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MUS will be closed Monday, May 20, as a school holiday. We wish the best to the Hutchison and St. Mary’s graduating classes celebrated that day!

Junior Arjun Puri earned a Gold Medal for his performance in the 2019 Physics Olympiad and has been named a USA Physics Olympiad finalist. Approximately 6,000 students participated in the first round of the competition hosted by the American Association of Physics Teachers in late January. Less than 7 percent of those students qualified as semifinalists, advancing to the next round in late March.

Lower School Principal Loyal Murphy welcomed families as Order of the Owl and National Latin Honor Society inductees were celebrated Friday, May 10, 2019. Order of the Owl eligibility demands high academic performance and demonstrated excellent citizenship in accordance with the school Honor Code and Community Creed. In order to qualify for the NLHS, a student must be a member of Junior Classical League, must attend one of the Latin conventions during this school year, must maintain an A average, and must gain approval from his instructors.

A total of 26 students earned recognition on the 2019 Classical Association of the Middle West and South Latin Translation Contest. Competing against 1,000 or more students from Virginia to Colorado, Owls earned cash, books, or certificates for their performances. Cash award winners scored in the top 2-3 percent in their grade level, book award winners scored in the top 5-6 percent, and certificates of commendation winners scored in the top 20 percent.

These days race along a bit faster than the rest of the school year, so be sure to keep an eye on the Academic Calendar. Senior and Advanced Placement exams begin Monday, May 6. Underclassman exams begin Thursday, May 16. Baccalaureate and Graduation are Sunday, May 19.

Mr. John Knaff, instructor in economics, lead the team of seniors Sonny Charbonnet, Wood Davis, Alden Southerland, and junior Jack Fernandez in the Personal Finance Challenge in early April. The Owls took third place out of 127 teams in the Wild Card Division.

Nine students received special honors and collegiate book awards this month at the annual Special Awards and Honor Society Induction. Faculty, alumni, and special guests presented the awards:

Four eighth graders traveled with Mr. Garrett Smithson to Middle Tennessee State University Saturday, April 13, to participate in the You Be The Chemist Challenge. Aaron Barawid, Vince Boberski, Varun Krishnamurthi, and Nickolas Mathews earned a place at the competition by making the top four scores on the school placement test given in late March.

The 2018-19 yearbook will be distributed at the Book Sale in August 2019. Those who will not be on campus may request to have a yearbook shipped directly from the publisher.

Mrs. Jenny Pratt and Mr. Davis Smith took 46 students to the YMCA Youth in Government Conference April 4 in Nashville. The 8 officers and 38 delegates won four awards, two top-20 delegate recognitions, and seven 2020 leadership roles. Award winners:

Five Owls earned honors at the University of Memphis Foreign Language Fair March 30. Junior Rob McFadden won second place in Spanish Writing for juniors; sophomores Ahmad Alsafwah and Matthew Jones won first and second place, respectively, in Spanish Writing for their grade levels; and freshmen McRae Dickinson and Scott Ledbetter won second place for their poster “Les Pause-Cafes” – a contest that was open to all grades.

College representatives from over 100 of the country’s colleges and universities will assemble April 11, 6-8 p.m., at Agricenter International to meet with local high school students.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students enjoyed a beautiful day outside the classroom on their annual STEM field trip to the University of Tennessee’s Lone Oaks Farm in Middleton, TN. Guided by a team of UT’s educators, the boys calculated the slope of a field, used a compass and paper map (rather than a cell phone!) to find locations, improved their collaboration skills, and learned about the tremendous amount of science involved in cotton production and watershed restoration. 

It's almost the month of April, which can only mean one thing . . . Latin Language Appreciation Month in the state of Tennessee.

Owls competed in the 2019 WordSmith Writing Olympics in late February with four earning honors in their grade-level competitions. Seventh grader Jerry Xiao earned a school trophy and an individual Silver Medal for taking Second Place in the 400-Word Main Event and Third Place in the 80-Word Dash for his grade level.

Keepsake versions of the quarter and semester Honor Rolls are stored on the Honor Roll Resource Board under your login. Check them out under Resources when you are logged in to the website. Go, Honor Roll Owls!

MUS offers a wide variety of academic, athletic, arts, and leadership opportunities for boys entering Grades 1-12. We also offer several co-ed academic camps. Explore and plan your summer fun now!

The man responsible for much of the architectural look of the MUS campus, Met Crump ’60, spoke in chapel February 22 about his life and work. The Crump Firm Architects, which he founded in 1970, is responsible for the design of the Sue H. Hyde Sports and Physical Education Center, Dunavant Upper School, Campus Center, Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center, Field House, and Stokes Stadium.

Of the three Semifinalists recognized by the 2018-19 National Merit Scholarship Program, two seniors have advanced as National Merit Finalists: Ethan Hurst and Hudson Miller. Assistant Headmaster Barry Ray congratulated the Finalists during chapel assembly Tuesday, February 19.

Family and faculty celebrated 20 juniors and seniors during the school’s annual Cum Laude Society induction ceremony February 15, 2019. An organization modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, Cum Laude represents the highest academic honor students in a secondary school can achieve.

The printable 2019-20 academic calendar is now available on the resource boards for at-a-glance planning. As always, you'll find the most detail on the calendar tab available when you're logged in to the school website. This option gives you the opportunity to filter by topic. You'll find all events listed there.

College Counseling has prepared a letter, beneficial to all – but critical for juniors – answering questions about standardized testing. Preparing for ACT or SAT exams can be confusing, so check out this letter on the College Counseling Resource Board for help.

The Tennessee Association of Independent Schools honored three MUS educators during the biennial awards dinner Sunday, November 4, at the Hilton Memphis. The Sawney Webb Award, honoring administrators who have made outstanding contributions to independent-school education, was presented to Headmaster Emeritus Ellis Haguewood and the Hubert Smothers Award, presented to teachers who have evidenced excellence and a deep commitment to the teaching profession, was given to Hyde Library Director Bonnie Barnes and Instructor in Latin Ryan Sellers.

 

Senior Ethan Hurst, a varsity swimmer, has been named a Wendy’s High School Heisman winner for MUS. Applicants must be athletes in one of the 47 school-sponsored sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games or by the National Federation of State High School Associations. In addition, they must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or greater, and they also must be proven leaders and role models within their school and community.

Last week Mrs. Michelle Crews and Mr. Dax Torrey officiated the first school spelling bee for the year. Approximately 20 students participated, and many competed valiantly, but the final three from this round were eighth grader Kevin Ma, first place; seventh grader Qasim Akbar, second place; and eighth grader Varun Krishnamurthi­­­. Ma took the day by spelling voltaic and munificent. The next round will take place November 14, so stay tuned for updates!

Mrs. Elizabeth Pounders Howorth joins the faculty as interim instructor in French. During Mrs. Rebecca Keel’s maternity leave, Howorth will teach Honors Accelerated French I, Honors and Honors Accelerated French III, and AP French IV.

Mrs. Howorth received a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Vanderbilt. She taught French at St. Mary’s from 1997-2002, she served as a Good Morning America consumer trends associate and a media marketing manager for Reuters News, and she was a senior global communications, marketing, and sales advisor for FedEx. Since 2012 she has owned and operated ep communications.

We host colleges and universities as they visit our campus and meet one-on-one with our students. Receptions are held in Morgan Foyer of Humphreys Hall after school. The next visits are:

 

Eckerd College
Illinois Wesleyan University
Saint Louis University
St. Lawrence University

The National Merit Scholarship Program has honored eight Owls with the designation of National Merit Commended Student. Seniors James Blatchford, Call Ford, Kyle Gan, Ben Gilliland, Ethan Lam, Ev Nichol, William Quinlen, and Brandan Roachell are among 34,000 U.S. students honored for their outstanding academic performance on the PSAT.

Seniors Eddie Feild, Ethan Hurst, and Hudson Miller have been named Semifinalists in the 64th National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among 16,000 U.S. students honored as Semifinalists for their outstanding academic promise, now competing for some 7,500 scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of those will win Merit Scholar titles and financial awards.

In celebrating the 125th anniversary of the founding of Memphis University School, we designate September 13 as Founders Day to commemorate the opening day of the original school in 1893 and to honor the two teachers whose vision brought it to life, James White Sheffey Rhea and Edwin Sidney Werts. 

 

Rhea, a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, and Werts, a graduate of the University of Virginia, were experienced young teachers who had become friends and colleagues as instructors at the Knoxville Classical School. Keen to open a prep school of their own, they were advised by an exceptional educational mentor, President of the University of Tennessee Dr. Charles W. Dabney, to consider Memphis as the location. 

 

An advertisement that appeared May 14, 1893, in the Memphis Appeal-Avalanche announced their school would open in September with the goal being “to prepare boys and young men for Yale, Harvard, Princeton, University of Virginia, and other colleges and universities.”

The Upper School Writing Center is open Monday-Wednesday from 8:15 a.m. until classes end each day. The center provides support for all types of writing endeavors, so take advantage of this new resource. Upper School math and science labs are listed HERE. Both Upper School resources are located in the Counseling Center.

The schedule for the Lower School English and Math labs is posted in numerous locations throughout the Lower School and HERE.

If you missed Book Sale this week, Schaeffer Bookstore will be open Monday, August 13, from noon - 2 p.m. for purchasing books, spirit wear, and supplies. After Monday, the bookstore will begin regular hours:

Beginning August 1 Naviance, a resource used in College Counseling, will have a new interface for students and parents. The login credentials will remain the same, and the link has been updated on our website and the College Counseling Resource Board. Students and families will use the following address going forward: student.naviance.com/mus.

Headmaster Pete Sanders has recognized Technical Director of Theater Robert Fudge as the 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award recipient.

 

The Distinguished Teaching Award is given annually to a faculty member who demonstrates excellence both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Considered one of the most knowledgeable theater technical directors in the city, Mr. Fudge joined the staff in 2010 and has established a standard of excellence that is manifested every year in the school’s elaborate and beautifully designed stage productions. Known for his quiet professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile, he has also overseen independent study projects, guided students in producing the past three TEDxMemphis events, and expertly managed school and special events held in Hyde Chapel.

Students are encouraged to use the free test preparation sites offered by MUS and the Tennessee Electronic Library. Go to http://musowls.libguides.com/onlinelearning for all the choices we offer. From 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. each morning of Underclassman Exams, the Hyde Library will serve breakfast food and drinks to students.

In chapel this week Instructor in French Becca Keel recognized students for high achievement on Le Grand Concours, the National French Exam. Four students placed in the top-10 rankings in the state: Leo Campbell, 5th place rank in French I; Will Woodmansee, 10th place in French II; and Ryan Gorman, 8th place, and Liam Kaltenborn, 9th place, in French IV.

 

Madame Keel also recognized these medalists and honorable mention recipients for their achievements:

Director of Admissions Peggy Williamson and Assistant Director of Admissions Buck Towner recently announced the 26 sophomores chosen to serve as ambassadors for the coming school year. As official school hosts, they will lead tours of campus for prospective families and help represent MUS at a number of additional events throughout the year.

 

“We had 42 students apply, so it’s very competitive,” Towner said. “These ambassadors were chosen through an extensive application and interview process and will serve during their junior and senior years.”

 

The new ambassadors are as follows:

Fourteen seniors received the following special honors recognizing their academic, artistic, extracurricular, and community service achievements during this school year:

At the annual Special Awards and Honor Societies Induction, eight students received special honors and collegiate book awards in recognition of scholastic achievement, leadership, and community service, and 172 students joined honor societies. Faculty, MUS alumni, and special guests presented the awards. Special honorees were as follows:

Current members of the National Honor Society tapped 32 junior and senior inductees in a schoolwide ceremony March 23 highlighting the organization’s emphasis on scholarship, leadership, character, and service. Four seniors spoke on these Honor Society characteristics.

 

During a chapel program on banned and frequently challenged books, Chair of the English Department Elizabeth Crosby listed some surprising titles that have fallen into that category at one time or another – Where the Wild Things Are, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Odyssey, The Canterbury Tales, The Red Pony, and many other classics.

 

Our college counselors host regular College Chats where parents can ask questions and receive answers about topics related to the college-selection process. Join us for an evening session Tuesday, October 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the Upper School Conference Room. Email Mrs. Kim Justis Eikner at kim.justis@musowls.org to register. We look forward to seeing you!

Temple Brown '81 created a film celebrating Ellis Haguewood’s service as teacher since 1969 and headmaster since 1995. Mr. Haguewood retires from MUS in June. Watch it here.