St. Joseph’s fielded thirty-three sports teams for the 2007-2008 school year: seven Middle School teams, nine Junior Varsity teams, and seventeen Varsity teams. Within the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) AAA League, the combined seasons produced two state champions: Boys Cross Country and Varsity Boys Fall Soccer. Girls Cross Country, Varsity Boys Spring Soccer, and Boys Swimming placed second in the state. The Wrestling Team finished fourth in the state, with two wrestlers crowned State Champions in their individual weight class. Varsity Boys Golf, Varsity Girls Soccer, Girls Softball, and Varsity Boys Tennis all advanced to the state playoffs. JV Boys Tennis was undefeated in regular season play. Both the Middle School Girls and Middle School Boys Soccer Teams were undefeated in regular season play and captured their conference championships. Both teams also won their conference tournaments.

Twenty-one SJCS students received the SCISA Scholar-Athlete Award. In order to be eligible, a student must have earned a 3.5 GPA and have lettered in two Varsity sports. The following students met that criteria: Connor Bolton, J.D. Carino, Garrett Clark, Emily Coggins, Ahmad Dbouk, Brooke Devon, Gabrielle Genal, Jacob Hanna, Joseph Hartley, Cory Holbein, Miguel Larrain, Christine Laskowski, Katie Lynam, Jena Mohr, Elizabeth Reynolds, Alex Rinz, Austin Stein, Alex Winebarger, Katie Winebarger, Eric Witzke, and Blaire Wolski.

Eighteen SJCS athletes were named to the SCISA All-State Teams in their various sports: J.D. Carino, Cory Holbein and Tim Bailey (Varsity Boys Fall Soccer), Emily Coggins and Katie Lynam (Girls Cross Country), Josh Benore and Luke Mosley (Boys Cross Country), Aya Nance and Lauren Raczkowski (Girls Swimming), Ben Coia and Graham Kauffman (Boys Swimming), Jill Biediger (Varsity Girls Volleyball), Ahmad Dbouk and Steven Fowler (Boys Wrestling), Gabby Lutz and Emily Zankman (Varsity Girls Soccer), Jackson DeMere (Varsity Boys Tennis), and Tim Bailey (Varsity Boys Spring Soccer).

The following players were named SCISA Player of the Year: Tim Bailey (Varsity Boys Fall Soccer), Graham Kauffman (Boys Swimming), and Katie Lynam (Girls Cross Country).

Two SJCS coaches were named Region Coach of the Year: Mr. Frank Kucinic (Varsity Boys Soccer) and Mrs. Shannon Herman (Varsity Girls Soccer). One coach was named SCISA Coach of the Year: Mr. George Carr (Boys Cross Country).

Click here to view a complete list of athletic awards presented at the All-School Athletic Awards Ceremony on May 7, 2008.

Several St. Joseph's students were recently presented with some of Girl Scouts highest honors at a Girl Scout Awards Ceremony held May 9, 2008:

Senior Sarah Moore was presented the Pauline Patterson Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2000 to honor the memory of Pauline M. Patterson, a member of the local Girl Scout Staff from 1988 to 2000. Pauline designed programming that was fun and adventurous, that reached beyond troop activities, and provided girls with the incentive to look beyond themselves. As a tribute to Pauline’s enthusiasm for life and learning, this $500 scholarship is awarded annually to a senior Girl Scout who best exemplifies these ideals.

Junior Emily Schrank was presented with the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. In completing the required badges and career requirements, Emily exhibited strong leadership qualities and provided outstanding service to others. Emily also completed a 65-hour service project that reached beyond the Girl Scout organization and provided lasting benefits to the community. For her project, titled "Helping Heads," Emily made fleece hats for developmentally delayed children, and also hosted a workshop to teach others the required sewing skills to make the hats.

Eighth grade students Lindsey Foley, Monica Fric, Megan Heijjer, and Elizabeth Moore were presented the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award that can be earned by a Cadette Girl Scout. Among other requirements to earn this recognition, each scout is required to design, plan, and carry out a forty-hour Silver Award project. For her Silver Award project, Lindsey implemented a one-week running camp at Prince of Peace Catholic School, in which Lindsey shared her love of running by teaching the girls about stretching, injury prevention, hydration, and other important aspects of running as a sport. For Monica’s project, titled "Pillows and Blankets with Love," she made fleece blankets and pillows for children who have extended stays in the hospital. Megan recorded books on tapes, specifically chosen to help teach Catholic virtues to young children, and spent time reading and discussing these stories with the second grade class at St Mary’s Catholic School. Elizabeth’s project was two-fold: she repaired and painted the three existing Girl Scout Bridges that scouts use for ceremonies, as well as built a new bridge in a project called "Bridges of Compassion," and she also collected over 400 stuffed animals to be distributed to children in traumatic situations in "Operation Bear Hug."

The Scholastic Book Fair, sponsored by the SJCS St. Anne's Society, was held the week of May 5th - 9th. Students, parents, and grandparents were able to view and purchase an assortment of books geared towards enjoyment, summer reading, and gift giving. The school earned more than $1,070, which in turn will help to purchase books and reference materials for the school library.

Click here to view more photos from the Book Fair

Click here to read more about the SJCS Library and Media Center

The St. Joseph’s Middle School Girls Soccer Team claimed its second Carolina Middle School Championship Title on Friday night, May 9th, with a victory over a very fast and talented Mitchell Road Christian Academy (MRCA) Team. The Lady Knights (16-0) played tough all season, with two noted victories over the Upstate Public Middle School Champions, Mauldin Middle School.

In the final championship game, seventh grader Elizabeth Ann Satterfield scored the opening goal early in the first half from a drop pass by eighth grader Keitt Panuccio. MRCA then proceeded to tie the score with a well-placed penalty kick just before halftime. Midway thru the second half, MRCA scored a second time to bring the score to 1-2. With less than a minute to go in the match, eighth graders Madeleine McMillan and Keitt Panuccio received the ball at midfield. They beat the first defender, were tackled, and then managed to regain possession. The two were again challenged by MRCA defenders in what looked like a rugby scrum, but still managed to pop up with the ball to be tackled yet a third time inside the goal area. Panuccio then managed to deflect a pass to seventh grader Meredith Schosky, who connected in the corner of the net with the tying score, with seconds left on the clock.

"This was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever coached or even witnessed," stated Coach Jervey Inglesby. "Actually, it was a little too exciting." With less than ten seconds left in the second five minutes of sudden death overtime, the Knights fouled just outside the box, to give MRCA a likely opportunity to score a winning goal off a short penalty kick. The shot went wide and the game went into penalty kicks.

"With Carlin Friedholm in the goal, I felt that we had a great advantage, and our five shooters knew exactly where they were going to place the ball," added Coach Inglesby. Panuccio, Satterfield, and eighth grader Grace Hanna managed to score off three of the Knight’s first four penalty kicks, while Friedholm blocked all but one of MRCA’s kicks. "I was really nervous before the game, but when it came time to take my penalty kick, all I could think about was where I was going to place my shot," stated Hanna.

With the final score of 5-3 in favor of the Lady Knights, the game proved to be the winning finish to the end a perfect season, with the Lady Knights defending their second CMSC conference championship title. "This was a dream come true," added Panuccio. Dani Inglesby, Cara Mohr, Keitt Panuccio, and Meredith Schosky were named to the All-Conference Team.

"Our strength was our tough defense, led by Cara Mohr, Nicholle Stein, Katie Helvey, and Grace Hanna," added Coach Inglesby. "They allowed only six goals throughout the season, while the Lady Knight’s offense managed 61 goals. Defeating the best public and private schools in the Upstate, this St. Joe’s Middle School Girls Soccer Team has proven to be one of the best in the state."

Congratulations to SJCS seventh grader Julia Roman, who was named the state winner for the SHADE Foundation 2008 "Limit the Sun, Not the Fun" poster contest. Julia’s winning poster, one of 43 state winners judged from thousands of entries, can be viewed at www.shadefoundation.org. Julia received an iPod Nano and the school received several gifts, including a bag of UV color change beads and a UV Sun Meter. Each state winner is now eligible to compete for the national grand prize trip to Disney World. Julia entered the contest as an extra credit assignment under the direction of SJCS Science Department Chair Joanna McLucas. Last year’s state winner was SJCS student Noah Coish.

SJCS Chaplain Father Dwight Longenecker will be leading the school's second summer mission trip to El Salvador in June. Ten students will visit the country and work with the poor in the CIDECO village. CIDECO is a Catholic housing, education, and employment project that works to break the cycle of poverty for the poorest of the poor. "Mission trips are a fantastic way for our students to see their Christian faith in action," stated Father Longenecker. The group of five boys and five girls will also visit other projects, and aim to build the ongoing relationship between St Joseph's and the CIDECO village. Father is currently accepting donations to help cover expenses involved with the trip. Contact dlongenecker@sjcatholicschool.org.

Congratulations to senior Daniel DeMars, who has been named a 2008 Presidential Scholar by the U.S. Department of Education. DeMars is one of 139 outstanding American high school seniors that have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship, and service to school and community. DeMars, who achieved perfect scores on the math and reading sections of the SAT, is a member of the SJCS Academic Team, Math Team, and National Honor Society. He also participates in the school’s Youth In Government program and theatre productions. In addition, DeMars is an Eagle Scout and is active in his parish youth group. He recently participated in the Summer Program for Research Interns through the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics. He plans to study physics and philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. The 2008 Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments in Washington, D.C. June 21st to 24th.

In addition, each Presidential Scholar was asked to invite his or her most inspiring and challenging teacher to travel to Washington, D.C. to receive a Teacher Recognition Award and to participate in the recognition events. The teacher chosen for recognition by DeMars was George Carr, SJCS Math Department Chair.

Five SJCS ninth graders traveled to the State Archives in Columbia, SC on Saturday April 26th to compete for prizes at the state level in the annual National History Day Contest. Students earned their entry in the State Contest by winning a regional event held in the Upstate. Katelyn Forry, Theresa Krupka, Miguel Larrain, and Mary Kate McClintock won "Excellent" acclamations for their research projects and received Certificates of Merit. The fifth student, Emily Cinquemani, earned a Silver Medal as a Finalist in the Research Paper Category and was selected as an alternate for the National Contest that will take place in June in Washington D.C.

St. Joseph’s Catholic School students and staff celebrated the feast day of "St. Joseph The Worker" on Thursday, May 1st by working in the community for various organizations and charitable causes. Members of the school community volunteered at Miracle Hill Ministries, the Myers Center, Birthright of Greenville, Project Host Soup Kitchen, Ronald McDonald House, Meals on Wheels, and various parishes around the Upstate, just to name a few. Jobs ranged from working with special needs children, cleaning up the Reedy River, doing yard work, visiting the elderly, clearing out brush and debris, painting homes, and supervising elementary school field days.

Click here to view more photos from "St. Joseph The Worker" Day

The St. Joseph’s Varsity Girls Soccer Team is once again in contention for the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) AAA State Championship. The Lady Knights opened their season ranked second in the state behind Hilton Head Prep. "It’s been a real learning experience for us this year," said Coach Shannon Herman. "Literally half of our team is new to the squad, but we have done exceptionally well, and with continued concentration and hard work, I truly believe the team is capable of going all the way."

Herman attributes much of the team’s success to her senior leadership. "I have five seniors who will do anything for this team." Gabby Lutz, Liz Sanders, and Brooke Devon have been members of the team for four years and have experienced the thrill of winning a state championship. "They strive each and every day to share the energy of that level of success with their team," added Herman. Jessica Benore and Haley Kernell joined the team as sophomores. "You should see the work ethic these girls bring to practice and the comfort level of the team off the field. This team has bonded, and I expect them to do well because of this," added Herman.

The entire season has been a battle for the Lady Knights. They began with wins against six conference teams, but the wins were close, with one being a shoot out victory. During the second half of the season, St. Joseph’s suffered losses to three Columbia schools: Ben Lippen, Hammond, and Catholic school archrival Cardinal Newman in a shoot-out last week. With a win last Friday over Augusta Christian in the final home game of the season, the Knights ended regular season play with a 7-3-0 record. The Knights then faced Ben Lippen on Saturday night to break the tie for first place in the Region and came away with a 2-1 victory.

"We are ready and able," stated senior Liz Sanders. "I think the team has really come together and at such a perfect time with play offs this week. We are excited and motivated to achieve our goal of another state championship."

Click here to view photos from the May 2, 2008 SJCS vs Augusta Christian Game and Senior Send-Off Ceremony.

Congratulations to seventh grader Julia Roman, one of five students who received Honorable Mention in the 2008 Environmental Awareness Middle School Competition sponsored by Champions of the Environment.   Over 1000 entries in four categories of competition (essay, photo, poster, and Public Service Announcement) were submitted from 39 schools and home school groups throughout the state. 

SJCS senior Haley Kernell was chosen by the Colonial Dames as one of three students in the state to attend an all-expense paid Washington Workshop. This weeklong Congressional seminar is an intensive study of the national government that includes visits to Capitol Hill, discussion meetings with senators, speeches by high-ranking officials, and participation in a model Congress.   In an essay contest sponsored by the Colonial Dames, students were asked to write on the subject of  “If you were a Presidential candidate, what domestic issue would you consider most important and what would you do about it?”  A student in Mrs. Carr’s AP Government Class, Haley’s essay focused on immigration. 

SJCS senior Daniel DeMars has been named a semifinalist by the U.S. Department of Education in the 2008 Presidential Scholars Program. From nearly 2.8 million graduating high school seniors across the country, approximately 3,000 were identified as candidates in the program based on academic achievement, and only 560 seniors were named semifinalists. In South Carolina, ten students were selected as semifinalists from a field of fifty-two high school seniors, and DeMars was one of three semifinalists named from the Upstate. Final selection of the scholars will be announced in May.

The transition to spring soccer for the SJCS Varsity Boys Soccer Team has been an eye opener. The Knights, who are currently 7-3, have faced all of their conference opponents and are tied for the second position in the conference as they head into their last week of the regular season with three games scheduled this week.

The Knights have suffered multiple injuries, and at one point, had five of their starters out due to injuries, illness, and the school’s spring musical. Yet amidst the adversity, the team has managed to play well. "We are a very talented team, but have not been playing to our fullest potential," stated Coach Frank Kucinic. "We need to get everybody healthy and out on the practice field and iron out the kinks."

The three losses hit hard and all within the past week when the Knights faced Hammond School from Columbia, Christ Church Episcopal School, and Cardinal Newman Catholic School, also from Columbia. "Hammond is ranked second in the state, and they are a very talented team," said Coach Kucinic. "Even though we lost the game, I truly feel it was one of the best games we played all season. Danny Conley, our goalkeeper, played the game of his life, having made eighteen unbelievable saves." St. Joseph’s had many opportunities to score, but couldn’t seem to capitalize on their chances, as the score went back and forth, but in the end, resulted in a loss for the Knights.

Injuries and illnesses left the Knights without five players, including four starters, against Christ Church. "We had a lot of players that were playing in positions that they may not have been accustomed to," said Kucinic. The Knights took an early lead in the game with a goal from Alex Burnikel, but lost steam as the game went on without many of their key players.

The Cardinal Newman game followed the next day. This was the first game where all the team players were present in over a week and the team quickly got back to the business of doing what they do best…playing a very high energy level. The Knights played hard and fought well, but Cardinal Newman was able to score with only four minutes remaining in the game. "That was heartbreaking, especially knowing that we had been presented with more scoring opportunities than Cardinal Newman," concluded Kucinic.

During the end of their regular season play this week, the Knights will likely be competing for the number two seed in the playoffs.

Congratulations to SJCS rising ninth graders Jessica Peck and Peter Schatteman, who were recently selected as the recipients of the St. Joseph’s Scholar Award. This scholarship, awarded annually to two incoming freshmen, recognizes academic excellence.

St. Joseph’s Student Council hosted Prom 2008 on Saturday, April 26th at the Greenville Country Club from 8:30 P.M. to 12 Midnight. Under the theme of "Fly Me To The Moon," seniors Keith Early and Margo Toney were voted Prom King and Queen and juniors J.D. Carino and Emily Zankman were voted Junior Prince and Princess. Prior to Prom, the SJCS Parents Guild hosted their annual Pre-Prom celebration from 7:00- 8:15 P.M. at the school, where parents and siblings joined students for a social hour and viewing of the Senior Video. Following Prom, students enjoyed games, music, food, and prizes free of charge at the After-Prom held at the Greenville Sports Club from 12:30-3:30 A.M.

Click here to view photos from Pre-Prom

Click here to view photos from After-Prom

SJCS Latin students participated in the 2008 National Latin Exam, along with over 134,000 students from all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. In the Latin I level, Amy Hase, Mitchell Jones, and Caitlin Rowe earned Gold Medals, Brace Plumblee and Joshua Schammel earned Silver Medals, Gabrielle Genal earned a Magna Cum Laude Certificate, and Ted Bell, Carly Campbell, and Katie Helvey earned Cum Laude Certificates. In the Latin II level, Katie Lynam and Stella Watson earned Gold Medals, Cole Buchanan and Patrick Key earned Silver Medals, Kelsey Mazur earned a Magna Cum Laude Certificate and Clark Burgess and Ethan Schaeffer earned Cum Laude Certificates. In the Latin III level, Meghan Hudak earned a Gold Medal, Alex Davidson earned a Silver Medal, and Katie Winebarger earned a Magna Cum Laude Certificate. In the Latin IV level, Emily Schrank earned a Magna Cum Laude Certificate.

Congratulations to SJCS rising seniors Daniel Collins, Travis Dziad, Erin McLear, Andrew Strain, Philip Wilmeth, Eric Witzke, and Emily Zankman for having qualified to enter the National Merit Scholarship Program. Based upon their 2007 PSAT scores, these students are among the 50,000 highest scoring participants who qualified for this prestigious honor, selected from a group of over 1.5 million students nationwide. From these 50,000 high scorers, approximately 16,000 will be named in September as National Merit Semifinalists.

The St. Joseph’s Middle School Girls Soccer Team defeated Shannon Forest Christian School on Tuesday, April 22, making their season-to-date record 12-0. "We have defeated the top ranked public middle school team in the Upstate, and have possibly played other teams with stronger individual talent," stated Head Coach Jervey Inglesby. "Our strength is not with any one individual, but in the ability to dominate the play with controlled passing and aggressive work without the ball."

The team plays one of two remaining home games today against Mitchell Road Christian School at 4:00 P.M.

Click here to view more photos from the 4-22-08 match against Shannon Forest.

The St. Joseph's Middle School Baseball Team beat Spartanburg Day School by a score of 13-3 on Monday, April 21st. The winning pitcher for the Knights was Nick Leonard, who pitched three innings in a game that ended in five innings, due to the ten-run mercy rule. Big hits came from Scott Burnley, John Griffin Hawkins, Graham Roberts, and Cody Davidson. Joey Wooten came on the mound to pitch in the fourth inning to finish off the game. The team's season to date record is 2-2.

Click here to view a photo gallery from the game.

The St. Joseph’s Varsity Boys Golf Team finds itself in a familiar situation as they prepare for the last regional match of the season.  Like last year, St. Joseph’s is battling against Augusta Christian School for the fourth place invitation to the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) State Championships.  With a record of 3 – 3 in regional matches, the Knights are tied with Augusta Christian.  The regional match that will determine St. Joseph’s fate is set for Wednesday, April 23rd at the Gordon Lakes Golf Course at Fort Gordon.  “Our team has been steadily improving and, based upon their 161 team score in the most recent match, the boys should fare well on Wednesday,” stated Coach Sheldon Early.

With seniors Keith Early and Andrew Fryml leading the team as co-captains, St. Joseph’s currently posts a record of 7 – 8 overall and 3 – 3 in the region.  Having members of the team securing medalist honors in six matches, the boys know they can go low when the situation demands it.  When questioned about the team’s ability to pull off a victory in its bid for an invitation to this year’s playoffs, team co-captain Keith Early reflected on “the long ride home last year after missing the opportunity to go to state because of a loss to Augusta Christian.  He further added, “We are motivated to not let that happen again this year.” Early’s performance this year has been just what the team needed as he posted scores of 41, 34, 37, 39, and 36 in matches where he garnered medalist honors.

Over the course of the season, several players, most notably sophomore Austin Cajka, have stepped up their game.  Cajka, who recently shared medalist honors by posting a score of 39 in a match against Greenville Tech Charter, credits his performance this year to “new irons, maturity, and hard work.” Moving into the number two position early in the season, Coach Early stated “Cajka has been a significant contributor to the squad and is expected to bring his ‘A’ game to the remaining matches.”

Coach Early believes that junior Eric Witzke, sophomore Michael Baliker, and freshman Pete Bynarowicz have not yet tapped into their total potential. Witzke, who plays in the number three position, most recently garnered third place medalist honors by posting a 41 against Greenville Tech Charter.  “Things are coming together for me at the right time,”  added Witzke.  With a week to tighten up his game, Witzke feels like he ‘can go low’ at the upcoming regional match. Sophomore Michael Baliker, playing in the number four position, has shown a solid commitment to improving his game.  “Michael takes his game very seriously and his improvement over the course of the season can be attributed to his dedicated focus in practice and his constant performance review in matches,” added Coach Early. Bynarowicz, the lone freshman on the squad, is showing a marked improvement as well over the course of the season.  “The experience being gained by Pete this season will pay big dividends in future years,” added Coach Early.

Rounding out this years team is Andrew Fryml. As a graduating senior, Fryml stated, “I am on the verge of shooting a perfect round…I just have to get everything working at the same time. Hopefully that perfect game will show up in Augusta next week.”

SJCS Chaplain Father Dwight Longenecker writes on "Why America Needs the Pope" in the April 20th issue of The National Catholic Register.

Click here to read the article.

The Class of 2008 volunteered at Special Olympics held at Furman University on Wednesday, April 9th.

Click here to view more photos

Congratulations to eight SJCS seventh grade students, who qualified for State Recognition after completing the college entrance SAT or ACT test as a result of the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). Alyson Brown, Noah Davis, Jensen Grim, Phillip Key, Timothy Litzinger, Justin Mehl, Kaitlyn Posa, and Joey Wooten all scored above the national average on at least one part of the SAT or ACT. The Duke TIP helps identify academically talented seventh grade students based on standardized test scores. At St. Joseph's, the Iowa Tests that middle school students take in October serve as the qualifying tests for this program. For the 2006-2007 academic year, fifty-four St. Joseph's sixth grade students, representing 68% of their class, qualified for participation in the Duke TIP program. From that group, thirty-three students completed the SAT or ACT test.

The St. Joseph's JV Boys Tennis Team defeated Christ Church Episcopal School by a score of 6-3 at home on Wednesday, April 16th. The Knights played consistently in both their singles and doubles matches. The team's number one player, sixth grader Patrick Mobley, easily defeated his opponent 6-1, 6-1. Ninth grader J.P. Wilmeth and eighth grader J.D. Brookbank also won with relative ease. In doubles play, the team swept all three matches, with the closest match being in number one doubles (Mobley and seventh grader Phillip Key) winning in a tiebreaker 8-7,10-6. The JV team's record to date is 6-0.

Coach Sean Chapman added, "I have been really impressed with this group of guys because all of their matches have not been easy. We have had two or three matches which literally came down to the last match, and each time, the team fought hard and pulled it out."  

Click here to view more photos from the SJCS vs. CCES match 04-16-08

SJCS Chaplain Father Dwight Longenecker, who lived in England for twenty-five years, writes in The Times of London his personal impressions of the American Church as it prepares to greet its shepherd Pope Benedict XVI.

Click here to view the article.

After a faltering start at home against Heathwood Hall and Hammond Academy, the St. Joseph’s Varsity Boys Tennis Team is officially on a roll.

On March 14^th, the Knights hit the road running in their season’s first away league match at Ben Lippen in Columbia, winning 7-3. All-State SJCS junior Jackson DeMere continued his undefeated string in singles, beating Ben Lippen’s number one player 6-0, 6-0.  DeMere then teamed with freshman Garrett Clark to win the number one doubles match.   Freshman Alan Thomas combined touch, power, and brilliant tactics to win both his singles and doubles matches.  All nine varsity players competed in the match.

In the return match at home against Ben Lippen on April 1^st, the Knights showed promising and needed improvement in consistency by winning all six singles matches and all three doubles matches.   Senior co-captain Jeff Champ demonstrated heart in coming back from a 3-6 first set loss, winning the second set 6-0 and taking the third set tiebreaker 10-3.   Freshman Tristan Sexton won a crowd-thriller with a 6-4, 7-6 victory over his opponent.   The Knights won all three doubles matches with solid play by DeMere and Thomas (6-0, 6-1), freshman Patrick Key and Sexton (8-0), and eighth graders Ian Miller and Luca Gioia (7-7, 7-2).

On April 9th, the Knights traveled to Columbia to defeat a rebuilding Cardinal Newman team 9-0.  DeMere easily won his singles match 6-2   6-0.   Key, a comeback specialist, defeated his opponent 7-6, 6-4.  Sexton won a squeaker with a score of 6-2, 7-5.   All three SJCS doubles teams won with 8-2 margins, with both DeMere and Champ missing some of the action due to play rehearsals for the school’s spring musical.

The Knights are back on the road this week to play Heathwood Hall, seeking revenge for an upset, in order to keep their hopes alive for the regional championship title. 

We’re halfway through the regular season and we’re beginning to come together as a team,” concluded Coach Bill Robertson.  “Everybody benefits when each team member gains experience and improves. I have reminded the boys that it doesn’t matter what number you play, or whether you play singles or doubles.   We need to play as a unified team by supporting and helping each other.  If we do this, we'll all get points and we'll all win, in the truest sense of the word.”

The school's annual induction ceremony for the St. Joseph’s Chapter of the National Honor Society was held on Thursday, April 10th in the school chapel. NHS, one of the oldest and most prestigious national organizations for high school students, inducted twenty-five new members after being selected by a Faculty Council for meeting high standards of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, as well as demonstrate leadership and service through activities in both the school and the community. Additionally, character is measured in terms of integrity, behavior, ethics, and cooperation with both students and faculty. Students inducted were: Faris Armaly, Denise Azores-Gococo, Thomas Cannon, Nora Carey, J.D. Carino, Jackson DeMere, Sara Fawcett, Katie Fountain, Rebekah Hildebrand, Meghan Hudak, Mary Lewis, Miggy Maceda, Tara McGarry, Kayelee Meyer, Jena Mohr, Amanda Morel, Alex Panuccio, Matthew Reilly, Jessica Rex, Mitch Sams, Katie Sanders, Cindy Stanley, Lauren Visin, Carrie Weber, and Theresa Wersinger.

Click here to view more photos from the NHS Induction Ceremony.

The school’s Fine Arts Department presents their spring musical Footloose, a splendid rendition of this 1984 movie, on Friday and Saturday, April 11th and 12th at 7:00 P.M., and Sunday, April 13th at 3:00 P.M. A city boy moves to a small town where music and dancing have been banned…but not for long!

For more information, call the Box Office at (864) 234-9009, ext. 386.

Click here to view more photos from the production.

Several SJCS students enjoyed a concert hosted by the world-renown Czech Trio on Monday, April 7th. The organization has a very distinguished history, going back more than a century. The trio has recorded works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and others, and its repertoire includes works of additional Czech composers such as Martinu, Novak, and Suk. The group has been highly praised in the international press for its performances in many countries, including Switzerland, Japan, Paris, and London. The members are also all accomplished soloists and winners of major international awards.

Congratulations to all the students who made the Third Quarter Honor Roll.  A copy of the Honor Roll is included in this month's attachments.

Click here to view

SJCS Fine Arts students auditioned for colleges and universities at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention in Chattanooga, TN the weekend of March 5-9.  Over seventy colleges and universities were represented, and five students received several offers when called back to audition for over fifty different schools.  Two students had the opportunity to participate as performer and stage manager in the ten-minute play festival, an activity usually reserved for undergraduate students. Students also spent time attending workshops and attending a variety of performances.  SJCS Fine Arts Department faculty members Jennifer Gurn and Teresa McGrath accompanied the students to Chattanooga.

Congratulations to the following students who participated in the South Carolina Junior Classical League Spring Forum held at Hammond School on March 15th: In Level I Competition: Derivatives Category: First Place, Brace Plumblee; Grammar and Jewelry Categories:  First Place in both, Mitchell Jones; Vocabulary and Illustrated Quotation Categories: First Place in both, Madeleine McMillan; Vocabulary Category: Second Place, Lindsey Foley; Pentathlon Category: First Place, and Pencil Drawing Category: Second Place, Amy Hase;  In Level II Competition:  Grammar Category:  Fifth Place,  Patrick Key; Mottoes & Abbreviations Category:  First Place, Brittany Newsome; In  Advanced Level Competition, Grammar Category:  First Place, Meghan Hudak; Mottoes & Abbreviations Category:  Third Place, Nicole Kayse; and Vocabulary Category:  Third Place,  Emily Schrank.  SJCS Junior Classical League Chapter President Emily Schrank was also named an Officer in the South Carolina Junior Classical League, by way of her new role as editor of The Torch magazine.  Over 140 students from ten schools participated in this annual event.  SJCS Foreign Language Department Chair and Latin Teacher Lavinia Plumblee and SJCS faculty member Neil O’Connor accompanied the students to Columbia, SC.

Congratulations to the following eighth grade students who were awarded prizes in the junior division (grades 6-8) of the Greenville County and South Carolina Regional Science and Engineering Fair held on Tuesday, March 11: Perry Bolick, Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District Award and $50 cash prize; Grace Hanna, Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District Award and $50 cash prize; Madeleine McMillan, Roper Mountain Science Center Excellence in Photography Award and $25 cash prize; Aya Nance, Honorable Mention in Biology, and Krysten Bray, 4th place in Behavioral Sciences. Elizabeth Moore, Stephanie Raczkowski, and Joshua Schammel, who placed well in the SJCS Science Fair, also presented their projects at the competition. SJCS faculty member Mr. Ryan Koon accompanied the students to the science fair.

The High School Math Team competed in the 31st Annual College of Charleston Math Meet held recently in Charleston. The event, sponsored by the College of Charleston Math Department, brings talented high school students to campus for a day of challenging, entertaining, and innovative math competition. St. Joseph's fifteen-person team entered this highly competitive event with over six hundred eighty students from fifty schools and four states throughout the Southeast. Freshman Jeremy Mehl was the school's top scorer for his division, placing 8th out of 120 students in the Level One in-state written competition. Juniors Philip Wilmeth and Travis Dziad placed 14th and 18th, respectively, in the Level Two competition, and senior Daniel DeMars placed 25th in the Level Three competition. Other SJCS participants included: Paul Adams, Faris Armaly, Rosanna Baltruweit, Ashley Colquhoun, Ahmad Dbouk, Sara Fawcett, Michael Fowler, Cory Holbein, Emily Schrank, Margo Toney, and JP Wilmeth. SJCS Math Team Moderator George Gábor and SJCS math teacher Christine Cadorniga accompanied the students to Charleston.

Congratulations to eighth graders Katie Mobley, Jessica Peck, and sixth grader Patrick Mobley, who were all recently awarded a Superior Rating, the highest possible rating, in the South Carolina Federation of Music Clubs Northwestern District One Festival held February 16th.

Congratulations to the SJCS Regional History Day Winners: Emily Cinquemani, Women in the Military; Miguel Larrain, Cuban Missile Crisis: Kennedy Compromise; Theresa Krupka and Katelyn Forry, Zip Code; and Mary Kate McClintock, Berlin Airlift. These five students won five out of the fifteen medals awarded in the individual contests entered by St. Joseph's students (including research paper, individual documentaries, and power-point reports) at the Regional History Day Contest held at Greenville Technical College on March 6th. These winners will now go on to compete at the state contest in Columbia on Saturday, April 26th, and possibly the National History Day Contest to be held in Washington D.C. in June.

Congratulations to SJCS senior Michael Fowler, who earned the highest score of any SJCS student in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 12, and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME).  High school students recently participated in the AMC, the first in a series of exams leading up to the International Math Olympiad, and honor is awarded to those students who earned the highest scores.  Other students who placed well on the AMC 12 included sophomore Connor Bolton, who placed second with the next highest score, followed by senior Daniel DeMars in third place.  On the AMC 10, the highest scorer was eighth grader Peter Schatteman, followed by freshman Jeremy Mehl in second place, and sophomore Faris Armaly and freshman Malcolm Soniat tied for third place.

St. Joseph's Cath