The MUS Lower School Blog

NOTE TIME* for Friday Hutchison Tailgate party, seventh graders

From our friends at Hutchison: All seventh grade MUS boys are invited to Hutchison’s annual tailgate party this Friday at Hutchison from ***5:00-7:00 p.m.*** before the White Station game. Hutchison has also invited seventh graders from St. Mary’s and will have a DJ and food. Plan to drop off and pick up your son at the Hutchison lakeside sidewalk (enter/exit from Ridgeway Road). All boys must be picked up by a parent (no boys will be allowed to walk to the MUS game). Wear school attire (or your tailgate t-shirt, if you ordered one). 

Bring in field trip permission slips

Reminder: All seventh graders are expected to be on the buses Thursday morning for our Memphis Leaders Tunica field trip. This is the permission slip: Download 2009 7th Grade Field Trip Permission for Tunica River Park

As of today's count, we are missing a good number of signed forms. Students who do not turn in their forms are not allowed to go, and they cannot be at school as the entire grade is leaving for the day. 

Beats the computer lab

Boys take advantage of the beautiful day during their lunch period.

FCD Week; Speaking to parents Thursday noon

Freedom from Chemical Dependency, or FCD Educational Services, as it is now known, is on campus this week. Roger Waitt and Glenn Hall represent the program, and as annual visitors to MUS they come prepared to speak frankly with our boys about life and how best to live it in this fast East Memphis culture. They will be speaking to students during P.E. periods as well as during assemblies. Email Catherine@musowls.org to reserve your lunch for Thursday at 12:00 p.m. in the Wunderlich Auditorium.

Reminder: Friday with Grandaddy

The Lower School Grandfathers’ Breakfast will be in the Dining Hall on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7:30 a.m.  Grandfathers can bring their Grandsons to school that morning or meet them in the Campus Center. We suggest that the family discuss specif logistics because every year we scurry around for someone(s) to locate in order for Granddad(s) to be seated with their boy and both fed in a timely fashion. Classes run Friday morning as regular, so grandsons cannot offer tours of their world, but official MUS Ambassador tours will be available following the meal. NOTE* Boys will be in Friday garb, coats and ties. Grandfathers can wear whatever in the world they want. By now, they've earned it. That said, traditionally the grandfathers have a large number dressed just as the boys. NOTE**Sadly, some boys have no grandfather to bring. We ask that some male mentor/relative/family friend, not dad, accompany in his absence.

Cross Country championship this Wednesday

Shelby Farms hosts the area Middle School cross country championships this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. We have seven boys running, and Coach Bakke reports that we have a great opportunity to take the winning team trophy. If you haven't seen the boys run before, this could be a real treat. Go get 'em, fellas!

William Safire, RIP

"Today’s mind-bending surge toward the use of words about graphs and poll trends — even when presented in color on elaborate Power Point presentations — takes us steps away from reality. There must be a curve to illustrate that, and I say bend it way back," wrote William Safire just a few weeks ago. Sadly, we will not hear from him again. His last published article points to the expanded use of graphs and images and its effects on language in our culture. It's a bit haunting to read his final article. He was always a titan in support of proper English usage, and his insight was something that I will always remember as a choice dose of daily wisdom my parents would excitedly present to me as I wiped away the morning cobwebs while slurping down my Fruit Loops. His type is becoming harder to find in our age, and his example inspires me and others here as we aim to instruct these boys in our care towards the importance of language and substance.  

Memphis Leaders field trip

Next Thursday, October 1, the seventh grade travels to Tunica, Mississippi for our annual regional social and economic history tour. All students are expected to go. Here is the permission slip: Download 2009 7th Grade Field Trip Permission for Tunica River Park. Please read for all details associated with the trip, and please return permission slip by Tuesday, September 29.

Freedom from Chemical Dependency week starts Monday

Representatives from Freedom from Chemical Dependency will be on campus next week, September 28-October 2 to talk with your sons about healthy choices involving alcohol and drugs. Please join us for the parent event on Thursday, October 1 at 12 noon in the Wunderlich Auditorium. Box lunches will be served so please RSVP to Catherine Schuhmacher at catherine@musowls.org.

 

Swimming meeting

The Lower School Swim Team’s Parents Meeting will be Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 p.m. in the Wiener Hospitality Room of the Sue Hyde Sports Center.  If you cannot come to the meeting, please contact coach Whitney Clark at weclark@memphis.edu.