The Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Fort Worth take pride in the faculty, staff, students, and alumni whose talents and service exemplify the values of faith, community, service, and knowledge. We applaud them for their achievements.
March
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Students in grades 2 through 4 initiated a "Helping Hands for Haiti" coin collection and raised $1,766.20
February
Holy Rosary: Fifth graders hosted a Wax Museum of Saints during Catholic Schools Week. Visitors listened to the life stories of saints recited by students dressed as individual saints. Local television station CBS 11 did a feature on the activity which can be viewed at the following link: http://bit.ly/drh7Ym
Nolan Catholic High School: Students Making Other Students Smile (SMOSS) club spearheaded a donation campaign to benefit Marianists in Haiti. SMOSS collected extra change at lunches and coordinated a Fat Tuesday drive in which students who donated $2 received Mardi Gras beads and were allowed to wear them to classes all day. SMOSS collected more than $1400.
More than 70 ceramic bowls handcrafted by Nolan Catholic art students were on display at the Feb. 19, "An Artful Luncheon to End Hunger," Tarrant Area Food Bank's Empty Bowls event. For the price of admission, participants at the event selected a hand-crafted bowl from among 2,000 created or painted by professional, recreational and student artisans. Nolan Catholic art students have been donating bowls to the event for the last four years.
Sixteen students from Nolan Catholic High School who performed their Class I vocal solos at the Texas Private School Music Educators Region Solo & Ensemble competition earned a Division I Superior rating, and 6 students performing Class II solos earned a Division I Superior rating. The remainder earned an Excellent rating.
Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School: The "Red Running Snails" Destination Imagination competition team placed fourth out of 17 in their first tournament. This is the first year SPS has participated in this national organization which promotes team building, the creative process and critical thinking skills.
January
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Students received a special note following a funeral. The children had been playing when they noticed the funeral procession. Quiely they all knelt and prayed. The note reads, "I have never felt so touched. It felt like these were little angels showing my sister the way to heaven.This act has made a lasting impression with me and my family and friends. Thank you."
St. Peter the Apostle: Students have held a "Bucket Brigade," walking the carpool line collecting donations for Catholic Relief Services to aid the victims of the eathquake in Haiti. The Student Council is also holding a Clothing Drive for the Refugee Center at Catholic Charities.
December
Cassata: 32 graduates were honored at Cassata’s fall commencement held December 18th. Of these students, nine were the first in their family to graduate with a high school diploma; ten were teen parents; and eight were over the age of 21. Seventy-two percent of the graduates are enrolled to start a 2 or 4-year college in January 2010.
Our Lady of Grace: Christine Aubert, Brandon Golhofer and Michaeleah Assini were among the top five essay winners in the Pro Life Essay Contest. They will receive scholarship funds to attend the 37th Annual March for Life in Washington, DC, in January. Also among the 22 scholarship winners were students Amanda D'Souza, Liz Radford, and Enguerran Blaudin de Thé.
St. Andrew: 2nd grade teacher at St. Andrew Catholic School, and two SAS students are part of the cast for the Kids Who Care production of A Christmas Carol.
The St. Andrews Catholic School 6th grade classes recently held fundraisers to benefit needy families at Christmas. The three classes raised a combined total of $1722 and helped shop for the famiies with help from the parish Social Ministries Director.
St. John the Apostle: Performing Arts Fort Worth's Children's Education Program at Bass Hall chose one of the fifth grade entries as the winning essay in their contest. After attending the Bass Hall program "Copland and the Common Man," a program that focuses on the example of Abraham Lincoln and the music of Aaron Copland, students were asked to write about what they could do to ensure freedom, democracy, and equality. The winning student was awarded a two day trip to Washington, D.C., to see the Lincoln Memorial.
St. Mary's: Students collected 1260 pounds of food for the local food bank in November.
The school float won the Mayor's Cup in the Gainesville Christmas parade
7 of the 16 students in the seventh grade class qualified for the Duke TIP.
St. Peter the Apostle: School families, members of the National Junior Honor Society and Student Council donated Christmas gifts for 104 children of St. Peter's Food Bank clients.
November
Nolan Catholic High School: Two seniors have signed letters of intent to play collegiate sports. One will play golf for the University of Oklahoma and the other will swim for St. Louis University.
For the sixth year in a row and nine out of 10 years, the Nolan Catholic Viking Marching Band are the Texas Private School Music Educators' State Marching Band Champions! In addition, NCHS took all of the caption awards: Best Horn Line, Best Percussion, Best Marching, Best Music Effect, and Best General Effect (includes Drum Major and Color Guard).
Eight NCHS choir students competed in the Texas Music Educators Association Region 7 All-State Choir auditions. Two students made the TMEA Region 7 District Choir and five students made the TMEA Region 7 Region Choir.
The Texas Private School Music Educators Association recently named twelve NCHS students to the TPSMEA All-State Choir for 2010.
Saint Andrew Catholic School: Thirty eight 7th grade students have qualified to participate in the Duke Talent Identification Program's 7th Grade Talent Search. Students are selected based on a qualifying score in the 95th percentile or higher on a recent grade-level test. SAS has participated in the Duke TIP program for 18 years.
St. John the Apostle: Students, faculty and staff performed 1875 service hours during the months of August and September.
St. Mary’s: Students placed special ordered metal signs in the yards of area veterans in honor of Veterans Day. These signs each showed the name, rank, branch, and service years of the honored veteran.
October
Nolan Catholic High School: The Texas Private School Music Educators Association has named 33 students to the All Region Honor Choir for Region 2. Twenty-nine of the students are alumni of diocesan Catholic schools.
Nolan Catholic High School: The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that 5 students were named National Merit Semifinalists and 9 others are Commended Students.
Notre Dame Catholic School: Students are participating in a yearlong project with Catholic Charities called "Creating Hope through Future Leaders." This month they are earn collecting money for the Catholic Charities Assessment Center in Fort Worth.
Our Lady of Grace Catholic High School: One of the seniors earned recognition by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as a Commended Student in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Our Lady of Victory Catholic School: A third grader auditioned and was accepted as a member of the Texas Girls Choir.
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School: The Squires Circle, a service organization affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, recently inducted 15 new members. The organization's focus is on service to the parish and the school, promoting the values of God, country, family, parish and school. The Circle, open to boys in grades 5-8, is sponsored by the Davis Lambright Knights of Columbus Council 4101.
September
All Saints Catholic School: 7th grade students are learning responsibility and economics with a token monetary system.
Cassata High School: The City of Fort Worth's Crime Control and Prevention District awarded the school a $20,000 grant.
Holy Family Catholic School: Classsrooms now have 9 Hitachi FX DUO-77 Star Boards. Holy Family was featured in the September 8, 2009, Griffin Integrated Communications blog.
Nolan Catholic High School: 8 Nolan Catholic High School students made the TMEA All-State Region District 7 Choir.
Notre Dame Catholic School: Coach Lisa Macha has been nominated for the Medical Association’s Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching.
Notre Dame Catholic School: 18 art students participated in the Texas-Oklahoma Fair. All won blue or red ribbons.
St. Rita Catholic School: The Fort Worth Fire Department recognized a third grade student for her heroic efforts in alerting residents of a fire at her grandmother’s apartment complex.