Cat Larosa's MVP Finalist

McNicholas senior Cat Humphries has been nominated as a finalist for
LaRosa's MVP Athlete of the Year, winner's will be announced in
June. We congratulate Cat on her outstanding athletic achievements.

Below you will find information on Cat and some of her
accomplishments to date.

NAME: Cat Humphries
SCHOOL: McNicholas High School
SPORT(S): Track
GRADUATING YEAR: 2009
BIRTHDATE: 7-18-90
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5'5"-125 lbs.
RESIDENCE: Batavia
PARENTS: Mirv & Jan
FUTURE GOAL: "To become an All-American"
MVP ACCOMPLISHMENTS: This senior is already a two-time Ohio state track champion. Cat was Div. II Ohio champ in the 100 run her freshman year, and followed that up with another Ohio state title in the 200 run her sophomore year. As a junior, Cat was Ohio runner-up in both the 100 and 200 runs, and was on the 3rd place 400 relay team. Her honors are numerous, including 1st team all-city 3 times, GGCL Track Athlete of the Year twice and Cincinnati Track Athlete of the Year twice. Also a great student (Academic All-Ohio, National
Honor Society), Cat holds several school track records and will run next year at Hillsdale College. She also played soccer for the Rockets and even was on the wrestling team this past season! Active in community service, her favorite entertainer is Dane Cook, favorite movie is 300, favorite book is Rhapsody and most-like-to-meet is author J.K. Rowling.

COACH'S QUOTE – "Cat's competitiveness and drive to win make her an
outstanding athlete and student." – Dan Rosenbaum, Track Coach



Thespian Fund Raiser

The Theatre Dept's next fundraiser is a car wash on Saturday June 20th from 10am - 2pm at Stein Mart on Beechmont (just in time for Father's Day).  No charge for the wash, but donations accepted.


New Coaches

The new varsity women's soccer coach is Karen Stasiowski and the new varsity women's basketball coach is Gregg Flammer.

Five McNicholas Students are Ohio State Science Fair Winners

Five Students recently received awards for the 2009 Ohio State Science Fair. They include, Rachel Wadell, Lucy Frey, Charlie Jordan, Amanda Bradley, and Michael Nimmo. All were awarded either Superior or Excellent Ratings for their participation in the fair.

McNicholas faculty member and science department co-chair, Regina Goines, served as a judge for the fair. The school was also awarded an impressive trophy for their consecutive years of participation in the fair.



Band & Boosters Thank You...

"The Rocket Band and Music Boosters would like to extend thanks and gratitude for your support..."    (more)


Band Recognized

 

The Rocket Band was Awarded Best Band at the 2009 St. Patrick's Day parade.
It is the 3rd time in 5 years the band has won the award.



Word & Song

 

Below are pictures from the English Department's Celebration of Word and Song held at Barnes & Noble on April 23, 2009.

 

 

 

HUBER GOES PRO

McNicholas Punter/Placekicker Kevin Huber was drafted by the Cincinnati
Bengals this afternoon, as a punter. Following his three time All-GCL
kicker career for the Rockets, Kevin went on to become a two time All
American punter for the UC Bearcats. How cool is this! Congrats to Kevin
and his family on a dream come true.



Students Awarded Spots in Prestigious Summer Science Programs

McNicholas has just received word that Junior Samantha Tucci has been awarded a slot in the UC College of Medicine's ExSEL program this summer, a true honor!! This is a paid full time research slot for five weeks. Only 20 students throughout the area each year are chosen to participate. Sam filled out a lengthy on-line application and submitted a resume, transcripts, and teacher recommendations. Students must show interest in the program and how it will benefit them in a future career. “I feel very lucky to have been chosen” said Tucci and she plans “to use the experience to develop a career in the medical research field.”

 

        


Sophomore Sarah Lott has been awarded a job with the National Parks Youth Conservation Corps to work in Yellowstone Park, WY June 19-August 20. Only one student per state is selected for this program, resulting in a group of 15 young men and 15 young women from all over the nation working in the program. Their tasks will involve everything from replacing fence posts to building new trails. “I have been interested in returning to Yellowstone ever since a family trip there in 2006” said Lott. She found an online application for the program and it seemed like it could be a wonderful experience. Food, housing and compensation are provided.

Felicia Rinaldi, has been accepted for UC Medical Schools HCare program. This is a health care oriented five week program. Felicia is one of twenty students throughout the area to be chosen to participate. McNicholas is proud of the accomplishments and ambition of these three young ladies.



 “On the Same Page” Announcement

The McNicholas English Department is pleased to announce our “On the Same
Page” book choice: Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx. Thanks so much to all
who offered suggestions. We received pages of suggestions and will keep
them in reserve for future selections. Below please find some reviews of
the book; we hope you join us in reading the work and attending our book
discussion on Monday, May 11 in the library at 7:00 p.m.
The book contains wonderful messages for all, not just athletes or males.
We hope you agree. Thanks for your support.

Reviews (from amazon.com)
When Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter Marx was a kid in the 1970s,
he was a ballboy for the Baltimore Colts. One of the team captains was Joe
Ehrmann, a larger-than-life party guy and star defensive lineman. After
the death of his younger brother, Ehrmann changed his life, working in
Baltimore's inner city and eventually becoming an ordained minister.
Prompted by an article about the demolition of the Colt's legendary
Memorial Stadium, Marx reconnected with Ehrmann and became fascinated both
with his ministry and his work as a volunteer football coach at a
Baltimore private school. This account of Ehrmann's career--and his effect
on Marx's life--is inspirational without being preachy. Most amazing are
the stories of the team Ehrmann coaches--a football team on which life
lessons are more important than tackling fundamentals. The lessons extend
to Marx himself, who describes how he was moved by Ehrmann's example to
work on his relationship with his father. A sports story, yes, but much
more, too. Wes Lukowsky
Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated
Jeffrey Marx has used the most violent of American games to show how men
and boys should dare not be afraid to look for love. I was tremendously
touched by Season of Life.
Christine Brennan, USA Today
In a warm, passionate story, Jeffrey Marx finds a boyhood hero who ends up
leading him on a fascinating personal journey. This is a book that every
father and son will enjoy.

Carl Lewis, Olympic champion
Season of Life should be required reading for every high school student in
America and every parent as well.

Ronnie Lott, NFL Hall of Famer
This is not a book you are just going to read and then forget about.
You're probably going to read it again sometime. And you'll definitely
want to tell family and friends about it. By sharing Season of Life with
others, you will be helping to make this a better world.

Steve Moulton, ESPN Radio
This is a life-changing book. You'd have to be a slug on a rock not to be
impacted by the messages in this book.



Sisters of St. Joseph Gift to Establish a Rain Garden

McNicholas has just received funding from the sisters of St. Joseph to establish a rain garden in Paradise Gardens, an outdoor classroom in a thriving 1.8 acre reclaimed wooded area. To date, access steps have been installed, a path has been constructed and maintained to the end of the property, honeysuckle and invasive plants cleared, houses for bats and a variety of birds have been built and installed as well as natural wood signage and benches to accommodate 30 students. Our woodland is unlike land labs established in many area schools; we have not artificially planted a manicured garden, we have reclaimed a natural habitat and worked hard to improve its ecological integrity.

Water from the parking lot flows downhill and causes significant erosion. Parking lot debris and pollutants flow into the stream. The rain garden will divert the flow of this water, establishing an area where it can collect and percolate through the soil. The ecological benefits are twofold. First, erosion will be minimized and second, the system will naturally cleanse the water of parking lot pollutants.

Katie Bollmer, McNicholas class of 1995 and a civil engineer, volunteered to design the rain garden with the help of Mr. Chris Tetrault, McNicholas Parent and a landscape designer. Mr. Tetrault loaned the school survey equipment and taught a team of students to take the measurements needed to determine the volume of water the garden will accommodate.

McNicholas has an active Ecology Club of approximately 40 students. They also have a chapter of Science National Honor Society; members are seniors with a high commitment to science in their current and future plans. These students have been very active and will continue to be the primary source of labor. Biology students will use the rain garden as a source of ecological data; Chemistry in the Community students will enhance their water quality unit with locally obtained data; advanced students will collect data to determine the efficiency of the rain garden.

This gift will allow McNicholas the ability to establish an efficient rain garden that will be a major step in healing this part of the earth. Plans are set to begin digging for the rain Garden on May 2, 2009 with the help of Ecology Club students and Tatro, and planting it several weeks later.



Humphries back on track

McNicholas senior Cat Humphries had been looking forward to running this season in an open sprint race since last year’s Division II state meet. A state champion in the 100-meter dash as a freshman and in the 200 as a sophomore, Humphries struggled with a pulled groin last season and placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 at state. She also was a member of McNicholas’ third-place 4-by-100 relay team.

Recently Humphries out-legged Walnut Hills junior Shauniece Steele to win the 100 in the Coaches' Classic at Fairfield High School. Humphries finished in 12.41, Steele in 12.43.

Humphries said she is in better shape than ever because she took on new sports this school year.

“I played soccer for the first time ever, and I was on the boys’ wrestling team,” Humphries said. “All the weight lifting and everything we did in wrestling definitely affected me, because I'm in the best shape I've ever been in before.”

Last year’s injury spurred the senior to train harder.

Cat was recently named a LaRosa’s MVP of the week. Her future goal, simply stated, to become an All-American. Her honors are numerous, including 1st team all-city 3 times, GGCL Track Athlete of the Year twice and Cincinnati Track Athlete of the Year twice. Also a great student (Academic All-Ohio, National Honor Society), Cat holds several school track records and recently signed to run next year at Hillsdale College.

“Cat’s competitiveness and drive to win make her an outstanding athlete and student.”said Dan Rosenbaum, McNicholas Track Coach



McNicholas Announces 2009 UC District Science Fair Winners

McNicholas would like to congratulate the following students who received superior ratings at the University of Cincinnati District Science Fair and will represent McNick at State in May: Lucy Frey, Rachel Wadell, Amanda Bradley, Charlie Jordan and Michael Nimmo.

Students who were awarded honorable mention or higher at the 2009 McNicholas Science Fair are eligible for the district fair. Charlie Jordan and Michael Nimmo also won cash awards.

Congratulations also to the Biology teachers, Mike Quinones, Debbie Bonekamp, Stephanie Morris and Lauren Wulker for their hard work in teaching their students the scientific method through original research and preparing them for competition. Stephanie and Michael served as judges and brought back a plaque for McNicholas’ five year participation at the district fair.



Dance Team Excels

 

The McNicholas Rockets Dance Team competed Saturday, April 5th, in the Ohio State Championships and Sunday, April 6th, in the National Championships. The team was named National and State Champions in the Production category for their 9-11/Military Tribute and took 3rd place in the State and National Championships in the Kick Category with their Cats Theme Routine. Congratulations to the Dance Team on their second straight National Championship Title!



McNicholas High School 2009 Prom Court

Pairings:

Amy Ashworth……………………………….Tom Peterman
Beth Hamad…………………………………..Tim Meisman
Kelly LeMaster………………………………..Sean VonHoene
Kathy Sandmann…………………………….Dylan Barth
Kellee Schmitt………………………………..Ben Mocahbee
Jessica Wiles………………………………….Michael Staubach


Alphabetically:

Amy Ashworth
Beth Hamad
Kelly LeMaster
Kathy Sandmann
Kellee Schmitt
Jessica Wiles

Dylan Barth
Tom Peterman
Tim Meisman
Ben Mocahbee
Michael Staubach
Sean VonHoene



Thespian Conference Results

We just got back from the Thespian conference and once again our kids won some fantastic recognition;

The conference is hosting 1600 kids from all over the state. "All Shook Up", the all-state musical featuring David Sweet in a lead role and Katherine Wiesenhahn in the ensemble got the conference off to a rockin' start on Friday and performed twice in Beavercreek's huge, packed auditorium and received 2 screaming, standing ovations.

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown was presented on Saturday and was incredibly well received - there wasn't an empty seat in the auditorium and the cast was rewarded with a standing ovation.

Our entry in the group musical IE's (Individual Events) was the only entry in the state awarded a Critic's Choice award (the highest honor at the conference) with a double rating of superior; the cast performed "Pandemonium" from the musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and consisted of:
Lauren Bridges
Shannon Coffey
Lauren Cox
DJ Delvecchio
Joe Horan
Sarah Kaising
Jacob Wiles
Chelsea Wirthlin
Katie Hennekes

Charlie Ingram and David Sweet performed "Two Nobodies in New York" from the musical [title of show] in the musical duet category and were awarded one of only 2 Critic's Choice awards given in that category. They received a ratings of superior.  Kathleen Hiltz was extraordinary as musical accompanist as well as accompanying our musical competition pieces.

In addition to the kids mentioned above, all of our 46 kids have represented McNick well this weekend.



Spring into a Good Book!

Do you know of a great book that everyone should read...students, staff,
teachers, administrators, parents, family members, and friends??

We want your ideas!

In an effort to foster a sense of community through reading, McNick's
English Department will be sponsoring our own "On the Same Page" reading
experience. "On the Same Page Cincinnati" is a community-wide reading
program founded in 2001 by the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton
County. People of all ages are invited to read, discuss, and become
enlightened by a great book.

McNick's "On the Same Page" book will be announced during Reading Week at
the English Department's Celebration of Word and Song Evening April 23,
2009, 6-9 p.m. at Kenwood Barnes and Noble.

Please email your book suggestions to Val Combs (vcombs@ mcnhs.org) by
Monday, April 6.

The English Department will then host a book discussion on Monday, May 11
in the library. All are welcome!

Please join us in promoting the importance of reading.
Thanks.



MUSICIANS HONORED
 

Congratulations to Josh Blair and Pat Ahrens who represented McNick at the 1st All Catholic Honor Band.

 

University of Cincinnati District Science Fair

The following McNicholas students received superior ratings at the UC District Science Fair and will represent McNicholas at State in May:
Lucy Frey, Rachel Wadell, Amanda Bradley, Charlie Jordan and Michael Nimmo

In addition to their superior ratings, Amanda Bradley, Charlie Jordan and Michael Nimmo also won cash awards.

Biology teachers entered the students and then students are responsible for registering themselves. They must submit Abstracts and consent forms, in addition to a research plan and a procedure.

McNicholas would also like to congratulate Biology teachers, Michael Quinones, Debbie Bonekamp, Stephanie Morris and Lauren Wulker for all of their hard work teaching their students the scientific method through original research and preparing them for competition! Stephanie and Michael participated as judges and brought back a plaque that was awarded for McNicholas' five year participation at the district fair.
 

 

 

MILITARY MEMORIAL FUND

The McNicholas Military Memorial Committee is sponsoring fundraising activities to  finance the construction of a military memorial on our campus to honor graduates who have served in the United States Armed Forces.  Below are the two current activities:

 

Memorial Paver Brick Sale