September 2023 Student Spotlights

The McGill-Toolen Catholic Chamber Singers performed at the Back To School Mass for the Archdiocese of Mobile at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. This incredibly talented group of singers prepared for today’s performance during Chamber Camp a few weeks ago. They will have a chance to sing for the student body at our first school Mass in a few weeks.

Several Corpus Christi Catholic School teachers along with our principal, Mrs. Martin, spent the week developing their knowledge and learning new strategies at the MEGA conference hosted by the Alabama State Department of Education.
(Pictured left to right, Mrs. Pitts, Mrs. Mansfield, Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Klein)

Saint Dominic Catholic School teachers and staff enjoyed a back to school breakfast to kick off the new school year. They are excited to have students back on campus and look forward to a great year!

Homeschoolers from the Field Trip Line-up and More participated in an art lesson taught by Artist Odie Tucker at Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council. They learned how to paint using watercolors and then visited the Dauphin Island Art Gallery to see Odie’s work.

Congratulations to Cequyia “CeCe” York who is breaking all the records in athletics and academia. Heartwood Christian Academy is proud to announce that Ms. Cequyia “CeCe” York is one of three winners selected as a recipient for the Mu Eta Sigma National Math Honor Society Scholarship. CeCe enjoys the “complexity of manipulating the various degree of numbers” to produce an end result. She plans to use her math skills in anthropology, the area of study she has chosen to pursue. We wish you the BEST, CeCe, in all of your endeavors.

The LBA teachers are back on campus and have begun their week of orientation. The administration, the school staff, and all school faculty are excited for another school year of teaching and training the next generation!

The Field Trip Line-up and More Homeschoolers participated in the July Youth Arts offered at Arts of Dauphin Island. They created an abstract painting with watercolors.

Many hands make light work, so painting the hall at Little Flower Catholic School was an easy task when faculty and staff showed up to help. Mr. Nick West, technology teacher; Miss Courtney Ward, preschool teacher; Mrs. Debbie Ollis, principal, and Miss Alex Lilly, kindergarten teacher were proud of a job well done. Little Flower pastor, Fr. John Lynes, pitched in to put on the finishing touches.

Heartwood Christian Academy’s yearbook staff joined Kari Ransom with Coastal Makers Art Studio for an afternoon of creativity and inspiration after an intensive week of working together on the 2023-2024 yearbook. It was a collaborative effort deemed necessary to start the year off right. Students participated in an artistic team-building exercise to replicate HCA’s lion mascot on the cover of The Lion’s Pride Yearbook. Kari was truly an inspiration with her beautifully drawn version of HCA’s lion mascot. The yearbook staff enjoyed placing finishing touches on their version of the final product which will provide a lasting memory for all of the students that participated. HCA’s yearbook staff is more cohesive than ever and ready to face the challenges of producing another award-winning yearbook. Stay tuned!

St. Luke’s varsity volleyball team recently spent time with some incredible athletes at the Special Olympics. We’re proud of our Lady Wildcats for making a difference and creating unforgettable memories!

As the school year begins, our teachers at Heart of Mary School are preparing their classrooms for an engaging learning experience by setting up state-of-the-art smart boards and interactive technologies with the help of Mrs.Johnson, our school principal and Mr.West, our technology coordinator. With a focus on integrating modern tools into their teaching methods, our teachers aim to foster a dynamic and tech-savvy environment that empowers students and encourages active participation throughout the academic journey.

Little Flower Catholic School is proud to show off part of their branding renovation. The red and black visuals on their new Viking stickers announce VIKING STRONG. We are grateful to Mark Calametti at Gumbo Specialties for his help in coming up with just the right image for the new stickers.

St. Luke’s Class of 2024 is gearing up for their final year of high school and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they have in store. From decorating their parking spots to planning their future, our seniors are ready to make their mark!

St. Ignatius welcomes over 80 new students to campus for the 23-24 school year. Each new student received a St. Ignatius yard sign and shared their adorable pictures with the school office. We are so excited to welcome our new Impalas! It’s going to be a great school year!

Saint Dominic Catholic School Middle School Science teacher, Mr. Womack, spent time this summer at Space Camp. He got to take a spin in the multi axis trainer and learn many new things. Mr. Womack is excited to share his experience with the students this school year!

Ishayu Chakroborty ’24 was chosen as one of Mobile Bay’s 2023 WONDER KIDS.
During Project Engage Ish chose to do an internship with Dr. Grelet in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Mitchell Cancer Institute. Dr. Grelet specializes in tumor neurogenesis in cancer progression and metastasis with a focus on breast cancer. During the internship with Dr. Grelet, he was able to observe and assist with experimental lab work, as well as learn about bioinformatics and data analysis in biology, especially in breast cancer. The experience during Project Engage sparked his interest in cancer research and drove him to learn further about data analysis from publicly available datasets and repositories. The findings then led to a research project with guidance from Dr. Kakkat Ph.D. in the Department of Pathology at the Mitchell Cancer Institute.
Because of his dedicated work in the research lab at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, Ish registered as a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in the spring of 2022 and was invited to attend the AACR 2022 annual meeting in New Orleans [AS A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL!]. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the first and largest cancer research organization dedicated to accelerating the conquest of cancer.
He then was contacted by Dr. Robin Felder, Director of Membership and Professional Development for AACR to complete the student registration form to attend the Special Program for High School Students entitled, “The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers.” He was then approached to present his research. Before Ish knew it, he had been vetted for membership and submitted the title of his research proposal for approval! American Association for Cancer Research had over 20,000 in attendance and Ish was ONE of only seven students in the United States who were invited to present their work/research at the meeting.
We are so proud of you, Ish!

St. Mary Parish hosted a week of fun at their 2023 Vacation Bible School, July 24-28! PreK4 through 5th grade VBS campers learned about how their faithful God is on life’s wild ride. Kudos to St. Mary’s VBS organizer Elizabeth Blanchette and her fabulous committee for organizing VBS again this year. St. Mary welcomed 115 students from PreK4 through 5th grade who were guided by 50 student volunteers in grades 6 through 12, and 20 adult volunteers! The week was made possible by these volunteers and all who helped provide daily snacks and decorations to fit the VBS theme. The last day of the camp, St. Mary campers were surprised with 175 yogurt treats from Cold Snap. St. Mary is grateful to Cold Snap owner Loren Barbour for the tasty surprise! Submitted by Marcelle Rathle Naman

Corpus Christi Catholic School eighth graders attended a spiritual retreat this summer. The students had so much fun and our faith was strengthened. We can not wait to see what this school year has in store, as these 8th graders lead our school.

From learning new cheers to bonding with teammates, St. Luke’s cheerleaders had an unforgettable summer! The varsity cheerleaders won 1st place in Sideline, 2nd place in Cheer, Overall Championship Award for Game Day Routine, 2nd place in Camp Routine, Camp Leadership Award (cheerleaders from other schools voted on which team they would want to be a part of if not their own.) Eight St. Luke’s cheerleaders made “All-American” through a tryout selection process. Three girls also received “Pin It Forward” awards for exemplifying kindness and leadership while at camp.
All American:
JaeAnna Gaston
Hallie Dickinson
Kennedie Olson
Maddie Banks
Catelynn Gill
Caroline Hooper
Blakeleigh Ware
Jenna Simpson
Pin It Forward:
JaeAnna Gaston
Kennedie Olson
Audrey Fendley

St. Luke’s JV cheerleaders showcased their new skills learned from camp with a fantastic performance for their fans!
St. Luke’s: JV Cheerleaders: Chloe Lambert, Calista Conway, Reese Browning, Kristen Robertson, Vivian-Blaire Parish, Hannah Eblen, Mary-Katherine Brasel, Abby K Ott.

Congratulations to Davidson High School’s Jamey Duke, who was named the Alabama Association for Career and Technical Education’s Teacher Educator of the Year for his work with the Mobile County JROTC STEM Leadership Academy. He was presented with his award by MCPSS Director of Army Instruction LTC (Ret.) Robert F. Barrow.

St. Ignatius was honored to host the Mobile & Baldwin County schools of the Archdiocese of Mobile for Mass, breakfast and a keynote address by new Superintendent Mr. Chad Barwick. Beginning each new school year with a Mass led by Archbishop Rodi helps set the tone for our Catholic school mission: to educate students in mind, body & spirit. St. Ignatius also wishes to welcome Mr. Barwick into our diocese!

Great Schools gave 14 middle schools across the state a perfect 10 rating in all three categories – student progress, test scores, and equity. Three of those are in Mobile County, including #1 ranked Clark-Shaw School of Math and Science, #2 ranked Phillips Preparatory School; and #14 ranked Denton Magnet School of Technology.
Old Shell Road School of Creative and Performing Arts was the highest-rated school for elementary students. And Hutchens Elementary, Council Traditional School, and Dauphin Island Elementary each received perfect 10 scores.
“It is such an honor and a privilege to be named as the No. 1 school in Alabama because my teachers work extremely hard to offer quality instruction to our students,” said Clark-Shaw Principal Timesha Taylor-Jackson. “It also speaks volumes about the students. They are here because they love math and science and technology. We align students into programs they want to be in so they can achieve.”
Old Shell Road Principal Dr. Linda Byrd echoed similar sentiments.
“This is probably the hardest-working faculty I’ve ever worked with in my career,” she said. “They work hard to reach every student,” Byrd said, adding that the school connects students’ interest in the fine and performing arts with their core academic subjects and integrates technology. “We try everything to make sure every student succeeds. The students are amazing, hard-working, conscientious, and competitive.”
Johnnie Williams, principal at Phillips Preparatory School, said the global focus at her school helps students apply what they’re learning in their classrooms to their community and world.
“Our foreign languages and cultural activities allow our students to recognize not only their place in their neighborhood, but also their place in the world. We also stress community service,” Williams said. “We offer a well-balanced curriculum here as we are hoping to create a well-balanced child.”

Ryan Mosley of Baker High School was named Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama.
Ryan, a senior, is on the A Honor Roll and serves on the Advisor’s Council. He also serves as an officer with the Mobile Kappa League. Once timid, he found his voice and confidence at the Boys & Girls Club’s Bernard Malkove Branch, participating in community service projects and BGCSA programs such as Keystone Club and Torch Club.
“I am grateful for the support of my family, mentors, and the organization in helping me achieve my goals and giving me opportunities to give back to my community,” he said on the BGCSA website. “All in all, the Boys and Girls Club has been a haven for me, promoting creativity and blossoming me into who I am today.”
Other Mobile County Public Schools students who were selected as finalists for the honor were Rashaad Johns of Davidson, Kayleigh Morgan of Murphy, Ashleigh Robinson of Theodore and Brooklyn Rowell of Mary G. Montgomery.
(Photo courtesy of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama)

All employees across Satsuma City Schools recently gathered for Institute Day at Steele Creek Lodge. The theme of this year’s institute was “We Are Satsuma: Excellence Today. Leaders Tomorrow.” Everyone left inspired, motivated, and ready for the new school year, which started Monday, Aug. 7.
Satsuma has many things to be proud of as we move into fall 2023. Most recently, Satsuma High School was recognized by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) as a School of Distinction and Banner School Recipient for its Career Technical Program. The high school was also ranked second in the state as a “Best High School to Prepare Graduates for College and Careers” according to the Alabama Education Lab at AL.com.
At Institute Day, Satsuma City Schools also recognized the following award winners who represent outstanding employees at Lee Elementary and Satsuma High School for the 2022-2023 school year: William Finnegan was recognized as Satsuma High School’s Teacher of the Year. Lisa Montalvo was recognized as Satsuma High School’s Support Staff of the Year. Brent Rawson was recognized as Satsuma High School’s Bus Driver of the Year. Kelli Robertson was recognized as Lee Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. She currently teaches first grade and started her fifth year with Satsuma City Schools. Cindy Odom was recognized as Lee Elementary’s Support Staff of the Year. Jamie Hall was recognized as Lee Elementary’s Bus Driver of the Year.
The following staff members have worked at Satsuma City Schools for 10 years and received Decade of Dedication awards at Institute Day: Cassandra Giles, Lauren Lewis, Sherman Winston, Terra Sealy, Shannon Harville, Lee Jay, and Connie Benefield. Tonie Cochran received the Distinguished Educator/Public School Employee Award for attaining 25 years with the Alabama Retirement System as a full-time public school employee.

Mobile County Public Schools opened this month with a challenge from Superintendent Chresal D. Threadgill for the 2023-24 school year: Aim For Excellence.
“Much work – from district-wide principal and teacher professional development, to construction and facility improvements, to the addition of new buses to the district fleet, to a variety of technology enhancements – has been underway to make this an excellent year,” Mr. Threadgill said. “We are WORKING TOGETHER to AIM for EXCELLENCE, starting with each student and family, and extending to each school, to each community, and to the entire district.”
MCPSS schools opened on time and with few problems reported. The Superintendent and members of his academic staff spent the opening day visiting numerous schools throughout the district, stopping by classrooms and cafeterias to greet students, teachers and administrators.
“Everyone is very excited to be back in the building,” said Amari Yelding, a senior at B.C. Rain High School. “We’re ready for the opportunity to learn and grow as young individuals.”

Several students from Davidson High School’s Signature Academies interned with Hargrove Engineering for 8 weeks this summer. These students from DHS’s class of 2023 were able to learn from engineers and constructors as they worked alongside the controls and automation departments. Students learned skills such as computer aided design in AutoDesk, researched plant equipment, and learned how to navigate Excel spreadsheets specific to pipeline numbers. The internship culminated with presentations to the human resources department of Hargrove as well representatives from MCPSS, including Davidson’s Academy Specialist, Brandon Rice. The interns were Linden Berte, IB and EPIC; Jayden Lin, IB and EPIC; Jayden Davidson, EPIC; Ziah Austin, EPIC; and Garrett Little, EPIC. Looking back on her experience, Linden Berte noted, “I learned a lot about what it means to hold a desk job, and it gave me insight into my future in engineering.” We are so proud of these students!

Kelly Chism and Robbins Elementary School was recently named a recipient of the nationally recognized RAMP award. This award recognizes schools committed to delivering exemplary school counseling programs aligned with the ASCA National Model framework. Robbins was the only MCPSS school to receive the RAMP award in 2023. Last fall, Chism was also honored by the Alabama Counselor Association as its Program of Distinction Award winner, an award for school counselors who demonstrate an exemplary level of implementation of a comprehensive-data driven school counseling program.

61 total students, 40 of whom are in the Class of 2023, earned the distinction of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program Exams. [Pictured here are the AP Scholars from the Class of 2024]
29 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
Stephens Ashbee, Ashlyn Buskness, Ish Chakroborty ’24, Clarke Doyle, Natalie Duncan, Conner Fowler, Frances Howard ’24, Claire Johnson, Will Kittrell, Virginia Ladd, Ian Lynch, Mary Helene Marmande, Anna Maurin, Ethan Monson, Alex Moore, Paul Murray, William Neumann, Max Padgett, Aryan Patel, Jerrick Phan ’24, John Pipes, Ameen Shaikh, Noah Siegel, Lizzie Stewart, Eloise Teague, Walt Vickers, Luke Walker, Tori Waters, and Bry Weaver.
13 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
Elizabeth Catranis ’24, Haley Henderson, Josh Holston, Hannah McConnell, Will McNair ’24, LeeLee Mostellar, Hufton Parker ’24, Saylor Parker ’24, Charles Saucier ’24, Cecilia Schultz, Ryan Walton, Harrigan Weston ’24, and Emily Wolf ’24.
And with an average score of 3 or higher on 3 or more AP exams, the following 19 students are recognized as AP Scholars.
Lainey Allen, Thomas Arendall ’24, Braxton Bonner, Gwen Cunningham ’24, Leo Dong, Stephanie Egle, Olivia Gleason ’24, Ty Haffner, Evan Iglesias, Kirk Kennedy ’24, Nathan Martin ’24, AnnaBeth McCain ’24, Hayden Nagy, John O’Connor, Sarah Bolding Parker ’24, Levin Sconyers ’24, Alex Sherman ’24, Ridge Tanner ’24, and Braydon Williford ’24.

St. Pius X PTO and Parent Volunteers sort school supplies for the upcoming school year. Photo – Lauren Alvarez

Stan Blejwas, IB and EPIC senior at Davidson High School, applied and was selected for Youth Ambassadors in the spring of 2023. Sponsored by the state department, the program seeks to develop young people to be civic minded, culturally aware, and leaders in their communities.
As a Youth Ambassador, Stan traveled to Cuenca, Ecuador where he lived with a host family for two weeks. While he was there, he volunteered with various local service organizations. Stan traveled to the Paja Toquilla Sombrero Museum for one of the daily excursions (pictured here third from left). Students also traveled to the state consulate to learn about how the American government functions in Ecuador. Stan is interested in studying sociology, international relations, and political science in college next year.

St. Pius X Volleyball Teams enjoy a tasty lunch after their first practice of the season. Pictured are several members of the 3rd/4th grade team and the 5th/6th grade team. Thank you, Coach Pat! Photo – Lauren Alvarez

At the AISA annual meeting, CHCA was one of 27 independent schools in the state to be honored as an “AISA Blue Ribbon School.” A Blue Ribbon school exemplifies excellence in teaching, student performance, school life, and school and community interaction. A Blue Ribbon award winner is an excellent school involved in an ongoing process of school improvement! It’s great to be a Cottage Hill Warrior!

Mrs. Maye’s third grade students at Mertz Magnet learned a valuable lesson in the activity, “Our Words are Like Toothpaste.”Just like toothpaste in a tube, once you say the words out of your mouth, you can’t put them back in.
So, we are going to choose our words carefully

Lilly O’Quinn and Tammy Hoeck, both IB and EPIC seniors at Davidson High School, were selected to be lab assistants at the Borchert lab at the University of South Alabama this summer. While there, they analyzed prostate and colon cancers, as well as e-coli cells. Students also used ChatGPT to create a program that takes a string of nucleotides and splits it into sections of one hundred. The research will be continued this fall by college students in the lab, with hopes of publishing the results. Lilly and Tammy also learned rules and procedures for working with tools in the lab such as a centrifuge. Both of these students are interested in pursuing fields in computer science.

The CHCA Class of 2024 gathered the day before school started for their annual Senior Sunrise event. During this time together, they worshiped and prayed for each other, their peers, and faculty and staff. We are starting the year off expectant of the Lord to do incredible things!

CHCA welcomed students back to campus on August 9th! After a busy summer for faculty and staff, we are excited that campus is buzzing, lockers are slamming, and laughter is filling the halls!

St. Mary Parish welcomed both seasoned and new altar servers from 5th through 12th grade for the annual Altar Server Camp directed by St. Mary Pastor, Father Stephen Vrazel. Held August 7 through August 11, the camp focused on mastering the method of serving the liturgy reverently and learning about the sacred vessels and liturgical protocols of the Mass. The week ended with a Friday Fun Day at the movies! Father Vrazel thanks St. Mary Alumni who served as the camp assistants, McGill-Toolen Junior, Finn Montague, and McGill-Toolen Graduate and Archdiocese of Mobile Seminarian, Tim Talbott. Submitted by Marcelle Rathle Naman

Homeschoolers from the Field Trip Line-up and More attended Sign it Your Way at the Semmes Regional Branch of the Mobile Public Library this Summer. Hillary Harper, Teacher at H.L Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind taught them Sign Language and about hearing loss. After the presentation they chose a hand sign they liked and painted it on a canvas.

The first day of school was an amazing day at Eichold Mertz! We saw so many smiling and eager faces ready to start a new year.

A documentary by Murphy High School’s Ddwayne Lockett-James earned high praise at the National History Day competition this summer in Maryland. The documentary, about the Alabama Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company and the future of Mobile, was selected to be shown in the Oprah Winfrey Theatre of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

St. Mary Catholic School faculty and staff under the leadership of new Principal, Corinne Cuffle, were welcomed back on August 7 to begin training for the new academic year. The week included training both with the St. Mary staff and with the overall Archdiocese of Catholic Schools faculty. Pictured are members of the 2023-2024 team after a welcome back Mass celebrated by St. Mary Pastor, Father Stephen Vrazel in St. Mary Church. Submitted by Marcelle Naman

St. Mary Catholic welcomes their newest Faculty Members: Corinne Cuffle, Principal, Denise Thompson, K-2 Resource Teacher, Connie Arensberg, Middle School Language Arts, and Jenna Strickland, First Grade Teacher!
Pictured left right: Denise Thompson, Connie Arensberg, Corinne Cuffle, and Jenna Strickland. Submitted by Marcelle Naman

St. Pius X 8th graders are starting early earing money for the Toy Court. These students, along with many of their classmates and parents, washed cars on two separate occasions this summer. Photo by Sarah Lehocky