Mr. Bernard Frye Named National Honor Roll Outstanding American Teacher

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, together with the National Honor Roll, are pleased to announce that Mr. Bernard Frye has been accepted as a member of the National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers for 2005-2006. NHR’s Outstanding American Teachers recognizes educators who have made a difference in their community.

Mr. Bernard Frye, who is in his 37th year of teaching mathematics at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, will appear in the NHR Outstanding American Teachers 2005-2006 Commemorative Edition. In addition to teaching full-time at Montgomery Catholic, Mr. Frye is an Adjunct Instructor of Mathematics at Alabama State University, a position he has held for the last 19 years.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School President Faustin Weber remarks, “I regard Mr. Frye as one of the real heroes of our school, someone who through the entirety of his adult life, has embraced the legacy of teaching excellence passed down to us from our founding order, the Sisters of Loretto. Students describe him as “tough, but fair”, and alumni often remark they find mathematics in college “quite easily done” (a Frye-ism) because of the foundation he gave them. His impact on two generations of students here is immeasurable, so we are very happy and proud that he is being honored as an outstanding teacher by the nation’s Honor Roll.”

Partners In Catholic Education (PICE) Plans 6th Annual Golf Tourney Sept 22

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s Partners In Catholic Education Organization (PICE) is planning their Sixth Annual Charity Golf Tournament benefiting the school. The tournament will be held at the Capitol Hill Course in Prattville, AL, on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail on Friday, September 22nd. Registration and lunch will begin on the veranda at 11:00 a.m. with a shot-gun start at 1:00 p.m. There will be a putting contest, hole-in-one contest, predict your distance, and closest to the pin, as well as numerous door prizes. The entry fee is $135. For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to register a team, call (334) 272-3463.

Serving on this year's Montgomery Catholic’s PICE 6th Annual Golf Tournament Committee are Jim Baker, Mary Kelley, Dean DeLongchamp, Cookie Ruth, Ken Carlson, Jimmy Tucker, Co-Chair Liz Sutton, Co-Chair Jerry Lopez, and Gary Tomlin.

Senior Skis in Regional Championship

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School rising senior, Jessica Balchunas, won her division in several water ski tournaments locally, in Pensacola, Florida, and went on to ski her personal best while competing in the Regional Water Ski Championships held at Whitestone Lakes in north Georgia. The regional competition hosts the best skiers from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Jessica began her love for water skiing when she was only four years old and has been competing for the last eight years. In addition to skiing, Jessica is a member of the Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleading squad.

Photo: Montgomery Catholic Senior Jessica Balchunas skis in Regional Water Ski Championship in Pensacola, Florida.

Varsity Cheerleaders Named All-American Team at NCA Camp

The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Varsity Cheerleaders recently attended the National Cheerleading Association Camp held on the campus of Auburn University.
The girls came away from camp with a multitude of awards including 5 superior ribbons for all evaluations of cheers, chants, and stunts. They were awarded the Herkie Team Award, which is voted on by other squads for the team that most exemplifies leadership and teamwork. The Technical Excellence Award was given for their outstanding jumps. The squad received a bid to compete at the NCA National Championship and nine cheerleaders were nominated as All-American Cheerleaders: Jessica Balchunas, Rachel Castanza, Rebecca Fields, Rachel Forsyth, Gabby Lopez, Andria Ransdell, Kristin Sutton, Lindsay Taylor, and Emily Younker. Kristin Sutton and Emily Younker were selected as All-American Cheerleaders for the second year in a row. Kristin and Emily were also two of five cheerleaders from the 200 camp participants to audition for an opportunity to be NCA instructors at cheerleading camp next summer. The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Varsity Squad received the Top Team Performance Award, which was awarded to the team scoring the highest in the cheer competition on the last day of camp. This award then led to an All-American Team Award, which makes the entire squad eligible to perform at the pre-game show of the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, in December. The Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleaders are looking forward to an exciting season and the opportunity to cheer in Miami over the Christmas holidays.

Pictured: Montgomery Catholic Varsity Cheerleaders: Row 1: Gabby Lopez, Emily Madore, Rebecca Fields, Andria Ransdell, Lindsay Taylor, Rachel Castanza. Row 2: Jessica Balchunas, Cecily McAlpine, Elizabeth Daly, Emily Younker, Kristin Sutton, Kaitlyn Roberts, Rachel Forsyth.

Four Rising Seniors Score Perfect on AP American History Exam

Freshmen year of college just got a little easier for four rising seniors at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. Trey Griffith, Thomas Herge, Erin Plate, and Cynthia Weber sat for the Advanced Placement American History Exam this spring and scored 5 out of a possible 5 on the test. These students are enrolled in the honors program at Montgomery Catholic and took A.P. American History as part of the curriculum during their junior year of high school. These outstanding seniors will continue to take Advanced Placement courses their senior year and look forward to advancing their academic experience for college. Advanced Placement American History is taught by Mr. Mike Petrof, a class of 1970 Montgomery Catholic graduate and veteran Catholic school teacher of over twenty years.