his day, he says, “I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I knew I would be very busy after talking to several 2nd grade dads. The staff members at Pisgah welcomed me with open arms from the moment I walked in the door and immediately put me to work. After reviewing my agenda for the day, I knew I was going to be very busy.” Shawn also adds, “We as parents talk to our children about their day at school, but experiencing a day on campus is completely different. I’m very excited about supporting the Watch Dog Dad program because it provided a chance to interact with different teachers, staff members and students, while learning more about the school and how it functions on a daily basis. I look forward to my next day on campus.” Lee Arthurs was our first grandfather of the year to experience a day in the life
Thoughts from a Trustee and many other ‘great things’ ... but not that much is known about its roots. It has a school of Divinity. I learned from Pastor Steve Wood that at one time Harvard’s school of Divinity was the largest in the country, and he thought it now has less than 50 enrolled. Why is that? Where did the disconnect occur? I don’t know, but it seems likely that the currency of what is important to this world and the currency of our Father’s Will seem to always have some disconnect. At Pisgah, as Trustees, our role is to fulfill the mission. Academic excellence is important--very important. To perpetuate the mission, financial health is important. Our challenge is how to accomplish those things, while preserving the original objective-- the mission -- and doing all of this in a manner that shepherds and facilitates the recognition of
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of a Watchdog. What did he have to say? “As a grandfather to Emily Peterson, my day ass a Watchdog Dad was a very special treat. Be-ing with so many young and active people, nott only the students but the teachers, administra-tors, and parents as well, kept me running att a pace that I have not experienced for some e time. When Alison {Powell} presented my day’s schedule, it certainly looked innocent enough but by the end of the day I was bushed, particularly considering that the kids during recess had me playing freeze tag that had me chasing and climbing until I could run no more! The most special aspect of the day was being with the kids one on one and being able to give them hugs, high fives, and atta boys; their smiles in return were a real thrill for me. It is obvious that all involved with the school are pleased and excited to be part of the Pisgah experience. Thank you for allowing me to be with you and I look forward to returning for another day. Arf, arf, arf!”
WatchDOG Todd Gre ene
(continued from page 5)
God and His Son within the context of all that is done here. Thankfully, we don’t have to sacrifice our mission for academics -- providing an outstanding college-preparatory education is a key component of our mission. The other component? Christian faith and values. We never lose sight of that fact. We don’t believe these elements are in competition with each other and have found ways to preserve both. I don’t mean to suggest that Harvard is anything less than impressive, it is a great school. I have had the privilege to work with many who have attained their MBAs there. At Pisgah we don’t have to choose between our mission and anything else. The mission is at the heart of who we are. We must always stay true to the purpose. There are many stories about schools that lost their way; our role is to assure MPCS does not.
Dear Lord, We praise You. We ask Your blessings on us and on this school. Please give us the wisdom to know Your will and guide us to focus on the proper priorities. We have many challenges, we praise you because it works to bring us closer to You. We are clear that we need You . Please unveil Your plan and Your solutions to us and give us Your wisdom in making good choices, for Your school, for the mission and for those who are served today and in the future. Please help guide us and not allow us to define success in the world’s terms, but in Your terms. Help us to seek understanding before we seek to be understood. Amen
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
A Matter of Perspective by Trey Arnette
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Why do people give so much to their college and so little to their high school? Other than for football tickets, of course. If you want my unqualified opinion, it is a matter of perspective. Most people feel indebted to their college because this is where they truly stepped into who they were to become, exploring their newfound freedom, embracing life at its fullest, living in intimate relationship with their closest friends, and for the first time exercised their gifts and talents in pursuit of their passion. To be cliché, college is where they “spread their wings.” But dare I ask a brazen question? How much of that experience can be truly credited to the institution and its faculty? Or how much more should be credited to the simple place in life of experiencing one’s first liberty, individuality, responsibility, and independence? On the other hand, I would argue it is the foundations of faith, discipline, work ethic, and self-esteem established from Kindergarten to Senior year which serve as the springboard for the success one finds in college. It is in the formative years of Primary School where one discovers a love of learning from excited and engaged faculty who are gently steering youthful enthusiasm towards academic endeavors while encouraging the development of an unfolding personality. The responsibility spans from teaching students to correctly write their letters to long division and exciting science experiments. It is in these same years where God’s love is being taught through chapel curriculum and constantly being made apparent through the loving individual attention each student receives from their teacher. Then in the Preparatory School, these blossoming students begin attempting to navigate their social and physical development, all the while maintaining academic focus, while simultaneously exploring new ventures and interests in sports, missions, or the arts. They go from their first experience at Sharptop Cove as a home-sick sixth grader and then again their Senior year as a peer leader of Middle Schoolers; from being an alternate on the middle school B-team cheerleading squad to Varsity Cheerleader and Homecoming Queen; from shy, soft spoken introverted wallflower to leading soloist in their last Choral Performance; from curious academic who likes Math and History to delivering the Valedictorian Speech at Graduation. And all along the way, being instructed, guided, encouraged, challenged, counseled, directed, taught, coached, and most of all loved by the faculty surrounding them and the individual relationships they have with each one that keeps them coming after class or before practice just to talk. Personally, as a parent, I am more concerned with the investments being made in my children during these formative years than I am about what college they choose to attend, because the priority for me is the foundations laid before they go to college, not the experiences they have when they get there. But as I said, this is my unqualified opinion. But you don’t have to take my word for it, this year we received our first Alumni gift to the Excellence Fund! One of our graduates, sitting in her apartment in a college town, living on a typical college income, was so compelled by the experience she had at Pisgah, out of what can only be gratitude for the foundations established here before she went there, wrote a $500 check to this year’s Excellence Fund.
Continued from page 6
Puppet Field Trip Down on the Farm “Yeehaw!” Despite the chilly weather, this was the cry of the four-year-old Dove and Kingdom room children as they loaded the wagon for a hayride at Cagle’s Dairy Farm. After petting baby calves, witnessing a milking demonstration, and touring the processing plant, the children eagerly boarded the wagon for a first-hand cow herding demonstration, a look at the grain barn, and an up-close and personal visit from a herd of young bulls. Their trip ended with a visit to the mini-pumpkin patch and a time of jumping fun on the inflatable haystack. It was a day of dairy delight for Pisgah Preschool.
www.experiencepisgah.org
“T-EE-RR-II-FF-II-CCC!” In the words of the goose and the gander, Pisgah Preschool’s trip to see Charlotte’s Web at the Center for Puppetry Arts was indeed terrific. The 4 year old classes of the full-day program traveled downtown on for a day of fun. They had a blast making their very own Wilbur puppets in the Center’s creative workshop, as they had a lesson on the difference between insects and arachnids. They even got to put on their very own puppet show! After dining in the Center’s cafeteria, they ventured upstairs for the show. The children sat mesmerized as they entered the world of Fern and Wilbur, Charlotte and Templeton. The show prompted much discussion on the way home of life on a farm and what it truly means to be a friend. It was an unforgettable and truly a terrific day.
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pisgah post Varsity Softball To say that the Mount Pisgah varsity softball team had a record breaking season would be an understatement. First year head coach Haley Henry and the Lady Patriots dominated their opponents in advancing to the second round of the state tournament. A list of the team accomplishments include: Cou rtn ey Con don • Finishing 20-11 – the most wins in school history. • Winning the regular season Region 5-A championship – a first for the program. • Advancing to the state tournament, also for the first time in school history. • Being ranked No. 9 in Class A. • Hosting and winning the first round state playoff match up against Georgia Military. But that list would be incomplete because it does not B include beating their region opponents 103-7 in the in rregular season. Nor does it include winning three games iin one day to capture the North Fall Classic. Those three wins were all against schools in higher classifications, w including AAAA Forsyth Central. Also not on that list are the four players named to the All-Region team - first team selections Madison Claytor, Morgan Walters and Courtney Condon; and Honorable Mention pick Nicole Peters. The season was also full of exciting finishes, like the 3-1 extra inning win over Providence to clinch the Region regular season championship. Tied 0-0 heading into the top of the 8th Pisgah’s Camille Tracy was placed on second for the International tie breaker and advanced ll She d Cha ch Coa nt to third on a wild pitch. Bunt hits by Avery White and ista Ass h t wi ers Pet Nicole Madison Wickline loaded the bases for the Patriots. Nicole Peters walked to score Tracy, giving Pisgah a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice fly by Courtney Condon scored Wickline and two batters later a Morgan Walters walk scored Peters the Patriots third run. After finishing second in the Region tournament, the Patriots hosted Georgia Military in the first round of the state playoffs. “I am ecstatic about being in the state playoffs,” Henry said before the series. “I am so proud of the girls thus far. I feel that we have numerous threats offensively, and we have really shown how strong we can be defensively. I am sure to remind my girls’ everyday that it is anybody’s game on any given day. I still believe that when we play solid defense we are very hard to beat.” The Patriots were indeed hard to beat against Georgia Military, winning the best-of-three series 6-3 and 16-4. But there was one thing on the list that the Lady Patriots were not able to accomplish – a trip to the final eight in Columbus. Pisgah’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion in the second round of the state tournament at No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Gordon Lee. After trailing early against Gordon Lee, a Walters home run the Patriots led 5-2 in the 5th inning. RBIs by Condon and Walter’s put the team up 7-3 going into the last inning. But the things fell apart for the Lady Patriots. A hit batter, a walk, two singles and two errors later the score was 7-6 Pisgah with one out and the bases loaded. It looked like the Patriots might escape after Condon struck out a batter for the second out, but the next Trojan hitter smacked a 1-2 pitch to the outfield scoring the winning runs. “I knew the girls were extremely focused and I had the utmost confidence that we were capable of giving Gordon Lee their first loss. I was extremely proud when we fought back and tied it up 2-2. Words cannot describe the excitement and pride I had in the girls yesterday. To score 7 runs on a team that has been averaging giving up less than 1 run a game, was more than I could ask for. Unfortunately we had a few mishaps in the 7th inning, which I attribute to our age,” said head coach Haley Henry. Pisgah never really challenged Gordon Lee in the second game, getting down early and losing 13-3. Gordon Lee would go on to win the Class A state title. Summing up the season Henry said, “This is a great group of girls that I have been lucky to have the opportunity to coach this year. I am so proud to be a part of this program. We have made some huge strides in one season. One of my goals coming in was to earn respect for Mount Pisgah athletics. I truly feel like we accomplished that goal, and went far beyond by demonstrating Christian character win or lose. I definitely wanted our season to end in Columbus, but one good thing about these losses is that it leaves our team eagerly looking forward to next year.” While Henry may be looking forward to next year, many in the Region and Class A may not be so eager to see the Patriots next year. That’s because Pisgah’s roster is dominated by freshmen and sophomores, with only one junior and one senior on the 2010 roster. So that means a whole new list of records for the Lady Patriots to set next year.
Pisgah Athletics made its first venture into the world of social media this fall by launching a Twitter site. ‘PisgahAthletics’ on Twitter is a new way for people on the go to keep up with what is going on with the Patriots. “It is an opportunity for people who are interested in athletics to follow it in more detail,” said Blake Davenport, General Manager for Pisgah Athletics. “If we could get enough people to see the benefit of Twitter and use it more often we could lessen the mass e-mails we send out.” Since it’s launch this fall, there have been over 1,500 ‘tweets’ sent out, including nearly a playby-play of the varsity softball team in the state playoffs. Updates are sent out regarding the varsity, junior varsity, Middle School and even Junior Patriots. You can even get a peak at what’s on Twitter as a preview is included on the main athletics page experiencepisgah.org/campus-life/athletics Opening an account is simple. Just register for your free account at www.Twitter.com and then follow “PisgahAthletics” (no space).
PAC Sta diu m - Gra nd Ope nin g - Au gus t 27, 2010
Mount Pisgah Christian School Board of Trustees Chris Anderson Keith Cooper Brad Dalton Glenn Davenport Joan Delk Joe Gaynor Curtis Hicks Keith Hughes Happy Mayer Jean McGarrity Bruce Parker Larry Payne Mike Reinsel Matt Tanzy Doug Williams, Chair Steve Wood Board bios are posted at www.experiencepisgah.org
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Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Middle School Softball With a small and inexperienced roster heading into the e season, the Lady Patriot Middle School softball team m showed a great work ethic and determination, which h resulted in a steady improvement over the course of the e season. “Going out there, we had at least seven players who had never played, or were in the 4th or 5th grade,” said head coach Jennifer Osborne. “We managed to win two games and sure came close in others. The girls learned and improved each practice and game. This team was so special because they never even knew how to give up. They fought each and every game no matter the score. I have never been more proud of a middle school team than this one.”
Varsity Cheerleading Under first year head coach Caitlin Goss, the varsity football cheerleading squad had another great season. “The girls performed well as a squad this year. Honestly, I think the biggest accomplishment for the girls was their ability to grow in fellowship and team work,” said Goss. “The girls were incredibly encouraging and supportive of one another. The girls formed a close bond that enabled them to trust each other with difficult stunting and other team activities. They improved in their stunting abilities and crowd-engaging cheers. The girls took pride in their hard work and were very pleased with their capabilities.” The squad improved in many aspects, which in part could be attributed to Goss. “She’s awesome,” said senior captain Kristen Laukes. “She helped us set our goals and made sure we were strict to Continued on page 20
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Varsity Football W While the Pisgah varsity football team may have missed out o on its goal of qualifying for the GHSA playoffs, the Patriots did still have a successful season. The team won P six s games, the most since joining the GHSA four years ago. a Sophomore Max Aden led the team in rushing with 578 S yards on 87 carries. Senior Ben Mozingo was close behind with 568 yards on 116 carries. Mozingo led the team with nine touchdowns. Despite struggling with injuries, sophomore Kyle Jackson finished the season with 243 yards rushing on just 40 carries, an average of 5.8 yards a carry. Junior quarterback Kyle Sloter passed for 1002 yards and eight touchdowns in just over six games. Sloter missed the first three games with an injury and only played the fourth quarter of the Grah am Cla yto r fourth game of the season. Senior Danny Schneider led the receiving corps with 30 catches for 440 yards and five touchdowns. c Fellow seniors Grant Williamson (eight catches for 133 yards), Graham Claytor (10 catches for 131 yards) and Mozingo (15 catches for 101 yards) were also key to the passing game. On defense seniors Peter Giglia (53 tackles, two o interceptions and one sack) and Bryant Laursen (47 7 tackles and two sacks) led the way for the Patriots. Juniorr Alex Dixon added four sacks, Williamson finished with 37 7 tackles (including a team high five tackles for a loss) and d sophomore Ryan Felice finished with 13 tackles.
MS Football The Middle School football team finished the season 4-4 with wins over St. Francis, Fellowship, Pinecrest and Ridgeview. With only six 8th graders on the squad the Patriots competed in every game, narrowly losing to Holy Innocents 28-26. With 15 returning seventh graders the future of the team promises to be strong.
Cole Brown
Junior Patriot Football
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When he first came to Pisgah four years ago, head varsity football coach Doug Dixon was looking for a way to develop a feeder program for younger athletes at Pisgah. Fortunately for Dixon, the Junior Patriot football program was already in development. What started with two teams and 32 players has now grown into three teams and 57 players, laying a strong foundation for the future of Pisgah football. How it works Pisgah currently has three teams that compete in the North Metro Football League a 3rd and 4th grade combined team, a 5th grade team and a 6th grade team. The squads are comprised of mostly Pisgah students who get an opportunity at an early age to learn the basic plays and formations they will utilize as varsity players. There are two levels of play in NMFL. The 3rd/4th and 5th grade teams play in Division 2. After winning the championship last year the 6th grade team was moved up to Division 1 for this season. Continued on page 18
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pisgah post Junior Patriot Football
(Continued from page 17)
“The program allows our students the opportunity to playy football and represent the school from the 3rd grade on. Itt allows us to develop a feeder system for our High Schooll program,” Dixon said. “Each one of our teams utilize ourr terminology from our playbook, the older the team the more e of the playbook that is implemented. We have clinics for our Junior Patriot Coaches to help them grasp our terminology and techniques that we feel are important to be taught.” The Patriots take on other teams all across the North Metro area. Some teams are from school feeder programs like Pisgah (Chattahoochee, Centennial, Johns Creek, Kings Ridge, Lassiter, Northview), while others are from recreational programs (Atlanta Colts, Sandy Springs Saints, Alpharetta Eagles, Ray of Hope Jaguars). The Coaches The teams are coached by Pisgah parents who all volunteer a tremendous amountt off time t d ti to t the th program. Some coaches have a little football experience, while others played in college or even the NFL. “We are blessed to have committed knowledgeable coaches who have a good understanding of what we are trying to accomplish which is to develop young men who have the character, work ethic, technique and knowledge of the game that can one day play for the varsity team,” Dixon said. Sixth grade head coach Ty Miller was an All-Conference High School quarterback in Illinois. Also on the sixth grade coaching staff are former LSU linebacker Jocko Cendoya and former Valdosta State kicker Brad Bauer. The 3rd/4th grade team boasts assistant coach Victor Green, who played 12 years in the NFL. The coaches pour hours of their personal time into the effort. From film study, to practice plans, to actual practices and games – the coaches are tireless in their efforts for the kids. But there are rewards. Tom Grant, the head coach of the 5th grade team said, “I enjoy working with the kids and get a lot of satisfaction watching the light bulbs turn on. It’s really neat watching these kids improve, learn about themselves, grow in self-confidence, and still have some fun on the field. This is one of those things that you think will be fun but don’t really ‘get it’ or appreciate it until you experience it firsthand. It’s a lot of work but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.” Program Growth Miller, who coached his older son Ben during the first year of the program and now coaches his younger son Max on the 6th grade team, has seen the program grow from when it began. “It’s been very rewarding to watch the program grow over these four years from two teams with 15 players each to the vibrant program we now enjoy,” he said. “We began practicing on the old field on the East Campus with very rudimentary facilities. The kids and parents who were involved that first year were just great, and set the identity of the program.” Today the players practice at the PAC just like their varsity counterparts. The improvements have also shown results on the field. In 2009 the 5th grade team won the NMFL Division 2 championship. This year all three teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The 3rd/4th grade team finished 5-5, but upset the Titans in the first round of the playoffs. The 5th grade team finished 6-4 and also defeated the Titans in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round they lost 12-7 in heartbreaking fashion on the final play of the game to the Gladiators-Red. The 6th grade team struggled in their transition to Division 1, but upset the Eagles 15-6 in the playoffs. The Eagles had beaten the Patriots twice this season 26-0 and 19-0. Evan Pardue, first year assistant coach with the 3rd/4th grade team said he has seen tremendous growth in his team just over the course of this season. “This is my first year and in this first year, I’m seeing incredible growth as kids grasp the fundamentals and nuances of the game.” The longer the players stay in the program, the more they grasp. “I thought that watching the kids grow from the beginning to the end of a single season was an awesome experience. Now that I have had the opportunity to watch the same set of kids change from one season to the next I am totally amazed,” said Grant, who coached the 3rd/4th grade team last season. “I remember the first year with the 3rd/4th grade team and all of the effort it took to get started, the planning, the drills, making sure each player was getting the repetitions needed to learn and improve. Going into the 2nd year... wow... much easier to get things moving and get the kids back into rhythm. The coaches have a much better feel regarding capabilities and areas for improvement so we could plan and utilize drills specific to where they needed improvement. At this age they are like sponges learning new plays, taking on new positions, with the ability to adjust on-the-fly. Really fun to watch.” Player Growth While the Junior Patriots program is about growing the football program, it is also about more than that. It is about growing and developing boys into teenagers, who are also good citizens. “I believe we’ve been very intentional in maintaining an atmosphere of continual improvement, learning what it means to be teammates, what it means to be selfless, how to be involved in something bigger than themselves and how to work for a common objective. To a person, they’ve all made individual sacrifices for the good of the team,” Miller said. (Continued on page 19)
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Varsity Cross Country The members of the varsity cross country team dedicated themselves to working hard this season and showed tremendous improvement over the course of the year. This was evident at the Wesleyan Invitational where the average time for Pisgah’s top five boy’s and girl’s finishers was more than a minute faster than they were in the same meet last year. The squads were led by junior Sam Reilly and sophomore Katie Strawinski who both posted top 15 finishes at the GHSA Class A meet. Reilly finished his race is 17:02, placing him 12th out of 213 runners. Strawinski covered the Carrollton High School course in 20:43, which was a personal record and put her 14th among 194 runners. Both runners qualified for the state meet by virtue of their individual performances in the Region 5 meet. Reilly finished second with a time of 16:52 and Strawinski fourth with a time of 21:14. “Having lost 4 of their top 7 runners from last season, the boys’ team needed the underclassmen to step up, and they did not disappoint. Sophomores Grant Hicks and Chris Spriggs, along with freshmen Shane Sullivan and Bo Stuart added new depth to the team, contributing to a 30 second improvement over last season in the team’s top 5 average finishing time,” said head coach Susan Reilly. “On the girls’ side the addition of freshmen Alexa Hudgins and Katherine Wilkison, both of whom consistently finished in the 3, 4 or 5 spot for the team, helped to bring the girls top 5 average down by over a minute. Top runner Katie Strawinski showed tremendous improvement on the season, breaking 21 minutes for the first time and earning Georgia Elite status.” At the Region meet both teams finished in seventh place. While the Patriots were stronger runners as a group this year, so was the Region. “Region 5 is the toughest running region in the state for Class A schools. According to the Coaches Association rankings there are five schools in our region currently ranked in the top nine in state. Hopefully the tough competition is making our athletes even better, and that is what really counts,” said head coach Susan Reilly. The top four teams in each region qualify for the state meet. The top six individuals also qualify, regardless of where their team finishes. In the Region meet Reilly led most of the race, but was overtaken in the last 200 meters by Galloway’s Jake Grant. Reilly finished three seconds behind Grant, but well ahead of the third and fourth place finishers. Strawinski settled into fourth place from the beginning of the race according to Susan Reilly. She held onto her spot despite a late charge from Holy Innocents senior Christine Georgakakos. Coach Reilly added that Wilkinson had a very strong performance with a personal best time of 24:36. This was one minute and 45 second improvement for Wilkinson over her time on the same Wesleyan course just 12 days earlier.
Mount Pisgah Christian School
Vol. 2 | No. 2 | Winter Edition
Junior Patriot Football
Valuable Volunteer If there’s been a need in recent years in the volleyball program, there’s a good chance that Andy Gibson has helped fill it. From officiating, to driving buses, to coaching, Gibson has served the program in many ways. It all began when his daughter Janey, a 2008 graduate, was in seventh grade. “The MS coach left before the season started,” Gibson said. “Another parent and I jumped in and coached the team the next two years. I took Janey and her teammates to summer camps at UGA three straight years,” he said. “That paid off as most of those girls made up the varsity team that won the state championship five years ago.” With daughter Anna now in eighth grade, Gibson continues to be involved. “I could not ask for a more dedicated and loyal coach and we are really lucky to have him as part of the Pisgah volleyball family and coaching staff,” said head varsity volleyball coach Leah Horan. “He took over as head coach this year and has done a tremendous job.” “I enjoy sports and my father was a high school football coach for 25 years so it is in my blood,” Gibson said when asked why he volunteers his time. “But the best part is help the girls come together as teammates and learning how to rely on each other. It is satisfying to watch them grow personally and as members of a team. I get a lot of satisfaction from just helping out the team and the school and providing servant leadership.”
Sharing His Story Last Spring, the varsity baseball team celebrated its 6-5 comeback win over Providence in April with a special visitor. The team presented Eric Krug with the game ball after hearing his story the week before in chapel. After celebrating his 21st birthday on April 11, 1997, Krug, a college teammate of assistant baseball coach Daryl Brooks, was severely injured and brain damaged when a car he was a passenger in struck a tree. While Krug has improved somewhat physically, the former All-Conference infielder no longer has the ability to speak. Not wanting to see others go through their hardships, Eric and his mother Joyce now visit high school and college students around the state sharing Eric’s story and encouraging others to not drink and drive and not get in the car with anyone who has been drinking.
www.experiencepisgah.org
(Continued from page 17)
“Watching these kids go from little boys to pre adolescents, and become football players over the last three years has been incredibly rewarding. They’ve all overcome many personal obstacles and adversity, they’ve won a championship together, and they have stuck together this season through some difficult times. I’m very blessed to have had the opportunity to coach and help develop these boys, and look forward to seeing what they accomplish together in the future,” Miller continued. Bill Grande, head coach of the 3rd/4th grade team said, “The boys quickly develop a sense of self confidence and self assurance on and off the field. They seem to walk with pride and always talk about being on the team. Team concept is very big. They learn a lot of life lessons thru football as we teach/ coach them self discipline, self motivation, focus and execution.” Grande has coached in the program for three years – one season with his son Jack (now in 9th grade) and now two with his youngest son Chase (now in 4th grade). Pardue added, “Football is one of the greatest sports to learn lessons you will utilize throughout life. It benefits self esteem, grace, humility, team building, responsibility, listening skills, spiritual well being, sportsmanship, character, integrity, perseverance, and a positive ‘can do’ attitude just to name a few.”
Varsity Volleyball This season was about much more than wins and lossess for the Pisgah Varsity Volleyball team. For the Lady Patriots, this season was about building for the future and laying a foundation for success. “This season we focused a lot on establishing our rotations and learning the basics of volleyball. A majority of our practices were centered around serving and passing the two most important aspects of the game,” said first year coach Leah Horan. “Our record (2-18, 1-8 Area 7-AA/A) does not show how hard the girls worked every day at practice, nor how hard they played in our games.” Jessica Townse nd This might have been the perfect year to begin the rebuilding process as the squad did not have any seniors. Additionally, the squad only returned four players from last year - junior, th Sierra Adams, and sophomores, Emily Raymer, Stephanie S Gabriel, and Sarah Holden. G The T Lady Patriots added four familiar faces who returned to t volleyball - juniors Kristen Feyt and Laura Hailey; and sophomores Rachel Plate and Elizabeth Knight. There s were also four freshmen who contributed - Brittany w Halloran, Kayley Janico, Jessica Townsend, Bailey Bostic. Additionally, Pisgah had two players who had never played volleyball before in junior Emily Knight and freshman Marissa Walsh. Horan said both players improved tremendously over the season. “We were not able to move on to a sophisticated offense,” said Horan. “But hopefully next year with Laura and Kayley running offense we will be able to implement a strong offense right from the start.” Parent Tony Raymer commented on Horan’s first year at the helm. “Leah is very po positive and kept the girls motivated. She worked on their fundamentals and did very well with the girls. They respected her and wanted to play well for her.”
MS Volleyball With two squads this fall, the Middle School volleyball continued to develop talented players for the varsity squad in years to come. “Aside from continued development of volleyball funda-mentals of serving, passing, setting and spiking, our pri-mary goal for the 7th/8th grade team was to master the e complex rotation schemes that they will need to know to o play high school volleyball. The girls accomplished thatt goal. I told them that we would have to sacrifice some wins to accomplish those goals since mistakes would be made to meet that goal; but, we were still in every match we played and most of our losses were in tie breakers,” said head coach Andy Gibson. On the 6th grade team Gibson said, “The goal for the 6th graders was to get them familiar with the basics of volleyball and develop a team focused environment since volleyball requires a full team effort and heavy reliance on team members to succeed. We had a great turnout and they competed very well and actually beat a 7th grade team in one match.”
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MS Cross Country
(Continued from page 17) those goals. One of our goals was to be taken more e seriously as a squad. She took this seriously which made us take it seriously. She even cared about things like our outward appearance.” Laukes credited Goss with keeping the team together outside of competition as well. “We were more unified as a squad this year. She made sure there were no cliques and made sure everything was OK with the squad. She cared about how our day was and if we had a bad day she made sure it didn’t impact the squad. She was very spiritual and put God into everything.”
The Middle School cross country team completed another successful season this fall. The team continued to work hard to improve over the course of the season. “Our new runners progressed nicely; reducing their running times, as well as improving their physical and mental endurance,” said head coach Wendy Sullivan. The Patriots participated in five meets with the most successful meet taking place on the Wesleyan course where the boys placed 6th out of 11 schools.
MS Cheerleading T Middle School cheerleading squad worked hard this fall to The both support the Middle School football team and to improve their cheerleading skills. “The girls have made great strides this year,” said Middle School coach Darla Bumgardner. “Their stunting ability has vastly improved. Overall, as a unit, the team spirit has grown by leaps and bounds. The girls really function as a unit and are really there to encourage and support one another.”
Pisgah Pathfinders By early fall, the word got out…the Pisgah Pathfinder AfterSchool Program was bursting at the seams opening seven classrooms. Life was busy on the south side of the street! Although the Pathfinder Enrichment Program competed with a wide variety of favorite fall sports offered through the school and in the community, the classes were full. Mr. Keith Vitali Ha ley Agin wit h the crawdad she fou nd instructed 19 Kindergarten and first grade students about a cree k wad e at Amica lola Falls. during self safety and anti-bullying. The Lego class proved to be very exciting as YES (Youth Engaged in Science) graduated to building computerized Lego structures…with sound. Mrs. Jan Clark held a simulated Stock Market Class where the students learned how to buy and trade stocks. Mrs. Clark and her infamous “hands on” science experiments are always a big hit as she did her favorite thing in the Science Class. Jim Mundy continued to amaze others as he instills the game of Chess in the minds of our students. The new kid on the block, CYT (Christian Youth Theater) was a hit as 31 students waited to hear what part they would play in the December 13 showcase performance of the “Wizard of Oz.” We are excited to partner with CYT in offering a winter CYT@school class and then begin planning a CYT Summer Theater Camp at 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 Susan Hutto Director of Support Services
And a huge “thank you” went to Ms. Liz Moore (Pisgah parent) who graciously volunteered her instruction time and talent in a simulated stretch and relax Yoga class. All proceeds from the class were donated to the school by Ms. Moore to help develop character education.
Tammy Mozingo Director of Admissions
The Pathfinders stayed busy in last year’s Summer Camp with the many planned fun and entertaining fieldtrips. Although Atlanta experienced record heat, the children didn’t seem to notice as they were kept busy with the wide variety of fun-filled field trips and activities. The ice cream truck made a weekly visit to Pisgah each Monday afternoon. What a treat that was for the kids…and faculty!
Nancy Shaw Head of Primary School
During Summer Camp, the Pisgah buses were spotted all around town as students experienced climbing walls and mountains; in the treetops of Stone Mountain; hiking to the top of Amicalola Falls then taking off their shoes to wade in the downstream water looking for minnows; cheering on our hometown baseball team, the Atlanta Braves and eating hotdogs and drinking lemonade, not to mention cotton candy. It wouldn’t be summer if they didn’t visit the Atlanta Zoo and they also found out how exciting and informative the Federal Reserve Bank was. Of course the old favorites of swimming, movies, bowling and plays were part of the fun too. If only there were more hours in the day. Finding themselves exhausted, the children were happy to return to the air-conditioned rooms of Pisgah to have snack, dim the lights and rest up for the next day of camp. No complaints…just fun! Mark your calendar -- The Pathfinder Program will begin registration for Summer Camp 2011 and the After-School Program 2011-2012 in mid February. Please direct your questions to pizer@ mountpisgahschool.org or 678.336.3375.
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Bill Shelnutt Head of Preparatory School Brenda Slack Director of Finance Dr. Bryan Smyth Executive Director of Academic Affairs & College Guidance Rebecca Williams Director of Marketing & Communications
Mount Pisgah Christian School