The MUS Lower School Blog

Excused Absence Request Form

Download EXCUSED ABSENCE REQUEST PDF. For any reason that a student plans on missing class, this form must be completed. It is designed for him to learn how to plan for the excused absence while practicing the discipline of notifying his teachers in advance so that they can plan to resolve his missed assignments in a timely fashion. Please save to your files, print and complete as necessary.

Way to go, Coach!

Our Head Varsity Coach Mr. Jerry Peters reached a unique milestone last night here on campus. He's one of eleven ever to do it in the history of the sport of high school basketball. That's a really big deal, to say the least. What a story! 

As both a coach and teacher, Coach's profound impact on both our school and our students is obvious. More, as those students moved on into their wide and varied professional careers, started their own families, and rose into their positions of civic leadership, both locally and around the world over the past five decades, Coach's invaluable lessons of preparation, discipline, teamwork, and success remain as constant reminders of what it takes to confront and to overcome so many of life's challenges.

Congratulations, Coach Peters!

Seventh graders get fired up and wear their celebratory t-shirts in the wake of the January Madness!

Dangerous minds?

Is there something wrong with the teenage mind? Apparently, some out there think so. It's an interesting read, for sure.

However, there's not much wrong with a lot of those teenage minds here around the Hull Lower School, at least according to the Mathematical Association of America:

Here's an example of what about one third of the Lower School students had in their hands during Lower School assembly this morning: a bag of reward candy and a corresponding certificate of achievement resulting from their work on the American Mathematics Competition in their particular math section. 

Sandwiched between math instructors Leigh Packard (L) and Maria Burke are Whit Fesmire, Henry Keel, and Daniel Tancredi. They have medals and candy because the sum of their scores reached 50 therefore our achieving Merit School status. Keel and Tancredi tied for the gold. Fesmire got the silver. About seventy boys got candy!

Ain't no "break" in "Mathletics"

Building on a successful Mathcounts scrimmage last Saturday, our mathletes prep for future business lunches with their own version of a working lunch. Meeting outside of the dining hall, Mr. Murphy and his mathletes regularly engage in completing a series of timed worksheets in preparation for the Mathcounts Regionals February 4 at the University of Memphis.

The seriousness and dedication with which these students approach their competitive mathematics contests is commendable. The practice demonstrates why MUS regularly leads the State of Tennessee with the number of high school boys achieving National Merit designation.

Our mathletes train five times a week: Tuesday morning before school, Tuesday during lunch, Wednesday afternoon after school, Thursday morning before school, and Thursday during lunch.  Yesterday, they worked on questions from the 2003 Mathcounts Target round between bites of pizza and fries.  Send them good “math vibes” on February 4 as they continue to represent MUS well!

Dean's Scholars and Dean's List, First Semester

First semester Dean's Scholars and Dean's List:  Download 2011Sem1DSDL

Congratulations to all who achieved this prestigious distinction!

Dean’s Scholars have a 90 or above in every regular and honors course, along with an 80 or above in honors accelerated and AP classes. Dean’s Scholars receive a holiday in the following semester.

Dean’s List have 80 or above for the semester (in every class, AP or not), and also a weighted GPA for the semester of at least 3.75.

Meeting tonight for Upper School

Reminder about tonight's parents meeting for rising MUS ninth grade. Upper School principal Mr. Barry Ray conducts the annual meeting in the Hyde Chapel, 7:00 p.m.

Swimming champions defend Shelby County title

Forest Colerick, Coach Drayton Carlisle, Mac Treadwell, Shelby County Middle School Championship trophy, Henry Keel, Parker Kaye, and Ishan Biswas represent their team's big Middle School title-defending weekend following today's assembly.

Thursday lunch speaker: Internet safety

Parent Speaker Series – Thursday, January 26, 12:00 noon, Wunderlich Auditorium, MUS Campus Center

Deb Ireland, Assistant US Attorney with the Project Safe Childhood Unit, will present to parents this Thursday at noon. You will not want to miss her up-to-date information on the dangers of the internet and what you, as parents, can do to protect your children. It is estimated that, at any given time, 50,000 predators are on the Internet actively seeking out children. Ms. Ireland is well-known as a knowledgeable, dynamic speaker who brings a wealth of information on the topic. She regularly speaks to teachers, parents, and students about cyber-bullying as well. Lunch will be provided.

Please RSVP by Tuesday afternoon to Catherine Schuhmacher (email at top, left under "Useful Links").

Godspeed, Mr. Shelton!

MUS English professor, Mr. Terry Shelton, receives some love from Mrs. DeBardeleben this morning before teaching his last classes of the semester. Mr. Shelton departs for the Vanderbilt University Medical Center next week to begin one of two surgical procedures aimed toward returning him to our classrooms in the fall with renewed stamina and strength for which our cunning linguist is legendary.

We welcome Mrs. Michelle Crews who begins substituting Monday for Mr. Shelton in his three eighth grade English sections. She will do so for the rest of the semester.

Our thoughts and prayers surround Mr. Shelton in preparation for his journey toward a healthy restoration!

Homecoming pep rally welcomes parents

Displaced seventh graders leave their assigned seats and cram into the rear Hyde Chapel balcony rows in order to make way for parents at this morning's Basketball Homecoming pep rally. 

The seventh grade basketball team begins the evening's games. They're on the road at St. Dominic with tip-off scheduled at 6:00 p.m. At the same time, the Junior Varsity tips-off at home against rival Christian Brothers with the Varsity beginning at 7:30.

Lost and Found has boys' stuff that once was lost...

... And is now found and organized, thanks to Study Hall hero, seventh grader, Micah Murdock. Micah responded to the charge today requesting order amidst the chaos, and after having successfully completed his homework, he sorted through the Lost and Found clutter creating some semblance of a discernible system. Some boys are going to want to see if this property is their own.

Funny thing; Micah unexpectedly found his own lost jacket in the bottom of the box (obscured).

Saturday Mathcounts at MUS

MUS Mathletes (l-r: Witt Fesmire, Brooks Eikner, Dan "Tangent" Tancredi, Jason Lin, Alex Salazar, Patrick Murphy, Patton Orr, Murray Morrison, Saatvik Mohan, and Grayson Lee) don their cool t-shirts in anticipation of defending their title this Saturday, January 21 with the area schools competition here on campus in the Campus Center Dining Hall.

Coach Maria Burke reports, "Mathcounts... it really does. It may be a slick slogan on our t-shirts, but it's much more than that for 100 regional mathletes from the 12 schools who attend."

The ninth annual Mathcounts Schools Competition is a premier competition sponsored by the MUS Math Department. The target round, the sprint round, and the individual rounds all lead up to the nail-biter, the count down round. Coach Loyal Murphy has the boys tuned up and humming in anticipation. The weekend determines which mathletes qualify for the Regional Competition in a couple of weeks.

Good luck to our team and coaches!

Red and blue candy lunch

The Lower School celebrates 2012 Basketball Homecoming Week with Red and Blue spirit dress today, arguably influencing this student to choose the red and blue items on this tray. Of course, there's more here. Four servings of fresh vegetables! Could be five servings with all that ketchup.The Gatorade choice could mean that he's thinking about... basketball stuff...