Band Program Received "Superior" Rating at State Competition

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Band received a “Superior” rating at the Alabama Bandmasters Association State Band Competition recently held at Dothan High School. The band, under the direction of Mr. Kerry Palmer, received a unanimous “Superior” decision from all three stage performance judges and an “Excellent” rating from the sight-reading judge. The State Band Competition is the highest level of concert band competition in the State of Alabama, with the “Superior” rating being the highest awarded. Bands are only invited to State Competition after having scored “Superior” ratings at the district level. This award is particularly special considering the fact that the band program at Montgomery Catholic began just last year.

Each member of the band was presented with a “Superior” medal for their performance, which they proudly donned upon returning to the auditorium to listen to other bands in the competition. Additionally, the band will be presented with a plaque to be hung in the band room as well as a trophy for display in the high school. The band’s ratings will be published on the Alabama Bandmasters Association website, as well as in “Ala Breve,” the state journal for band directors.

Lane Keating Selected to Attend LeadAmerica’s Congressional Student Leadership Conference

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Sophomore Lane Keating has been selected to attend the 2006 Congressional Student Leadership Conference, sponsored by LeadAmerica, at American University in Washington, DC. The CSLA is a college-accredited invitational leadership program for academically talented and promising young leaders from across the United States and internationally. Exceptional high school students with a record of academic achievement and extracurricular or community involvement are invited to participate.

Students select an academic area to study, choosing from among Government & Politics, Engineering & Robotics, Global Business & Entrepreneurship, Law & Trial Advocacy, and Medicine & Healthcare. Or, they may attend Leadership University, an in-depth, intensive leadership development conference for young leaders who want to challenge themselves to excel and realize their full potential. Through briefings and discussions with national and international leaders in the fields of study and realistic, hands-on simulations, students experience leadership in action and learn first-hand about the complexities of decision-making in a chosen field or profession. By engaging in interactive workshops and activities, students learn and develop vital leadership skills, including effective communication, conflict resolution, team building and time management.

LeadAmerica is the national premier youth leadership organization. Its mission is to transform the world’s next generation of leaders by educating, inspiring, and instilling in them ethical and principled leadership values, attitudes, and skills. With a rich history dating back over 17 years, LeadAmerica is committed to educating and empowering young leaders. Each of its high school conferences is college-accredited and its programs are approved activities of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. LeadAmerica sponsors the Congressional Student Leadership Conference for high school students, the National Junior Leaders Conference for middle and junior high school students, the World Youth Leadership Conference with study abroad programs in China and Russia, and the Washington Summer Scholars Program, a college-level academic program held in cooperation with American University.

Key Club Recognized at State Convention

Members from the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Key Club recently attended the Annual Key Club State Convention in Birmingham. The Key Club at Montgomery Catholic was recognized with the “Single Service Award” for their contributions to the district project “Kids Helping Kids” for Children’s Hospital. Lisa Jakel was also named the “Best Club President” for District 11, an honor bestowed to the Montgomery Catholic Key Club for the second year in a row. The Key Club is one of the more active clubs at Montgomery Catholic and continues to grow each year.

Picture: Montgomery Catholic’s Key Club members: Row 1 Kerra Slauson, Club President-Elect Erin Plate, Lauren Starr, Club President Lisa Jakel, Karen Gonzales, Molly Slauson, Mary Kimbrough, Kimberly Smith, Sonja Epping. Row 2 Eddie Fiedler, Molly Jones, Caitlyn Wiggins, Kate Cooper, Olivia Veres, Heather Kennedy, Thomas Herge, Leigh Dagalea. Row 3 Daniel Jakel, Rachel Forsyth, Heather McGinn, Amy Hall, Monique Taylor, Jessica Brown, Sarah Johnson. Row 4 Madison Ortega, Elizabeth LaKemper, Gabby Moore, Lindsay Taylor, Nichole Nickson, Michelle Perone, Lauren Tucker, Brad Cary. Row 5 Jung Woo You, Alex M. Taylor, JT Holman, Robert Avery, Thomas LaPointe, Bobby Bohman, John Ingram.

Students Win Top Three in AUM's Holocaust Essay Contest

Students from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School participated in the Fifth Annual Auburn University Montgomery’s Holocaust Educational Program and Essay Contest. This program focuses on the history of this tremendous tragedy and the impact it has on our society today. The program was sponsored by the AUM Psychology Department and supported by the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama. Following the presentation, there was a five person panel discussion with Holocaust survivors, WWII Camp Liberators, and a member of the Israeli Air Force. Essay Winners were announced by Dr. Eric Sterling, of the AUM English & Philosophy Department. The First Place winner was Lane Keating, Second Place winner was Colleen Hamilton, and Third Place winner was Jacob Weatherly, all members of the sophomore class from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School.

Picture: AUM Holocaust Educational Program Essay Winners from Montgomery Catholic, 1st Place Winner Lane Keating, 2nd Place Winner Colleen Hamilton, and 3rd Place Winner Jacob Weatherly.