Friday, November 20, 2020

Brittany Bradley Named Montgomery Catholic Director of Communications & Marketing


Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School names Brittany Bradley as the new Director of Communications and Marketing.


"
I am so excited for Brittany and for Montgomery Catholic.  She brings an exemplary
level of experience and professionalism to a position that will continue to propel Montgomery Catholic into a bright future.  As an alum, a current parent, an experienced graphic designer, and a devout Catholic, Montgomery Catholic could not ask for a better person to lead our marketing and communications efforts,
" said Justin Castanza, school president.

A native of Montgomery, Bradley is a 2003 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School alumna. She holds a BFA from Auburn University and joins Montgomery Catholic with fourteen years of advertising and marketing experience. Bradley and her husband, Josh, have been married for 12 years and have three daughters, Ella, Kate and Nora. They are active members of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Montgomery.

"I am honored to accept the position of Director of Marketing and Communications at Montgomery Catholic. I look forward to working with the rest of the Advancement Team to inspire our students and to share all that MCPS has to offer with the greater Montgomery community," said Bradley.

Bradley begins her role as Director of Communications and Marketing on December 1.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Honors All Veteran's on November 11

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School was proud to honor Veteran's on each Campus with special tributes both Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 before being out of school on November 11 in observance of this special day of remembrance for all those who have served our country.

  

Monday, November 9, 2020 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Holy Spirit Campus invited parents, along with retired and active duty military and first responder family members to drive through a very special "parade". Students from pre-school to sixth grade lined the carpool lane with hand made signs honoring all of their parents, grandparents and extended family members who have served our country and said thank you as each car passed. 90 names were included and flags were waved to honor these special members of the Knight Nation.


On Tuesday, November 10 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's St. Bede elementary campus read “America's White Table”, by Margot Theis Raven. 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.

Also on the 10th, grades 7-12 were surprised by a special guest speaker, one of Montgomery Catholic's own who is currently deployed. The Fleet family joined students for Mass where the entire student body was surprised by a live Facetime call with Lieutenant Colonel John Fleet, U.S. Army after Mass. LTC Fleet is the father of three Montgomery Catholic students, Alex (10th), Aidan (7th) and Kate (5th) and husband to Montgomery Catholic parent volunteer Erin Fleet.

LTC Fleet addressed the entire student body, and explained his roll in the military and the importance of Veteran's Day.

"I am currently serving as the Chief of Staff for a special operations aviation unit based in Qatar.  As the Chief of Staff I have the privilege of supporting mission commanders and directing the staff’s efficient support for aviation operations across countries in the Middle East and Central Asia," said Fleet. 


Fleet has been a Soldier in the Alabama Army National Guard for over 27 years, joining in 1993 while a junior at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama.  "During my career as an Army aviator and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot I have had the honor of supporting humanitarian relief operations throughout the southeastern United States as well as serving overseas in Kosovo, Iraq, Kuwait, Romania, Jordan, and Qatar."

When asked about the importance of Veteran's Day,  Fleet said, "Essential to mission accomplishment are military families, whose shared sacrifice, dedication and support enable service members to focus on their mission.  Military families deserve the same appreciation we bestow on our service members and veterans."




Montgomery Catholic 7-12 principal Mrs. Eileen Aaron asked Fleet why he served, and his answer brought tears to the eyes of his family, the students and staff. "Above all, the military embodies service above self, being part of something larger than yourself is one of the truly remarkable benefits of military service," said Fleet.

"I appreciated Lieutenant Colonel Fleet's remarks to the students about why he serves.  As a Catholic school, we teach our students that sacrifice and service beyond self are essential to loving others, just as Christ died on the cross," said Aaron.  

Montgomery Catholic was honored to have LTC John Fleet share his story with our school community. The school honors all of the military personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in our MCPS family and in our community. This Veterans Day MCPS prayed 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 along with their families.

Montgomery Catholic Spelling Bee Winners


Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's  Holy Spirit elementary campus held their school wide spelling bee for grades 4-6 on Tuesday, November 17. The participants from the fourth grade were Claire  Blanks and Landon Widmer. From fifth grade Claire Aaron, Liz Bromen, Lily Logsdon, and Carlos Medina. From sixth grade Anna Rose Schwarz, and Lailah Stovall. Congratulations to the MCPS Holy Spirit campus winner Anna Rose Schwarz and runner up, Claire Aaron.



Friday, November 06, 2020

All Saints Day at Montgomery Catholic November 1, 2020


Montgomery Catholic Preparatory school turned a typical Friday into a celebration for its students! All Saint’s Day was celebrated on November 1, followed by All Souls Day on November 2. MCPS celebrates all Holy Feast days but wanted to make this one extra special for their students. The goal of this celebration was to bring liveliness to the faith so that the students may feel inspired to live out their lives in Christ. The initiative was developed by Montgomery Catholic’s Vice-Principal Laura Reilly and  Director of Faith Formation Tom Riello. Ms. Reilly has lived all over the world, serving the International school community as both a teacher and a school leader.  She drew her inspiration from her travels, specifically the many Mexican feast day celebrations.  

The students at MCPS kicked off the week by choosing one patron saint per classroom during their second-period class. The students designed a saint name card and displayed them in the hallways outside each classroom. Throughout the week, teachers presented lessons about their patron saint. History teachers provided lessons about their room saint in a historical and geographical context.  English teachers taught lessons using a piece of literature or film written about or by their classroom saint. In theology class, teachers taught about the lives of their chosen saint. On Friday the marching band performed "When the Saints Go Marching In " and the choir performed "He Never Failed Me Yet" for the Middle School students. Middle School Assistant Principal Mrs. Julie Wood and Middle School Counselor Mrs. Mary Kelly served the refreshments provided by our MCPS PTC mothers.


Pope Gregory III established All Saints Day as an official holy day of obligation after dedicating a chapel to all of the saints in Saint Peter’s in Rome on November 1 (731-741). After the chapel was dedicated, November 1 became the official All Saint’s Day. This day honors all saints, known and unknown. Although many canonized saints have their feast day, All Saints Day seeks to honor ALL saints, both canonized and not.