Kindergarten Students Grow "Very Hungry Caterpillars"

Kindergarten students in Mrs. Redden's class at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School just completed their study of children's author Eric Carle. To celebrate, each student created a "very hungry caterpillar" from potting soil, grass seeds, rubber bands, and wiggly eyes. After the unit was complete, each student took their very hungry caterpillars home to enjoy.
Pictured: Montgomery Catholic kindergarten students Hannah Chitlik, Braxton Woodson, Sophia Azzaro, Danielle Willcox, Mark Osten, John Russell Smith, Erik Azar, Lena Duncan, Mason Sylvester, Max Barranco, Henry Wiederholt, Kylie Klein, Matthew Furey, Audrey Trant, Alexander Villena, and Lydia Norman.

Montgomery Catholic Hosts Annual K-6 Cheer Clinic

Montgomery Catholic's Junior Varsity and Varsity Cheerleading Squads hosted their annual Cheer Clinic for girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. The half-day clinic was held on Saturday, September 11 with a pre-game performance on Friday, September 17. The 66 campers were grouped according to grade and taught several chants, cheers, and a dance routine which they performed on Friday night.

To view pictures of the cheer clinic and pre-game performance, click here.

Montgomery Catholic Elects Middle School SGA Officers for 2010-2011

Middle School students at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School recently selected their officers for the 2010-2011 academic year. Gaten Armstrong was elected as SGA President, Caroline Mullikin as SGA Vice President, Ashley Kim as Secretary, and Ali Harper was elected as the SGA Chaplain. Class representatives were also elected for seventh and eighth grade. Seventh grade SGA representatives are Eric Crenshaw, Neely Boston, Marissa Dogan, and Omari Vaughans. Eighth grade SGA representatives are Elivin Stephenson, Mary Janet McLaughlin, Tucker Wilkinson, and Olivia Nobles. Mrs. Kerri Moore is the Middle School SGA Sponsor.

Pictured: Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Middle School SGA officers Chaplain Ali Harper, President Gaten Armstrong, Vice President Caroline Mullikin, and Secretary Ashley Kim.

Seventh Grade SGA Representatives

(not pictured: Neely Boston)

Eighth Grade SGA Representatives

Knights Score at Chickasaw Trails

In spite of depleted roster due to ACT testing and illness, the Montgomery Catholic Cross Country team had some notable individual finishes at the Chickasaw Trails Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, 11 September 2010 in Oakville. Record numbers of athletes and teams entered the meet to prepare for the State Meet that will be held on the Indian Mounds Course in November. In the girl’s 1A-4A race, Catholic finished 14th out of 21 teams. The Lady Knights were led by sophomore Katherine Terino’s 9th place finish (22:02.37). Fellow classmate Sarah Talbot also earned an individual award by finishing 21st in 23:08.21. Senior Cindy Camacho (26:35), freshman Allie Micher (32:23), and 8th grader Tiffany Camacho (33:45) completed the scoring for Catholic. A total of 221 runners finished the race.

In the boy’s 1A-4A race, Catholic entered six runners and the first two ran some of the best times ever by a Knight on the Oakville course. Junior Nick Smith became the fourth fastest Catholic runner on the course by clocking 18:58 and finishing 11th out of 285 finishers. Sophomore Jarrett Mason (19:14) crossed the line in 17th place, good enough for number six all time by a Catholic runner. The team finished 13th out of 29 squads. Seventh grader Michael Twiford, in his first 5K Varsity race, ran 22:30. Junior Josh Stark (22:58) and 7th grader Patrick Gregorius (24:16), and Junior Phil Ozgul (27:37) completed the scoring for the Knights.

Photo: Montgomery Catholic sophomore Katherine Terino competes in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational Meet. Photo by John Terino.

Ben Petters Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is proud to announce Ben Petters as a Semifinalist in the 56th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Ben is the son of Brian and Vicki Petters. Ben will have the opportunity to compete for some 8,400 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. The preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test serves as an initial screening of program entrants. In addition to the test scores, the student's academic record, community involvement, leadership ability, and personal essay are considered when determining semifinalists. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the title of Merit Scholar.

Pictured: Montgomery Catholic's National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Ben Petters.

30 Montgomery Catholic Students Qualify for Duke 7th Grade Talent Search Program

Thirty seventh grade students at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School have qualified for the Duke University Talent Identification Program.

The Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) identifies seventh grade students in sixteen states in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest who have scored at the 95th percentile or above on a grade-level achievement test. These students are invited to participate in the Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search and take either the SAT or the ACT.

The 30 students at Montgomery Catholic who have qualified for the Duke TIP Program are Emily Barranco, Will Barranco, Kathleen Beesley, Neely Boston, Lexie Bourgeois, Brian Brunson, Marissa Dogan, Claire Fischer, Abaigeal Gilbert, Lacy Herbek, Steven Higgins, Blake Johnson, Richard Kanneh, Gabe Keating, Anna Koerner, Mel Koontz, Kaitlyn Kornosky, Conner Langston, Brian Lee, Wilson Miles, Greg Ozgul, Sarah-Camille Peek, Maria Rossi, Madison Searcy, Mary Selvaggi, Mary Reagan Starrett, Logan Stevens, Katie Struck, Beth Vaughan, and Jennifer Westendorf.

Montgomery Catholic Hosts Adoration with Vocations Monstrance Blessed by Pope John Paul II

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School was honored recently to receive the Vocations Monstrance blessed by the late Pope John Paul II in 2004. The Holy Father blessed six monstrances with the intention that when Eucharistic Adoration was offered using one of the monstrances the faithful would pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

Adoration was held on August 18 and 19 in the Chapel of Montgomery Catholic’s Middle/High School campus. Both middle and high school students spent time adoring our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. Junior Dominic Godwin commented, "To be in the direct presence of Jesus Christ, in our Chapel, in adoration, is an indescribable feeling of joy." Liz Armstrong, Senior Class President, remarked, "Adoration is an immense gift to the Church. We need to continually bring ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for priests and religious. Without the priest we do not have our greatest treasure, the Mass."

“One of the chief aims of a Catholic School is to nourish and encourage vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” said Tom Riello, Theology Department Chairman. “We at Montgomery Catholic, from our President, Principals, to our faculty and staff, recognize that we exist in the service of the Church in Mobile and the larger Church that extends out from our borders.”

Father David Carucci, Pastor of St. Bede the Venerable parish, closed the time of Adoration with Eucharistic Benediction.