GRADE SCHOOLS

Parochial League crowns champions

Overbrook third-grader a top 10 winner in national essay contest

St. Edward School going green

St. Joseph inducts new members of honor society

St. Joseph students collect raisins for Haiti

HIGH SCHOOLS

JPII chorus sings on public television program

St. Cecilia Academy swim team sends six swimmers to state

Grade Schools...

Parochial League crowns champions

Christ the King School, Holy Rosary Academy and St. Henry School took home championships in the recent Parochial League basketball tournament, which concluded, Sunday, Feb. 28, at Father Ryan High School.

Christ the King claimed titles for both the boys and girls seventh and eighth grade varsity teams in the small school division. The girls team topped St. Rose of Lima School in Murfreesboro by a score of 27-21 in the championship game, and the boys claimed their title with a 40-25 win over St. Bernard Academy.

St. Matthew School finished third in the small school girls tournament and Overbrook School finished fourth. In the boys small schools tournament, St. Ann finished third and St. Rose fourth.

Holy Rosary’s boys team won the large school division tournament, with a win over St. Edward School, capping off an undefeated season. St. Joseph finished third and St. Henry fourth.

St. Henry’s girls team capped their season with a win over St. Joseph in the large school championship game. Holy Rosary finished third and St. Edward fourth.

In the junior varsity tournaments, the girls champion was St. Joseph, followed by St. Henry 1, St. Matthew and St. Henry 2. The boys junior varsity champion was St. Joseph, followed by Holy Rosary Blue, St. Edward White and St. Henry 3.

	Holy Rosary Academy boys seventh and eighth grade varsity team won the Parochial League large school basketball tournament championship. Team players included: (front row, L-R) Zak Messer, Dalton Eden, Jack Shoulders, Isaac King, Coach Mitch Stephens; (standing) Coach Bob Gallagher, Alec Sypert, Landon Knoll, Jacob Polman, Nicholas Sadler, Henry Wright, Austin Coode, Daniel Schroder, Jonathan Cook, Brendan Spelta and Coach Kevin Gallagher. Photo submitted by Holy Rosary Academy
The St. Joseph School boys junior varsity basketball team won the recent Parochial League tournament. Team members include: Landon Carroll, Luke Whittington, Nick Hauck, Hunter Williams, Whitt Little, Thomas O’Berry, Bryson Crear, Luke Pulliza, Johnny Hackett, Chase Hipsher, Parker Gupton, Christopher Webb, Curtis Holbert and Coach Duane Carroll.Photo submitted by St. Joseph School	The St. Joseph School girls junior varsity basketball team won the recent Pariochial League tournament. Team members include: Maggie Mann, Carlie Campbell, Goretti Onaghinor, Grace McQueeney, Brianna Peach, Sarah Forcino, Keeley Bryan, Comfort Onaghinor and Hailee Crawford. Coaches are Doug Mann and Jody Brothers. Photo submitted by St. Joseph School
Christ the King girls seventh and eighth grade varsity team won the Parochial League small school division basketball tournament. Team members included: (front row) Margaret Holmes, Sylvia Coutras, Abby Grover, Bridget Sullivan, Rachel Grover, Kiera Reeves, Abby Bontrager, Sve Linstrom; (back row) Emma Collins and Sarah Wehby. Coaches were Mark Vance and Bill O’Bryan. Photo submitted by Christ the King School	Christ the King boys seventh and eighth grade varsity team won the Parochial League small school division basketball tournament. Team members included: (kneeling) Sean Vance, Philip Clark, Rhett Wyatt, Michael Canonico, Sam Wigger; (second row) Gus Palmer, Stephen Stejskal, Joseph Holzmer, Conner Brown, William Downey; (third row) Bailey Holmes, Patrick Brunner, Max Stoffer, Jackson Pittman, Reilly Doyle; and coaches Dan Catignani on the left, Ryan Curran behind the players and Chuck Curran on the right. Photo submitted by Christ the King School

Overbrook third-grader a top 10 winner in national essay contest

Overbrook third-grader Kate Sullivan was one of only 10 students across the nation to win the MENC: The National Association for Music Education 2010 “Music! Just Imagine…” Essay Contest.

The essay contest challenged K-6 music students to write about the ways they were inspired by music starting with the phrase “I imagine …” The essays were judged by a panel of association members. Of the more than 200 entries, 10 were chosen as the top winners. A selection of the winners’ essays will be featured in the 2010 World’s Largest Concert®, a sing-along event sponsored by MENC. The 2010 World’s Largest Concert will take place on Thursday, March 11, in schools and communities throughout the nation and around the world.

Kate participated in the essay contest during music class with Paulette Hatalosky, Overbrook’s music teacher.

“Kate has always been a very attentive music student,” Mrs. Hatalosky said. “She is very sweet and unassuming. I know she loves to perform by the way her face lit up with excitement way back in kindergarten music class when we began learning dance moves. Kate has a natural gift for writing. I think Kate puts her heart into everything she does. That is what the arts are all about.”

Kate’s essay was about the music in nature that surrounds us. “I was so excited and happy when I found out I won,” Kate said. “Even my (homeroom) teacher Mrs. (Amy) Hollahan was screaming.”

The other top 10 winners were from Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. For more information on the World’s Largest Concert and to read the “Music! Just Imagine…” Essay Contest top winners’ essays, visit  http://www.menc.org/resources/view/miosm-k-6-essay-writing-contest.

Overbrook School music teacher Paulette Hatalosky and third grade student Kate Sullivan recently celebrated her selection as one of 10 winners in a national essay contest about music.

St. Edward School going green

St. Edward School has placed a special emphasis on being responsible for the environment this year, forming the Eco-committee, informally known as the “Green Team.”

The purpose of the committee is to educate, inform, and promote more environmentally friendly school-wide responsibility for students and faculty recognizing that everyone is called to be environmental stewards. 

Under the committee’s leadership, the school has instituted a recycling system with bins in all classrooms, special areas, common areas and offices to collect paper, aluminum, plastic, cardboard and newspaper. The bins are collected weekly by the sixth grade students and emptied into larger bins that are provided and emptied by Metro Nashville free of charge.

The school also has replaced plastic utensils in the cafeteria with silverware donated by a parishioner of St. Edward Church. The school and development offices have changed their weekly newspaper to electronic delivery to reduce paper usage as part of the school wide effort to reduce and reuse paper.

Thanks to a generous donation from Thomas and Susan Dodge, local McDonald’s franchise owners, students and faculty were provided with reusable water bottles, thus reducing plastic throwaway water bottle usage. 

There are more plans for the rest of this and next school year, including a Green Lenten Pathway calendar with eco-friendly tasks for students to carry out each day, a celebration of Earth Day, elimination of Styrofoam containers in the cafeteria, reusable grocery bags to be offered to parents, and the formation of a student environmental council whose purpose is to promote environmental stewardship among their peers and to encourage those students to educate their families and others about the importance of this ministry.

The committee consists of Jill Ellis, sixth grade teacher, Martha Minchey, third grade teacher, Charlotte Callis, school nurse and office assistant, Kerry Flanagan, kindergarten teacher’s aide, and Colie Gish, parent representative and Home and School Association President.

St. Joseph inducts new members of honor society

Twenty-seven seventh and eighth grade students at St. Joseph School in Madison were recently inducted as new members of the St. Catherine of Sienna Honor Society at the school. They join the 15 current members. To be eligible, the students achieved a cumulative scholastic average of 92 or higher in the core classes of religion, math, English, literature, science, and history and a “G” in conduct on their report cards. They have also demonstrated Christian leadership; Christian service; Christian citizenship and Christian character. Sister Martha Ann, O.P., looks on as Daniel Worsham is inducted into the honor society.

St. Joseph students collect raisins for Haiti

Students at St. Joseph School in Madison recently collected more 3,300 boxes of raisins to send to their sister parish in Haiti. The third grade students sent in the most boxes to win a contest. Pictured are third grade students (from left) Andre Sodje, Madeline Riley, Morgan Riley and Alex Weiss with their teacher Andrea Bringard.

JPII chorus sings on public television program

The Pope John Paul II High School chorus, under the direction of Jj Ebelhar, will perform with nationally acclaimed composer Tim Janis in his new “Celebrate America” musical special on WNPT-TV, Channel 8, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9.

Janis, well known for his “Music with a Mission” has worked on many philanthropic projects with artists such as Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Andre Previn, and The New York Philharmonic. He has also produced fund raising programs for PBS with George Clooney and James Earl Jones.

JPII, along with high school choirs from across Tennessee will perform with Tim Janis and his ensemble in a new special called “Celebrate America,” created by Janis to spotlight our nation’s youth and pull communities together in a celebration of music that uplifts and inspires.

“Celebrate America,” which airs on March 9, was taped at WNPT-TV in early October 2009. Busses rolled in from across the state, pulling together 500 students from Tennessee high school music programs. Arriving well prepared and very professional, each choir was brought into the station to record their performance for the broadcast.

The JPII students did an exceptional job singing “Danny Boy.” Student Ambralin Griggs said, “It was a really big honor, it took a lot of work but we’re really excited about it. I hope people that watch enjoy it. I hope they feel our music.” Another student, Christopher Garner, said, “Fun to be able to share our talents on television – not usually an opportunity for a high school choir. I have always wanted to be where this all happens. It was fun to come in and see the studio.”

Student Lindsey Rousselle said, “I was so surprised. I feel so blessed to be here with all these singers and to share our talents.”

St. Cecilia Academy swim team sends six swimmers to state

The St. Cecilia Academy Scarab swimming and dive team achieved its second best finish in the past 10 years at the regional competition recently, placing 10th out of 32 schools.

SCA swimmers Keely McCulla, Alex Forrest, Charlotte Hassett, Michelle Dicks, Ellie Fike and Hailey Turner have qualified for state finals. The girls helped the team go undefeated in the regular season to win the Division I-Central region title, competing in against nine other teams, including Hillsboro High, Hume Fogg, Battle Ground Academy and Franklin Road Academy.

At the regional meet, team members who placed in the top 16 as finalists and scored for SCA included:

• Keely McCulla – sixth place 100 freestyle with a school record, sixth place 200 freestyle relay, ninth place 100 backstroke.
• Michelle Dicks – sixth place 200 freestyle relay, eighth place 1 meter diving.
• Alex Forrest – sixth place 200 freestyle relay, 14th place 100 breaststroke.
• Hailey Turner – ninth place 1 meter diving.
• Ellie Fike – sixth place 200 freestyle relay, 12th place 400 freestyle relay.
• Betsy Brewer, Elizabeth Demere, and Elizabeth Hallock – 12^th place 400 freestyle relay).

The Scarab swim team finished the regular season 9-0, winning all of its dual meets by an average margin of 76 points. Twelve members of the team qualified for the Regional Championships held at the Centennial Sportsplex on Jan. 29. They are: Betsy Brewer, Ali Caprioli, Gabby Cheij, Elizabeth Demere, Michele Dicks, Ellie Fike, Alex Forrest, Elizabeth Hallock, Charlotte Hassett, Keeley McCulla, Hailey Turner and Alex Wall.

Coach Pam Ligon and Assistant Coach Bob Hassett have coached the team for three years. Although one senior graduated last year and seven more will leave the roster after this season, seven new freshmen have joined the team this year. Three of the swimmers who already have qualified this year for the state championship are freshmen.

“Getting to state is a difficult task and a great accomplishment in itself,” Coach Hassett said.

The SCA 200 freestyle relay team qualified for state. They are, from left, Keely McCulla, Michelle Dicks, Charlotte Hassett and Alex Forrest.

Haley Turner qualified for the state swim meet for diving. She placed ninth in the 1 meter diving at regionals.