Montgomery Catholic Students Assist the Christmas Clearinghouse

Middle School SGA: Jessica Hankins, Sarah Souriya, Andrew Koerner, Dalton DeRamus, Max Barranco, Mason Sylvester, and Austin Varner (Photo by Mary Kelley)

The spirit of Christmas is all about sharing peace, joy, and love, and the students at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School have been busy sharing that love with a few families with the help of HandsOn River Region.

The MCPS high school Key Club and the middle school Student Government Association adopted needy families to assist HandsOn River Region’s Christmas Clearinghouse. The students shopped for gifts for all family members, including clothes, toys, school supplies, diapers, gift cards, bicycles, and other practical and fun items. These gifts help to ease the financial burden on families who could use a little Christmas cheer during the holidays.

“Christmas can be a stressful time for those who are struggling to make ends meet,” said MCPS

middle and high school principal Justin Castanza. “For these families, even the simplest gifts can make a huge impact. Our students are proud to support the efforts of HandsOn River Region and we hope that our humble donations will help to make this Christmas a little brighter for these families.”

Each year, families in need are paired with groups and organizations who wish to help them during the winter holidays. Around 10,000 individuals—8,000 of whom are children—are helped through the efforts of the Christmas Clearinghouse.

High School Key Club (Photo by Jeanene Crenshaw)

Montgomery Catholic Students Bring Christmas Joy to the Children’s Center

December is a month filled with joy and celebration, and for the students at the Montgomery Public Schools Children’s Center School, some extra cheer was delivered right to their classrooms.

Throughout holiday season, the Montgomery Catholic high schoolers had been preparing for a special surprise for the Children’s Center. Groups of MCPS students “adopted” different classes at CCS, shopped for gifts for each student, and gift wrapped them all. As a special treat, the MCPS students hand-delivered gifts to each CCS student and threw a party complete with face painting, crafts, and balloons. Santa Claus made a surprise visit to all the classrooms and visited with the students. Teachers were also given cleaning supplies and blankets for each classroom.

For many of the MCPS students, this visit embodied the spirit of the season.

“I really enjoyed delivering gifts to our buddies,” said MCPS senior Chris Waring. “The most important thing about Christmas is giving, and I feel that we were able to give them the spirit of Christmas through our gifts, our songs, and our friendship.”

For some students, like freshman Aniya Lowery, this trip was deeply personal. Her sister, Audia, is a student at CCS and requires round-the-clock care.

“This made me happy because I got to see smiles from both the CCS and MCPS students,” said Aniya, who accompanied her sister for the festivities. “I am also glad that the other MCPS students were so excited to participate and were willing to spend their afternoon here.”

Their mother, Dominique McCall, shared the sentiment. “Many of these children don’t have the same opportunities for celebration during the holidays as other children,” she said about the CCS students. “The Catholic students made sure they did not feel forgotten or left out.”

The partner program between Montgomery Catholic and the Children’s Center started in the Fall of 2017. MCPS teacher Mrs. Stefanie Nelson organizes each trip that the high schoolers take. Every Wednesday during the school year, students from the MCPS high school campus visit CCS to spend time with the children there. Engaging in activities such as physical therapy and playtime, the high schoolers get to make some new friends while learning about stewardship to others and the important role that the CCS has in the community. The kids at the Children’s Center look forward to seeing their high school buddies each week, and it is an enriching experience for all the students.

“I think the fact that so many of our high school students chose to give up an afternoon of sleeping, studying for final exams, or hanging out with their friends shows that the Children’s Center is an even bigger blessing to us and our students than we are to them,” said Mrs. Nelson. “I’m proud to be a part of a community that truly is growing students into servant leaders.”

Mrs. Johanna Hubbard, principal of the Children’s Center, expressed her appreciation of the MCPS students.

"This partnership has become one of the greatest blessings our school has ever received,” said Mrs. Hubbard. “The smiles on our students’ faces when they see their brothers and sisters come in are evidence of the genuine love they feel from MCPS students and faculty.  What began as a service project a year and a half ago has grown to be an extension of our family, and we could not be more grateful."

Montgomery Catholic Students Honor Fallen Veterans With Wreaths Across America

On the morning of Saturday, December 15, after the opening keynote speech from Medal of Honor recipient Retired Army Captain Gary M. Rose, the somber notes of Taps played for family members and volunteers who had gathered to place wreaths on the graves of veterans interred at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama. Among those in attendance were middle school students from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School who dedicated their Saturday morning to honoring those who served.

MCPS students Sam Roberts, Karson Franklin, Aidan Blum, Hayden Binder, Sarah Souryiah, Ryan Parker, Izzy Priori, Ben Nguyen, and Monica Nguyen participated in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony. They were joined by MCPS middle and high school principal Mr. Justin Castanza, middle school guidance counselor Mrs. Mary Kelley, and high school history teacher and veteran Mr. Hollis Johnson.

Wreaths Across America is a volunteer organization whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach children the value of freedom. Once a year, volunteers from across the United States, at sea, and abroad gather at military cemeteries to lay remembrance wreaths onto the graves of our country’s fallen heroes from all branches of service. This is the 10^th year that the Alabama National Cemetery has held this event.

Although there are federal holidays which pay tribute to members of the military, Wreaths Across America aims to bring attention to the service of veterans and acknowledge the importance of remembering them, especially through the winter holidays.

“I think it's important to recognize the sacrifice that our vets have made for our country outside of just Memorial Day and Veterans Day,” said Mr. Johnson, who served as a Marine Corps artilleryman. “Christmastime is when families are thinking of their loved ones, so it is a very appropriate time to recognize our vets.”

Student Sam Roberts knows all about recognizing loved ones. He was able to place a wreath on the grave marker of his “Big Daddy”, Air Force Staff Sergeant William Allen King.

“I wanted to do something meaningful this season that helped the community,” Sam said when asked about his motivation to join Wreaths Across America. “It was really special to be able to honor Big Daddy along with all of the other veterans here.”

The Wreaths Across America event attracted hundreds of volunteers from across the state of Alabama. With the many hands available, placing wreaths on all 6,000 grave markers was light work. Some, like Sam, had loved ones they could honor with wreaths. For others, it was an opportunity to pay tribute to comrades in arms.

“Being a Marine vet myself, I personally sought out the graves of Marines to lay wreaths upon. It was a very moving experience,” explained Mr. Johnson.

For all in attendance, it was an unforgettable event, and hopefully it will raise awareness of the importance of remembering all veterans.

"It was a tremendous honor and privilege for us to participate in Wreaths Across America at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo this year,” said MCPS middle school guidance counselor Mary Kelley, who organized the trip. “The event was a moving tribute to all of our veterans who sacrificed so much to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day.  We look forward to being a part of this wonderful event again next year.”

The wreaths will remain in the cemetery until January. The next Wreaths Across America event at the Alabama National Cemetery will take place on Saturday, December 14, 2019. More information can be found at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Montgomery Catholic Cross Country Team Wins State Championship

On November 10, 2018, the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Cross Country team competed at the AHSAA State Championship at the Oakville Indian Mounds XC Course. For the first time together, both the Catholic Girls and Boys teams walked away as the state's 4A champion.

The Catholic girls were led by senior Amaris Tyynismaa.  Crossing the finish line first at 17:44.21, Tyynismaa finished nearly a minute and a half ahead of the second place finisher, Catholic freshman Lily Bachl, who crossed the finish line at 19:04:41. Senior Isabelle Cochran finished strong at 19:44.87, securing fourth place overall. Teammates Grace Leslie, Ann Cobb, Katie Galvin, Chloe Smith, Virginia Speirs, Samantha Day, and Kathleen Madden all finished the race and took Montgomery Catholic girls to the top, crowning them as the state champions. Amaris Tyymismaa also took home her fifth consecutive individual champion title.

For the Catholic boys, senior Grant Walker took fourth overall with a time of 16:34:48, and sophomore Hollis Johnson and senior Zachary Kroeger finished at 6^th and 7^th place, respectively. Strong finishes from teammates Sam Leslie, Manny Caceres, Chris Valencia, Cole Pierce, Joseph Schmidt, Austin Cleghorn, and Harrison Skala secured the boys’ place at the top and earned them the state championship.

It has been an outstanding season for the Racing Knights, making their coach Ed Wright very proud of the hard work by the 2018 Catholic Cross Country Team.

Congratulations Knights!

Veterans Day White Table Presentation

On the Friday before Veterans Day, the elementary students gathered for some very special presentations at their campuses. At the Holy Spirit campus, 6th grade teacher Mrs. Alana Steinlicht and Admissions Director Ms. Julie Lopez read aloud the book, “America's White Table”, by Margot Theis Raven. At the St. Bede campus, Mrs. Mary Pears' 6th grade students took turns setting items on the table while she read the book. Through the story of a family setting a table with an empty chair, the students learned about the symbolism behind a deeply important American military tradition: The Missing Man Table.

A table with one setting represents the isolation of the lost or captured soldier. The empty chair represents those who cannot be present. The white tablecloth represents the purity of the soldier’s call to serve his/her country. The inverted glass represents the inability of the lost soldier to partake in the gathering. The folded black napkin represents the sorrow of captivity. A single, red rose with a ribbon represents the blood shed in defense of our country and of the family who wait for the soldier’s safe return. The slice of lemon and plate of salt represent the lost soldier’s bitter tears. The lit candle is a light of hope from our hearts, and hopefully a beacon for lost soldiers to find their way back home.

After the reading, the students gave thanks to the service personnel and first responders present at the gathering.

Montgomery Catholic honors all of the military personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in our MCPS family and in our community. We hope on this Veterans Day that you take a moment to pray for the men and women who have made a commitment to defend us and our way of life, and to pray for those who have given their lives in our defense.

Montgomery Catholic Senior to March In Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” Usually the answer involves family, lots of food, and watching football. For Anna Catherine Barranco, the days leading up to Thanksgiving are going to be full of preparation, practice, and perfection. The Montgomery Catholic senior was chosen to be one of about 40 auxiliary members who will march alongside 185 musicians in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Led by Auburn University’s Dr. Richard Good, the band is comprised of the country’s most talented high school musicians, flag-bearers, and dancers.

Inspired by her favorite color guard YouTube channel, Anna Catherine submitted an application and a video audition where she demonstrated several skills and marching techniques that would be required for the parade routine. She will travel to New York City on Saturday, November 17 and rehearse with the rest of the band every day leading up to the parade on Thanksgiving Day. While there are a lot of fun activities built into the week, the practice schedule is demanding and requires a high level of dedication from each performer. The Great American Marching Band is the last band on the parade route and serves as a lead-in for Santa Claus.

Anna Catherine serves as the captain of the Montgomery Catholic Marching Knights color guard, which has won several “Best-In-Class” awards this season, and has been a member of the marching band for 5 years. She plans to study pre-law at Auburn University in the fall, and of course will try out for the flag line.

“I’ll probably be nervous the closer we get to Thanksgiving,” Anna Catherine said about her upcoming performance, “but for right now I am just really excited!”

You can watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on your local NBC affiliate station on November 22. More information on how to watch or stream it will be posted to the official website: www.macys.com/social/parade

Montgomery Catholic Hosts Vex Robotics Tournament

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School was proud to host the River Region Vex Robotics Competition Qualifying Tournament in the Dolly Barranco Activity Center at the Middle/High School campus on November 3. Led by the Montgomery Catholic robotics club faculty sponsor Vicki Petters and volunteer Rob Russell, the RoboKnights hosted their second ever Vex Robotics Competition. 26 teams from all over Alabama competed to qualify for the state tournament. Three RoboKnights teams—Starish, an all-girls high school team, Mamushi, an all-8th grade team, and The Sevies, an all-7th grade team—competed in the tournament. The Mamushi-Sevies alliance made it all the way to the final round, where they came second to Foley High School.

The VRC challenge this season, “Turning Point”, includes several complex tasks each robot can complete to earn points. Robots may turn two-colored caps over to their team color, place those caps onto poles of different heights, toggle low flags to their color, throw a ball at higher flags to toggle them to their color, and climb and park onto a platform for additional points. This challenge is unique in that robots may push competing robots off the platforms. The first 15 seconds of each round allow the robots to run an autonomous program for a chance to score points. The remaining minute and 45 seconds are driver-controlled. Each team demonstrated a complex understanding of the tasks, and each robot tackled the challenge in a unique way.

The whole Montgomery Catholic community came together with parents, students, and faculty serving as volunteer referees, announcers, event staff and concessions crew. The RoboKnights would like to thank the students and faculty of Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School for sharing their equipment and expertise to help make the event such a successful one.

Montgomery Catholic Students Offer Scares and Treats at Zoo Boo

About 30 students from the Montgomery Catholic Key Club took time out of one of their busy October weekends to volunteer at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum annual Zoo Boo. Zoo Boo runs for 3 weekends every October and requires around 120 volunteers each night. The Key Club has participated in this event for the past 10 years, and it is a great way for the students to be involved in the community while having a lot of fun. The students dressed in costumes, painted faces, ran games, and of course, handed out plenty of treats to the visitors.

“They had a great time making memories together and serving the community,” said faculty sponsor Jeanene Crenshaw. “It's a great way for students to see what a huge undertaking an event like this is, and hopefully they will remain involved in community service after they graduate. Plus, it's just great fun!”

The students enjoyed this opportunity to give back to their community. "Having never done it before, I was really excited to participate behind the scenes of a beloved attraction,” said junior Clare Wilson. “I'm really glad I participated in this Halloween tradition and I'm looking forward to next year."

Sophomore Ines Gonzalez-Ansaldi agreed. “Volunteering at Zoo Boo was such a great experience and I had so much fun helping out. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go and help out our community!"

Montgomery Catholic Senior Jimmiah Fenderson Competes in DYW Competition

Montgomery Catholic senior Jimmiah Fenderson has beauty, brains, and talent, and it’s helping her to pave a path to college. She participated in Montgomery’s Distinguished Young Women Program with 14 other senior girls from Montgomery. They all competed to become the next Distinguished Young Woman of Montgomery County who would then advance to the state competition.

This program, formerly known as Junior Miss, encourages high school senior girls to exhibit a variety of personal and professional competencies. Contestants had to exercise professional skills, which included writing an essay, being interviewed, and speaking in front of a large audience. They demonstrated physical fitness through a choreographed aerobic dance routine. Finally, every contestant showed off a special talent, which gave the audience insight into each girl’s unique personality.

Jimmiah, who aspires to become a pediatrician, came out on top in two categories. She won the physical fitness portion, thanks to her conditioning as a student athlete, and she also won the “Self Expression” extemporaneous public speaking category. Each contestant was given the same prompt shortly before the program began that had to be answered in front of the audience: “What advice has shaped who you are today?” Jimmiah’s answer was short and inspiring: “There are two types of people in this world: those who make excuses, and those who find a way.” She went on to say that labels do not define a person, nor do they limit their capabilities, and that she writes her own book and forges her own path. While she did not win the overall competition, she was awarded $21,000 in scholarship money because of her performance. Jimmiah has not yet decided on the college she will attend in the fall, but doors are opening for her in all directions.

2018 Homecoming Court

Montgomery Catholic is proud to present our 2018 Homecoming Court!

Pictured (from L to R): Freshmen Hart Yost and Patrick Ryan; Juniors Megan Bourke and Morris Carmichael; Seniors Claire Mills, Drew Smith, Homecoming Queen Zy'Keria King, Homecoming King CJ Person, Ellie Talbot, Grant Walker, Isabelle Cochran, and Luke Voorhies; and Sophomores Alanna Aiken and Raz Chandler

Montgomery Catholic Marching Band Puts On Superior Show

The Montgomery Catholic Marching Knights took their show on the road and competed in the Trussville Marching Invitational hosted by Hewitt-Trussville High School. The 2018 season’s “Dawn To Dusk” show includes selections that take the listener on a musical journey from the bright early morning to the shade of the evening.

The Marching Knights received Superior ratings in every category, including drum major, percussion, color guard, and overall band. The band was awarded 1A Best-In-Class color guard, Best-In-Class drum major, and Best-In-Class Overall Band. With a score of 98/100, Johnny Guevara received the highest score of any drum major at the competition, including those in classes 1A through 4A.

Montgomery Catholic RoboKnights Battle at the Beach

Space Bob Ross took a recent trip to the beach, but it wasn’t to dip its servos into the surf. Instead, it was piloted by the Montgomery Catholic RoboKnights robotics team at the Vex Robotics Bots on the Beach competition in Gulf Shores. The 5-person Space Bob Ross team includes Arthur Murray, Aidan Cochran, Hunter Vaccaro, Chris Lathram, and Catherine Aaron. Each member has a different area of expertise, including designing, programming, building, documenting, and driving.

Each robotics team builds a robot capable of completing certain tasks to earn points. This year’s game, “Turning Point”, has several different challenges. There are several caps with one blue side and one red side. The robot can flip the cap to its team’s color to earn points or pick up the cap and place it onto a stand for additional points. There are 3 stands with 3 flags of different heights. The robot can push the bottom flag to its color to earn points, or it can throw a ball at the upper two flags to earn additional points. There is also a platform with two different heights where the robot can park at the end of the round. Parking on the higher platform earns more points. The first 15 seconds of the round allow the robot to complete tasks autonomously, and the remainder of the round is driver-controlled.

The performance of the Space Bob Ross team earned them a spot in the upcoming state competition and they are currently ranked 28^th in the world for skills. Although this was a successful trip, the RoboKnights are working hard to improve their performance as the competition only gets harder as the season progresses. Montgomery Catholic will host a Vex Robotics competition on November 3.

Montgomery Catholic 7th Graders Experience Camp Chandler

The transition to middle school can be a difficult time for some students. Moving to a new school, meeting a lot of new people, switching between different classes each period, and learning to open a locker are part of the challenges that almost every middle schooler experiences for the first time in 7^th grade. To help ease the new school jitters and build fellowship, the Montgomery Catholic 7^th grade class takes an overnight trip to Camp Chandler at the beginning of each school year.

The students enjoyed all kinds of activities including archery, swimming, tower climbing, boat rides, and everyone’s favorite high-intensity camp game, GaGa. The students split into four large groups and rotated between the different activities during the day. In the evening, everyone gathered around the campfire to wind down for songs and fellowship with one another. Justin Castanza, Principal of the Montgomery Catholic middle school, gave a motivational talk to welcome the students to middle school and encourage them to get to know one another better.

Reflecting on the time spent together, the students felt that the trip was both fun and valuable to create new friendships and strengthen bonds within the class. “Camp was fun and a great way to get to know everyone,” said student Michael Ann Williams. Eli Kindle agreed. "It really brought us together and united us.”

Montgomery Catholic 7th Graders Get Hands-On Lesson About Classification

Karla Gier’s middle school science classroom recently may have looked like it needed an

exterminator, but she said that it was all part of the lesson. Shadowboxes of desiccated grasshoppers, cicadas, and dragonflies lined the tables. Petri dishes full of preserved spiders, scorpions, millipedes, and beetles were placed in front of the students. At the front of the classroom, a large cage that looked like it should hold a small songbird instead housed an enormous banana spider.

“Her name is Nellie,” said Mrs. Gier, “after her scientific name, Nephila clavipes. And it is her lunch time.” Nellie was hungrily devouring a bumblebee that was neatly wrapped in a nearly invisible strand of silk.

To some students’ delight and to others’ horror, their assignment was to open the dishes, delicately handle the specimens, and create a dichotomous key based on the physical traits of each arthropod. Each small group of students classified the various preserved insects, arachnids, and myriapods based on number of legs, presence or absence of wings, number of body segments, the shape of the mouth, and other traits. The students then used the keys they made to identify each specimen. While many students bravely picked up their specimens to get a closer look, others chose to take a supervisory role and instead took notes from a more comfortable distance. By the end of the period, each group was able to use the keys they created to identify the specimens that were classified by the other groups.

"Once students get beyond the ‘ick factor’, they discover that these small creatures, often overlooked, are fascinating and, dare I say it, beautiful,” said Mrs. Gier. “They are so important in our ecosystem and are the perfect specimens to instruct a lab on classification."

Holy Spirit Holds Grandparents Day

Whether you’re called Memaw, Nana, Papi, Halmoni, Sittie, or just the classic Grandma and Grandpa, chances are you may have gotten an invitation to a very special gathering from your Holy Spirit student recently. Grandparents, parents, family members, and special guests crowded the gym of the Montgomery Catholic Holy Spirit campus to get a glimpse of their beloved students. Each class prepared a special presentation for the entire audience comprised of their classmates, teachers, and of course, their grandparents. The students donned creative hats, displayed hand-made signs, recited poems, and sang songs to honor their very special visitors. After the heart-warming performance, guests were treated to donuts and juice with their students and had a fantastic time learning about the fun things that the children are learning at Holy Spirit.

Montgomery Catholic Volleyball Players Achieve On the Court and In the Classroom

Montgomery Catholic 2017-2018 Girls Volleyball Team
Photo Credit: Total Image

For the second year in a row, the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Girls Volleyball team was recognized for their academic achievement. The American Volleyball Coaches Association publishes a list every year of volleyball programs whose total team grade point averages are 3.30 or above, and the ladies at Montgomery Catholic made the cut. Each team must maintain this high GPA throughout the entire academic year, not just during the volleyball season.

"I am so proud of all the hard work my players put in not only on the court, but in the classroom as well,” said Amy Patterson, head coach of the girls volleyball program. “When they leave Montgomery Catholic, I want all of them to be prepared for what the future holds for them and to be well-rounded young ladies.  By being both scholars and athletes, I believe they will be successful in everything they do."

 Montgomery Catholic is one of only fifteen high school girls volleyball programs to receive this honor in the state of Alabama and one of 358 nationwide. The ACVA had a record-breaking 977 male and female teams in both high school and college qualify for this award in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Montgomery Catholic Teachers Learn to Help Military Children Find Their "Spark"

This summer, the faculty of Montgomery Catholic had an opportunity to learn about the unique challenges that children of military members sometimes face and how to motivate and inspire students by engaging their interests and being sensitive to their stressors. Shirley Raby and Teresa Hearn of the Military Child Education Coalition conducted a seminar entitled "Helping Military Children Discover Their S.P.A.R.C.", with S.P.AR.C. being an acronym for Strength, Potential, Aspirations, Resourcefulness, and Confidence. This highly interactive all-day seminar highlighted the different types of stressors that can affect the lives of military families and how educators can identify and react to them. Guided by the books Mindset by Dr. Carol S. Dweck and Sparks by Dr. Peter L. Benson, the faculty learned the importance of adopting a growth mindset, knowing whether a child is just surviving or if she is thriving, and how to nurture “Sparks”—passions and interests children have that give their lives meaning and purpose.

 “My hope is that students at Montgomery Catholic will continue to thrive, experience smooth  My compassion for these families and their sometimes difficult circumstances gives me a lot of insight into the military life experience.”

transitions, and find what brings them true joy in life, besides of course Jesus,” said Raby, who is a retired educator from Texas and has taught this course all over the world. “Although I am not from a military family myself nor did I have much experience with military families when I was teaching, I have discovered that my “spark” is helping these children to succeed.

Montgomery Catholic has been proud to serve the families of our locally-stationed military members. The seminar hit close to home for the faculty and staff in attendance, many of whom were either children or spouses of military members or had been in the armed forces themselves.

“I have experienced first-hand what it is like to have a spark recognized and nurtured by caring teachers,” said Julie Lopez, Montgomery Catholic Director of Admissions. “I changed schools often because my dad was in the Air Force, so I was reluctant to participate whenever I entered a new school. I ended up landing the lead role in a school play simply because a kind teacher encouraged me to audition, even though nobody knew who I was.”

Founded in 1998, MCEC’s mission is to ensure inclusive, quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, transition, deployments and family separation. They serve communities all over the world, wherever American military families are stationed. They have been recognized for both their service to the military family community for also for creating

Montgomery Catholic is the first school in the River Region to host this professional development.

Montgomery Catholic Students Participate in Summer Leadership Programs

Montgomery Catholic high school students always find opportunities for enrichment and professional development throughout the summer. Several of our students were selected to attend leadership conferences different leadership conferences around the state.

Chris Valencia
Credit: Total Image

Sofia Izer
Credit: Total Image

Juniors Chris Valencia and Sofia Izer were selected to represent Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School as Ambassadors for HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership) at Troy University, May 27-29. HOBY is the nation’s foremost Youth Leadership Seminar that over 10,000 deserving high school students from across the country attend each year.  Their mission is to inspire and develop the global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service, and innovation.  Montgomery Catholic is proud to nominate students each year who attend the conference, and look forward to encouraging these future leaders to make an impact on our community.

Isabelle Cochran
Credit: Total Image

Senior Isabelle Cochran attended the 31st Alabama Governor's School, June 17-29 at Samford University. The conference brought together around 90 gifted Alabama High School seniors to learn about various professions and majors and provided a variety of academic, creative and leadership experiences to attendees.

Boys State 2018
Source: alboysstate.org

Senior Austin Collett attended the American Legion Alabama Boys State convention, May 27-June 2 and Senior Melody Taylor attended the American Legion Auxiliary Alabama Girls State convention, June 10-15, at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.  Alabama Boys State and Girls State are leadership and government training programs and are among the highest honors granted to high school senior boys and girls. Students from around the state are chosen based on their demonstration of leadership, hard work, strong morals and motivation in school and community activities. These programs enable students to try their hands at politics and community service.

Melody Taylor
Credit: Total Image

Austin Collett
Credit: Total Image

Montgomery Catholic Student Honored in Statewide Magazine

Montgomery Catholic Student Honored in Statewide Magazine

Savanna Pruitt, Potential Magazine

Christopher Valencia
Credit: Shelby Shubird

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Christopher Valencia, a junior at Montgomery Catholic, has been honored as a Teen Spotlight in Potential Magazine for excelling in his talent and leadership.

Christopher is an instrumental member of Montgomery Catholic’s cross country and track teams. He explains, “As a chubby 7th grader, running was one of the last things I wanted to do. My friend Tyler convinced me to join. I hated it at first, but I was persistent and got better. I love running, especially with all of my teammates.” In addition to participating in athletics, Christopher is a member of National Junior Honor Society, and is also a Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Foundation alumni. He shares, “My favorite thing about Montgomery Catholic is that we have a chapel available to us through the entire day, and the fact that we celebrate Mass as a school is really special.”

Maria Eady shares, “Christopher has a good heart, good judgement, and a good relationship with God. I'm very proud that my son is disciplined, well-mannered, and committed to achieving his goals.”

Christopher and his family
Credit: Shelby Shubird

Potential Magazine is a multimedia resource for parents of college-bound teenagers. In each issue, high achieving students in the 7th-12th grade are featured and entered to win the $500 "Reach Your Potential" scholarship awarded in January and May.

Teens are recommended by their school or community leaders for excelling in one or more of the following areas: academics, business, leadership, philanthropy, overcoming adversity, citizenship and community service, athletics, and the arts. Potential Magazine's advisory board chooses teens to feature in each issue and select the scholarship winner in May from each of the finalists.

"We love spotlighting teens in Alabama and gaining great advice from their parents," stated Pam Mashburn, publisher of Potential Magazine. Teens who are selected participate in an interview and photo shoot along with their parents for a spotlight feature in the magazine and website. Nomination forms can be found on www.potentialmagazine.com

Montgomery Catholic Names Michael Curry As Head Basketball Coach

Coach Michael Curry

Montgomery Catholic is proud to announce Michael Curry as the new Head Coach for Varsity Boys Basketball. “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Curry to our Montgomery Catholic family,” said Anne Ceasar, President of Montgomery Catholic. “He brings a wealth of experience to our basketball program and we know that he will continue its momentum. We look forward to our new coach being in our new gym!”

Coach Curry was equally enthusiastic about joining the coaching staff.  “I am so excited to be joining the Montgomery Catholic family. This is truly an honor and I look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been laid in this program. I would like to thank Mrs. Ceasar, Principal Castanza and AD Veres for giving me this opportunity to lead the boys basketball program here at Montgomery Catholic.”

Curry comes to Catholic with a long history of high school and collegiate basketball coaching. He spent the past 5 seasons with the Alabama State University Hornets as an assistant men’s basketball coach. Prior to this, he served as an assistant coach for seven seasons at Troy University where he was instrumental in bringing home the Trojans' first-ever Sun Belt regular season title in 2010.

In 2002, Curry started his college coaching career at Okaloosa-Walton after four seasons as head basketball coach at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery. Six of his high school players received college basketball scholarships and one was named Metro Montgomery 6A player of the year.

"We are so excited to welcome Coach Curry to our Montgomery Catholic family," said Athletic Director Daniel Veres. "We took some time to ensure we had the right fit for our program, and we believe Mike is the perfect fit. Personally, I'm excited for all of the student athletes to meet him. I believe they will be blown away by who he is as a coach and by how well he will connect with them as a mentor and leader."

Born into an Air Force family, Curry and his four siblings moved all over the world before settling in Selma, Alabama where his father, CMsgt. Thomas Curry, taught RCIA classes at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Selma following his retirement.  A 1989 Selma High School graduate, Curry played basketball and ran track. As a senior, he was voted Most Valuable Player and finished third in the state high jump. He played basketball at Chattahoochee Valley Community College and at Georgia Southwestern College before earning a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Alabama State University in 1996.

Montgomery Catholic is looking forward to the upcoming season with Coach Curry and the new facility that will house his teams. Construction is ongoing for a 31,000 square foot gymnasium with stadium seating and capacity for 800. The gym will have two regulation basketball courts, a weight room, concession area, offices, locker rooms and conference rooms. The new gym is projected to open in 2019.

Montgomery Catholic Teacher Mindy Walski Selected To Participate In Advanced Placement Program Reading

A teacher from Montgomery Catholic was selected to lead a team of scorers for Advanced Placement (AP) tests by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Mindy Walski, a teacher at the Montgomery Catholic High School campus, has worked as an AP Reader for ETS since 2017 and was selected to be a Scoring Leader for the AP Computer Science Principles exam this year.

Mrs. Walski traveled to Kansas City, MO in June and supervised a team of 8 readers to ensure that tests were scored quickly and that all scores were consistent with the rigorous scoring rubric. The AP Computer Science Principles exam consists of performance tasks that students complete throughout the academic year and an end-of-course exam. The Readers are responsible for evaluating the performance tasks which students can create in a variety of formats, ranging from programming languages like C++ and Java to app-development platforms like Snap! and Firebase. Many colleges and universities accept high AP test scores as college credit and often enable students to place into higher-level classes in that field of study.

Mrs. Walski has worked at Montgomery Catholic since 2012. In addition to being the Media Specialist, she teaches AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, and Honors Statistics. She is also the coach for the CyberPatriot team. Montgomery Catholic is extremely proud to have great educators like Mrs. Walski on our faculty.

The College Board released the following press release to announce Mrs. Walski's participation in AP  test scoring:

NEW YORK – Mindy Walski was selected to participate in the College Board’s Annual AP Reading in Computer Science Principles. Each June, AP teachers and college faculty members from around the world gather in the United States to evaluate and score the free-response sections of the AP Exams.

AP Readers are high school and college educators who represent many of the world’s leading academic institutions. The AP Reading is a unique forum in which an academic dialogue between educators is both fostered and encouraged. “The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer,” said Trevor Packer, Senior Vice President, AP and Instruction at the College Board. “It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Mindy Walski.”

The Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies – with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both – while still in high school. Through AP courses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to analyze complex problems, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue – skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students.

Montgomery Catholic honors 2017-2018 Varsity Athletes

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School honored their varsity athletes for the 2017-2018 year at their annual Varsity Athletic Banquet held at the RSA Activity Center, Tuesday May 1, 2018. Montgomery Catholic fields 16 varsity team sports throughout the year. Mr. Justin Castanza, High School Principal, recognized the four nominees for the Jimmy Hitchcock Award. They were Carrie Belsterling, Jessie Clark, Paige Rentfro and Aleigha Walden. Also recognized were Montgomery Catholic's ninth grade nominees, D.J. Carter, Hollis Johnson, Nona Johnson and Chloe Walden.

Montgomery Catholic has four awards which honor individual team members for their hard work and dedication to their sport. Three of these distinguished awards honor individuals who had tremendous influence on our athletic program: Father Patrick Delahunty, Mr. Joe Fields, and Coach Jack Kresek.

The Father Pat Delahunty Sportsmanship Award, named for the founder of our athletic program, honors the athlete who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship. The Fr. Delahunty Sportsmanship Award winners were Kinley Tadlock and Briana Hollinger (cheer), BJ Barker(football),  Katherine O’Connor(volleyball), Grace Leslie and Sam Leslie (cross country), Carrie Belsterling and Byron Simmons (basketball), Luke Voorhies, Burke Rothstein(wrestling), Ashley Hayes, Jonathan Doan (soccer), Abbygayle Stacey (golf), Carrie Belsterling (softball), Ryan Janson (baseball), Annabel Starrett, Hollis Johnson (indoor track).

The Coach Jack Kresek Coaches Award, named for a much-beloved football coach who led the Knights (then the "Saints") from 1956 until 1961, recognizes the athlete who exhibits strong determination, team effort, dependability, and a winning attitude. The Jack Kresek Coaches Award winners were Carrie Belsterling and Sofie Izer (cheer), Greg Ellis(football), Annie Bach(volleyball), Isabelle Cochran and Manny Caceres(cross country), Paige Rentfro, Alex Jolley and DJ Carter(basketball), Bishop Singleton(wrestling), Claire Mills and Ivann Garcia(soccer), Trey Wilkinson (golf), Angela Gier (tennis), Katherine O’Connor(softball), Colin Neal (baseball), Katie Galvin, Grant Walker and Cole Pierce
(indoor track).

The Joe Fields Leadership Award, named for an outstanding student-athlete from the 1970s who displayed outstanding leadership while attending Montgomery Catholic, honors the athlete who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills to their teammates. The Joe Fields Leadership Award winners were Zy'Keria King and Amiee Azar(cheer), Parker Dennis and Charlie Ryan(football),  Melody Taylor(volleyball), Hannah Kate Magee and Grant Walker(cross country), Jessie Clark and Ryne Herbek(basketball), Jack Burt(wrestling),  Stevie Price(baseball), leigha Walden (softball), Clare Wilson and Braxton Rogers(soccer), Grant Smith(golf), Chole Newell(tennis), Katelyn Stark and Manny Caceres(indoor track).

Each varsity sport names one Most Valuable Player. Montgomery Catholic's MVPs were Carrie Belsterling and Alexis Weber(cheer), Tyler Price(football), Ansley Dean(volleyball), Amaris Tyynismaa and Hollis Johnson(cross country), Aleigha Walden and BJ Barker(basketball), Jason Flowers(wrestling),  Lauren Beverly and Daniel Reeves(soccer), Grant Smith(golf), Grayson Howell(tennis), Aleigha Walden and Jessie Clark(softball), Christian Ivey(baseball),  Amaris Tyynismaa, Isabelle Cochran and Zach Kroeger(indoor track).

Amaris Tyynismaa was recognized for her 4th consecutive 4A Cross Country Championship, and her state championships in the 1600M, and 3200M in indoor track.

The 2018 recipient of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship
was D.J. Carter. Pictured with Athletic Director Daniel Veres.
Photo by Total Image

Montgomery Catholic awarded two scholarships for school tuition. The first was the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship, established in 1998. Initiated by a member of his 1946 football team, the intent of this scholarship is to honor one of Catholic's greatest coaches, whose record of 24 straight wins from 1947-1949 remains a school record. The Furlong scholarship is a partial tuition scholarship given to a high school student who demonstrates a commitment to both extra-curricular and his or her studies. The 2018 recipient of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship was D.J. Carter. The second scholarship given was the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship, established in December of 2013. A partial tuition scholarship awarded annually in Caitlyn’s honor, a 2008 MCPS graduate and varsity athlete who was killed in an automobile accident in 2013. The scholarship is given for one school year to a female student athlete at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s (MCPS) High School Campus.  Caitlyn’s family and friends endowed this scholarship to give another child the opportunity to achieve the type of success that Caitlyn enjoyed in life. Nona Johnson and Claire Mills both received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin.

Nona Johnson and Claire Mills received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's parents, Jim and Lisa Wiggins, her aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin and grandfather, William Hause, Jr. Photo below by: Total Image

The top athletes from each sport are nominated for the Knights of the Round Table Award, which recognizes the top male and female athlete of the year. The Knights of the Round Table nominees were BJ Barker, Jessie Clark, Tyler Price, Daniel Reeves, Paige Rentfro and Aleigha Walden. The Montgomery Catholic 2018 Knights of the Round Table are Aleigha Walden, BJ Barker and Jessie Clark (pictured above).

To close the banquet, Deacon Raymond Gueret of Holy Spirit Catholic Church led the parents and guests in a final blessing for all of the senior athletes.

Congratulations to the 143rd Graduating Class of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School!

On the evening of Tuesday, May 22 the 143rd graduating class of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School gathered in the Sanctuary of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, Superintendent of Education Gwendolyn Byrd, Montgomery Catholic President Anne Ceasar, and High School Principal Justin Castanza were joined by Rev. Patrick Driscoll '84, Rev. Victor Ingalls, Rev. Alex Valladares, Rev. Nicholas Napolitano and Rev. Francis Sofie as the special guests of the class. Salutatorian Anna Marie Nutting and Valedictorian Henry August Petters addressed their fellow graduates, special guests, family and friends after the class received their diplomas from Archbishop Rodi. The class of 2018 along with Alumni sang the Montgomery Catholic Alma Mater "Catholic, Our Refuge" led by Montgomery Catholic teacher Kerri Moore.

Members of the junior and sophomore class hosted the graduates and their families at a reception in the Holy Spirit school gym following the ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Total Image

The 81 members of the Class of 2018 have earned $5.3 million in scholarship offers from 26 colleges and universities across the United States. One graduate received a Medical School acceptance in Korea. The top 20 percent of the class achieved an ACT Composite score of 28-35 and GPAs ranging from 3.87-4.33. Our graduates include: a National Merit Finalist, 11 future college athletes, an AP scholar, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Teen Volunteer of the Year, members of the First Place State Cyber Patriots Team, Boys and Girls State Attendees, a Governor’s School attendee, as well as members of the All-State Choir, All-State Band, All-State Orchestra, All-State Jazz Band, and All-State Solo Competition. Their achievements have energized our Montgomery Catholic family and they have left a new school spirit for future classes to be proud of.

Congratulations to the Class of 2018!

Johnny An, James Avery, Aimee Azar, BJ Barker, Maria Barragan, Bailey Batten, Carter Beesley, Carrie Belsterling, Lauren Beverly, Lita Blackburn, Sophia Boyd, Alexander Brockmann, Amanda Brouillard, Eluna Capleton, Trinity Carter, Christian Caudill, Jessie Clark, Jesus Coloa, Garrett Cook, Hailey Covington, Luke Craig, Cary Dean, Parker Dennis, Jonathan Doan, Greg Ellis Jr., Hunter Ferrall, Katie Fischer, Nicole Foronda, Damaiyas Freeman, Ivann Garcia, Peter Garland, Hannaley Haigler, Daphne Hardy, Ryne Herbek, Briana Hollinger, William Hooper, Kamryn Jackson, Trinity Jackson, Ryan Janson, Marie Johnson, Alex  Jolley, Emily Jones, MaKiya Jones, Gabe Lewandowski, Sarah Beth Littrell, Lizzie Londell, Hannah Kate Magee, Garrett McGinn, Odalyz Montes, Jenni Morgan, Kamryn Morris, Colin Neal, Chloe Newell, Anna Nutting, Isabella Padilla, Henry Petters, Kyriacos Philippou, Matthew Pineda, Steven Price, Tyler Price, Landon Pritchett, Daniel Reeves, Paige Rentfro, Dylon Riley, Braxton Rogers, Charlie Ryan, Coleman Schmidt, Katelyn Stark, Annabel Starrett, Anna Stokes, Matthew Taylor, Maggie Tippett, Marcelo Villena, San Vo, Aleigha Walden, Sole' Webb, Angela Wheat, Luke Whetstone, Trey Wilkinson, Chalsea Williams, Vincent Yang, Samantha Zanglin

Founded in 1873, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is an integral part of the Catholic Church's mission to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. As an adult community, we share in the responsibility to prepare students for college and beyond while helping them grow to become persons of faith, virtue and wisdom

Frances Harbin Named Public Relations Director for Montgomery Catholic

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School names Frances Harbin as the Director of Communications and Marketing.

"We are thrilled to have Frances join our Advancement Team and look forward to working with her as she keeps our community, alumni and others abreast of the wonderful things that are happening at Montgomery Catholic," said Anne Ceasar, school president.

From a military family, Harbin considers herself a native of Texas. She joins Montgomery Catholic with years of customer service experience and four years at a private school in the area. Harbin and her husband, Alan, have been married for three years. They are active members of St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church in Montgomery.

"I feel so blessed to be joining the Montgomery Catholic family. I am inspired by the mission, which calls us to guide the students in our care to develop both spiritually and academically. It will be exciting to promote this wonderful organization to our community and beyond and I look forward this amazing opportunity," said Harbin.

Harbin begins her role as Director of Communications and Marketing on June 1.