Good news stories are happening in Catholic schools across the country! Let NCEA know what is happening with your school so that we may share on NCEA Talk, social media and in the pages of Momentum. Visit www.NCEA.org/shareyourstory to submit your good news today!
The students from St. John the Baptist School in Vermillion, MN, Preschool-Grade 4, recently raised and donated 236 POUNDS of cereal and approximately 1,000 pairs of socks to Hastings Family Services for those in need. Principal Paul Dieltz said that giving back is important for the school as a member of the community and that cereal and socks are “very relatable†to the age groups of the school. The students’ efforts were part of the St. John’s “Sock it to Hunger†initiative as part of Catholic Schools Week. This Catholic Schools Week event started with cereal box dominoes set off by Sister Noel Aranjaniyll. The students also engaged in a fun shootathon – tossing socks into laundry baskets – with prizes meant to encourage more sock giving.
Like their counterparts around the country, seniors at Pinecrest Academy in Cumming, GA, are making college decisions. But the Catholic high school reports that by April it had a 94 percent acceptance rate into the University of Georgia (UGA). In 2023, the average acceptance rate into UGA is about 42 percent.
Pinecrest seniors have been gaining a higher than average acceptance into UGA for a number of years. The Class of 2022 achieved an 86 percent acceptance rate when UGA’s average was about 42 percent. In 2021 Pinecrest students were at an 86 percent acceptance rate when UGA’s overall rate was about 40 percent. And the Class of 2020 had a 63.2 percent acceptance rate compared to the overall UGA rate of 46 percent.
“I’m so proud of our students and grateful for our gem of a college counselor,†commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy High School Principal. “Never underestimate the value of a personalized application.†Mrs. Bowman references the personalized counseling provided to each student by counselor Marjorie Poss.
The college-preparatory private Catholic school has also been named the #1 Catholic High School in the state of Georgia for three consecutive years, and has also been ranked #10 Best Private High School in the state of Georgia.
Senior Carol Alley of St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans has received offers of $1.1 million in scholarships from 14 universities: College of Charleston, Belmont University, Loyola University New Orleans, Rhodes College, University of the South, Loyola University Chicago, Fordham University, Kansas State University, Louisiana State University, Seton Hall University, Spring Hill College, Culinary Institute of America, University of Alabama and University of Mississippi.
Carol is a recognized AP Scholar, a member of numerous honor societies and an active volunteer for local organizations.
What happened when nearly 150 students from Benilde-St. Margaret’s (BSM) completed a month-long service project creating original, personalized bilingual stories about students at the dual immersion school, Risen Christ School in South Minneapolis? The stories were published in book format and presented to the students at Risen Christ.
The collaborative program brought together BSM students in grades 9-12 and students in grades K-3 from Risen Christ for a morning of reading, practicing writing skills, and enjoying time together at recess.
“We’re so happy to welcome students from BSM to Risen Christ,†said Carmen Grace Poppert, Risen Christ’s K-5 director. “The books you’ve created are unique to each student, allowing them to be part of the stories they can take home and read with their family. You’re helping them see themselves in books — thank you.â€
The project, which began in 2015, provides Risen Christ students with resources created by BSM students that help strengthen the younger students’ ability to read and write in Spanish and English. At the same time, BSM students strengthen their own comprehension of Spanish, while also developing their storytelling ability, design talents and interpersonal skills by interacting with the Risen Christ students.
“There’s a lot of work invested by our students in creating these books,†said Alison Terrell, BSM Spanish teacher and one of the organizers of the service project. “After receiving details about the Risen Christ students —their name, interests, pets, hobbies — our students create an original story in English and Spanish about them, adding graphics and features to inspire reading and interest.â€
BSM provides two copies of each book to the students at Risen Christ. Younger students receive laminated story books to practice bilingual writing and reading skills, while older students receive bound bilingual stories to practice comprehension and fluency. “Having the books in our library allows future students to learn about those who came before them,†explained Poppert. “The legacy of our students lives on in these books, so that our students can feel inspired to possibly one day become authors themselves.â€
While the program was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of excitement among all students to share and receive their books. For second grader Matteo, his book was well received. “It’s a wonderful book, showing my favorite animals and the things important for me.†His book, created by Ellery Schoen, ’25, featured a story about Matteo and pandas,his favorite animal.
“I think this event helped me as a Spanish student in a variety of ways: for starters, listening to Matteo read the book to me really helped my Spanish comprehension,†said Schoen. “Writing the book made me work on my translations and working my way around what I want to say when I don’t know the word I intended to say. It felt good to give, and Matteo said to me, “My mom is going to love this!â€
The project provides BSM students with a service project that helps them understand the value of building relationships with others, while also applying classroom skills of service and social justice to real life situations. “This is the perfect service-learning project for teenagers,†said Peg Hodapp, BSM’s director of service learning. “Helping students make connections with others is central to our La Sallian tradition at BSM — the classroom experience touches the real world in meaningful ways, which truly helps our students understand the value of giving of themselves to others.â€
Plans are already underway for next year’s book project, as faculty at both schools collaborate on the project, its format and goals. Teachers at Risen Christ want to help deepen the connections made between the older and younger students. “Being bilingual or multilingual is important in today’s world,†Poppert told the BSM students, adding, “These books you’ve created provide our students with adventures and inspiration, because you’re being examples for them by sharing your talents and gifts with them.â€
The community of Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, UT, celebrated a centuries-old Italian tradition honoring their patron saint, Saint Joseph. Originated in Sicily as a way for peasant Italian communities to give back to the less fortunate, the tradition centers around preparing and giving away Italian breads and pastries, as well as fruits and vegetables, to those in need.
In continuing this annual tradition, Juan Diego Catholic High School and Saint John the Baptist Middle School celebrated with the Saint Joseph Table Food Drive, which hoped to raise 10,000 cans of food, along with $10,000 in support of Catholic Community Services.
Filled with the spirit of giving, the students and communities of Juan Diego Catholic High School and Saint John the Baptist Middle School showed up in a big way, as the Saint Joseph Table Food Drive exceeded that goal and raised $12,000!
