Middle School - 10/16

October is a busy month for MCA. We have a number of things happening in the next few weeks. Here are a few of the things going on!

NWEA Test Scores Mailed Out

Your student’s NWEA test scores have been mailed home. If you’d like to learn more about the results or how to support your student’s growth, feel free to reach out to their teacher or connect with them at our upcoming Parent Teacher conferences.

Half Day Pancake Breakfast, NJHS Rehearsal, and End of Quarter Activities

Our upcoming half-day will be full of fun! We’ll start the morning with a Pancake Breakfast, then move into the NJHS rehearsal and our End-of-Quarter Activities. Grade 5 and 6 students will need to pre-register to join in on the events that day.

Upcoming Conferences - November 6–7

Middle School Conferences happen in the cafeteria and do not require signing up ahead of time. Please be aware that for Grade 5 conferences, you are meeting with at least 3 different teachers (more if meeting with Specialists). This will take more time than our Elementary conferences, where you sign up to meet with your homeroom teacher.

Blessings,

Allen Banks

Middle School Principal

Middle School Movie Night was a smashing success!

Fifth through eighth graders enjoyed pizza together before heading into the gym for a showing of Super Mario Bros. Students were given the opportunity to spend time socializing and enjoying a movie on the big screen in our Gym.

A huge thank-you to all of our amazing volunteers & staff who helped make the night run smoothly. Special shout-out to Jameson and Jenna Gloeb who helped to coordinate this event on behalf of PWP as well as Elise and Matteo Chianelli, our fabulous popcorn makers who spent the entire night popping fresh, warm popcorn so every student could enjoy a tasty snack throughout the movie.

What a great night for our middle school community!

Grade 5–6 students who are not picked up at the 11:45 dismissal will require supervision on Friday, October 25 from 11:45 am–3:15 pm.

Students who remain after our half day pickup will need to register and will be charged $24.50/student to cover the cost of pizza, sides, a drink, and supervision through 3:15 pm.

When: October 24
Hours: 11:45 am–3:15 pm*
Pickup: Cafeteria

*Note: Grade 5–6 X-Tended Day is available from 3:15–5:30 pm and our regular school-day rates apply.

Registration is required to ensure we have enough food for all who join! Registration deadline is October 22, 2024 at 4 pm | Click here to register

October marks National Bullying Awareness Month. As a school community, we will continue to focus on spreading kindness, fostering inclusion, and modeling respect, all rooted in God’s love for us.

Check out these resource guides below that focus on bullying prevention strategies:

• Bullying Prevention - Parent Guide

• Bullying Prevention - Student Guide

Please contact our counselors katie.welhouse@mcamustangs.org (5–6) and andrea.shoup@mcamustangs.org (7–8) f you would like your child to receive services or to inquire for more details! I look forward to partnering with you and getting to know your student(s) more this school year!

When we encounter Christ and make the decision to lay down our lives and follow Him, transformation takes place because we encounter His heart for us. Our desire is to see students proclaim their stories and tell their fellow classmates what it means to run to Jesus.

Tori Van Essen did just that this week in chapel. She came to Maranatha a few years ago, hoping for a change. She did not know her value in Christ and yearned to know the truth. In the past two years, Tori has completely new person. She spoke to both High School and Middle School students about that transformation in her life and pointed all the glory to God. Tori returned to the heart of the Father.

Afterwards, our very own Mr. John Harshbarger, the 11th and 12th grade Bible teacher, read Matthew 13:44-46 and challenged the student body to reckon the value of Christ and ourselves. "Christ should not simply revolve around our lives; we ought to revolve around Christ." Powerful words from Mr. Harshbarger that "sang the same tune" as Tori's testimony. We have an immense amount of value. This is not because of ourselves, but because of God and God alone. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of MCA.

During Pastor Appreciation Month we want to recognize and thank the pastors who faithfully serve and lead our church communities. As part of this special effort, students will be using class time to create Pastor Appreciation Cards to express their gratitude and encouragement to their home church's pastor. This can be a Youth Pastor or Senior Pastor of your church location.

In order to make this possible, we need your church’s information. If you are a new family or have not filled out the Pastor Appreciation Form in the past, please complete it using the link below:

Welcome to the 2025–2026 winter sports season at Maranatha Christian Academy.

Click here to go to our new registration site. This is where you can find the high school sports registration form, the middle school sports registration form, and the MSHSL sports qualifying physical exam form, which is good for three years and required for all athletes competing on a high school team.

All MCA Athletics information can be found on our Mustang Athletics website. If you have sport-specific questions about tryouts or the season, please contact the head coach for that sport.

Here is general information about our winter sports programs.

BASKETBALL, BOYS

Middle School

• Visit the MCA Boys Basketball homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 6–8
• Cost: $200
• Register through MCA. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
• Registration Closes: October 8
• Season Start Date: October 9 *Tryouts 7:30-9:00 pm

BASKETBALL, GIRLS

Middle School

• Visit the MCA Girls Basketball homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 5–8
• Cost: $200
• Register through MCA. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
  • Registration Closes: December 10
  • Season Start Date: TBD *Early January

CHEERLEADING

• Coaches: Allie Oliver and Jillene Nelson – mcacheercoaches@gmail.com
• Visit the MCA Cheerleading homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 7–12
• Cost: $200
• Register through MCA. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
  • Registration Closes: October 17
  • Season Start Date: October 20

GYMNASTICS, GIRLS

• Head Coach: Tammy Hoff – tammy.hoff@hotmail.com
• Visit the Gymnastics homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 7–12
• Cost: $190
• Register through MCA. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
  • Registration Closes: November 7
  • Season Start Date: November 10

SWIMMING, BOYS

High School

• Head Coach: Natalie Strauss – straussn@district279.org
• Visit the Boys Swimming homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 7–12
• Cost: $190
• Register through MCA. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
  • Registration Closes: November 21
  • Season Start Date: November 24

ALPINE SKI

High School

• Contact: northwestalpineskiteam@gmail.com
• Visit the Girls Hockey homepage for information about the upcoming season.
• Grades: 7–12
• Register through the NW Alpine Ski Team website. Click here to register.
• Important dates:
  • October 13: Ski Team Information Meeting at Maple Grove High School (room tbd) at 7:30 pm
  • October 21: Registration Meeting at Maple Grove High School (Career Resource Center) at 7 pm

ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT STAFF

Drew Rongere | Athletic Director

drew.rongere@mcamustangs.org

763-488-7938

Chaz Mahle | Assistant Athletic Director

chaz.mahle@mcamustangs.org

763-488-7933

Jamie Axelberg | Athletics Assistant

jamie.axelberg@mcamustangs.org

763-488-7939

MS/HS Christian Apparel Day: October 23

Last Day of Q1/HALF DAY: October 24

Pancake Breakfast: October 24

NJHS Rehearsal: October 24

Parent/Teacher Conferences: November 6–7

The Hobbit Fall Theater Production: November 13–15