News

Upper School parents are encouraged to attend our College Admission Panel on Wednesday, April 8, 5:30 p.m., in Hyde Chapel.

All juniors are required to attend our College Day Program on Wednesday, April 8, 2-4 p.m., with college admission deans and directors.

Spring Break is March 6-13, 2026. Administrative offices will be open Friday, March 6, and Monday, March 9, 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  Classes resume Monday, March 16.

MUS offers a variety of Summer Programs designed to help current and future Owls build skills, explore educational and creative topics, and have a great time. Whether a student is seeking activities in academics, music, or athletics, MUS will make summer fun and engaging!

Lower School Owls shined among 150 students in this year’s University of Memphis MathCounts competition.
Andrew Mao ’31 finished first in the individual testing and tournament-style “Countdown Round,” where the top 16 mathletes went head-to-head. He advanced to the state competition where he will compete individually.

Two Owl teams came away with awards during the Final Flight VEX Robotics Tournament at MUS on Saturday, February 28.

“The Owl’s Hoot” student newspaper took first place in Best Overall Newspaper/Newsmagazine and Editor-in-Chief Brady Ehrhart ’26 was the top H.L. Hall Outstanding Student Journalist in the Tennessee High School Press Association Awards. These were two of 13 awards for the newspaper staff announced at Lipscomb University March 2. English Instructor Ginny McCarley, advisor for the newspaper, announced a recording of THSPA President Jimmy Mccollum presenting Ehrhart’s award during chapel that same day.

Two Owls Robotics teams earned awards during the Love at First Bot VEX V5 Tournament at St. George’s on February 14.

Civic Service Organization is cooking and serving lunch to residents at The Salvation Army Purdue Center of Hope on Sunday, March 15, 10 a.m. to noon.

The Owls host Christian Brothers High School on Friday, February 20, with JV playing at 6 p.m., and varsity taking the court at 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss the varsity halftime Diaper Dash, featuring our alumni and faculty babies “racing” across the court!

Tryouts for the Lower School spring golf team will be Wednesday-Thursday, March 25-26, at Irene Golf and Country Club. Complete details and instructions can be found HERE. The deadline to sign up is Friday, March 20, 3:15 p.m.

Civic Service Organization is hosting a Special Olympics Festival on campus Saturday, February 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed to supervise and officiate games of Spikeball, cornhole, soccer, kickball, and relay races for the athletes.

The Civic Service Organization is hosting a food distribution in the Humphreys Hall circle drive Saturday, February 21, 8:30-11 a.m. We will give away a week’s worth of groceries to hundreds of Memphis families in need. All MUS students, faculty, and families are invited to help.

Seniors who have achieved proficiency in two or more languages may be eligible for the Seal of Biliteracy. The application deadline is Thursday, March 5.

The Civic Service Organization will be cooking and serving lunch to the guests of More Than A Meal at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (1720 Peabody Avenue) on Sunday, February 22, 2-5 p.m.

Tryouts for the Lower School spring golf team will be Wednesday-Thursday, March 25-26, at Irene Golf and Country Club. Complete details and instructions can be found HERE. The deadline to sign up is Friday, March 20, 3:15 p.m.

Sophomores need to complete their Class of 2028 sophomore-year college surveys in Scoir.

Lower School VEX robotics teams will host the MUS Owls Final Flight VEX Tournament on Saturday, February 28, and volunteers are needed to set up and run the event. Instructor in Science Garrett Smithson needs adult and student volunteers for the many roles available. If you can assist, please sign up using this link for role descriptions and time slots.

Owls captured awards in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, earning regional recognition for their writing.

Starting after Spring Break and running through May 1 (National Candidate Reply Date), seniors can opt-in to share their college news through the MUS Seniors Instagram account.

Fletcher Taylor ’26 completed an independent study building a 3D model of the campus before construction began on the Arts and Sciences Center. Technical Director of Theater Robert Fudge was his advisor on the project, which took about 125 hours to complete.

“I wanted to explore the intersection between real-world data, art, and physical products and use my skill in 3D modeling to create something useful,” Taylor said.

College counselors are beginning to meet with sophomores during free periods to discuss summer plans and academic options for the next two years.

MUS will host a cultural trip to Japan, and we are now accepting registrations. Open to rising juniors and seniors, the trip will run October 3-12, 2026.
 
The itinerary is packed with activities. Students will visit Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka with excursions to Hiroshima and Nara. Registration and deposit deadline is Saturday, February 28, and a payment plan is available.

We are watching the weather forecast closely. If we must close campus Monday, we will send out an Owls Alert message no later than 2 p.m. Sunday. The boys have been instructed to take their books home Friday in case the inclement weather persists.

Remember, when the administration closes the school because of weather conditions, we send out an Owls Alert message and post the information in OwlHub and on the website immediately. You will see information on our social media and the local news stations soon thereafter.

Please make sure your phone number and email address are up to date on OwlHub so we can reach you. If you need to make any changes, email advancement@musowls.org or make the changes on our website at musowls.org/parents/profile-update. For text messages, if you get texts from 79041 already, you do not need to do anything. If you haven’t received any texts from that number, or if you aren’t sure, text YES to 79041 to opt in, and save the number in your contacts for MUS.

Eight Owls earned a total of 10 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards across three categories in the 2026 competition, highlighted by two Gold Awards. See their work HERE.

MUS is honored to offer three opportunities to support students through fellowships for summer enrichment programs and grants to broaden opportunities for travel abroad experiences. Read about the fellowship details and instructions HERE. Application essays are due by Tuesday, February 17.

CSO volunteers will clear a vacant lot in the Alcy Ball neighborhood, then cook and serve hamburgers and hot dogs to the Alcy Ball neighbors, Saturday, January 17, 9 a.m. to noon.

CSO will be cooking and serving lunch for the homeless residents of the Salvation Army Purdue Center of Hope on Sunday, January 18, 10 a.m. to noon. Everyone is invited to help feed our neighbors in need.

Upon Headmaster Pete Sanders’ announcement of his intention to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year, Board of Trustees Search Committee Chair Margaret McLean has provided details of the process for selecting the next headmaster. See her full message HERE. For more information, visit the Headmaster Search webpage.

To provide input on the Headmaster Search and the school’s future, MUS community members are encouraged to take this anonymous SURVEY, open until 8 a.m. Monday, January 26.

Grandparents of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade Owls are invited to campus Friday, March 20, for a brunch and a customized tour led by their grandsons during the regular chapel timeframe. Students with no guests on campus will attend chapel.

Upper School students are invited to attend the Summer Midwest College Tour, May 26-29, 2026. Space is limited, and priority will be given to sophomores and juniors. Register by January 23.

MUS Headmaster Peter D. Sanders has announced his retirement at the end of the 2026-27 school year after a decade at the helm of the independent school for 6th-12th grade boys.

In a message to the school community, Sanders wrote, “Serving MUS has been the highest professional honor of my life. I deeply respect and love this great school. The people of MUS – students, teachers, staff, parents, alumni, and trustees – have been a source of encouragement and strength for me since day one."

Team 99331M – comprising, from left, Rishabh Bag ’30, Charlie Irwin ’30, Aaron Chiang ’29, Mac Wilson ’29, and Kareem Al Yousef ’31 – won the Innovate Award at the St. George’s Holiday Hustle VEX Robotics Tournament. This award is given to the team whose robots show a unique and creative design element or strategy, backed by a thoroughly documented engineering process from initial concept through execution.