The MUS Lower School Blog

Tonight's seventh grade football game

Players be at school by 5:00 p.m. Game starts at 5:45. Blue team wears blue, and Red team wears white. Bring both jerseys if in doubt. This game is a lot of fun, so get ready for a good time. Coach Bobby Alston will speak to the guys (always a treat), and come rain or shine, it's football time this afternoon!

Coach Burnett writes: On behalf of Craig Christenbury, Rankin Fowlkes, Drew Harris, and Scott Williams I want to thank you for allowing your boys to be a part of our team this season.  In an earlier email I mentioned to you that we would not allow the boys to use our opponents age or size as an excuse or crutch. To a man, they never brought it up and I consider that a victory. Thanks also for the many words of encouragement to the boys and to us. They will not remember all the games but they will remember your support.  Many thanks again.

Thank YOU, coaches.

Kudos for "self-binding"

Infinite information when compared and contrasted to infinite knowledge... it's worth discussing. MUS Academic Dean Rick Broer reminded me to consider the subject recently discussed in past Sunday's New York Times Magazine.  Author Peggy Orenstein, a big Internet fan, offers this perspective: "If we’re inundated with data, our brains’ synthesizing functions are overwhelmed by the effort to keep up. And the original purpose — deeper knowledge of a subject — is lost..."

Her piece here is really something to consider, and our children, who occupy a very different world allowing on-line access to the universe of information, need wisdom, discipline, and discernment... and books... less they surf the web to their unintentional myopia. "Myopia" is a shortsightedness... a double entendre in this case as the minimal proximity from face to screen given instant access to the entirety of available on-line information should arguably result in a broadmindedness from the longsightedness offered through the world wide web. Obviously, the tool here, the Internet, is not the issue. Our human condition is the issue, and wisely Ms. Orenstein urges caution when wielding the tool lest we get lost in our honest pursuits. She concludes, "As alluring as we can find the perpetual pursuit of little thoughts, the net result may only be to prevent us from forming the big ones." Well said.

O, the temptation to deconstruct her use of "net result...!" 

Nothing new under the sun?

Here's a great quote about teaching and learning: "The things that we believe in, the discipline, the integrity, the hard work, the precision, all of those things that we demand of everybody. A lot of things around us have changed, but we're the same." Gary Sousa said it, and he has earned the right to an opinion being an instructor to a lot of teenagers throughout the years. While not solely confined to a classroom, Sousa has the unique opportunity to be proved either right or wrong every weekend in the fall in front of a little more than 100,000 people. You see, Sousa is the teacher of the Pride of the Southland Band, an ensemble whose tradition of tunes and formations turns 140 years old in November.  

When it comes to music and athletics, we as a culture have a very high tolerance and expectation of drill and practice. Thankfully, a lot of the same people see the philosophy and methodology of doing valuable drills consistent for success in the classroom as well. Interestingly, a lot of other people, good people, tend to shy away from a lot of traditional academic practice. For what it's worth, "Practice makes perfect" seems not only to be applicable to the contemporary happenings 

upon Shields-Watkins Field, but also as far away as Malaysian

 mathematics classrooms. Given the obvious global rise of peer

 competition from the Far East for American schoolchildren, I

 am encouraged as our boys here go about their day given our

 insistence upon them working out numerous mathematics

 problems and grammar exercises in pursuit of mastering their

 subjects. The repetition exercises by Chinese and Far East

 children have supported their social and economic rise, and 

we think that our boys disciplining themselves similarly will 

aid their foundational preparation as well.

So next time Junior complains about his 30-40 minutes of

homework per class, just put on his favorite music for his study

break, watch highlights from his favorite team, and ask him,

"How do you think they make it look so easy?" 

Academic enhancing meds just the next step?

Are smart drugs simply a natural step in our drive for continued improvement? Yup. It's about that simple, according to some. “Better-working brains produce things of more lasting value than longer home runs,” says Stanford's Henry Greely when comparing brain meds to athletic use of steroids. He supports "cognitive enhancements" in this month's Atlantic Monthly, just one provocative issue among many in their "Brave Thinkers" article. Given what the street reports concerning the occasional pill swapping behavior of some motivated college students, the discussion is worth our serious investigation. 

Open House this Sunday

Please consider inviting a potential MUS applicant and their family whom you know to Sunday's Open House. It's a great way for people to see the entire campus and program in an economical two hours, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Seventh grade game postponed today

We play Tuesday, October 27 at 5:45 p.m. in Stokes Stadium.

Hearing and vision screenings follow-up

Seventh grade students who had their hearing and/or vision tested on Monday will bring home their screening reports on Friday. If you have any questions regarding the report, please call 416-8960. 

Memphis Leaders speaker series features Iraq and Afganistan vet

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Steve Bragorgas, uncle of PDS sixth grader, Nick Bragorgos (green shirt), is pictured here among some seventh grade fellas who, along with the full Lower School assembly, asked great questions this morning. He came as the featured assembly speaker before visiting with Mr. Rutledge’s World History class. Steve, as he insisted we call him, presented a fascinating program of his personal PowerPoint slides with candid commentary from his most recent deployment as a battalion commander in Afghanistan. Previously, Steve worked intelligence in Iraq. 

The Collierville native and now Illinois resident painted a powerful picture of the complex social realities at play when Western culture meets multi-tribal Afghan cultures. His emphasis upon an unwavering and universal basic human desire for family and peace framed his anecdotes with reference to a ruthless Taliban regime which seeks technology and financing to further their exploitation of an otherwise peaceful people.

Spelling Bee results in marathon session

Whew!  In the first of two preliminary spelling bees to select contestants for the grand spell-off on December 3, Michael Carter (far right) triumphed Wednesday afternoon by correctly spelling diphtheria and anaconda. Marshall Sullivan (left, checking heart rate on the wrong side of his chest) and Baty Daniel (not pictured) also qualified for the spell-off by placing second and third.

English teachers Dax Torrey and King Bee Keeper Terry Shelton conducted the competition.

The second preliminary bee will be held on November 14.  Students interested in participating may download a study booklet and bee rules from Mr. Shelton's website: Terry.Shelton@musowls.org.

Come run, come all

Saturday, November 14 at 10:00 a.m. on the MUS campus will be a great opportunity for the entire family as we host a 5k and Family Fun Walk, sponsored locally by Breakaway Running. If you want to run, please register here.  There will be prizes, but, hey, who's competitive around here? A cool t-shirt is guaranteed for the first 300 who register. 

Please turn in the registration form along with a check made out to Memphis University School for either $10 for the walk and t-shirt or for $20 to enter the 5k and get the t-shirt. Mrs. Debardeleben in the Lower School Office and Mrs. Counce in the Upper School Business Office await your applications, one per entry. Proceeds benefit charities selected by MUS Alumni along with the Civic Service Organization while also supporting the Spring Sports Fest 2010, hosted by the Student Council.