November 2024 Student Spotlights – Montgomery

Trinity welcomed Mr. Robert McGowin for his 12th Creative Writing Workshop. Over 50 students participated, led by author and bookseller Jim Reed of Birmingham. Over the course of the afternoon, students learned about the writing and publishing process and shared their own writing. The students loved having Mr. McGowin back on campus!

Second grade Grandparents’ Day at Trinity School is always a heartwarming experience! Students performed a special program including songs that celebrate family and love, creating a special moment for both the students and their grandparents. Then, they were led on a tour around lower school where they picked up special “treasures” at each stop that the students made for them. Guests enjoyed some yummy treats and a visit with our Head of School, Mrs. Satcher and Head of Lower School, Mrs. Williams.

Over 60 Trinity high school students volunteered at the Joy to Life Walk in downtown Montgomery, rising early to support the cause. It was an honor for these students to stand alongside breast cancer survivors, celebrating their strength and resilience. Their enthusiasm and dedication brought extra energy to this special event, making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School celebrated Homecoming week on October 7-11. During half-time of the varsity football game vs. Headland, Montgomery Catholic Principal Eileen Aaron crowned the 2024 Homecoming Queen and King, Miss Kate Johnson and Mr. Rickie
Williams.
The 2024 Montgomery Catholic Homecoming Court, pictured from left to right: Freshman attendants, Evin Jackson and Zaria Rudolph; Junior attendants, Cayden Dees and Anna Russo; Homecoming King and Queen, Rickie Williams and Kate Johnson; Senior attendants, Dylan Rogers and Haylei Mason; Senior attendants, Camden Miller and Harper Howell, and Sophomore attendants, Hannah Grace Zaworski and Fred Lewis.
The class of 1974 hosted an Alumni Mass before the festivities began. Following mass we held our Annual Alumni Under the Tent event with a wonderful meal sponsored by The Little Donkey restaurant, 3 Squared Technology Group, Remax Tristar – Ryan Beesley, and Coca Cola.
The week leading up to the Homecoming football game was full of activities and excitement, including themed spirit days, special events at all campuses, and the Thursday night Homecoming Parade and Powder Puff football game. The week ended with a pep-rally to pump up the school spirit and a shut-out victory over Headland, 63-0. A great conclusion to our Homecoming week!
Photo credit: Total Image

Montgomery Catholic was honored to welcome US Ambassador Paul Jones to the high school campus on Thursday, October 24. Mr. Jones spoke to a group of 9th and 10th grade history students about his job as a Diplomat, the war in Ukraine, and most especially teaching the students that individual people can make a real difference in the world.
Mr. Jones has more than 30 years of experience in international relations as a career member of the U.S. State Department Foreign Service. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Poland, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, and Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Mission to Pakistan. Senior Washington positions included Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In addition to his ambassadorial appointments, he served three times as Deputy Chief of Mission – at U.S. Embassy Manila, Philippines; U.S. Embassy Skopje, North Macedonia; and U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria – as well as in other positions in Moscow, Russia; Bogota, Colombia; and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jones is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. He received a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. from the University of Virginia, and an M.A. from the Naval War College.

Over the weekend of October 19, Montgomery Academy hosted twenty schools from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and South Carolina for the Big GUMP Classic. Individual awards were earned by the following MA students:
• World Schools Debate: Karan Daryanani, Evan Parker, Deuce Gary, Miseong Park (3rd place)
• Congressional Debate: Karan Daryianni (7th place)
• Duo Interpretation: Mary Beth Arrington & Mason Stevens (3rd place)
• Extemporaneous Speaking: John Carson Bullard (4th place)
• Impromptu Speaking: John Carson Bullard (3rd place)
• Impromptu Speaking: Mary Beth Arrington (6th place)
• Informative Speaking: Ayla Chastain (5th place)
• Original Oratory: Emon Owen (7th place)
• Poetry Interpretation: Mary Grace Parsons (5th place)
• Prose Interpretation: Mary Grace Parsons (4th place)
• Prose Interpretation: Knox Wingate (6th place)
Congratulations to these students on their fantastic showings on the home turf! Go Eagles!

Since 1969, The Montgomery Academy has honored academic excellence by awarding membership in Cum Laude Society to its highest-achieving students. The Montgomery Academy Chapter of the Cum Laude Society is one of only three chapters in the state of Alabama. The Cum Laude Society recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (arete´), justice (dike´), and honor (time´). The major objective is to recognize the highest levels of academic excellence based on grade-point average and level of academic courses taken.
The number of students chosen for membership in Cum Laude cannot exceed the top 10% of the senior class based on work completed through the junior year, and the top 20% based on work completed in the senior year. In addition to a student’s average for the five core classes and all AP classes, the Cum Laude Faculty Committee also considers the rigor of the student’s academic load and his or her scholarship and intellectual curiosity.
Students inducted this fall include John Alford, Anna Brown, An Wilkes Cavanaugh, James Hosp, Elle McBride, Christopher Obenhaus, and Ethan Yi. Congratulations to these students on this accomplishment!

Saint James Senior Lily Evelyn Everett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gregg Everett, was crowned Saint James School’s 2024 Homecoming Queen in halftime ceremonies during STJ’s October 4th match-up against BTW.
Queen Lily’s court included Freshman Attendant Aleigha Davis, Sophomore Attendant Lily Stanford, Junior Attendant Davie Hipp, and Senior Attendant Emily Register. Queen’s Attendants were senior Allison Castleberry and senior Arden Green. The crown bearers were Saint James kindergarten girls who are children of Saint James alumni. The 2024 crown bearers were Miss Lillian Hayden Chastain, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Webb ‘04 (Adrienne) Chastain; Miss Palmer Rose Davenport, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel ‘03 (Emily) Davenport; and Miss Edith Palmer King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will (Ali) ‘12 King.
After a school-wide homecoming parade, the queen was announced during the afternoon pep rally. Queen Lily and her court were presented during halftime ceremonies at the homecoming football game that evening. Saint James Board of Trustees Chair, Lt. Col. Dex McCain, Ret., presented Queen Lily with an engraved silver bowl per school tradition, and Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore, crowned the 2024 Queen with the assistance of the crown bearers. The Trojans won the night’s game against the Golden Eagles, 32-28.
Caption 1: L-R: Saint James School Homecoming Court: Aleigha Davis, Davie Hipp, Allison Castleberry, 2024 Queen Lily Everett, Arden Green, Emily Register, and Lily Stanford.
Caption 2: Saint James Head of School Dr. Larry McLemore crowned Miss Lily Everett as the school’s 2024 Homecoming Queen on October 4,, 2024. Lily was escorted by her father, Mr. Gregg Everett.
Caption 3: Saint James 2024 crown bearers Miss Lillian Hayden Chastain, Miss Edith Palmer King, and Miss Palmer Rose Davenport, pictured with STJ Head of School Dr. Larry McLemore.

Alabama Christian Academy recently celebrated the retirement of Rob Lyle, who served as the school’s beloved technology director and energetic MC for pep rallies. His dedication to enhancing the school’s tech infrastructure and bringing enthusiasm to ACA’s student events made him a cherished member of the community.
Lyle’s retirement was marked by a special reception in his honor, where staff, students, and alumni expressed their gratitude for his years of service. He also had the distinction of being named the honorary captain for ACA’s home football game against Wicksburg, a fitting tribute to his lasting impact on the school.
ACA is grateful for his contributions and wishes him the best in his retirement!

The CHS Ambassadors had the great privilege of having lunch with the AUM School of Business, learning about components of Artificial Intelligence, learning about the different Business majors, and shadowing the AUM Ambassadors on a tour.

The Saint James Marching Trojans performed on Saturday, September 28th in the 4rd Annual Camellia Marching Band Festival held at Marbury High School. Bands from all over Central Alabama competed for top honors.
The Saint James Marching Trojans gave an outstanding performance. The band received all superior ratings (1st Place) for band, percussion, and drum major. The theme for this year’s show is “Adventure Awaits,” featuring music from action and fantasy films.
The Saint James Band program is led by Mr. Andy Martin. Saint James offers classes in Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, and Advanced Band. Students in grades 6-12 can participate in these classes.

Ms. DeHart’s class at River Region Academy is having a STEM-tastic day filled with wonder, exploration, problem-solving, and the joy of discovery. Great job, Timothy and classmates! Keep up the great work!
“STEM is not just a collection of subjects. It’s a philosophy, a way of thinking about and solving problems.”
— Rodrigo Arboleda

River Region Academy’s Senior Class of 2025 enjoyed each other’s company and a delicious breakfast at First Watch in Eastchase. There is a genuine friendship among these students, and Principal Kris White considers it a privilege to be a part of their village.

George Washington Carver High School students eagerly participated in the “Free College Application Week” as they raced to complete as many college applications as possible with the intentions of procuring a future.

The future engineers of Saint James School learned about the field of engineering from a real life civil engineer! Mr. Brad Williams, the Deputy State Construction Engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) visited campus to speak to Mrs. Courtney Whigham’s Invention Convention class. Mr. Williams has over 13 years experience as a Bridge Designer and 7 years as a Bridge Construction Engineer. In his current role, he assists in the general supervision of all contract construction work of ALDOT’s construction program currently in excess of over 300 active projects at a contract amount of approximately $2 billion dollars.
To put their new knowledge to use, students paired up to compete in a bridge building activity. Using various materials, students designed and crafted trusses, arches, and beams. The bridge that held the most weight won top prize! This was a fun, hands-on activity that applied engineering principles.
Mrs. Whigham’s Invention Convention middle schoolers enjoyed hearing from Mr. Williams and asking questions about engineering. This exploratory class is all about problem solving, brainstorming ideas, and learning hands-on. Engineering is one of the many fields these students will explore during the semester. Activities emphasizing the integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and music are included. Invention Convention is one of the many electives offered in middle school.

Bear Exploration Center students and their families participated in fun, hands-on activities at their annual Math Night. Some of the activities included Coding with Bee Bots, Lego Math Challenges, Marble Circuits, Binary Code Bracelet Making, Supermarket Sweeps, and Symmetrical Art Designs. Bear families had an enjoyable night full of math and fun.

Evangel Christian Academy is proud to now offer a mentor program for students grades sixth through twelfth. Volunteers are chosen from the Student Government Association and National Honors Society to mentor younger students. They are paired with a student in need of peer counseling, whether it be in academics or other areas of difficulty.

In October, MA Kindergarteners went on their very adventure outside the school walls to the fire station on Maxwell Air Force Base. This fire station is unique because it is equipped to fight both structural and airplane fires. Students had a blast learning all about fire stations, fire safety, having a turn at the fire hose, and of course, meeting Sparky!

Eagle Assembly, Montgomery Academy’s Lower School student leadership program, trekked to Camp Chandler to kick off the year with some team-building activities. They learned that teams need five things to be successful: communication, cooperation, leadership, a plan, and trust. We are looking forward to a year of serving, learning, and leading!

Montgomery Academy is thrilled to announce that our own Dr. Damion Womack, the school’s Director of the Arts and Upper School Chorus Director, has been named as a semifinalist for the Music Educator Award by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. Out of more than 2,400 initial nominations from 49 states, Dr. Womack now finds himself in rare company with 25 teachers from 14 different states; he is the only semifinalist from Alabama.
The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums and matching grants, is made possible by the generosity and support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies. Finalists will be revealed in December, and the recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2025.

Alabama Christian Academy Lower School has embarked on an exciting partnership with the Gogue Theater, offering students a unique blend of entertainment and education. Throughout the school year, students will attend a series of live performances, specially chosen for their educational value. This initiative is designed to enhance learning through the arts, providing ACA students with hands-on experiences that tie directly into the school’s curriculum.
Josh Roberts, ACA’s Head of School, serves on the board at the Gogue Theater, a connection that has facilitated this enriching opportunity. His involvement ensures that the partnership will be an ongoing, dynamic part of the school’s approach to integrating arts and education.
This partnership reflects ACA’s dedication to providing well-rounded educational opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, giving students a deeper understanding of the world through art, performance, and hands-on learning. As the academic year progresses, this collaboration is sure to foster a greater appreciation for the performing arts and create memorable, impactful learning moments for every student at ACA Lower School.

Macon East Academy alumnus, Teron Wright, a junior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Supply Chain Management, recently completed an incredible 10-week internship with Unilever in their Procurement department. During his time there, he demonstrated exceptional skill by building a comprehensive database for packaging data, showcasing his dedication and expertise.
Teron also took the initiative to start his own non-profit, I am G.R.E.A.T, aimed at empowering first-generation college students in their pursuit of excellence. His passion for helping others and commitment to making a difference truly inspires us.

Montgomery Catholic Senior, Peter Riello was selected as a National Merit Semi-Finalist for 2024. Each year, approximately 1.5 million high school students apply for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Of these applicants, 50,000 students qualify for recognition in the program, and more than 16,000 are eventually named Semi-Finalists in honor of their outstanding academic achievements. These students must meet very high academic standards in their high school coursework and PSAT testing.

The Evangel Christian Academy elementary visited the pumpkin patch for a fun filled field trip. Students enjoyed picking out their pumpkins, zip lining, and playing on the swings. Our ECA kids had a picture-perfect autumn day!

Evangel Christian Academy’s Kindergarten class and their “Senior Buddies” decorated the sidewalks in colorful chalk. In a long standing ECA tradition, each Kindergarten student is paired with at least one Senior who they participate in fun activities with throughout the year. This year’s homecoming Chalk Walk was a major hit, showing off the creativity of some of ECA’s youngest and oldest students.

At George Washington Carver High School, a group of young men (football players, robotics, sga, ambassadors) joined forces for “Tie Tuesday.” They all had the opportunity to choose their own tie and had to dress professionally on a selected Tuesday showcasing leadership by presenting what it looks like to dress for the “professional” world.

Bear Exploration Center students and their families enjoyed an afterschool Fall Festival filled with fun, food, music and the Bear family. A big thank you goes out to the Bear PTA, all of the volunteers, and the local food vendors who came out to make the event a huge success.

Success Unlimited Academy eleventh grader, Hieu Trieu won first place in the AISA state speech competition on October 16, 2024 and held at Eastwood Christian School. The competition was for grades 9th through 12th, and open to first place winners from their respective school competitions. The contestant was required to speak at least three minutes and no more than seven on the topic, “Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?” The expository speech was to be memorized. Judging and scoring was based on the following criteria: 40% for delivery, 40% for content, and 20% for overall effectiveness. Congratulations, Hieu Trieu! You represented SUA well.

The following students were “CAUGHT BEING GOOD” at Forest Avenue for the month of September. We are proud of our friends! Keep up the great work! The students are Ashton Stallworth, Takii Bryant-Hutchinson, Skye Barton, Julianna Thomas, Simone McKinney, and Navaeh Dill.

TEA Academy welcomed grandparents to join the students for lunch in observance of Grandparents’ Day, which was an absolute privilege. The students’ faces lit up as the grandparents arrived! Why? Because they had written essays about their grandparents to share with them, and they had prepared a short program. All of the students were engaged, even if their grandparents didn’t attend, and this first program was a huge success! Along with a pizza lunch, the program included devotions, a Bible Trivia skit, essays read by students, and musical selections. TEA’s administration remains enthusiastic about future programs, and opportunities for students to showcase their gifts and talents.

TEA Christian Academy is embracing the 2024-2025 school year with a New Attitude! Attaining its global accreditation through Cognia for the next six years is a major achievement and sets the tone for what is to come. Complying with the assurances and standards set by Cognia will not only help the staff to be better prepared, proactive, and productive, but the students will be the benefactors of a more strategic and effective learning process. The theme for this school term is “Instilling Righteousness.”
The staff feels that setting a standard of this magnitude will have a positive impact on how students learn, engage, and contribute to society. Using a variety of proven strategies and reliable resources will further ensure that the students receive a quality education.
The goal is to develop young minds based on righteous principles that will ultimately lead them to success in any area. Both parents and students are excited about our new approach.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks that occurred in 2001 still remain unbelievable as the country paused to remember that day in history 24 years ago. The students at TEA Academy commemorated the anniversary by writing essays, watching videos, and pausing to pray for our country. Watching how this historic tragedy unfolded was unbelievable, and the students now better understand the importance of being conscious of their surroundings and minimizing distractions. They prayed for the families who lost loved ones and for all who were affected. they further prayed that this type of tragedy never happens again. God Bless America and this world we live in.

Resurrection Catholic School loves Deputy Dave! Thank you Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department for talking to our students about the importance of gun safety.

Forest Avenue 3rd grader Sheryn Ohm submitted her painting for Alabama Fair Youth Art Early Entry Contest and got the 3rd place in Tempera Painting division. We are so proud of Sheryn!

Congratulations to Forest Avenue 2nd grader Hugh Ohm in Mrs. Crittenden’s class for winning 1st place in tempera painting and selected as Best of Fair amongst all of the different art categories in his age division. Great work, Hugh!

Forest Avenue kindergarteners got to spend some time with the Montgomery Fire Department learning all about fire safety!

Resurrection Catholic School Pre K class enjoyed their field trip to the Planetarium. We learned so many fun facts about astronomy!

We love birthdays at Resurrection Catholic School! In October, we celebrated not one, not two, but three birthdays on the same day. Happy Birthday to Miss Waddles, our Pre-K teacher and her two students, Aiden and Amir.

Students in 5th and 6th at Resurrection Catholic enjoyed working on their “How To Vote” posters.

RCS 3rd and 4th graders support Breast Cancer Awareness with pink out Friday!