Project CHEW offers colorful food lesson

COLUMBUS – Annunciation prek through second grade students were honored to have the ladies from Project CHEW with the MUW (Mississippi University for Women) Culinary Arts Institute join them on Thursday, October 18. Chef Mary Helen Hawkins and Registered Dietitian, Amanda Dahl, along with student Chef Nicole and student Chef Nolan demonstrated how to “Eat the Rainbow” to get all the nutrients they need to grow. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

Vicksburg code writers place in top 10 for competition

RIDGELAND – Vicksburg Catholic School students Andrew Brewer, Caden Pickle, Tommy Martin and Andrew Ulmer placed in the top 10 teams at a coding challenge sponsored by C Spire on October 30. During the event, the team worked with a software developer on a series of puzzles using the Python programming language. More than 100 high school students from schools across the state participated in the event. They also got to interact with a robot and experiment with virtual reality. (Photos courtesy Christin Matthews)

Sister Thea students

Sister Thea students promote the vote

JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman students cast their votes during a Promote the Vote event. The students had voter registration ID cards, the student council representatives were the poll workers. The students had to sign-in after their names were checked and after voting, they were given “I voted today” stickers. District 3 Hinds County Election Commissioner Zakiya Summers spoke to the students about why it is important to vote. She gave the students a quiz about the history of voting which included the various amendments related to voting rights. (Photo by Shae Robinson)

Master gardeners plant science seeds at Sister Thea

JACKSON – Master Gardeners John Malanchak and Valerie Anderson teach Sister Thea Pre-K students a science lesson on plants. Malanchak provided two plant boxes: one for the students to plant violets and pansies and the other to plant their vegetables: kale, spinach, onions and radishes. (Photos by Shae Robinson)

Catholic school sports champions

In addition to spiritual formation and academic excellence, the four Catholic High Schools in the Diocese of Jackson have been garnering some sports championships as well. Here is a roundup of spring and fall sports championships held by Catholic Schools across the state.

Greenville St. Joe – Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) AA
2017-2018 Boys Basketball District Champions
2017-2018 Football MAIS 2AA State Champions
2018-2019 Football 2AA District Champions. Playoffs are underway. Junior Trey Benson broke the school record for most touchdowns in a single game with 8 touchdowns vs Greenville Christian School.

Madison St. Joe. – Mississippi High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) 2A
2018-2019 Boys Swim State Champions. They were second-place in state for 2017-2018.
2017-2018 Girls Swim State Champions. Girls swim we second place in the state for 2018-2019.
2017-2018 Boys Soccer State Champions
2017-2018 Baseball State Champions
2017-2018 Baseball District Champions
2017-2018 Boys Basketball District Champions
2017-2018 Boys and Girls Tennis District Champions
2018-2019 Boy and Girls Swim North State Champions

Madison St. Joseph’s baseball team celebrates after winning the state tournament in the spring of 2018. (Photos courtesy of Tricia Harris)

Madison St. Joseph’s boys swim team won the state title. The girls team was second in the state.

Natchez Cathedral – MAIS AAA
2018-2109 Cross Country, Varsity and JV State Champions. This is the third year the varsity has won the title.
2017-2018 Girls Golf State Champions
2017-2018 Boys Golf Individual State Championship.

NATCHEZ – As the bus load of Cross Country runners left Cathedral for the state meet, PreK 4 students with teacher Caroline Ferguson Nobile, assistants Betty Cusic and Jessica Byrne cheered them off campus. (Photo by Cara Serio)

Vicksburg Catholic. – MAIS AAA
2018-2019 Dance Competition State Champions in Jazz and Pom
2017-2018 Girl’s Soccer State Champions in Division III
2018 Girl’s Tennis second in State
2017-2018 Boy’s Soccer State Champions

Vicksburg Catholic Sports

St. Aloysius’ Wyatt Teague kicks Central Hinds’ Nick Lauderdale as they both go for the ball during Wednesday’s MAIS Class AAA semifinal in Raymond. St. Al won, 2-1, to snap Central Hinds’ 71-game winning streak. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg’s girls soccer team brought home a championship this spring. (Photo by YAS Photography)

The Dance Between

Book review:

By Bragg Moore
When I picked up Valerie Winn’s second novel, The Dance Between, I was excited to go back to Mimosa, Mississippi, and learn about Beth Brinkmann. I was rewarded so many times as this young girl approached her early teen years and the perplexity and maturing that comes with them.
Like most early adolescents, Beth is trying to maneuver from the innocence of her youth to understanding herself and the complex world she is discovering. Beth grows up in a strong Catholic family where the values and principles her mom and dad have taught her guide her to this point.
As she matures she begins to realize that challenges await her beyond the simple world of Mimosa, where neighbors are friendly and supportive. Her best friends are maturing and moving in new directions as they enter a “public” middle school, a far cry from the world of Sister Alphonsettia and her small Catholic school. I found myself recalling so many common situations from my own life in a small town, in a small Catholic school, and surely within the presence and effect that the good sisters taught me and Beth.
Beth begins to make her own judgements on the relationships she has with family and friends. She is growing and trying to leave behind her many fears and move toward her big dreams. Unexpected affirmations come from the neighborhood busybody who gently pushes Beth to explore her expressive talent. Once that begins to happen, Beth gains confidence in herself. She is growing up to the surprise of others — and especially to herself.
The simple joy of reading this novel led me to examine my own life’s adventures. I smiled often and stopped to enjoy dredged-up memories. I laughed at the characters and their flaws. I promise it is worth the read. I enjoyed the Brinkmann family, Mimosa, and the lessons that can be learned.
(Bragg Moore is the former director of youth ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi.)

Students stage FinnFest

MADISON – St. Richard students get snowcones at FinnFest on Wednesday, Oct. 10. Students at St. Joseph School organized FinnFest to raise money for Finn Blaylock, a six-year-old who is fighting cancer. Finn is a student at St. Richard School while his siblings attend St. Joseph. The Fest included a teacher dunking booth, games, food and a blood drive for Finn. (Photos courtesy of Bruin Journalism class)