Montgomery Catholic's Loretto Chapter of National Honor Society Welcomes New Members

On February 19, 2019, the Loretto Chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 32 new members into its ranks. NHS President Anna Catherine Barranco, Vice President Isabelle Cochran, and Treasurer Annie Bach welcomed the inductees and acknowledged the high level of achievement in academics, leadership, character, and service required for them to join NHS. Loretto Chapter advisor Jeanene Crenshaw, MCPS President Anne Ceasar, and High School Principal Justin Castanza presented each senior with the graduation stole that will be worn on graduation day.

The National Honor Society (NHS), established in 1921, is a national recognition program for students who show achievement in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. High School students are selected for membership through an application process and are selected by the faculty council. Candidates must meet the chapter's requirement for scholarship, service, leadership, and character in order to be selected for membership. Continued participation in service projects and upholding the ideals of the school are required to retain membership. Members must also maintain the chapter's required cumulative grade point average, 3.75.

The inductees to the Loretto Chapter of National Honor Society are: Manny Caceres, Rhys Holifield, Darius Kindle, Demetrios Philippou, Isabelle Saliba, Lorissa Algarin, Sarah Rose Burden, Jack Burt, Tanner Carter, Olivia Cheriyan, Bobby Crawford, Ansley Dean, Nathan Downes, Lainie Doyle, Aidan Firman, Jason Flowers, Victoria Hall, Ashley Hayes, Michael Hodges, Sofia Izer, Savannah Johnson, Denalie Mosakowski, Scott Nation, Katherine O’Connor, Charlie O’Donnell, Katherine Perkins, Anna Sadie, Landry Samuels, Elizabeth Speirs, Kinley Tadlock, Chris Valencia, and Clare Wilson.

The class of 2019 members who received their honor stoles are Mitch Aaron, Annie Bach, Anna Catherine Barranco, Manny Caceres, Isabelle Cochran, Austin Collett, Jacob Flowers, Christian Friday, Katie Galvin, Emma Gandy, Jonah Gier, Reagan Herbek, Rhys Holifield, Tate Holifield, Jacob Holston, Caroline Justice, Darius Kindle, Zy’Keria King, Zac Kroeger, Grace Leslie, Maddie Losik, Kathleen Madden, Thomas McLaughlin, Claire Mills, Demetrios Phillipou, Zoe Rutland, Isabelle Saliba, Chloe Smith, Virginia Speirs, Sydney Sprowl, Emily Claire Talbot, Melody Taylor, Amaris Tyynismaa, and Grant Walker.

Montgomery Catholic Represented at 2019 Alabama Youth Legislature

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School had another great year at the YMCA Youth in Government Youth Legislature with the largest number of delegates attending from MCPS in the past few years. Junior Aidan Firman served as a Justice on the Supreme Court. Seniors Christian Friday, Nick Brown and Austin Collett were recognized with honor cords for participating every year in high school. Junior Anna Sadie was chosen as the 2nd alternate delegate to the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs this summer, which is a big accomplishment.

Our first-year delegates did exceptionally well, with Freshmen Zach Izer, Julienne Pharrams, and

Titus Franklin being recognized as Outstanding Statesmen. Bills by Julienne Pharrams and Aniya Lowery, as well as Zach Izer, were debated and passed on the floor, and Zach Izer's bill "Abolishing Solitary Confinement for Juveniles" was one of just fourteen bills signed into law by the Youth Governor.

The Youth Legislature delegates for Montgomery Catholic this year are Austin Collett, Christian Friday, Nick Brown, Jack Burt, Aidan Firman, Patrick Flores, Michael Hodges, Anna Sadie, Ellie Pool, Ada Zeigler, Will Driver, Titus Franklin, Zach Izer, Aniya Lowery, and Julienne Pharrams.

According to the YMCA Youth in Government website, this program "gives youth the opportunity to learn firsthand about government and civic issues by taking an active role in the democratic process, boosting youth development and contributing to a stronger community." The Youth Legislature program is a mock legislature that teaches students bill writing, lobbying, and parliamentary procedure, as well as helping to develop leadership skills and knowledge of public policy.

Montgomery Catholic Names Sellers Dubberley as Head Volleyball Coach

Photo courtesy of Capital City Juniors Volleyball Club (www.capitalcityjuniors.com)

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is proud to announce Sellers Dubberley as the new head coach for volleyball. “Montgomery Catholic has a rich history in academics and athletics in this city,” said Anne Ceasar, President of Montgomery Catholic. “We are thrilled to have Coach Dubberley become a part of both. He will be an integral part of our strong academic and our vibrant volleyball programs. He is impressive on a personal level and I feel that he will be able to share his passion with our students on the court and in the classroom.”

Coach Dubberley expressed his excitement for joining the Montgomery Catholic coaching team. “I’ve heard only good things about Catholic and was excited when the opportunity presented itself,” he said. “Coach Daniel Veres and the administration really did a great job of making me feel welcome from the start.”

"We are ecstatic to be able to bring aboard a coach of the caliber of Sellers,” said Athletic Director Daniel Veres. “His success speaks volumes about coaching ability and, quite frankly, the candidate pool for me was one. We are looking forward to elevating our volleyball program just as the excitement grows for the opening of our new facility. We will give Coach Dubberley every bit of support he needs to succeed here at Montgomery Catholic."

Although he has a relatively short coaching history, Dubberley’s impeccable record of excellence illustrates his ability to build a winning culture. Since 2012, he has coached the Under-12 Capital City Juniors volleyball team, which remains undefeated against teams in Alabama and has made five consecutive USA Volleyball girls junior national championships appearances. From 2016 to this past season as head volleyball coach at Edgewood Academy, his teams have won 2 varsity state championships with 1 state runner-up and 3 consecutive junior varsity state championships.

When asked about how he had been able to build up these high-achieving teams, Coach Dubberley said that it’s all about attitude. “Building a program the right way takes time but there can be tremendous improvement simply from changing the mindset of those in and around it,” he said about his approach. “Those who know me know that I’m not willing to settle for mediocrity and I don’t allow my players to, either. I push players beyond the limits that they’ve set for themselves so they can see what they’re really capable of. Watching it finally click for those kids who are willing to buy in and put in the work is what it’s all about.”

A Montgomery native, Coach Dubberley attended Auburn University at Montgomery and is a multisport athlete with a love for baseball. He and his wife Sarah have 2 boys: Grady, 2, and Brooks, 6 months. Sarah is also a volleyball coach with the Capital City Juniors and together with Sellers they have 5 consecutive Nationals appearances. The Dubberley family enjoys family time, outdoor activities and, of course, sports.

Montgomery Catholic is looking forward to the upcoming season with Coach Dubberley and the new facility that will house his teams. Construction is ongoing for a 35,000 square foot gymnasium with stadium seating and capacity for 850. The gym will have two regulation volleyball courts, a weight room, concession area, offices, locker rooms and conference rooms. The new gym is projected to open later in 2019.

Montgomery Catholic Girls Indoor Track Team Honored by Mayor Strange

The Montgomery Catholic girls indoor track team took home the state championship trophy, and the award did not go unnoticed. The Lady Knights team and their coaches, Ed Wright and Hollis Johnson, were invited to City Hall to be publicly recognized by Mayor Todd Strange before the city council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, February 19, 2019. One by one, the champions were called to the floor, congratulated on their individual performances, and given a certificate of recognition from the mayor.

Montgomery Catholic Cross Country Coach Ed Wright was selected as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Boys’ High School Coach of the Year for the state of Alabama for the 2018 cross country season. Coach Wright serves as the head coach for the boys and girls cross country teams at Montgomery Catholic, both of which won the state championship in the 2018 season, and also coaches the indoor and outdoor boys and girls track teams. The outdoor track season is fast approaching, and the Knights are hoping to take home another state title this season.

Montgomery Catholic Celebrates 51 Years In Fr. Pat Delahunty Gym With Final Hoop-Rah

It was standing room only on February 12 as crowds packed into the gym at the main campus of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School for the AHSAA boys basketball sub-regional match up against the Headland Rams, as it would be the last game that would ever be played in it. The Father Pat Delahunty Memorial Gym has hosted countless athletic events, practices, pep rallies, and graduations since it opened in 1968. Students, coaches, athletes, alumni, and families from far and wide came to watch the final game. Before tip off, President Anne Ceasar and High School Principal Justin Castanza recognized the past, present, and future of MCPS athletics: Former athletic directors, coaches, and players joined the current lineup on the court and paid this 51-year old athletic complex a fond farewell.

While the game did not go in the Knights’ favor, it truly was a nail-biter and the Catholic varsity boys basketball team fought down to the very last second. The Knights ended their season with 51 points on the board, perhaps a fitting farewell to this 51-year old facility.

Many members of the Knights family came together for this historic occasion and said "hats off" to Fr. Pat Delahunty and his legacy. ADs, coaches, players, students, and families stayed after to sign their names on the gym floor, forever leaving their marks.

Montgomery Catholic applauds all athletic teams, but a special thanks goes out to Coach Curry and his varsity boys basketball team for giving us this one last opportunity in our gym. We look forward to the next chapter in Montgomery Catholic Knights athletics when we open our new, 35,000 square foot athletic complex in the coming months. Following the completion of the new gym, the Fr. Pat Delahunty gym will be converted to a fine and performing arts building with band and choir classrooms, individual practice areas, and a student center.

Montgomery Catholic Holy Spirit Students Celebrate Chinese New Year

On Tuesday, February 5^th, the Lunar New Year was celebrated all over the world in places like China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Holy Spirit elementary campus. Each year, the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School elementary campuses learn about and celebrate the culture, customs, language, and food from a different country in the world. Earlier in the school year, the St. Bede campus studied Spain. At Holy Spirit, the timing could not have been more perfect for teacher Kidd Qu. Mr. Qu, who teaches Mandarin Chinese at all Montgomery Catholic campuses through a partnership with the Confucius Institute at AUM, helped to organize a celebration of the Lunar New Year, an important holiday in China and countries and communities influenced by Chinese diaspora.

While the students already learn about Chinese language and culture as part of their regular enrichment, Cultural Day gave them an opportunity to experience some additional traditions that only take place during new year celebrations. Throughout the day, the students made crafts like lanterns, masks, and fans inspired by the themes around the new year. At the end of the day, all the students gathered in the gym and sang “新年好" (Xīnnián Hǎo Ya), a song to ring in the new year, and played games that tested their knowledge of Chinese language, hanzi characters, geography, and culture. The older students acted out a traditional Chinese wedding and presented a quick fashion show to the school. Ms. Yunjia Yang, an instructor at the Confucius Institute at AUM, demonstrated a traditional Chinese dance. To cap it all off, everyone got to take home bags with unique Chinese snacks, like puffed rice cakes, spicy peas, and different kinds of candies and sweets. 

Montgomery Catholic High School Student Is Self-Taught Piano Prodigy

If you’ve ever taken a stroll through Montgomery Catholic’s Dolly Barranco Center during the high school’s break time or during 7th period, you may have heard what sounds like a virtuoso piano concert taking place.  In fact, it is sophomore Myles Jordan, who has been honing his piano skills for the past nine years. Remarkably, until about a year ago, he had played only by ear. Able to pick out the subtleties of the tunes he hears, Myles can imitate almost any song with perfect accuracy.
“Starting when I was 7 years old, I would listen to recordings of Mozart, Bach, and Chopin, pick out the melodies, and then go from there,” Myles said about his ability. “I would listen to the pieces over and over and build the songs from what I heard.”

Being completely self-taught and having never read sheet music before, it was only after reading about the journey of world-renowned concert pianist Lang Lang that Myles sought music lessons. He says that now, instead of just imitating what he hears, reading a score gives him insight into what the composer was aiming to do, and he feels more of a connection to each piece he plays. Also, because he does not need to hear the songs beforehand, a world of new options has opened for him.
“I like to play obscure composers, mainly because I enjoy the challenge, but also because there are fewer expectations from the audience for it to sound like a recording they’ve already heard,” Myles said. “I have an opportunity to make it my own and interpret it the way I want to.” One such tune is Étincelles (French for “sparks”) by Moritz Moszkowski, which he practices often while at school. He hopes that by playing lesser-known composers he can also bring more awareness of them to a broader audience.

Myles recently performed at his debut concert at Frazer Memorial Methodist Church earlier in January, and now that he has had a taste of the stage he looks forward to more performances. He hopes to be able to hold a solo concert for the Montgomery Catholic community, as well act as an accompanist for other musicians and vocalists.

Although graduation is still a few years away, Myles is certain about what his future holds. “I want to eventually get my doctorate in piano performance and pedagogy,” he said without hesitation. “I want to teach and develop other talented piano players. I want to inspire others in the way that my teachers have inspired me. This is my spark, my passion. This is what I love to do the most in the world.”