A N e w s l e t t e r o f T h e M a s t e r ’ s A c a d e m y , O v i e d o , F l o r i d a

TMA Starts the Year All Smiles

The school year is in full swing and we are once again blessed with a strong enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year. We wel-

comed over 150 new students to our TMA family. In true TMA tradition, we began the year by rolling out the red carpet for our

900 students. Talon, our eight foot inflatable mascot, was the backdrop for many photos amidst brightly colored balloons and the

Z88.3 radio crew. We eagerly anticipate another great year of partnering with Christian families!

Fellowship on the Fields

God is at work in the hearts of TMA students! The very first

day of school a TMA third grader accepted Jesus Christ as

her Savior. In just the first month of school, several upper

school students have made professions of faith and many

indicated they are rededicating their lives to Christ. What an

exciting way to start the year. One of the highlights of our

weekly chapels was a visit by the “Strength Team” to the

lower school students. This chapel even brought the media

out with some of our students being featured on FOX 35

news. The “Strength Team” presented an inspiring Christian

message of endurance. Upper school students are excited

about an upcoming chapel that will bring the Christian

band, Tenth Avenue North, to campus. Feel free to come

to your student’s chapel and join us for worship. Chapels

are typically on Tuesdays.

Changing Hearts on Campus

Fall sports are in full swing! Lower school currently has over 120

students playing ACYS soccer, as well as students enjoying

goldenball and tumbling. Flag football and bowling are around

the corner for our youngest students. Roughly 200 upper school

students are now playing football, volleyball, golf, running cross-

country and cheerleading. For a full schedule of athletic events,

please visit our website at www.mastersacademy.org. At the var-

sity home football games you can enjoy “Motown Classics”

played by the Screamin’ Eagle Regiment in recognition of the

50th anniversary of Motown music.

HOMECOMING TMA vs. First Academy, Leesburg

Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m.

Fall 2009

Athletic Sponsorship Would you like to help the TMA

sports program and also get name

recognition for your company

along with season passes? If so,

consider athletic sponsorship.

Contact Laura Deery at (407)

971-2221 for more details.

THANK YOU to the following

organizations that are helping

TMA athletics so far this year:

Accurate Window & Door, Butler and Hosch - Attorneys/Counselors

at Law, Citizens Bank of Florida, CKS Masonry & Concrete, Cold-

well Banker, DyTech, East Coast Believers Church, EGP, FAIR-

WINDS Credit Union, Florida Document Shredding, I-Con Systems,

Lach Orthodontist Specialist, Leo’s Italian Ice, McDonald’s, Orange

Bank, Pepsi, Premier Pools, Randy Gittess-Orthodontist, Structured

Broadband Services, Shaffer Animal Hospital, DHR Shumate Me-

chanical, Sihle Insurance, StarChild Academy, Tailored Foam of

Florida and Walk on Water.

The Master’s Touch

TMA high school students are now gear-

ing up for the school’s first ever J-Term.

During the fall, students are presented

with their J-Term study options which

include experiences such as travelling to

London and doing mission work in the

Bahamas. Some students are setting up internships so they can get

professional experience in an area which they might like to choose as

a college major. Other students are choosing between classes like

drivers ed, debate, law, fitness, cooking, sign language, scrapbook-

ing, floor hockey, disc golf, ACT prep, architecture, video editing,

computer building, etc. Actual J-Term classes will run January 4-15,

2010.

Second Mile Box TMA partners with wonderful parents

who have great ideas. We welcome your

suggestions in our “Second Mile Box”

located in each office. Please let us know

if you have thoughts on how we can con-

tinually improve this well-loved

school. Look on our website to view

some of the suggestions online and see

what we’re doing to reach that goal. If

you would prefer to mail a suggestion,

simply indicate on the envelope that it is for the “Second Mile Box.”

Spotlighting TMA’s Faculty & Staff

Right before school ended last

year, TMA started an eBay

store. You can check it out at

mastersacademystore.com. If

you purchase from the website,

you can get free shipping by

picking up your items at school! We are currently in need of do-

nated items that we can sell on eBay. Please bring donated items

to either TMA office so we can give you a tax deductible receipt.

Items that sell well are those that are new or in very good condition.

TMA mom, Sunshine Davis, operates this online venture for us.

Please contact Sunshine at mastersebay@yahoo.com if you have

questions about donations.

To sponsor a table or buy tickets,

call Laura Deery - (407) 971-2221 ext. 1246

Excitement is certainly in the air with the

announcement that Governor Jeb Bush

(Florida Governor from November 1998 -

January 2007) is this year’s keynote speaker

for the annual TMA Christmas banquet.

There is limited seating at this popular fund-

raising event which will be held December

7th at 6:30 p.m. at the Orlando Marriot in

Lake Mary. All net proceeds from the event

go to build our Teacher Endowment Fund -

we only have about $120,000 left to raise

until we reach the goal of $1 million! The endowment was created

to increase teacher salaries and benefits. Would you commit to fill a

table of ten? Sponsorships range from $1,000 - $10,000. Individual

tickets are $100. Some sponsorships include a reception with hors

d’oeuvres and photos with the Governor.

Governor Jeb Bush to Speak at Banquet

At the Christmas banquet you will also see some of TMA’s best stu-

dent art work and enjoy special musical presentations by talented

singers and musicians. The

featured guest singers for

the banquet will be Martha

Munizzi, TMA mom and

internationally known Gos-

pel recording artist along

with TMA alumnus Elisa-

beth Munizzi Burns (class of

2000). Elisabeth Burns Martha Munizzi

www.MastersAcademy.org Fall 2009

Once a month, on TMA’s website, we highlight a faculty or staff member whom you would like to get to

know better. We want YOU to choose the people that are highlighted. Simply e-mail Laura Deery at

LauraDeery@mastersacademy.org with the names of TMA faculty or staff members whom you would like

to see highlighted. We do a feature piece on a different person each month. Who do you want to spotlight?

Go to the TMA website to read about those who have already been in the “spotlight.”

Bonding and Spiritual Renewal at Retreats

The Master’s Touch www.MastersAcademy.org Fall 2009

Welcome Coffee

One parent recently expressed that, “TMA

feels like home. It really does!!” We want to

foster that feeling by creating opportunities for

community and fellowship. Many parents will

be spending years of their lives with other

TMA parents, so it’s wise to start cultivating

friendship at school events. We were pleased

to welcome between 150 - 175 parents to the

lower school welcome coffee this fall.

TMA middle school students began the year with fun-filled days of team building and competitions. Koinonia groups were formed and the

fun began! (Koinonia is a Greek word meaning, “fellowship, sharing in common, communion.”) Koinonias are middle school communities in

which students and teachers develop relationships. These groups help develop social, spiritual and leadership skills through a variety of team

building activities. The goal is for the middle school students to be aware of those around them and to build community. We will have a

Koinonia day once a month, and once a week a Koinonia group will be able to eat outside on the picnic tables with the teachers. TMA high

school students also had a day of meals, fun and games to build community and then they spent one day at Student Leadership University in

Orlando.

Cafeteria Chats

Cafeteria Chats is yet another opportunity for parents to spend time

together fellowshipping, learning from each other and interacting

with some of the TMA leadership team. We have specific “Cafeteria

Chats” for our middle school parents and also our high school par-

ents. The interaction is facilitated by the principal and the Director of

Guidance. Come enjoy!

Dana Dionne MS Principal

Mitch Salerno HS Principal

Arlene Outerbridge Director of Guidance

Middle School Cafeteria Chat with free coffee

Thursday, October 8th 7:15 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.

High School Cafeteria Chat with free coffee

Thursday, November 5th 7:15 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.

We meet in the cafeteria.

Christian Movie

This fall, TMA had the privilege of

bringing a Christian movie to the

local Oviedo Marketplace Theater.

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry is a

clean and wholesome film that points

the audience to Jesus Christ and His

Word! TMA 4th - 6th graders had the

opportunity to view the movie at the

theatre on a recent field trip.

Moms Prayer Group

The Master’s Touch

Bible Study for Moms

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

All TMA moms are invited to a moms prayer group

which meets weekly under the leadership of Diana Hill.

Join them on Friday mornings at 7:45 in the upper school

conference room. Contact Pastor Charlie for details.

Jason Kimak is heading up TMA’s Fellowship of

Christian Athletes for our high school students.

FCA meetings are twice a month, usually the

first and third Thursdays of the month during

lunch. FCA is a student led Bible study to which

all athletes are invited. TMA invites various

coaches and special speakers to challenge the

athletes from a spiritual perspective. FCA, as a

group, reaches out to all of our TMA teams and has plans to take on

a service project.

Superb Students

This is the 30th anniversary year of the Duke University Talent

Identification Program’s 7th grade talent search. Eligibility in this

program is an honor for students, recognizing them as having strong

intellectual abilities. TMA is proud to announce that 33 of our 7th

graders received this meritorious award! TMA’s Junior Beta Club

is also preparing to induct new members into this middle school club

which looks at character and academic achievement. Junior Beta

Club students will conduct a service project. Middle school and high

school student government students are also fully involved in their

duties.

LS Fine Arts Program Expands

Band of Brothers Bible Study for Dads

Band of Brothers is an early morning Bible

study, for K4 through 12th grade dads. If you

would like to get to know other dads while

studying the Bible, come out on Tuesday

mornings from 6 a.m.-7 a.m. to the lower

school lunchroom. This group is led by our

own, Coach Macbeth. Please contact Pastor

Charlie with any questions at 407-971-2221 ext. 1166.

New Technology

Join lower school principal, Shirley Cashion, as she

leads a weekly Bible study for K4 through 12th

grade TMA moms. The study goes from 8:15 - 9:15

a.m. in the lower school cafeteria on Thursdays,

beginning October 8th.

TMA has an advanced art program for

1st -5th grade students who have devel-

oped visual arts skills beyond the normal

level. In this pilot program, they explore

art mediums such as drawing, painting,

sculpting, and photography to improve

skills in imaginative art.

1st-5th grade students are now able to

take group piano lessons (4-6 students

in a group) as an extracurricular activity

and on a first-come first-served basis.

We now have six Yamaha keyboards

with professional level sounds and capa-

bilities.

Students in 2nd-5th grade can now take

band instrument lessons after school

and even join with TMA’s Screamin’

E a g l e R e g i m e n t a t h o m e

games! Research shows that learning a

musical instrument helps students with

memorization skills.

TMA introduces Moodle to our

learning environment. This is

course management software

and an extension of the class-

room into the digital world. Many universities are already offering

full programs in this kind of format so TMA wants to prepare our

students for the future with a taste of the 21st century. Moodle

allows our faculty to place content on the World Wide Web and

permits our students to interact with each other outside of the class-

room in discussion forums, digital groups, etc. In the past, it has

been difficult for students that live in a variety of locations, particu-

larly those that do not drive, to connect to complete a group assign-

ment. Now, through the powerful features in Moodle, students can

work together to complete projects. We have also purchased

Turnitin, an anti-plagiarism tool that electronically reviews student

writing to determine the authenticity of the work.

Upper school production of “Little

Women” will be Nov. 5th and 6th at Metro

Church at 434 and Vistawilla.

TMA Madrigal presentation will be Dec.

10th and 11th at Metro Church at 434 and

Vistawilla.

Save the

Date!

Fine Arts Events

Do you know a family that is interested in TMA? If you know someone who would like to learn more about TMA, let them know about our upcoming Prospective Parent Coffee meetings.

There will be information and tours provided. The meetings will take place at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, November 6.

Fall 2009 www.MastersAcademy.org