Montgomery Catholic Celebrates Homecoming 2019

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School held their annual Homecoming varsity football game on Thursday, October 24, 2019. The Homecoming game and festivities were pushed up a day due to stormy weather expected that Friday, and but Thursday night change did not put a damper on any of the celebrations. Immediately following the 30-0 victory against Headland High School, Montgomery Catholic President Anne Ceasar had the distinct honor of crowning the 2019 Homecoming Queen and King, Miss Anna Michael DuBois and Mr. Minh Tan Vo.

Photo credit: Total Image

The 2019 Montgomery Catholic Homecoming Court, pictured from left to right: Sophomore attendant Auburn Wilcoxson escorted by TJ Dudley; Senior attendant Kinley Tadlock escorted by Christian Ivey; Homecoming Queen and King Anna DuBois and Minh Vo; Senior attendant Katherine O'Connor escorted by Christopher Valencia; Junior attendant Rachel Rodriguez escorted by Kolbe Russo; and Freshman attendant Kayleigh Everage escorted by LJ Green.

Before the game, Mrs. Ceasar, along with Principal Justin Castanza and Athletic Director Daniel Veres, honored the members of the 2019 Girls Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field State Championship team, along with their coaches, and presented them with their State Championship rings.

On Friday evening, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School welcomed all Alumni home with Mass, hosted by the class of 1988 and said by Father Den Irwin, class of 1988. Immediately following, Alumni and their families enjoyed a special Alumni dinner in the new gym’s Partners in Catholic Education (PICE) Knights Arena. Alumni and guests, including the classes of 1959, 1988, 1994, 1999, and 2009 who were celebrating reunions, enjoyed a delicious meal from Jim-N-Nick’s Bar-B-Q while catching up with old classmates.

The week leading up to the Homecoming football game was full of activities and excitement, including themed spirit days and the high school field day. On Thursday evening, the first-ever elementary Squire Walk was held. Students from the St. Bede and Holy Spirit campuses processed through the inflatable helmet to greet the Big Knights varsity football team as they took the field. A shut-out victory over Headland capped off the Knights’ perfect 10-0 season, a feat not seen since 1979. After the Alumni finished their meal, the Middle School campus held their fall dance in the Dolly Barranco Center. The High School campus ended the week with their Homecoming Dance on Saturday.

Montgomery Zoo Visits Montgomery Catholic Middle School

Montgomery Catholic’s middle school students were treated to an afternoon with the zoo without having to leave campus. Valerie Castanza, Danielle Crowe, and their team from the Montgomery Zoo brought some furry, feathered, and scaly critters to teach the students about the natural habitats and behaviors of different animals. The kids got to meet some animals that are native to Alabama—Desoto, a gopher tortoise; Helena, a great horned owl; Rusti, a screech owl; and Phoenix, a red-tailed hawk. These are all animals that could be seen in the wild in the Southeastern United States, and unfortunately, several of them have made their way into the care of the zoo because of injuries sustained from encounters with humans. The zoo crew also brought some friends from Down Under: Kook, a blue kookaburra, and Anala, a dingo. Both animals are natives of Australia and are a unique sight for those of us in the US.

While it was a fun presentation, the students also learned about the impact that humans have on our animal friends through the use of pesticides, littering, and improper care of pets. They learned a lot about the personal stories of each one of the animal ambassadors and ways they can help with the zoo through the Zooteen program.  The variety of animals was truly a delight for the students, and they had a wonderful time learning about each one.

Montgomery Catholic Marching Band Celebrates Successes

Montgomery Catholic may have a relatively young band program, but it has come a long way in its short history. In 2010 when Director of Bands Alex Johnson first started at Montgomery Catholic, the marching band only had 12 members. Nicknamed “The Dirty Dozen,” the small but dedicated group of musicians kept the fans entertained throughout the football season. Today, the marching band has over 60 musicians and auxiliary who take the field at every varsity football game, both at home and away. During each game, they provide musical entertainment with stand tunes and cheers that they choreograph with the varsity cheerleaders. Not only has the band increased in number year after year, but also it has accumulated countless accolades and recognition. Led by Johnson and his band director wife, Kristine, and assisted by interns from local universities, the program has flourished in recent years, both on the field and on the stage.

“This has only been possible because of the continued commitment of the students,” said Johnson. “No band program can run without outstanding student leadership, and each group in the Catholic band has been mentored by those before them. It’s been a legacy of excellence.”

When it comes to leadership, the students are expected to take charge, especially because the marching band includes 7^th and 8^th grade students in various roles. Like any other marching band, Montgomery Catholic relies on older students to teach marching techniques to new members, run sectional rehearsals, and ensure that each group under their supervision both looks and sounds good. In addition to that, each section must work with each other to maintain the integrity of the show. Starting with band camp in the summer and continuing throughout the football season, the band must rehearse several times a week to improve and perfect their show. The students spend countless hours together, and they learn to act as a cohesive unit.

“It can be challenging to balance leadership and friendship with those in your section,” said junior Angela Gier, high brass section leader. “But our role is so important, and it’s rewarding to watch as everyone improves and grows throughout the season.”

In addition to playing at every football game, the marching band also performs in marching competitions in the area. Since they only participate in two contests during the season, the students feel a lot of pressure to ensure their performance is flawless. In the past two years alone, the band has won “Overall Best in Class” at each competition they have been to, and they had also picked up several category awards, such as for auxiliary, drumline, pit percussion, woodwinds, and brass. For the past five appearances at the Jacksonville State Contest of Champions, the Montgomery Catholic drum major has won “Best in Class,” including this year’s drum major, senior Bobby Crawford.

“It’s almost a dynasty going on,” said Johnson. “No pressure or anything for future drum majors!”

On top of the demanding marching schedule, the band classes also have been preparing for the upcoming fall and winter concert season. Johnson, who also serves as the District 6 Chairman for the Alabama Bandmasters Association, believes that classroom emphasis should be on concert band as it provides an important academic and artistic learning environment.

“Marching band is just one spoke of the wheel,” he said. “Concert band is the hub of that wheel. It is truly where one learns the art and the science of music.”

While all Montgomery Catholic bands, grades 5 through 12, will be performing their annual Christmas concert on December 5, the high school band will also take the stage for an exhibition show on November 5. This is the first time that the high school band has done an additional show in the fall, but Johnson believes that the high school band needs another opportunity to perform.

“The high school band this year is an exceptional group, and they needed another outlet to showcase their talents,” said Johnson.

The November exhibition will feature classic concert band favorites Molly on the Shore by Percy Grainger, First Suite in E Flat by Gustav Holst, Elegy for a Young American by Lo Presti, and Riders for the Flag by John Philip Sousa.

Starting with 12 in the high school and currently standing at around 130 from 5^th grade to 12^th, the Montgomery Catholic band program has come leaps and bounds from the Dirty Dozen days and now requires a larger, more specialized facility. The second phase of the Montgomery Catholic capital campaign, Building on Faith, Family and Tradition, is moving into its final stages now that the first phase, the construction of the new gym, is complete. The project sees the conversion of the old Fr. Pat Delahunty Gym into a climate-controlled fine and performing arts building that will house the band, choral, and drama departments. The renovated building will have classrooms for band and chorus, individual practice rooms, instrument storage, and offices for staff. There will also be a student center which will serve as a gathering space to facilitate club meetings and other activities. Renovation on this new space is ongoing; completion is estimated to be during the winter of this year.

Montgomery Catholic Robotics Teams Qualify for State Competition

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s 2019-2020 robotics competition season is in full swing, and already the RoboKnights have their eyes set on qualifying for the VEX Robotics World Championships. So far, two teams, “Happy Little Accidents” and “The Sevies,” have qualified to compete in the Alabama state competition in the spring.

In the 2018-2019 season, the RoboKnights robots “Lost in the Ross,” “Mamushi,” and “Flex Tape” earned spots in the state competition. Each robot had a strong showing at the state level and Lost in the Ross ended up as a tournament finalist and advanced to the VEX Robotics World Championships that were held in Louisville, Kentucky on April 24-27, 2019. Although Worlds marked the conclusion of that competition season, there was little rest for the teams as the next season’s challenge was announced during Worlds: Tower Takeover. For the RoboKnights, planning began immediately, starting their first builds in May and continuing throughout the summer, even while school was out of session.

“I want to win the state competition,” declared senior Arthur Murray, member of Happy Little Accidents and Lost in the Ross. “We were tournament finalists last year, but we want to win this time. We had to get a head start so we’ve been working on our Tower Takeover robot since Worlds.”

Tower Takeover requires robots to place stacks of colored cubes into the corners of the playing field and to place single cubes into “towers” in the middle of the playing field that serve as point multipliers. Robots work in alliances of two to try to score the most points against another alliance of two robots. Since it is early in the season, most teams have focused on completing one task only—either stacking cubes for base points or picking up and placing cubes for point multipliers—and allying with a robot who completes the complementing task.

“We have a grabber robot right now, but we’re working on a stacker robot, too,” said Harrison Vaughn. His team, The Sevies, comprised only of 7^th grade students who are in their first year of robot competition, has qualified for the state competition. Happy Little Accidents is a stacker robot, and the two allied at the recent Bots at the Fair competition at the Alabama National Fair with great results. The score in the final round was 53-10.

Montgomery Catholic will host the River Region Tower Takeover Qualifying Tournament on November 2 and the River Region Tower Takeover Qualifying Tournament II on February 15. The RoboKnights are proud to host their competitions in Montgomery Catholic’s new gym, which features stadium seating that gives spectators a good view of the playing fields from the stands.

Montgomery Catholic Elementary Choirs Make Beautiful Music

Each week at every Montgomery Catholic campus, the students attend Mass together, and having music is important to the order of worship. Every campus has a choir that helps to lead that music ministry, comprised entirely of students. At the St. Bede and Holy Spirit elementary campuses, 3^rd through 6^th graders prepare, rehearse, and perform the music for Mass, which is attended by the students and the wider community.

Mass is not the only place where the children perform. The St. Bede campus choir takes their show on the road and performs at the Junior League of Montgomery’s annual Holiday Market. They entertain shoppers and get them in the mood for the Christmas season. The Holy Spirit choir visits the Montgomery Public Schools Children’s Center and performs a holiday concert for the students there, bringing some much-needed joy when the weather gets chilly.

Sixth grade teacher Mary Pears leads the choir at the St. Bede campus. While she frets every summer about the number of sixth graders who move up to middle school, the fall always brings a new group of eager singers.

“After school ends in May, I just pray that we will be able to fill the choir when school starts,” said Mrs. Pears. “Year after year, I am never disappointed.”

At Holy Spirit, kindergarten teacher and choir leader Ellie Burden welcomes new students into the choir after Labor Day so that new students have a chance to hear the choir sing and get excited about joining. One additional architectural feature of the church also spurs interest.

“They love going into the choir loft,” said Burden. “I think that is a huge bonus for our kids.”

Some students needed no convincing at all to join the choir. Third grade student Estrella Strobbe, who is originally from Mexico, said that she was hooked from the first time she heard the choir sing.

“I first started singing when I lived in Mexico,” Estrella said. “After we moved to America and I started at Holy Spirit, I heard the choir and now I’m working on my own voice!”

The choir is an extracurricular activity that teaches students about melody, harmony, rhythm, and basic music literacy.

“We learn a lot about different parts of songs, like ‘fancy endings,’” said St. Bede 5^th grader Frances Bach. Codas, or “fancy endings” as Pears like to call them, add a special flourish to conclude many songs in a special and memorable way.

“We also learned how to sing Ave Maria in Latin. That was pretty cool.”

Some students contribute to the choir with talents other than their voices. Ethan Levanda, a 4^th grader at Holy Spirit, works with the soundboard up in the choir loft.

“I have to wear special headphones that allow me to hear what the people down below hear,” he said. “If it’s too low, I turn it up. If it’s too loud, I turn it down. My job is to make it sound good.”

Montgomery Catholic Student Volunteers with US Open Dream Court Delegation

Most teenage girls, when given the opportunity to see their favorite band in concert, jump to the chance. When Montgomery Catholic junior Ellie Pool was offered tickets to see the Jonas Brothers in concert for her birthday, she gracefully turned them down.

“I love the Jonas Brothers, but I didn’t even give it a second thought,” said Ellie. “I wanted to spend Labor Day weekend with Dream Court.”

Dream Court Montgomery is an organization whose mission is to teach tennis and life skills to children and adults who are differently-abled. Through a partnership with Net Generation, an initiative of the United States Tennis Association to make tennis accessible to people of all ages and abilities, a delegation of Dream Court Athletes and their coaches were invited to experience the excitement of the US Open in New York City. Ellie, along with other adult and youth volunteers, accompanied 18 Dream Court athletes to Arthur Ashe Stadium where they got to showcase their skills on the court in front of thousands of spectators. As a bonus, some of them also had an opportunity to meet top-level tennis stars, like Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

A tennis player herself, Ellie has volunteered with Dream Court for the past two years and spends several hours each weekend working with different athletes. Through coaching and encouragement, she helps them to develop physical fitness and boost their confidence on the tennis court. The athletes she works with come from a variety of ages and abilities, but she says that in a way, they are all the same.

“These athletes are so happy,” said Ellie. “I can’t really describe it. They have this joy in them that is contagious, and I love seeing them week after week.”

The happiness and excitement of these athletes carried over to the US Open Experience. While waiting to enter the court, one of her athletes began to cry. Concerned, Ellie asked her what was wrong.

“The girl was crying excited tears,” she said. “She told me, ‘I am just so happy right now. I can’t believe that I’m about to walk onto the court where Serena Williams plays.’”

Ellie’s parents wanted to surprise her with concert tickets for her upcoming birthday, but when notification of the trip with Dream Court to the US Open came up over the summer, they had to let the cat out of the bag and asked her which trip she wanted more. The answer surprised them, and Ellie said that she had to do a lot of persuading to convince them that she was serious.

“I couldn’t believe that anyone would turn down Jonas Brothers tickets,” said Ellie’s father, Jimmy Pool. “I told her that this would be a work trip, but she is really passionate about volunteering with Dream Court athletes and wanted to make this experience the best she could for them.”

While a trip to the Big Apple is a trip of a lifetime, Ellie took her volunteer responsibilities seriously and had to make sure her daily tasks were completed, including setting up automated reminders to the group, laying out the next day’s outfits and equipment, doing laundry, and handing out snacks. Even though there was a lot of work to do, the Dream Court delegation still had ample time for fun activities. The group got to take a bus tour of the city, caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, and watched a Broadway production of Disney’s Aladdin.

When asked if she would do it again, Ellie’s answer was as quick as when she was first offered the opportunity.

“Yes. In a heartbeat.”