Seven SJCS seventh graders have qualified for State Recognition in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) by scoring at or above the national average of high school juniors and seniors on at least one part of the SAT or ACT college entrance tests. Patrick Berryman, Sophie Coburn, Jackie Curry, Shane Dunlavey, Danielle Maggio, Katie Malone and Noah Perez-Vergara will be recognized in a special ceremony at Furman University on May 23. Forty-two SJCS seventh graders, or 48% of the class, qualified for participation in the Duke TIP by virtue of their performance on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), scoring in the top five percentile in one of the qualifying sections during their sixth grade testing sessions. The Duke TIP helps identify academically promising seventh grade students based on standardized test scores.

Freshmen in Sharon Ruble's Biology classes completed their study of the human anatomy and the systems of the body. In a recent lab, students recreated the system of their choice with recycled materials. Students were required to label all system organs and to define their functions. In addition, they were asked to include two possible medical complications related to the organ system as well as the types of medical specialties that work with the system. The projects were judged by the students and the winners were: First Place: (3D Digestive System) Andrew Burnikel, Luke Coffey, Carley Reinholtz, and Jake Reinstein; Second Place: (Reproductive System) Bryce Caputo, Grant Espada, and Charles Vandross; Third Place: (Stand Alone Spinal Cord and Spinal Fluid) Josh Bertelsman, Casey Dew, Alex Marchek, and Neal Satterfield.

In honor of May, the month of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph's held its annual May Procession and Crowning during the weekly school Mass on Thursday, May 10th. Representatives from each of the thirty-two Households processed in with flowers and placed them on the altar before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Following the Household procession, seventh graders Emily Pares and Mimi Tierney crowned Mary with a wreath of roses. This ancient Catholic custom, held at the beginning of May, honors the Blessed Virgin Mary with offerings of flowers and is meant to symbolize Mary's beauty and innocence in welcoming the Word of God.

Click here to view more photos from the Closing School Mass.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Golf Team brought home the school's first State Golf Title, defeating Christ Church by eight strokes at the State Tournament held May 7-8 at Star Fort Golf Club in Ninety Six. The team, led by the junior trio of Justin Finigan, Bradley Kauffman, and Alex Kickham, had finished second at the Region IIA Upstate Championship the previous week.

Finigan tied for tournament medalist honors with a two day total of 149 and was named to the All-State Team. He was followed by Kauffman (154), Kickham (161), eighth grader Christian Baliker (80), and sophomore Tyler Yearwood (81). The Knights posted a 315 first day total in a tie with Christ Church, and posted a team record 310 the second day to clench the title.

"We knew at the turn on the second day that we had a six or seven shot lead over Christ Church, and I told the boys they just needed to finish well," stated Varsity Coach Kim Kauffman. "This team has played better every week as the season progressed, and they never once doubted their ability to be able to post a good number. The story of our season has been when somebody didn't play as well as they should have, somebody else stepped up."

The Knights finished the regular season with ten wins and seven losses. The seven losses included two losses to Christ Church by slim margins of three strokes and one stroke, respectively. The team scoring average was led by Kauffman, followed by Finigan, Baliker, Kickham, Yearwood, eighth grader Alexander Unterzaucher, junior Kinsey Soniat, and eighth grader Jack Mobley.

In addition to the State Championship, the season included a number of St. Joe's golf milestones: lowest nine hole score in the history of the school (Kauffman, 32), lowest two-day thirty six hole team total (625), lowest one-day eighteen hole team total (310), best individual finish at the state tournament (Finigan tied for first, but lost in a one hole playoff) and best finish in the Greenville County High School Tournament (sixth place tie).

"The challenge ahead of us is to successfully defend this title with all five of our tournament team players returning next year," concluded Coach Kauffman. "Defending a state championship is very difficult as everyone you play throughout the season wants to prove to you that you are not as good as you think you are. Much like we did this year, we will attempt to stay a bit under the radar until an opportunity presents itself."

Click here for more photos.

The school community celebrated the feast day of "St. Joseph the Worker" on Friday, May 4th by working in the community for various organizations. St. Joseph’s students and staff volunteered at St. Anthony of Padua and Prince of Peace Catholic Schools, Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Parishes, Catholic Radio, Monastery of St. Claire, Meyer Center, Pendleton Place Children’s Shelter, Whispering Pines Stables, Greenville Glen Assisted Living, Bel Aire Estates, Friends of the Reedy River, Little Steps/Hands on Greenville, Meals on Wheels, Generous Garden, Diligent Hands/Gracious Hearts, Greenville Humane Society, Oakleaf Assisted Living Center, Pelham Road Elementary School, Magnolia Assisted Living, Step by Step, NHS Nursing Home, Washington Center, and the SJCS campus. Jobs included, but were not limited to, visiting the elderly, working with children, cleaning, painting, and gardening.

View more work day photos.

View a related story from the Poinsett Corridor Revitalization Coalition.

WCKI (Catholic Radio) Station Identification Promos recorded by work day volunteers.
(Golden Swans - Stanton/O’Connor Household)
Promo #1
Promo #2
Promo #3

The Brandon Household made their annual end-of-the-school-year visit to Fluor Field to see the Greenville Drive play on Thursday, May 3rd. As an additional treat, Mr. Brandon (shown on the pitcher's mound) was given the honor of tossing out the first pitch of the game. This is the seventh year that the group has attended a Drive game together.

Eleven players from the middle and high school chess clubs participated in the Fourth Annual Upstate Catholic School Chess Tournament held at St. Mary’s School on April 14th. Students from St. Joseph's, St. Mary's, St. Paul's, and Prince of Peace Catholic Schools battled for the top spots. In the 7th-12th Grade Division, SJCS eighth grader Neha Dias captured First Place, seventh grader Joey Schmidt took Second Place, and freshman Jake Armstrong placed third. The tournament was directed by SJCS Middle School Chess Coach Doug Ragan.

In other chess news, the first annual SJCS Chess Championship was held earlier this spring in the school library. The tournament was open to any chess player in the school, and twenty-one middle and high school students battled for honor, glory, and fun. The following students placed in the Top Three spots: Joey Schmidt (First Place), Neha Dias (Second Place), and Ben Ragan (Third Place). All participations received a post-game rating from the United States Chess Federation.

Congratulations to seven students who qualified to travel to the University of Maryland on June 10 to compete in the National History Day Contest against winners from forty-nine other states. Projects presented by freshmen Andrew Burnikel, Paul List, Mike Moloney, Sam Wickert and sophomores Grace Mosley, Natalie Rogers, and Katherine Schroder were judged to be some of the best in South Carolina.

• The team of Burnikel, Moloney, and Wickert advanced in the Group Documentary category with their history of Social Networking. Schroder qualified for the national contest with her Individual Documentary "'60s Revolution." List's website explored the Little Rock Nine and Rogers’ website looked at "The Rock Revolution." Mosley's research paper detailed "The Story of the Red Guards."
• Other SJCS students who qualified to compete in the state competition included Dani Leon and Emily Wood in the research paper category, Alexander Powell who produced an individual documentary, and group exhibits by the teams of Stefani Azores-Gococo/Alexandria Wise and Joseph Kiser/ Abby Anderson.

The SJCS Varsity Boys Soccer Team completed its best season to date with one of the best records in the state (17-4-1). Notable matches that caught the eye of many included a victory over 2011 3A State Champs Eastside High and a tie with 4A stronghold JL Mann. The Knights captured the Region Championship for the first time since joining the South Carolina High School League in front of a jammed-packed stadium on Tuesday evening, May 1st against Christ Church.

"What a beautiful sight it was," stated Coach Frank Kucinic. "Seeing all of our students, parents, and alumni who had come out to support us definitely made the team realize that we were playing for much more than just ourselves; we were playing for the school as well."

At halftime, the Knights played host to Top Soccer, a program designed to allow students with disabilities the chance to learn and play the game. Top Soccer enables these athletes the opportunity to participate in youth soccer in a safe and secure environment, and the varsity soccer team intends to showcase this program every year going forward.

The second half of the game was probably the best soccer the Knights have played all season, according to Coach Kucinic. Players Brennan Koslow and Nic Poupore held down the mid-field while Christopher Heijjer, Patrick Jones, Gene Langan, and Tim Litzinger anchored the defense in the back. Freshman Michele Bottari scored from 35 yards out which proved to be the goal that would bring St. Joseph's its first region crown.

ESPN state rankings for high school soccer have ranked the Knights seventh among all teams in all classifications. Playoffs begin at St. Joseph's on Thursday, May 10th at 7:30 P.M. The Knights are eagerly awaiting the tournament in the hopes of bringing home another soccer state title, something that has eluded them since 2008.

JV Boys

The JV Boys soccer season has come to an end with many notable accomplishments. The team posted another winning record (8-4-1) and ended with another strong finish, winning four out of their last five matches.

"The team has been improving each year which is evident by the contributions made from everyone on the team," stated Coach Ron Thompson. "This includes the tangible stats and the intangible heart and spirit the boys showed each week."

After a slow start, the team defeated Walhalla in the second match-up, followed by victories over Greenville Home School and Southside Christian. The squad then lost two in a row to Powdersville and Christ Church. It was at this point in the year that the Knights turned their focus around for their season-ending run, defeating Greenville Home School, Emerald, Christ Church, and Wade Hampton.

On defense, the team was lead by goalies Daniel Escobar, and Nadir Dbouk. Escobar split time with the varsity squad before moving up permanently, and it was at this point that Dbouk took over as goalie, a new position for him.

"Nadir played well in this new position and deserves credit for the two PK wins against Christ Church and Wade Hampton," stated Coach Thompson. "Michael Connelly, Travis Griffin, Ethan Veideman and Team Manager Thomas Fawcett also contributed in many ways and oftentimes played multiple positions this year."

The squad closed the season proud of their accomplishments and will be returning a strong group of players for next year.

Click here to view photos from the Varsity Boys vs. Christ Church match.

Click here to view photos of the Top Soccer participants.

Click here to view photos from The Greenville News SJCS vs. CCES photo gallery.

Click here to view photos from JV Boys soccer.

Congratulations to senior Lindsey Foley and sophomore Madeline Fric, both winners of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor awarded in scouting. Eighth grader Hannah White was also recently presented with the Girl Scout Silver Award. All three girls were required to design, plan, and implement a project that met an expressed need in the community:

• Community Water Pump Project (Hannah White): Hannah built a water pump to provide needed irrigation to the community garden in her neighborhood. She organized a fund raiser called "Splash 'N Dash" to raise money for this project, enabling her to connect a nearby creek to the garden.
• Rosary Guild (Lindsey Foley): Lindsey started a Rosary Guild at Prince of Peace School, helping to instruct middle school students on how to make rosaries. The goal was to provide all of the school's First Communion and Confirmation students with a rosary this year.
• Mural of Hope (Madeline Fric): Madeline painted a jungle-themed hallway mural at Shriners Hospital for Children. The goal was to create something that children could explore, find interesting, and exercise their imagination. Madeline's art work was so well received that the hospital has invited her back to paint two x-ray rooms this summer.

Click here to view their service project photos.

Congratulations to senior Brace Plumblee, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. A seven year member of Troop #282, Brace made a fire ring with bench seating for the primitive camping area at Camp Spearhead in Pleasant Ridge State Park for his Eagle project.

Middle school girls in Shawna Fesler's sixth grade History class hosted Anne Gragtmans's History class for a Roman feast on Thursday, May 3rd. The students enjoyed meats, cheeses, tiramisu, cannoli, bruschetta, and an assortment of other delicious foods while listening to Italian music and watching skits. One group of girls performed a re-enactment of the founding of Rome, and the other group performed a loose translation of Shakespeare’s "Julius Caesar," Act III, Scene 1.

The Advancement Office hosted an alumni social on Thursday, April 19th at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville. Chris Carino, Matt Dobson, Matt Foster, Michael Gilliard, Blaine Hart (not pictured), Lauren Hawkins, James Sharkey, and Rob Valerio enjoyed one another's company as they watched the Greenville Drive take on the Augusta Green Jackets in Minor League baseball action. The school sponsors several alumni events throughout the year in an effort to keep alumni connected and informed.

Congratulations to seniors Elizabeth Moore and Joshua Schammel, both named School Winners in the Wendy's High School Heisman (WHSH) Award. These students were chosen for their outstanding excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school leadership. The Wendy's High School Heisman celebrates the achievements of the nation's top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the highest award in college football, the Wendy's High School Heisman award is recognized as one of the most esteemed awards at the high school level. For more information, visit www.WendysHeisman.com.

Sophomores in James Sternberg's Honors Chemistry Class were recently learning about different types of reactions that transfer electrons. In one activity, students observed a "clock" reaction that rhythmically changed colors due to chemical factors. In another activity, students created a silver mirror on the sides of test tubes by using a solution of silver and dextrose.

Click here to view more photos.

Seventh graders in Joanna McLucas's science classes recently completed their chemistry unit using well plates to study a variety of chemical combinations. Students looked for evidence of chemical reactions and tested the pH of the resulting mixtures and compounds. A universal indicator was added to each well and the color change identified the material in the well as an acid or a base.

Click here to view more photos.

Freshmen in Sharon Ruble's Biology classes recently had the opportunity to perform fetal pig dissections to compliment their study of human anatomy. The classes concentrated on the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, excretory, respiratory, and skeletal systems. Each student was asked to become a specialist in their assigned part of the anatomy and guide their partner through the dissection. For many, this may be their only experience with anatomy that so closely resembles the human anatomy. This is an important element in the freshmen curriculum and the students did an exceptional job.

Click here to view more photos.

After a strong start in region play, the Knights stayed on course and completed the regular season with an undefeated record. Blacksburg, Christ Church, and Landrum provided a few challenges along the way, but when the smoke cleared, the record remained unblemished at 17-0 overall and 14-0 in the region.

"One of the boys' goals was to have an undefeated season," stated Coach JB Barwick. "I'm very proud of them for staying on task, staying focused, and working hard to be the best player they can be, every day. We don't emphasize batting averages with our players, but the team, as a whole, averaged around ten runs per game, and the pitching staff has been allowing, on average, two runs per game."

One of the season's highlights was the opportunity to play at Fluor Field on a Friday night. In spite of rain all around the city that evening, about 700 fans showed up to cheer on their teams as the Knights faced the Christ Church Cavaliers. It was the closest game for the Knights this season, but they won the battle 4-3. The event was also a vehicle to raise money and awareness for each school’s charity of choice, and Birthright of Greenville was the SJCS beneficiary.

The Knights began District Playoffs last week in a double elimination tournament. St. Joe's defeated Ware Shoals on Friday 15-0 with Graham Roberts as the winning pitcher. They played again on Saturday, and defeated McBee 2-0 with Ryan Stamler as the winning pitcher. The team plays on Wednesday, May 2 at 5:00 at home for the District Championships.

"We have now begun a new chapter," concluded Coach Barwick. "To continue to be successful, the team must learn how to clear out the past, dial up the effort, and focus on today."

JV Baseball

The JV season ended on a high note on April 24 as the team defeated Laurens Academy completing an 11-3 season record. Jack Stamler pitched six strong innings, picking off four base runners, and Jack Culumovic pitched the seventh inning. Nick Burns and Evan Willoughby led the hitting attack, with outstanding defense by Garrett Davidson and Carson Genal.

The team was led all season by strong pitching from Burns, Culumovic, Stamler, and Sean McDermott. Timely hitting and good defense also contributed to the successful season, according to Coach Greg Simms.

"These young men have played much older teams all year and have not given any ground. The future at St. Joseph's baseball is bright with this group of boys. They have been a true pleasure to coach, both on and off the field."

Click below to view more baseball photos:
More SJCS Baseball at Fluor Field
Baseball Senior Send-Off Game

SJCS parent and national speaker/author Steve Edwards spoke to the Class of 2012 during the April 18 Activity Period as part of the school’s regular Senior Seminar series. Steve brought a clear message titled "The Secrets to Unleashing your Success," where he presented a fun, interactive session that showed the students the path to success and how to how to connect with others effectively.

The SJCS Fine Arts Department and Jubilate Guild hosted their third annual Jubilate Knight for the Arts on Saturday evening, April 21. The event showcased talent from throughout the St. Joseph's community, including artwork, baked goods, song and dance numbers, along with student and adult band performances. The faculty duo of Megan and Ryan Koon served as hosts for the evening’s festivities, and the following individuals served as judges for the event: SJCS Board of Trustees Chair Margaret Ann Moon, Headmaster Keith Kiser, Academic Dean Viri Lashley, Parents Guild President Heidi Cooney, and Special Guest George Patrick McLeer'06, Director of the Mauldin Cultural Center.

Category winning performances included:

• DANCE: Peyton Chittum and Kathleen Gibson "Set Fire to the Rain"
• SOLO: Abby DeMars "Alto's Lament"
• DUET & GROUP: Katie Mobley and Clare Ruble "Stepsister's Lament"
• BAND: Launch featuring Jimmy Fountain, Andrew Holsen, Patrick Hudak, Grant McMillan, and Matthew Morel "Answers"
• ADULT CATEGORY and SIR FROLIC AWARD WINNER: Megan Koon's poem "The Whale" featuring the Faculty Flash Mob of Jean Crosby, Shawna Fesler, David Foster, Anne Gragtmans, Michele Houmis, Megan and Ryan Koon, Sharon Ruble, James Sternberg, and Christina Wiethop.

Click here for a list of performers.
Click here for more photos.

Click below to view performances:
Solo Performance: "Beautiful", Danielle Maggio.
Solo Performance: "Ave Maria", Katie Malone.

Several seniors in Megan Koon's Creative Writing II Independent Study Class attended the Clemson University Literary Festival High School Day on April 13th. The seniors are currently writing novels in Mrs. Koon's class, and they had the opportunity to attend workshops with a fiction writer and a poet as well as read selections from their original works.

Congratulations to seniors John Dutch and Jay Rex, winners in the annual Greenville Technical College High School Art Exhibit. The annual awards ceremony was held at the Greer Campus on Friday, evening April 20. John captured First Place (Photojournalism) with his entry "The Luxury" and Jay captured Third Place (3D) for his entry “As the World Turns.” This art show is the largest high school art exhibition in the Upstate with 169 entries from 22 different schools. The show was juried by Clemson University's Art Department Chair Greg Shelnutt.

The SJCS chapter of the National Honor Society sponsored a free Adult Computer Class on campus on April 21st. The seminar, led by twenty NHS student volunteers, helped to teach adults and senior citizens the basic use of the Internet and computer programs. This is one of the many service projects sponsored by this organization throughout the year.

Click here to view more photos.

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program recently announced that two additional students out of a class of 71 seniors have qualified as Palmetto Fellows. J.D. Brookbank and Noah Coish have met the requirements for spring Palmetto Fellows Award by maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0 and scoring a minimum of 1400 on the SAT I (Critical Reading and Math) or 32 on the ACT. Sixteen seniors were previously awarded this honor: Abigail DeMars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Dani Inglesby, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Elizabeth Moore, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Kyle Pietrzak, Brace Plumblee, Jay Rex, Cory Satterfield, Josh Schammel, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott.

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program recognizes academically talented South Carolina high school seniors and encourages these individuals to attend colleges in state. Each Palmetto Fellow may receive a scholarship up to $6,700 annually, renewable for three years, to pursue a baccalaureate degree at a participating college or university in South Carolina.

The Varsity Golf Team currently holds an 8-4 record and finished sixth in the Greenville County High School Tournament over spring break. There are six remaining matches and the team is looking forward to competing in the Regional and State Single "A" Championships in early May.

"We have had the best spring I can remember for golf," stated Kim Kauffman, former SJCS Middle School Golf Coach and first year Varsity Coach. "We had some tough losses to both Christ Church and Eastside, which could have gone the other way with just a few more putts made."

The team is comprised of four juniors, one sophomore, and three eighth graders. The four leading scorers thus far are juniors Bradley Kauffman, Justin Finigan, Alex Kickham, and eighth grader Christian Baliker. The other four players include sophomore Tyler Yearwood, eighth graders Alexander Unterzaucher and Jack Mobley, and junior Kinsey Soniat.

The Knights posted wins over Greenville Tech Charter, Greer Middle College Charter, Landrum, Laurens Academy, Powdersville, and Southside Christian, with losses to Christ Church, Eastside, Oakbrook Prep, and Riverside.

Bradley Kauffman, a consistent player in all of his matches, currently carries a nine hole average of 37. His 72-74 scores in the Greenville County Tournament led the team to its sixth place finish amongst fifteen teams, and he was named to the All-County Team. Bradley also posted the second best score in the history of the varsity program with a 32 (4 under par) at a match last week. Other consistent low scorers include Christian Baliker, Justin Finigan, and Alex Kickham. Justin posted a score of 34 (2 under par) at Verdae on April 18th in the dual match against Greenville Tech and Landrum.

"Our future is bright if we can continue to improve our focus and our putting," concluded Coach Kauffman. "With the talent we have, finishing in the top five in the regional and state tournaments would be a satisfying and realistic achievement."

JV Golf

The JV Golf Team members for this season include seventh graders Sean Miller and Jacob Soapes and eighth graders Clark O’Brien and Jack Valente. The team is coached by SJCS graduate Keith Early '08.

"With such a young team and a wide range of experiences, I wasn't sure of what to expect," stated Coach Early. "However, after four matches, the team has shown great potential and we are looking forward to continuing our improvement in the remaining weeks of the season."

To date, the team has posted one third place finish, two second place finishes, and one first place finish to date. In the Knights' third match, a victory over Our Lady of the Rosary and Langston Charter School, Sean Miller was the match medalist with a score of 45, while Clark O'Brien and Jack Valente finished tied for third overall.

"Coming into the year, we had close to a completely new team from last year," concluded Early. "However, the boys have made tons of progress in a very short period of time. While our remaining matches may certainly prove difficult, I think the boys are up for the challenge."

Click here to view more golf team photos.

SJCS sixth grader Riley Fesler recently collected canned goods from friends in lieu of birthday gifts this year. She collected about 150 food items and donated them to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish.

Student Council hosted Prom on Saturday, April 14th at The Westin Poinsett in Downtown Greenville from 8:30 P.M. to Midnight. Prior to Prom, St. Joseph's Parents Guild hosted their annual Pre-Prom celebration at the school from 7:00- 8:15 P.M., where parents and siblings joined prom attendees for photos, a social hour, and viewing of the Senior Video. Following Prom, students enjoyed games, music, food, and prizes at the parent-sponsored After-Prom held at the Sports Club in Simpsonville on Sunday, April 15th from 12:30-3:00 A.M.

Congratulations to seniors Andrew Anderson and Elizabeth Moore, who were voted Prom King and Queen, and to juniors Kevin Carey and Shannon Beck, who were voted Junior Prince and Princess.

Click here to view more Pre-Prom photos.

Click here to view the SJCS Prom Greenville News Gallery.

Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2013 who received their class rings on April 12th in a special ceremony following Mass. The custom of awarding class rings was originated in 1835 by the graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point and quickly spread to other institutions as a means of perpetuating the ideals and traditions of each school. The seal on the SJCS ring identifies the rising senior as a St. Joseph's Catholic School Knight and as an upperclassman. The class ring is a unique symbol of pride, class unity, and school recognition.

What started last spring as hopeful students meeting with Dr. Kriegel about a potential literary magazine, this week becomes reality as the staff celebrates the arrival of the inaugural edition of Inscape. The full-color magazine is an exhibition of the literary and artistic talents of St. Joseph's students and faculty. After a "blind" submission process, Inscape's all-student staff chose works for publication to reflect various genres, as well as the diverse interests of our students. Inscape's editors-in-chief, sophomores Grace Mosley and Sydney Newsome, devoted countless hours to the magazine's thoughtful, beautiful layout design.

Forty SJCS students and six chaperones traveled to Italy over the school's Easter Break March 29th through April 6th. The trip began in Rome, where the students attended Palm Sunday Mass and visited the Vatican and the Roman Forum. The next stops were Assisi and Florence. The second part of the week was spent in Venice and then on to Milan. The group enjoyed visiting historical and religious sites, shopping, and eating lots of gelato.

Click here to view more photos.

On Sunday, April 1, SJCS eighth graders Katie Loudermilk and Nilla Veerabagu were invited by their friend, Southside High School's Nadia Hilton-Adams, to meet tennis star Maria Sharapova at the Reserve at Verdae in Greenville. Sharapova's foundation recently sponsored an essay contest, and Nadia’s essay was chosen the winner from amongst 750 entries. The prize involved meeting and playing tennis with the star herself, and Nadia choose two SJCS friends to join her. The girls played for points, practiced drills, and attempted to return Maria's serve. Additionally, they were able to speak at length with Maria, pose for photos, and get autographs.

Fourteen SJCS students have now advanced to the state level in the National History Day Contest by winning a regional competition held at USC Upstate on March 30th:

• Research Paper Category: Dani Leon, Grace Mosley, Emily Wood
• Individual Web Page Category: Paul List, Natalie Rogers
• Individual Documentary Category: Alexander Powell, Katherine Schroder
• Group Documentary Category: Sam Wickert, Andrew Burnikel, Mike Moloney
• Group Exhibit Category: Stefani Azores-Gococo and Alexandria Wise, Joseph Kiser and Abby Anderson

These students will travel to the State Archives in Columbia on Saturday, April 28th to compete in the state contest. Any student who wins at the state level will automatically qualify to compete at the national level in Washington, D.C. in early June. Last year, two St. Joseph's entries advanced as National Finalists.

The season has been full of changes for the St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Soccer. No longer the new team in the region, the girls returned this year with their eyes on winning a state championship. Under the leadership of new Head Coach Elizabeth Williams, the girls began their second year in the 1A South Carolina High School League with games and scrimmages against stiff competition.

"Coming into this season as the new coach, it was important to me to quickly establish new traditions as well as continue to hold our team up to high expectations," stated Coach Elizabeth. "Our goal this season is to 'win when it counts' and so far, the girls have stepped up to the challenge."

The girls started the season with a tough loss to J.L. Mann, but quickly recovered beating region teams such as Landrum, Walhalla, Greenville Tech Charter, and Southside Christian. The team traveled to Columbia for a tournament and beat 4A schools Rock Hill and Socastee. Except for a 1-0 loss to Christ Church, the team remains undefeated in region play.

"We have a great opportunity to be extremely successful heading into the final weeks of our season," added Coach Elizabeth. "We have a great chance to make it further in the playoffs than we ever have."

This year's Lady Knights Varsity Squad includes seniors Dani Inglesby, Cara Mohr, Keitt Panuccio, and Sara Ruble (Co-Captain); juniors Shannon Beck, Aly Cajka, Kaitlyn Posa, Elizabeth Ann Satterfield, Meredith Schosky (Co-Captain), Nicholle Stein (Co-Captain), and Nikki Williams; sophomores Aimee Coggins, Mary Esposito, Melissa Mohr, Kelly Olin, Bernadette Williams, and Melissa Zankman; and freshmen Katie Capelle, Carissa Leonard, and Carley Reinholtz.

"This season we've continued to surprise ourselves in many ways," concluded senior Co-Captain Sara Ruble. "We have a really athletic team with a great work ethic, and I think we have an exciting rest of the season ahead of us."

JV Girls Soccer

It's been a season of changes for the JV squad as well. While new to St. Joseph's this year, Coach Rebecca Nappi is not new to soccer. "I have coached several CESA soccer teams in years past, but I have never coached a more respectful and hard working group of girls then the JV Lady Knights.'

Team members consist of sophomores Taylor Jones and Emily Wood; freshmen Sarah Gibson, Mary Ellen Grosskopf, Sarah LeBlanc (Captain), Charlotte Ruble (Captain), and Deanna Zimeri; eighth graders Tia Caron, Caroline Lovett, and Bailey Mullins; and seventh graders Breanna Anderson, Peyton Chittum, Sophie Coburn, Morrigan Dearman, Kamryn Leonard, and Lauren Miller.

The team's current record stands at 4-3 with wins over Landrum, Southside Christian, and Walhalla and losses to Powdersville High and one to Christ Church.

"We have had a great season so far and it's been fun leading such a great team," concluded team captain Charlotte Ruble. "I'm excited about what the next several weeks will bring."

Click here to view more photos.

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 March 27 at the TD Convention Center: Ethan Veideman, Greenville County Medical Society Alliance Award and $50 cash prize; Sean Langan, Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District Award and $50 cash prize; Kara Cervetti, Second Place in Biology and $20 cash prize, as well as the United States Navy Award; and Jack Mobley, Fourth Place in Environmental Science and $10 cash prize.

The following eighth graders placed well in the SJCS Science Fair and also presented their projects at the competition: Emma Gross, Mary Kramer, Hollis Lucas, Maddy Miller, Julia Ossi, Sterling Turmon Margaret Utecht, and Hannah White. Middle school science teacher Ryan Koon accompanied the students to the fair.

St. Joseph's held its sixth annual Spring Art Show March 19-25 at the school with both middle and high school students represented. Categories included drawing, painting, photography, color and design, and 3D/sculpting. Artwork was judged on three criteria: creativity, composition, and technique. Special guest judges from the Greenville art community included local artist Beth Burgess and Greenville Technical College Fine Arts professor and artist Linda McCune. The exhibit was coordinated by SJCS Art Teacher Deborah Henderson.

Middle School Winners

• First Place: Anna Wallace Clark (Bluebirds/mixed media); Second Place: Caroline Fowler (White Beauty/graphite pencil); Third Place: Caroline McCoy (What Lies in the Recesses of my Mind/mixed media)

High School Winners

• First Place: Kayla Twomey (Stuck/paper cutout), Grace Mosley (Eleanor/acrylic painting), Sydney Newsome (More Than a Teaze/3D); Second Place: Jay Rex (Looking for a Home/graphite pencil); Third Place: Sierra Hyer (Jeep/oil painting)
• Photography winners: First Place: Melissa Zankman (Costa Rican Breeze); Second Place: Melissa Zankman (Backwoodsman) and Emily Lang (Sundrop); Third Place: Carly Campbell (Let It Rain)
• Best in Show: Madeline Fric (Sunny Courtship/photography)

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Congratulations to rising ninth graders Carter Powell (SJCS) and Anthony Alber (Prince of Peace), 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 Varsity Boys Baseball Team defeated rival Christ Church 4-3 at Fluor Field on Friday night, March 30th. Modeled after Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, Fluor Field is home to Greenville’s minor league baseball team, the Greenville Drive.

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Click here to read a related story from The Greenville News.

A new fundraising initiative by the Parents Guild has been ongoing for several months. Smoothie King, a locally owned franchise, features smoothies made from all natural ingredients. The smoothies sell for $3.00 each and they are available to the students in two flavors that vary by month. The next sale is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 during both lunch periods. Families are encouraged to help support this fundraiser to help offset the many year-ending events that Parents Guild sponsors, including but not limited to, After-Prom, the Eighth Grade Convocation Reception, Junior and Senior Luncheons, and the Baccalaureate Reception.

Congratulations to the High School Math Team, who captured third place in the Wylie Math Tournament held recently at Furman University. Alec Biscopink, William Lewis, Natalie Rogers, Peter Schatteman and Mark Schott competed for St. Joseph’s against twenty-seven other teams in their division.

In other math news, senior Taylor Murphy earned the highest score of any SJCS student on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 12. 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 earn the highest scores. Other students who placed well on the AMC 12 included seniors Peter Schatteman and William Lewis, who placed second and third respectively. On the AMC 10, the highest scorer was freshman Will Tierney, followed by sophomores Ben Dunphy and Carol Lewis, who placed second and third respectively.

Congratulations to five members of the school's Future Business Leaders of America chapter for winning trophies at the FBLA State Leadership Conference held March 23-25 in Charleston. The team of Connor Bolick, Alexis Krcelic, and Grant McMillan won Third Place in Business Ethics, an oral presentation category in which teams are presented with an ethical dilemma involving business and asked to prepare and present a solution. Juniors Matthew Morel (Technology Concepts) and Chris Olin (Networking Concepts) each captured fourth place in their respective categories. Club Moderator Karl Orbon accompanied the students to Charleston.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Tennis Team began this season with high expectations because they knew most of their top tier players would be returning.

"I have been really proud of these guys so far," stated Head Coach Sean Chapman. "They have matured and grown, not only as tennis players, but as young men."

Sophomore David Reed holds the number one spot and has won the majority of his matches despite some tough competition. Holding the number two and number three spots respectively are sophomore Patrick Mobley and senior Andrew Holsen, who have brought consistency and depth to the order. Rounding out the top five are sophomore Alec Biscopink and freshman John Andrew Knight. Junior Grant McMillan placed in the top five, but due to a knee injury, has been limited in his ability to play. Specializing in doubles play are senior Michael Gibson and sophomore Wil Magaha who, through their success at doubles, have demonstrated the overall depth of the team.

At present, the team is enjoying a solid 5-1 record with significant victories over Greenville High and Southside Christian, suffering their lone defeat to Christ Church.

"I cannot say enough about this squad's improvement since last year. Many of the matches that we have won rather easily would not have been so easy a year ago," concluded Coach Chapman. "Each member of the team has impressed me at some point this year and I look forward to their continued progress."

JV Tennis

This year's JV Tennis Team is comprised of four returning players and four new ones, creating a good mix of old and new. The number one spot belongs to junior Chris Olin, sophomore Stephen Krupka holds the number two post, junior Jordan Britenburg has the number three spot, freshman Chris Baumgarten is number four, eighth grader Jacob Meyer plays number five, sophomore Luke Terry is number six, and the doubles team of eighth grader Blake Edwards and sophomore Johnny Erbrecht are at number seven and number eight, respectively.

"This year, we have some guys with a little more experience who bring a lot of energy to the game." stated returning Head Coach JD Carino, Class of 2009. "The team is playing well, and above all, they have a great attitude. I think it's the first time I've ever witnessed the players actually request more practice time."

And the extra practice has paid off. The team brought home their first big win against Camperdown Academy recently. To date, the team is 1-3, but they hope to keep playing consistently and come out on top with a winning season. The team plays Christ Church at home on Tuesday, April 10th.

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Congratulations to all the students who made the Third Quarter Honor Roll.

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New to the St. Joseph's list of spring sports offerings this year is the Varsity Track and Field Team. Despite the challenges of not actually having a track or field, the teams began their inaugural season with great motivation and excitement, and the athletes have persevered under the desire to compete at a high level. The school's state championship cross-country program, led by Coach George Carr and Coach Marie Kernell, has laid a great foundation for the running program, and the track teams hope to build on that success and legacy.

"Running track, like cross country, is a sport where the individual carries a lot of responsibility," stated Boys Track Coach James Sternberg. "Every moment of the race is dependent upon the one who is running. Yet track is not just an individual sport. Our team has already showed signs of this in their unity in practicing together and encouraging each other. The relay teams show this in an even clearer way by the way that all of the four runners must pass the baton seamlessly in their respective zones to achieve something together. The excitement of these races is something one has to witness."

Boys team members include: Glen Andrew, Stanley Bikulege, Bryce Caputo, Cole Fesler, Tucker Genal, Julian Hodge, Patrick Hudak (Captain), Trey Lagaly, Luke Lepak, Elias Longenecker, Joseph Kiser, Yanni Koutsioukis, Austin Mattison, Collin Miller, Mathew Nassif, Noah Perez, David Rogozenski, Sean Rusnak, Neil Satterfield, Joey Schotsky, David Schroder, Zack Seidel, and William Tierney.

"I am looking forward to seeing each team member improve," concluded Coach Sternberg. "Already, after just three meets, the guys are running faster each week. Specifically, I hope to advance our relay teams and as many individuals to the upper state competition. We also have the potential to qualify for the state competition in a few areas as well.

Girls team members include: Claire Andrew, Hayn Arrington, Annamarie Bell, Lindsley Blaakman, Madison Bolick, Caroline Calder, Catherine Corasaniti, Laura Franco, Charlotte Gayle, Keyes Gilmer (Co-Captain), Laetitia Grapotte, Kristen Kauffman, Catherine Keller, Caroline Kelly (Co-Captain), Sara Catherine Masaschi (Co-Captain), Madeline McChesney, Mairin McLeer, Maggie Milam, Caitlin Moon, Gigi Nally, Maddie Sams, Cory Satterfield, Katherine Schroder, Elizabeth Shafer, Margaret Smith, Kaely Thompson, LaSamrae Vandross, and Emma Wetenhall.

"My goal for the season is for the girls to have fun, learn a new sport, and to be competitive," stated Girls Track Coach Marie Kernell. "I have a young team but they are all very eager to learn. We are running all events with the exception of the hurdles. Our biggest obstacle is not having a home track."

The field events are coached by SJCS staff member Jimmy Touzeau. "Right now, we have a group of enthusiastic girls and boys working hard on learning the techniques to throwing the shot put and discus. For all of them, this is a totally new sport. They are putting in a lot of hard work to learn the technical skills needed. We hope to add some of the jumping events in the future."

The team enjoyed some recent success at their first meet held at Christ Church. Freshman LaSamrae Vandross, the only team member with track experience, won the 400m with a time of 1:00.3. Freshman Keyes Gilmer took second in a field of 48 competitors in the 800m with a time of 2:40.4. Eighth grader Sara Catherine Masaschi came in second in both the 1600m and 3200m with times of 5:58.8 and 13:16 respectively. Junior Tucker Genal placed first in the shot put, with a throw of over 36’. Sophomores Stan Bikulege and Sean Rusnak also placed and scored points for the shot. Freshman Laura Franco placed fifth in the shot put. Sophomores Austin Mattison placed fourth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.6 seconds and Sean Rusnak placed third in the 400 meter dash with a time of 57.7 seconds. Seventh grader David Schroder placed sixth in the two-mile run with a time of 13:05, only to surpass this time the following meet with a 12:28.

"My dad was a track and field athlete and he inspired me to come out for track," stated Austin Mattison, a sprinter and member of the relay team. "I'm really excited about our recent success on the 4 x 400 relay team and am looking forward to the regional competition."

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The annual Honor Society Inductions were held March 28th during a high school assembly.

English Honor Society
The "Mystery and Manners" Chapter of the National English Honor Society, founded in January 2011, recognizes students who have excelled in the area of language arts and who show a genuine love of subject and an interest in promoting literacy and language appreciation in the greater community. Students inducted into the society have earned a GPA of 3.375 overall and 3.5 in English courses, have completed an honors/AP level course, and have completed at least three semesters of high school. English department faculty member Megan Koon serves as the chapter advisor.

• Congratulations to the 2012 inductees: Stefani Azores-Gococo, Olivia Baumgarten, Shannon Beck, Alex Biscopink, Katherine Bricco, Jordan Britenburg, Aly Cajka, Kevin Carey, Elizabeth Coffey, Caroline Cooney, Kayla Dixon, Ben Dunphy, Kristen Farrenkopf, Alli Griffin, Taylor Jones, Phillip Key, Alexis Krcelic, Stephen Krupka, Tomas Larrain, Carol Lewis, Timothy Litzinger, Grant McMillan, Justin Mehl, Peyton Moore, Davis Osborn, Theresa Pometto, Nic Poupore, Natalie Rogers, Clare Ruble, Noah Schammel, Nicholle Stein, Audrey Ward, Ellen Willis, and Tyler Yearwood.

Foreign Language Honor Society
The Foreign Language Honor Society is comprised of Latin, French, and Spanish students who have earned an "A" average in both semesters of their second year language and the first semester of their third year language, and who are committed to the study and understanding of other cultures. Foreign Language Department Chair Lavinia Plumblee serves as the chapter advisor.

• Congratulations to the 2012 inductees: Olivia Baumgarten, Alec Biscopink, Ben Dunphy, and Tim Litzinger who were inducted into the Junior Classical League Honor Society for Latin; Steven Krupka, Carol Lewis, Elisabeth Noblet, and Kira Sawyers who were inducted into the Societe Honoraire de Francais, and Ryan Bergman, Aimee Coggins, Jennifer Coggins, Kristen Farrenkopf, Andrew Grant, Alli Griffin, Becca Hamod, Chris Heijjer, Taylor Jones, Alexis Krcelic, Gene Langan, Michelle Lee, Luke Lepak, Wil Magaha, Becca Messer, Melissa Mohr, Peyton Moore, Nicole Pares, Natalie Rogers, Audrey Ward, and Victoria Zimmerman, who were inducted into the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.

History Honor Society
The RHO KAPPA History Honor Society is an honor society for the recognition of achievement and excellence in the discipline of social studies at the high school level. The SJCS chapter was formed in the fall of 2009 for high school students interested in the study of history who would like more opportunities to become involved in historical research, activities, volunteerism, and scholarship. The society is open to all juniors and seniors who meet the qualifications for membership, which includes maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher, maintaining a B+ average in all history classes, taking at least two honors or advanced placement history classes, and continuing to take a history class during senior year. History department faculty member Meby Carr serves as the chapter advisor.

• Congratulations to the 2012 inductees: Amy Asbury, Sarah Bathon, Shannon Beck, Katherine Bricco, Aly Cajka, Elizabeth Coffey, Caroline Cooney, Noah Davis, Jasmine Desdune, Justin Finigan, Tucker Genal, Zach Gerstner, Andrew Grant, Ali Griffin, Jensen Grim, Phillip Key, Alex Kickham, Alexis Krecelic, Tomas Larrain, Ben McCormick, Grant McMillan, Peyton Moore, Kaitlyn Posa, Nic Poupore, Clare Ruble, Julio Sanchez, Chris Schrank, Nicholle Stein, Clarissa Sutter, Audrey Ward, Jim Warren, Amanda Wells, and Joey Wooten.

Math Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta is the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. The school's chapter, founded in 2011, is dedicated to inspiring keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school and two-year college students. The criteria for consideration is a 3.5 math GPA and a 3.0 overall GPA. Math Department Chair George Carr serves as chapter advisor.

• Congratulations to the 2012 inductees: Shannon Beck, Jordan Britenburg, Alyssa Cajka, Kevin Carey, Elizabeth Coffey, Noah Davis, Kayla Dixon, Andrew Grant, Jensen Grim, Rebecca Hamod, Alexis Krcelic, Timothy Litzinger, Justin Mehl, Davis Osborn, Kaitlyn Posa, Nicolas Poupore, Katherine Reynolds, Alexia Schaeffer, Nicholle Stein, and Audrey Ward.

Science Honor Society
The Science National Honor Society was founded in 2000 to encourage and recognize high school students in the sciences. The SJCS chapter was formed in the fall of 2008. This society is open to all juniors and seniors who meet the qualifications for membership, which includes maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher, maintaining a B+ average in all science classes, and service to the school community. Science Department Chair Joanna McLucas and science department faculty member Jennette Pelicano serve as the chapter advisors.

• Congratulations to the 2012 inductees: Shannon Beck, Connor Bolick, Katherine Bricco, Aly Cajka, Kevin Carey, Elizabeth Coffey, Noah Davis, Kayla Dixon, Kristen Farrenkopf, Zachary Gerstner, Andrew Grant, Alli Griffin, Jensen Grim, Becca Hamod, Kate Kelly, Phillip Key, Alex Kickham, Tomas Larrain, Timothy Litzinger, Grant McMillan, Peyton Moore, Davis Osborn, Theresa Pometto, Kaitlyn Posa, Nic Poupore, Katherine Reynolds, Alex Schaeffer, Nicholle Stein, Clarissa Sutter, Audrey Ward, Amanda Wells and Ellen Willis.

Fine Arts Honor Societies

• Congratulations to the following students inducted into the International Thespian Honor Society (Chapter #6388): Caroline Cooney, Abby DeMars, Kristen Farrenkopf, Jensen Grim, Anabel Masaschi, Patrick Mobley, Elizabeth Moore, Tyler Neves, and Jay Rex.
• Congratulations to the following students inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society (Chapter #3535): Stefani Azores-Gococo, Kathryn Corasaniti, Lindsey Foley, Katie Gagne, Savannah Klosowski, Erin Laliberty, Anabel Masaschi, Patrick Mobley, Aya Nance, Clare Ruble, Kira Sawyers, and Clarissa Sutter.
• Congratulations to the following students inducted into the National Art Honor Society: Michael Connelly, Luke Coffey, Thomas Fawcett, Sierra Hyer, Hannah Grassie, Caitlin Moon, and Madeline Fric.

The following students recently submitted entries in the Greenville Technical College High School Art Show: Luke Coffey (acrylic painting), John Dutch (photography), Hannah Grassie (color and design), Katie Helvey (oil pastel/gala painting), Madeleine McMillan (watercolor painting), Cara Mohr (pen and ink drawing), Jay Rex (3D/sculpture), Kayla Twomey (charcoal drawing), and Melissa Zankman (painting-monochromatic). The exhibition is open for public viewing on the college's Greer campus through April 27.

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SJCS senior Claire Capelle, organizer and founder of the annual Babies World Walk, hosted her seventh annual event on Sunday, March 25, on the grounds at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. With her dream that began in the sixth grade to help spread the pro-life message, Claire decided that a "walk" was something she could organize in the hopes of raising awareness and gaining assistance in the battle against abortion. From the start, her walk attracted people of all ages, and now her event has grown to include carnival attractions, face painting, a petting zoo, snow cones, bake sale, and more. This year's event raised approximately $4,000, and all total, Claire's "dream" has raised over $38,000 to date for Birthright. This year, much of the money raised will go towards a home for unwed mothers that, with the help of Claire's mother Kim and other enthusiastic adults, will soon become a reality in the Upstate. The home will serve as a symbol of hope for mothers who are deciding to keep their babies, but who have no place to stay.

Middle School Science Teacher Ryan Koon arranged for NASA Astronaut Greg Chamitoff to visit St. Joseph's on March 23rd. Dr. Chamitoff spent six months on board the International Space Station in 2008 and flew on the last flight of the space shuttle Endeavour in 2011. During this mission, he performed two spacewalks, the last of which marked the completion of the ISS assembly and was the final spacewalk of the Space Shuttle Program. To date, Dr. Chamitoff has logged more than 198 days in space. After speaking to the SJCS student body about his experiences, students had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Chamitoff individually and to receive signed photographs.

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Sophomores Ben Dunphy and Noah Schammel were selected to represent SJCS at the Youth in Government (YIG) Day on Wednesday, March 28th at the SC Statehouse. High school students will spend the day lobbying their local legislators and senators regarding the importance of YIG in the development of democracy in the next generation. Students will meet with their local representatives and have lunch as a group. Senior Joshua Schammel and junior Kaitlyn Posa will also be representing the state’s YIG delegation at the Committee on National Affairs in June.

In addition, Andrew Grant, Ali Griffin, Kaitlyn Posa, Noah Schammel, and Audrey Ward were selected as High School Resource Staff for the YMCA's Middle School Model United Nations Conference to be held at the YMCA Camp in Black Mountain, NC April 12-13. Four of these students were part of the SJCS Youth In Government delegation this past November, and held leadership positions at this event.

The St. Joseph's Lady Knights Varsity Softball Team entered the 2012 season with a roster that looks nothing like the previous year. With only three starters and a total of five members returning from a team that reached the District Championship, the Lady Knights are the epitome of a rebuilding year. Although blessed with talented athletes, this younger lineup takes the field without the benefit of an experienced core.

"With the loss of eight graduates and two additional players with off-season injuries, this year's team has struggled to establish an identity marked by consistency," stated Head Coach Bill Hudson. "We have self-destructed in several games and need clear leadership to emerge when the game is on the line."

This year's lineup includes seniors Maddy Longenecker (CF), Madeleine McMillan (C); juniors Alli Griffin (P), Clarissa Sutter (LF), Audrey Ward (RF); sophomores Elizabeth Bannio (2B), Madeline Fric (OF), Kira Sawyers (IF), Margaret Stanton (1B); freshman Carolyn McCullough (SS); and eighth grader Michelle Malsch (3B). Seventh graders Jackie Curry and Megan Palash and freshman Jessica Forry will also see some action at the Varsity level in addition to their role on the JV team. Longenecker, McMillan, and Griffin are team captains.

In addition to the leadership of Coach Hudson and JV Coach Schanon Smith, the Lady Knights are blessed with the addition of two additional full time assistant coaches this season. Former Head Coach John Peoples, along with standout college pitcher Katie Harrison, have been a tremendous resource in shaping this young team.

"Coach Peoples brings a ton of experience and knowledge to the game, while Coach Harrison provides a valuable resource that we have never enjoyed--a full time pitching coach with recent college playing experience," noted Coach Hudson. "Their addition will continue to be a positive impact well beyond this season."

A slow start has not discouraged the team from a confidence that the hard work in practice will begin to pay off in game situations, and the Lady Knights look to get on track during the second half of the season.

"The success of this team going forward hinges on doing the little things well and establishing an identity marked by consistency and a sense of urgency to get the job done on every play," concluded Coach Hudson.

JV Softball

Entering their third year of play, the JV Lady Knights, led by Coach Schanon Smith, look to establish consistency as they head into the thick of their schedule. The team currently posts an overall record of 2-2 with big wins over Southside Christian and Powdersville, while suffering losses to Spartanburg Christian and Landrum. The two wins have been characterized with solid offense and defense while the losses have reflected the need to be more focused on the basics.

The JV squad consists of the following players: Caroline Baer, Kayla Berube, Jackie Curry, Jessica Forry, Madison Genal, Emma Gross, Becky Lapinski, Frankie Malafronte, Amanda Nesta, Megan Palash, Leah Saunders, Savannah Wood, and Flannery Wood.

"This year's team is marked by youth and inexperience, not so much by the lack of returning players but by the combination of several new players along with returning players being moved to new positions," stated Coach Smith. "While building a solid core for the next level, there is also work to do in basic fundamentals. I have been pleased with their progress and development so far and look forward to continued growth and success in this season."

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The SJCS Advancement Office hosted their annual spring Founders Preview Party on Thursday evening, March 22 at the school. Founders members were invited to campus to enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres and desserts before previewing the spring musical, Hello, Dolly! Guests were also invited to view the Spring Art Show as well as meet and talk to some of the cast members.

The College Guidance Office recently announced that sixteen students out of a class of 71 seniors have qualified for early awards as Palmetto Fellows: Abigail DeMars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Dani Inglesby, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Elizabeth Moore, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Kyle Pietrzak, Brace Plumblee, Jay Rex, Cory Satterfield, Josh Schammel, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott. These students met the Early Award requirements by maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0 and scoring a minimum of 1400 on the SAT I (Critical Reading and Math) or 32 on the ACT. The Palmetto Scholarship recognizes academically talented South Carolina high school seniors and encourages these individuals to attend colleges in state. Each Palmetto Fellow may receive a scholarship up to $6,700 during their first year of college. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors may receive up to $7,500 per year.

Congratulations to high school students Carol Lewis, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, and Kaitlyn Posa for their Piano Competition Superior Rating, the highest honor awarded, at the South Carolina Federation of Music Clubs Northwestern District I Festival held recently at Bob Jones University School of Music.

St. Joseph's Fine Arts Department presents its spring musical Hello, Dolly Friday, March 23rd (7:00 P.M.), Saturday, March 24th (7:00 P.M.), and Sunday, March 25th (3:00 P.M.) at the school.

Enter the world of Dolly Levi, matchmaker extraordinaire, as she schemes her way from Yonkers to New York City and back again, creating "perfect couples" at every turn. Watch Dolly work her matrimonial magic as, in the course of a single day, she unites everyone from artists to feed store clerks to hat shop owners to half-a-millionaires to...perhaps even Dolly herself! A cavalcade of romantic music and hilarious comedy, including the famous show-stopping tune of the same name, Hello, Dolly! will convince you that love can conquer all, as long as you have the right person arranging the “battles.” Come join Dolly and her gang as they return to the "Lights of 14th Street"--you'll never want to "go away again."

Tickets, available at the door, are $15.00 (adults) and $10.00 (students and senior citizens) with a special family matinee price on Sunday of $55.00.

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Click here to view photos of the orchestra.

St. Joseph's hosted its fourth annual Alumni Soccer Game "under the lights" on Saturday, March 3rd as the SJCS Varsity Boys Team squared off against a talented group of returning alumni representing graduates dating back to 2004. For the first time, this annual match-up was held at night, allowing alumni their first opportunity to play an evening game at the school. In another first, the game took on more significance this year as it served as an official pre-season scrimmage for the varsity team as opposed to the post-season matches of years past. However, unlike past years, the alumni could not keep up with the talented varsity squad, currently ranked #2 in the South Carolina High School League 1A Division state soccer rankings, and the game ended in a 5-0 victory for the varsity team. Following the competition, both teams gathered at midfield in prayer, a long-standing St. Joe's tradition. The alumni then headed to a local restaurant to share stories of their time playing for the Knights.

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St. Joseph's hosted a special evening for fathers and sons on Thursday, March 15th in the school gymnasium. Coach Gerry Faust, fabled former football coach at Cincinnati's Moeller Catholic High School and Coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, was on hand to speak to the crowd on his experiences, life lessons, and the important role that fathers and sons play in each other's lives. Close to 350 boys and their dads enjoyed a barbeque dinner, door prizes, music, and fellowship. The school plans to continue this event as an annual tradition at the school.

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Click here to read a related story in The Greenville News.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Baseball Team is looking to build off of their successful 2011 season. Eight of last year’s starters returned this year, including All-Region players Ryan Stamler, Aaron Lesiak, and David Marable. Even though the team will remain young, it gained a huge amount of experience and confidence after finishing 18-7 last season and making it to the District Championship Game.

"Region Two remains the most competitive region in the state," stated Head Coach J.B. Barwick. "This team has worked extremely hard since the completion of last season and is committed to reach the ultimate goal of State Champions. We're really starting to come together as an elite unit."

This year's pitching staff may be the deepest in the state and is one of the strengths of the team. Nick Leonard, Aaron Lesiak, Graham Roberts, and Ryan Stamler anchor the starting rotation with Andrew Buff, John Hawkins, Sean McDermott Angelo Pahila, and Jack Twomey contributing to the solid pitching staff. David Marable returns as the starting catcher and will get relief from Angelo Pahila. In addition to the pitching staff, another stronghold of this season’s team will be returning defensive lineup, which includes Alex Malsch, David Estes, and Will McLellan.

The season is off to a great start with wins in the first two region games against cross-town rivals Southside Christian (16-2) and Christ Church Episcopal (10-4).

"Our expectations are to win the state championship, but we have to take it one game at a time. It seems we have a bull's eye on our back, so the boys will have to work harder to stay on top. It should be an exciting year for St. Joseph's baseball."

JV Baseball

The St. Joseph's JV Baseball Team looks to continue its legacy of winning seasons with returning starters Nick Burns, Tucker McMillen, Carter Powell, Sterling Turmon, and Evan Willoughby. But it's the fresh look of seventh graders Matthew Bynum, Jack Culomovic, Carson Genal, Garrett Davidson, Andrew Judkins, and Jack Stamler that has Coach Greg Simms excited about the future.

"We have an extremely talented but young group of players this season," stated Coach Simms. "Our returning players range from eighth to tenth grade boys, and half of our team is composed of seventh graders. Pitching will be deep but inexperienced, and our defense will be very flexible as most of the boys will handle multiple roles."

The pitching staff consists of Nick Burns, Jack Culomovic, Garrett Davidson, Carson Genal, Andrew Judkins, Tucker McMillen, Jack Stamler, Sterling Turmon, and Evan Willoughby. McMillen and Willoughby will anchor the catching position with Willoughby handling the majority of the load. Sean McDermott will move between JV and Varsity this season and provide some pitching support for the promising unit. Carter Powell will handle duties at shortstop and Matthew Bynum will cover the corner outfield positions. The squad will be fairly lean but Coach Simms believes in development by playing the boys as much as possible to prepare them for varsity play.

After defeating Hammond Academy and Upstate Eagles in pre-season play, the JV squad opened its regular season with a huge 7-1 victory over Southside Christian.

“Although we're young, this is a scrappy and energetic group of young men," concluded Coach Simms. "They know most of their opponents will be older, bigger, and stronger, but it doesn't intimidate them. They walk onto the field with a chip on their shoulder, respect their opponents, and leave it all on the field."

Members of the Class of 2012 flew to Orlando, FL March 8-11 for the annual senior class trip. The students spent time visiting all four parks in Disney World. The weather was warm and sunny, and the seniors enjoyed going on the rides and eating out at many of the local restaurants. Senior Class Advisors George and Meby Carr, along with faculty/staff members Megan Koon and Jimmy Touzeau, accompanied the students to Florida.

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For the third consecutive year, high school students were offered the opportunity to continue their education outside of the traditional classroom setting by taking part in the school's Mini-Mester program March 7th-9th. Designed to enrich and compliment their academic curriculum, each Mini-Mester course was borne out of an interest, hobby, or passion of a St. Joseph's faculty/staff member. Some of the programs offered to the high school students this year included mountain climbing, white water rafting, sailing on Lake Hartwell, painting in Falls Park, hang-gliding in the Outer Banks, and spending the night at the Charleston Aquarium and Riverbanks Zoo, to name just a few. As in years past, some courses were held on campus while others engaged in active experiences in the field: some courses were offered free of charge while others required a fee to cover expenses; some courses met on all three days, while others consisted of longer hours on fewer days. Middle school students were presented with a one-day Mini-Mester on Friday, March 9th with offerings that included cooking, photojournalism, pottery painting, horseback riding, outdoor navigation, a mini-triathlon, search and rescue with the police department's K-9 unit, golf for the uninitiated, and an overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge, to name just a few. Whether in high school or middle school, Mini-Mester had something to offer every student, and the program was well received again this year.

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The SJCS Advancement Office, with sponsorship from SYNNEX Corporation, hosted the first Business Professional Advisory Breakfast on Wednesday, March 14th at the school. Many parents with ties to the business community were on hand to discuss ways to help each other and to spread the word about the school. Headmaster Keith Kiser served as the main speaker for this inaugural event. After a brief networking and breakfast session, the crowd split up into small groups to brainstorm and address specific topics. The session, which concluded promptly at 8:30, resulted in the introduction of several new ideas and initiatives. Parents will be welcomed and encouraged to attend future sessions, or for more information, contact Ron Thompson at rthompson@sjcatholicschool.org.

Juniors Sarah Bathon, Noah Davis, and Clare Ruble recently auditioned for undergraduate theatre programs at the Southeastern Theatre Conference held March 7-10 in Chattanooga, TN. Over 100 colleges and universities were represented. All three students received several offers when called back to audition for over forty different schools. Lindsey Foley, Savannah Klosowski, Anabel Masaschi, Patrick Mobley, and David Rogozenski also attended the conference and spent time attending workshops and attending a variety of performances. SJCS Fine Arts Department Chair Teresa McGrath accompanied the students to Chattanooga.

Congratulations to eighth grader Gabbie Gardziola, who recently won a bronze medal at the U.S. Open Taekwondo Tournament held in Las Vegas. Gabbie was one of six members of Master Kim's World Class Taekwondo Sparring Team who competed. Other St. Joseph's competitors included Anja Gardziola and David Asbury. This international tournament hosted thousands of competitors from over twenty countries.

The following students currently serve as officers in the Tri-M Music Honor Society: President, Allison Espada; Vice-President, John Dutch; Secretary, Ian Miller; Treasurer, Amy Hase; and Historian, Katie Mobley. SJCS Music Teacher Robert Lee serves as the Club Moderator. This organization works year round to showcase music and musical opportunities for the school community. The members are active in planning Choral Concerts and service projects. Members of this group have completed a number of projects already this school year; most recently they provided Christmas music and entertainment for residents at a local retirement community.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Soccer Team has come into the season bigger, faster, and stronger than ever, and it shows in their pre-season results. In early scrimmages, the Knights defeated Travelers Rest, J.L. Mann, and Emerald High Schools, scoring twenty goals and allowing only one goal into their own net. The Knights then participated in the Wando Soccer Tournament in Mount Pleasant, where they faced stiff competition from Wando High (4A State Champ) and Myrtle Beach (3A State Runner Up), and finished fifth out of ten teams.

This year's squad is led by Team Captain Tariq Namouz, and fellow seniors Ashton Ardoin, J.D. Brookbank, Collin McMillen, and Tyler Visin. Each of these players brings plenty of experience and servant leadership to the team.

"I have never seen a group of boys as selfless and tight as this year's team," stated Head Coach Frank Kucinic. "They play for one another, and they have each other's back no matter what the circumstance."

Anchoring the defense for the Knights this year are players Conner DeAngelis, Christopher Heijjer, Tim Litzinger, Patrick Jones, Gene Langan, and Alex Luzzatti. Controlling the flow of the game in the midfield are Captains Austen Burnikel and Nic Poupore, along with Andrew Burnikel and Brennan Koslow. A threat to any opponent they face on the offensive side are Captain Davis Osborn, Ryan Bertling, Michele Bottari, and Tomas Larrain.

"I think this is probably the best team we’ve ever had, and this season looks very promising," stated Junior Captain Austen Burnikel.

Coach Kucinic concluded, "There is nothing these guys can't accomplish this year. Over the past four years, I have seen these boys deal with adversity, battle, grow, and come together like the band of brothers that they are. I truly feel that there is no stopping them. The only thing that they need to do now is go out and earn it. There is not a team that they cannot compete against if they will continue to believe in each other and play for each other."

JV Boys Soccer

The St. Joseph's JV Boys Soccer Team has come into the season with a new personality. "The biggest difference," stated Head Coach Ben Kovaleski, "is that we are a better technically skilled team."

Led by returning players Sean Connelly, Daniel Escobar, Jimmy Fountain, Tyler Grant, Ryan Litzinger, Theo Longenecker, Patrick McLear, Nathan Petrofes, Steven Rosenzweig, Walker Seman, and Ethan Veideman, the team added Luke Bikulege, Phillip Coburn, Michael Connelly, Nadir Dbouk, Casey Dew, Nicklaus Dew, Diego Franco, Travis Griffin, Ford McCoy, Henry Smith, and Team Manager Thomas Fawcett.

Even with the cancellation of a pre-season scrimmage, the team pulled out a victory against Powdersville (2-1) in its first match of the season. The Knights were led on offense by Theo Longenecker and Nicklaus Dew, who both scored, and supported by Casey Dew and Diego Franco who each had an assist. On defense, Luke Bikulege, Michael Connelly, Jimmy Fountain, Ryan Litzinger, and goalie Daniel Escobar kept the Patriots at bay.

The next game against 3A powerhouse Riverside High would give the team a chance to see how far they had come. After a tough fought tie (2-2) in regulation play, the Knights lost in the penalty kick round 3-2. Theo Longenecker and Casey Dew both scored in regulation. Daniel Escobar had eleven saves in regulation and stopped four out of seven penalty kicks. Strong play in the mid-field was credited to Phillip Coburn, Sean Connelly, Tyler Grant, Nathan Petrofes, Walker Seman, Henry Smith, and Ethan Veideman.

The Knights then faced 3A Walhalla for its third match-up in a week. It was a very physical game, but the Knights kept their composure. After scoring first with a powerful goal from Tyler Grant, Walhalla came back to tie the game a few minutes later and then forged ahead 2-1 before the first half ended. Goalie Daniel Escobar was injured four minutes into the second half, and Nadir Dbouk stepped in to take over. Even though Dbouk managed to shut out the opponents in the second half, the Knights' offense couldn't squeeze in a second half shot and the Knights lost 2-1.

"From what I have seen so far, I am very proud of the effort and determination of my squad," stated Coach Kovaleski. We had our backs against the wall a few times this week, but found a way to fight through adversity. Although we were on the wrong end of the scoreboard in a couple of the matches, I have the utmost faith in our boys to continue to play up to their potential."

Students in Deborah Henderson's art classes were recently photographed working on several projects.

• The eighth grade boys art class could select one of several projects: architecture (drawing a building or house), exaggeration (using an everyday object and enlarging and repeating it), Van Gogh (oil pastel and watercolor), or the name project (select a font and repeat their name eight times to create a pattern).
• The high school Mixed Media class created their own upholstery to cover a pillow. The project began with four colored still-life drawings and calendar pictures. The students chose their favorite areas and repeated the areas to form a pattern. This was then enlarged to make a 14"x14"x 2" pillow. The pillows will be on display in the High School Commons following Mini-Mester.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to the McCoy Household (high school) and the Foster Household (middle school), both winners in the school's spring "Box Tops for Education" contest held recently. Each winning household received a $25.00 gift card. The McCoy Household collected 984 box tops, and the Foster Household collected 391 box tops. Honorable Mention also goes to both the Stanton and Brady Households in the high school, who each collected over 500 box tops. Special thanks to all the Households, with over 6,000 box tops collected as a result of this contest.

For the 2011-2012 school year alone, Parents Guild has earned over $2,900 from the Box Tops program, helping to offset the many end-of-year events that they sponsor, including After-Prom, the Eighth Grade Convocation, Junior and Senior Luncheons, and the Baccalaureate Reception. Families are encouraged to keep saving box tops and another contest will be announced in the fall.

Congratulations to senior Katie Helvey, who has been named a Discus Award Winner for her achievements in the areas of Academics, Arts, and Community Service for the 2011-2012 school year. The Discus Awards is a national program that provides recognition and scholarship opportunities to all-around high school students who excel in three of ten key attributes. Katie is now eligible to compete for the Discus Awards Scholarships. Katie also created a multimedia profile highlighting her achievements, which may be viewed in the Discus Awards Winners Gallery.

Click here to view the Award Winners Gallery.

Alive at 25, a teen automobile survival course developed by the National Safety Council, was introduced to the high school students at lunch on Monday, March 5th. Lance Corporal Bill Rhyne from the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Brooke Russell, Executive Director of the South Carolina National Safety Council, were on hand to speak to the students briefly about the risks facing young drivers. Since the program’s inception in 2007, the state’s death toll among drivers ages 15-24 has decreased by 38%.

St. Joseph's will offer this program on two upcoming Wednesday afternoons (March 21 and April 25) from 2:00-6:30 at the school.

For costs, registration, and more information, click here.

Congratulations to seventh grader Annamarie Bell who captured third place for her invention "The Paw Pad" at the Bi-Lo Invention Convention held February 28 and 29 at the Bi-Lo Center. Thirty-four SJCS seventh graders presented their inventions and over 1,500 Greenville County students in grades 4-8 participated in this event.

Students in Jean Crosby's sixth grade science classes continued their study of chemistry by examining chemical interactions. They recently tested different combinations of substances to try and figure out the contents of a "mystery mixture." The students used careful observation and scientific testing to help answer questions.

Click here to view more photos.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Wrestling season has come to a close and the Knights are pleased with the way it ended. The team finished second in the region and once again finished in the Top Ten within the South Carolina High School League IA Division. Senior Gabe McCall placed fourth in the state in his weight class.

"Overall, we are happy with the way things ended," stated Head Coach Matt Vinson. "We have a great group of guys who continue to work hard and improve. If they continue to work at getting better and stronger in the off-season, we will be a force next year."

The Knights graduated three seniors this year: Gabe McCall, Perry Bolick, and Patrick Hamod, but will have eight wrestlers moving up from middle school.

"Replacing seniors is important, not only for talent but also for leadership," added Coach Vinson. "Gabe, Perry, and Patrick will be very hard to replace, but with the talent we have moving up from middle school along with rising junior Austin Van Houten, who has been out all season with an injury, we are going to be a great team with great leaders."

The team will host off-season weight lifting and wrestling during the summer months, and hopes to grow in numbers again next year.

"I joined because I heard the guys from last year talking about the team," stated freshman Cameron Cummings. "I hope people join next year because they see how much better we have become. Wrestling is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I love it. Coach promised us a state championship before we graduate, and I cannot wait until that happens."

Congratulations to sophomore Hannah Grassie and senior Kayla Twomey, both winners in the SC Art Education Association "Youth Art Month" Competition held at the SC Governor's School February 20-26. Among the thirty entries, six students were chosen as Western Division winners. The winning entries will now compete at the state Youth Art Month Competition to be held in Charleston in May. The state winner and his/her parent and teacher will receive a trip to New York City, sponsored by Sargent Art Supply Company.

The SJCS Fine Arts Department and Jubilate Guild sponsored Desserts & Designs, an adult painting class, in conjunction with a Coffeehouse on Friday, February 24th. Under the direction of SJCS Art Teacher Deborah Henderson and assisted by sophomore art students Grace Mosley and Melissa Zankman, adults painted their rendition of Claude Monet's "Cliff Walk at Pourville" in the school's Art Room while enjoying an array of desserts. The Coffeehouse, held at the same time in the High School Commons, was hosted by senior David Rogozenski and junior Clare Ruble. High school students performed a variety of skits and songs to entertain the crowd. Highlights included vocal solos and duets, student bands, and original performances.

Click here to view more photos.

The Knights finished the season 7-7 in their region and 11-12 overall, with notable upsets at home over Greenville Tech Charter and Christ Church Episcopal School. Sophomore Landry Assinesi was named All-Region. Seniors Tyler Lagnese and Chris Schrank were both selected to play in the All Star Game to be held on March 9th at Hillcrest High School.

The team ended its season at home on February 9th with a win over Whitmire High 58-21. This marked the last home game for the Knights, and the seniors rose to the occasion by responding with their best efforts.

"This group of seniors is very close," stated Head Coach Paul Assinesi. "For them to go out with a victory their last night playing together on their home court is something very special that they will always remember."

JV Boys

The JV Boys Basketball season ended in a thriller on February 7th as a last second shot by sophomore Alex Luzzatti sealed the victory and marked the first time in three seasons that the JV squad was able to defeat Blacksburg. The team posted an overall 6-9 record, and was led all season by captains Alex Luzzatti, Luke Lepak, and Andrew Stein, as well as Carter Powell.

"Although our record wasn't a winning one, I'm extremely proud of this team," stated Coach Charles Franklin. "We were a young and inexperienced team when the season began, but not anymore. The boys showed great improvement from the beginning of the season to the last game, which is what any coach would hope for."

Middle School Boys

The St. Joseph's Middle School Boys Basketball Team faced a tough season this year, and most of their contests were decided by eight points or less. Eighth grader John Krall was selected to the All-Conference Team and also led the team in scoring this season.

"The final record (3-13) reflects tightly contested games which the boys did not win. But what it does not reflect is that all of these young men emerged as strong team players who will, as their skills advance, earn victories as JV and Varsity players," said Coach Kevin Stanton. "This year's squad has tremendous speed, dogged persistence, and a high level of self motivation that will produce highly competitive teams for years to come."

Congratulations to the Middle School Chess Team, First Place Winners in the State Scholastic Chess Championship held on Saturday, February 25th in Columbia. Over one-hundred of the best chess players in the state competed in four divisions for individual and team honors. The SJCS Middle School Team, consisting of six graders Brendan Cummings, Charlie Henderson, seventh graders Patrick Berryman, Morrigan Dearman, Shane Dunlavey, Charlotte Gayle, Elias Longenecker, Ben Ragan, Sydney Richardson, Joey Schmidt, and eighth grader Neha Dias, denied R.C. Edwards Middle School (Clemson) from earning their eighth straight State Championship Title. Individual trophies went to Neha Dias for Third Place in the division and Elias Longenecker for Seventh Grade Co-Champion. The High School Team, led by Sophomore State Winner Luke Lepak and Freshmen Co-Winners Jake Armstrong and Matthew Schmidt, placed second in a very competitive division at the event. SJCS Middle School Chess Coach Doug Ragan and many parents accompanied the players to Columbia.

The middle school intramural sports program is designed to allow both boys and girls in grades 6-8 an opportunity to play sports and stay active. The program meets twice each week during the season. On Wednesday afternoons, the students work for ninety minutes on the fundamentals of the game and how to become better players, and on Saturday mornings, the students split up into teams and play real games over a two-hour span. The school offers the following choices for middle school intramurals: flag football (boys) and volleyball (girls) in the fall, basketball (both boys and girls) in the winter, and soccer (both boys and girls) in the spring. The high school varsity players serve as coaches and St. Joseph's coaches oversee their respective programs and serve as referees. This program is designed to keep all ages involved in St. Joe's athletics and to help students get ready to play high school sports.

Soccer intramurals, open to all SJCS 6-8 grade girls and boys, will begin on Wednesday, March 14th and pre-registration is required. More information will be available in the March school newsletter News & Notes.

The SJCS International Thespian Society participated in the Palmetto Dramatics Association and South Carolina Thespian Festival held recently at Lander University in Greenwood. Eighteen schools from throughout the state competed in the event.

• The following students were recommended to compete in individual events at the International Thespian Festival (ITF) to be held in Lincoln, NE in June: senior Allison Espada was recommended to compete in Solo Musical Theatre with her performance of "The Light in the Piazza" from The Light in the Piazza; senior David Rogozenski and junior Clare Ruble were recommended to compete in Duet Musical Theatre with their song "The Song That Goes Like This" from Spamalot; Allison Espada and junior Noah Davis were recommended to compete in Duet Acting with their scene performance from An Ideal Husband.
• Additionally, Espada, Rogozenski, and Ruble were selected to perform their solo and duet musical theatre performances as a part of the final Individual Event showcase. In addition to these performances, individual events were selected to perform at the festival showcase: seniors Andrew Anderson and David Rogozenski were selected to showcase their Duet Mime performance, titled “Whaaat?”; Amy Hase and sophomore Savannah Klosowski were selected to showcase their Duet Acting performance from The Importance of Being Ernest.
• The school's One-Act Play entry, Our Diamond, directed by David Rogozenski, received a Superior Rating for Play Performance. Additionally, senior Katie Mobley and Savannah Klosowski received an Honorable Mention rating for their acting performances; Amy Hase and junior Sarah Bathon received an Excellent rating for their acting performances; Clare Ruble received a Superior rating for her acting performance.
• Finally, two seniors received scholarships at the event for their superior work in theatre. Katie Mobley received one of five Senior Thespian Scholarships awarded at this festival for her work in technical theatre as a Stage Manager. David Rogozenski received one of two Blair Beasley Performance Awards for his work as a student director.

Click here to view more photos from the One Act Play Our Diamond.

Freshmen returned to their middle school households on Wednesday, February 15th for the annual Household Homecoming. St. Joseph's ninth graders were welcomed back with banners and treats as they enjoyed snacks, conversation, and laughter with their former middle school household members. It also provided the middle school students a time to ask questions about high school, covering topics from high school changes to high school privileges.

"My Household girls loved sharing time with their former Household buddies," stated Middle School Household Dean Barbara Ogilbee. "There was a lively discussion with plenty of laughter as the ninth graders shared their stories and 'words of wisdom.' The freshmen encouraged the girls to get involved in high school activities, and they talked about the fun that they had on the freshman class trip and at the high school dances. The ninth graders also talked about the challenging freshman curriculum, and what it was like to be in classes with the boys. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed talking about their favorite Household memories at a special luncheon complete with a variety of pasta, pizza, salad, fruit, and desserts. Before they left, our seven ninth grade guests were presented with treat bags, compliments of their younger sisters."

Students were treated to a special breakfast on February 21st in celebration of Fat Tuesday. Middle school students enjoyed an array of breakfast casseroles, fresh fruit, pancakes, bagels, donuts, juice, and milk provided and served by the St. Joseph's faculty and staff in the school cafeteria. The high school students enjoyed breakfast in their Households, provided by Household members and their parents. All the students enjoyed an extended morning period set aside for the day's activity. Special thanks to SJCS parent Tom Baliker (Mama Mary's Pancakes), Riley Cordell (Pet Dairy), and to the Dean of Student Life Jimmy Touzeau and his team of staff volunteers: Chris Carino, Shawna Fesler, and Marie Kernell. Fat Tuesday, the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday, is typically marked with feasting before the fasting season of Lent begins.

Click here to view more photos.

Middle School Girls
The season was a learning experience, not only for the players but also for their first year coach. The girls struggled with learning the rules of the game at the beginning, but as the season progressed, they learned quickly and began to play better. Seventh grader Agnes Stanton was named to the All-Conference Team by the Carolina Middle School Conference.

"Our stats don’t reflect our improvement and the girls' dedication to the team," stated Coach Jessica Auguste. "One thing we always stated before every game was 'we are down by ten points,' as this made the girls play better from beginning to end and not wait until the end of the game to play hard. I am very proud of my players this season."

JV Girls
The JV girls ended their season with an 8-4 record, an improvement over last year's record. The squad experienced some injuries during the season that hurt the team, but they still managed to pull out a winning season.

"We ended the season with a loss, but it was a great learning experience in that everyone got to play and they all gave it their best effort," stated Coach Chinessia Lee. "This group of girls is very special, and when they make up their minds to play Lady Knights basketball, they are very hard to beat."

Varsity Girls
The Varsity Girls ended their season following the first round of the state playoffs in a tough match-up against Abbeville High School. Several of the Lady Knights were plagued with injuries and the team lost the game 44-34. The girls season record stands at 17-9, and the team placed second in Region Two (1A). Imani Grace King, Elizabeth Moore, and Katherine Reynolds were named SCHSL 1A All-Region Players and Coach Grace Franklin repeated as the 1A Coach of the Year.

"Even though the Lady Knights' season ended with a loss, the spirit of the girls was upbeat," concluded Coach Grace Franklin. "Girls that did not experience much playing time played quite a bit in the last four games due to other injured players, and this allowed me the opportunity to see what I can look forward to with my young returning players. I am very excited about what I saw, and I have the utmost confidence that, with time and hard work during the pre-season, these young players will become great players."

Several SJCS art students will be participating in the South Carolina Art Education Association "Youth Art Month" Exhibit to be held in the Lipscomb Art Gallery at the S.C. Governor's School. The art work will be exhibited February 20-26, with a reception on Sunday, February 26th. The following students will be representing St. Joseph's: eighth grader Caroline Fowler (graphite drawing), eighth grader Hollis Lucas (four-point perspective drawing), sophomore Hannah Grassie (monochromatic acrylic painting), and senior Kayla Twomey (pen and ink).

Congratulations to SJCS seniors Abigail DeMars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Cory Satterfield, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott, who have now advanced to Finalist standing in the National Merit Scholarship Competition by demonstrating, through their distinguished performance, high potential for future academic accomplishment. These ten students, recognized out of a class of seventy-one seniors, were named last September as National Merit Semifinalists, ranking them in the top one percent of the nation's high school students.

Freshmen in Sharon Ruble's biology classes took a trip to Columbia, SC on February 8th to view "Body Worlds," an exhibit featuring more that 200 real human specimens. Visitors are able to learn more about human anatomy, physiology, and health by viewing human bodies using an extraordinary process called Plastination, a ground breaking method for specimen preservation. Students had the opportunity to view the position of organs and the human body under different conditions to better understand the long-term impact of diseases. The overriding theme of this exhibit, which has been viewed by more than 30 million people world-wide, is lifetime physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

The St. Joseph's Parents Guild sponsored their third annual Ladies Knight Out on Saturday evening, February 11th with a "Hats Off to the Ladies" themed event at the Spaulding Farm Clubhouse in Greenville. More than seventy SJCS moms, alumnae, friends, and faculty donned their fanciest hats and braved the cold to enjoy a night of food and fellowship. Special thanks to SJCS parent Kimberly Masters and her team of parent volunteers: Sharman Armstrong, Denise Caputo, Karen Konopka, Kathy Malone, Kelli Reinstein, Claire Stamler, and Terri Swartz. The crowd enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Paisanos' Restaurant, along with homemade desserts. Music, provided by guest DJ and SJCS faculty member Frank Kucinic, provided the perfect atmosphere for dancing, socializing, and fun!

Click here to view more photos.

Headmaster Keith Kiser honored the school's Second Quarter All-A Honor Roll recipients by hosting a pizza lunch for them on Thursday, February 9th during both middle school and high school lunch periods. He hopes to continue this new initiative with each Honor Roll announcement.

After finishing the season tied for first place with Landrum High School, the Lady Knights played for the region championship on Friday, February 10th. The girls lost the match-up in double overtime 49-41 in a tough playoff placement game to Landrum and ended their regular season 17-8, placing second in Region Two (1A).

"I am very proud of the girls," stated Head Coach Grace Franklin. "They played their hearts out on Friday night and twice had to come from behind to force the overtimes."

Senior night, held at St. Joseph's on Thursday, February 9th, was a coach's delight as all the seniors played extremely well. The Lady Knights won the rematch against Whitmire High 51-9. Senior Elizabeth Moore led all scorers with 17 points, followed by seniors Megan Heijjer with 10 points, Cara Mohr put up 7 points, and Monica Fric had three steals.

"These four seniors are very special young ladies," added Coach Franklin. "I have coached most of them for three years now, and have enjoyed teaching them the skills of the game. They are outstanding student-athletes in every sense of the word. They have left their mark and will truly be missed."

The Lady Knights return to their home court on Monday night, February 13th, as they host the first round of the state playoffs against Abbeville High School at 7:00 P.M.

Varsity Boys Conclude Season

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Basketball Team ended their season on a high note by defeating Whitmire 58-21 at home on February 9th. This marked the last home game for the Knights this season, and the seniors rose to the occasion by responding with their best efforts: Tyler Lagnese and Chris Shrank led the way with ten points each, Michael Kopscik added six points, and Tyler Visin scored three points.

"This group of seniors is very close," stated Head Coach Paul Assinesi. "For them to go out with a victory their last night playing together on their home court is something special that they will always remember."

Another senior who has been with the Knights for three years, Team Manager Michael Newton, the team's "sixth man" as Coach Assinesi often stated, was also recognized.

Within the South Carolina High School League, the Knights finished the season 7-7 in their region and 11-12 overall, with notable upsets at home over Greenville Tech Charter and Christ Church Episcopal School.

"Our younger players gained a lot of experience this season, and that should help us for next year," concluded Coach Assinesi.

Click here to view more photos from Senior Night and the Lady Knights vs. Landrum.

St. Joseph's celebrated Catholic Schools Week January 29th - February 5th with a variety of events designed to highlight the blessings of Catholic education. Under the 2012 theme of "Faith, Academics, Service," part of an initiative by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), highlights of the week included Staff, Student, and Volunteer Appreciation Days, and much more. The annual event rejoices in education that goes beyond preparation for a secular life by also preparing students for a Christian life.

As part of a service initiative this year, the high school Student Council organized a week-long school-wide Coin War to benefit the Mano Amigo Catholic School in El Salvador. Students deposited pennies into their class containers and added nickels, dimes, quarters, and currency into other class containers. Pennies were positive, all other denominations subtracted from the total. The Middle School and the High School each had separate competitions, and the class with the most pennies was declared the winner. Congratulations to the senior class and the sixth grade classs, both winners from the weeklong contest. Special thanks to the entire student body. Over $1,500 was raised from this competition alone, and over $2,600 was raised from various other events throughout the week.

Click here to view highlights from the week:

Bishop's Visit to Campus

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

Parish Night at the Basketball Game

Student Appreciation Day

Volunteer Appreciation Day

Four SJCS seniors attended the "Role Models in Medicine" program at USC School of Medicine in Columbia on February 3rd. Dani Inglesby, Ian Miller, Cory Satterfield, and Jay Rex participated in hands-on sessions where they learned how to use ultrasound equipment, practiced suturing techniques, intubated mock patients, and trained in how to start an intraosseous IV. The program ended with a question and answer session where students had the opportunity to learn about the medical school experience and admissions process from faculty and current first year students. SJCS AP Biology Teacher Jennette Pelicano accompanied the students to Columbia.

As a part of the Catholic Schools Week festivities, thirty-four 8th grade students took to the stage on February 2nd for their performance of The Aliens Are Coming! The Aliens Are Coming! The cast included a variety of characters from motel owners to UFO Conventioneers to the local Sheriff to a surprise alien appearance. The production was well-attended by family, students, and faculty, and donations were collected for the student sponsored week-long charity, the Mano Amigo Catholic School in El Salvador.

Click here to view more photos.

Nine members of the school's chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) won trophies at the District One Leadership Conference held at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC on Saturday, February 4th. Fourteen schools and over 320 students participated in the district competition. This effort represented St. Joseph's best FBLA district competition to date, and all nine SJCS students have now qualified to compete at the state level in Charleston in March.

The team of Alexis Krcelic and Grant McMillan won First Place in Business Ethics. This win represented the school's first time entry in this category. Teams were presented with an ethical dilemma relating to the world of business and they had twenty minutes to prepare a response and present that response orally. Other St. Joseph's winners included: Chris Olin (First Place in Networking Concepts), Audrey Ward (First Place in Business Communications), Alli Griffin (Second Place in Business Communications), Matthew Morel (Second Place in Technology Concepts), David Reed (Third Place in Sports Management), Andrew Holsen (Third Place in Hospitality Management), and Mike Gibson (Fourth Place in Hospitality Management).

The Future Business Leaders of America officers for this year are President, Grant McMillan; Vice President, Audrey Ward; Secretary, Alli Griffin; Treasurer, Connor Bolick; Reporter, Matthew Morel. SJCS Theology Department Chair Karl Orbon and SJCS Director of Finance Ann O’Dea serve as the club moderators.

Three St. Joseph's students were awarded Religious Emblems by Bishop Robert Guglielmone at the second annual Catholic Scout Convocation Ceremony held on Sunday, February 5th at St. Joseph's Parish in Columbia.

• Junior Jordan Britenburg and freshman Shane Lotts received the Boy Scout Pope Pius XII Religion Emblem. This honor represents the highest Catholic award in scouting. In addition, Lotts received the Pillars of Faith Award for having earned all four Catholic religious emblems available in scouting.
• Sixth grader Megan Seidel received the Girl Scout Divine Mercy Award.

Eighth grade students in Ryan Koon's science classes recently completed a laboratory investigation on rocketry. Working in pairs, the students constructed model rockets that included a solid propellant launch system and parachute recovery system. Many of the rockets were recovered and re-launched, even after reaching an average height of 1,000 feet. This activity was part of the eighth grade science unit on Astronomy and the Space Race of the 1960's.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to the High School Chess Team for placing second in the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) State Chess Tournament held on January 24th in Orangeburg, SC. Competing for SJCS were Jake Armstrong, Martin Cordi, Zach Gerstner, Luke Lepak, Andrew Schatteman, Peter Schatteman, and Matthew Schmidt. Sixty-nine students participated in the tournament representing eleven schools from around the state. Special congratulations to the four high scorers who made up the team score: Luke Lepak (6th place), Jake Armstrong (7th place), Andrew Schatteman (10th place), and Matthew Schmidt (13th place). SJCS Math Department Chair George Carr serves as the Team Moderator.

The SJCS chapter of the National Honor Society sponsored "Colors for a Cause" Fashion Show on Saturday, January 28 at the school. Over 500 guests were on hand to watch over eighty St. Joseph's upperclassmen model clothes from Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, Monkee's of the West End, Kohl's, and Pink Bee. Over $10,000 was raised from this fundraiser, and proceeds will benefit Bi-Lo Charities Children’s Cancer Center at GHS and the school's scholarship fund.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to the High School Math Teams, which placed second and tenth in the State Math Meet held on Wednesday, January 18th in Orangeburg, SC. St. Joseph's Team One, consisting of Amy Hase, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott, placed second out of 28 teams representing 17 schools and 140 students. St. Joseph's Team Two, consisting of Alec Biscopink, Kathryn Corasaniti (not pictured), Mitchell Jones, Natalie Rogers, and William Tierney, placed tenth. In addition, senior Peter Schatteman had the second highest individual score, and senior William Lewis had the sixth highest individual score. The event, sponsored by the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA), included the following schools: Ashley Hall, Ben Lippen School, Hammond School, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Heritage Academy, The King’s Academy, Northwood Academy, Oakbrook Preparatory School, Orangeburg Preparatory School, Pinewood Preparatory School, Porter-Gaud School, St. Andrew's School, South Aiken Baptist School, Thomas Sumter Academy, Williamsburg Academy, and Wilson Hall School. Porter-Gaud placed first in the meet. SJCS Mathematics Faculty Members and Math Team Moderators George Gábor and Tim Brady accompanied the students to Orangeburg.

Congratulations to the following student-athletes recently recognized by the High School Sports Report: All State Cross-Country: Carol Lewis, Sara Catherine Masaschi, Bailey Mullins; All State Swimming: Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Justin Mehl; All State Volleyball: Alexa Lagaly; Volleyball 1A Player of the Year: Katherine Reynolds. Congratulations to coaches Marie Kernell, 1A Girls Cross-Country Coach of the Year, and Jan Carino, 1A Volleyball Coach of the Year.

St. Joseph's varsity wrestling season is coming to a close as the team looks ahead to the region and state tournaments. The team is currently a 1A Top Ten team and looks to improve its standing in the State Duals Tournament coming up on Saturday, February 4th at Ninety-Six High School.

Even with several wrestlers injured, the Knights have had a good season, posting an 8-5 record and a current tie with Blacksburg for second place in the region.

"Our record to date is pretty good, considering that we have four wrestlers in the starting lineup who have never wrestled before," stated Head Coach Matt Vinson. "Ninth graders Cameron Cummings, Theo Longenecker, and Shane Lotts, along with junior Philip Key, are all first year wrestlers and have been a big part of the team's success this season. In addition, we have wrestled several 3A teams as well as larger teams from Georgia and North Carolina."

The Knights hosted Whitmire and Landrum High Schools this past week at home. St. Joseph's was matched up well against Whitmire, and the win against them last Tuesday night helped the boys' records going into the toughest part of the season.

"This coming Saturday's tournament is going to be tough as we still have several wrestlers out with injuries," concluded Vinson. "However, we should be able to get some wins and improve our standings with the guys we have. With the regions being realigned next year and some teams are moving up to 2A, we should be able to make a serious run at a state title next season. To do that, it's important that we make a good showing on Saturday."

Middle School Wrestling

The middle school wrestling season is also coming to an end. Seventh grader Luke Bikulege and eighth graders Jeffery Fann and Jack Valente recently competed in the Middle School State Tournament held in Lexington, S.C. on Saturday, January 21st. In an event that featured the top middle school wrestlers (1A-4A) from throughout the state, Bikulege took State Runner-Up and Fann placed fifth.

"In only our first year with a middle school team, we had three guys qualify for state," added Coach Vinson. "That is a huge accomplishment and it shows me the future for this program is bright. Our focus now is getting our eighth graders ready to compete in high school next year."

Click here to view more photos from the Varsity Wrestling Match against Whitmire and Landrum Schools and Senior Send Off

Congratulations to seventh grader Luke Bikulege who was named Runner-Up at the Middle School State Wrestling Tournament held on Saturday, January 21st. Two other middle school students, eighth graders Jeffery Fann and Jack Valente, also qualified to compete in the tournament, an event that featured the top middle school wrestlers (1A-4A) from throughout the state. Fann placed fifth in the competition.

Thirty-eight SJCS students, along with five staff members and two parent chaperones, attended the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. January 22-23. The St. Joseph's group joined the Upstate Respect Life group and traveled by bus to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to attend the pro-life Mass with thousands of other supporters on Sunday. Early Monday morning, the students attended the Youth Rally and Mass at the Verizon Center, an inspiring and energizing event with over 25,000 teens from around the country. This event featured music and singing, talks by teens and adults, and a recitation of the rosary prior to Mass. Many priests were also available for confessions. After Mass, the St. Joseph's group joined thousands of people on Washington’s Mall for rousing speeches and a march up Constitution Hill to the Supreme Court--the site of the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision. The group left Washington Monday afternoon and returned home early Tuesday morning.

Click here for more photos.

The Spanish Honor Society Officers for this year are President Abby DeMars, Vice President Jessica Peck, and Secretary Cory Satterfield. SJCS Spanish Teacher Luz Fernandez serves as the club moderator. This organization works on many projects throughout the year. They celebrate special Spanish holidays and offer Spanish movie nights and dance classes. The society is currently planning to raise money selling Hispanic food during lunch as a way to buy Spanish books for the students at the Catholic Mano Amigo School in El Salvador.

The SJCS Fine Arts Department and Jubilate Guild hosted a Coffeehouse fundraising event on Friday, January 20th. This open mic event was hosted by seniors Andrew Holsen and Ian Miller. High school students performed a variety of skits and songs to entertain the crowd. Highlights included vocal solos and duets, student bands, and original performances. The next Coffeehouse is scheduled for Friday, February 24th in conjunction with an adult "Desserts and Designs" art class. For more information on "Desserts and Designs," please visit the link below.

Click here to view more Coffeehouse photos.

Click here to RSVP for Desserts and Designs.

Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding performance on the National Classical Etymology Exam (NCEE): Ben Dunphy (Gold Medal), Nicholle Stein, Alec Biscopink (Silver Medals), and Alex Schaeffer and Olivia Baumgarten (Bronze Medals). The exam, sponsored by the National Junior Classical League, measures a student’s knowledge of English vocabulary based on Greek and Latin root words.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Basketball Team has played a little more than half their region schedule to date and currently stand at 4-4. The Knights are ranked fourth in the region and currently hold the last playoff spot. A win on Tuesday night, January 24th at Greenville Tech Charter would secure the team’s spot in the playoffs.

"I feel the season so far has been a good experience for my younger players, while I've seen my seniors grow to become leaders," stated Head Coach Paul Assinesi. "The best team effort to date has been the 82-33 win over Whitmire where ten players scored in the game."

Other key wins since the holiday tournament have been against Greenville Tech Charter (53-42), where sophomores Alexander Powell and Landy Assinesi played extremely well. Seniors Michael Kopscik, Tyler Lagnese, and Chris Schrank dominated on defense with the team's victory over Christ Church on Friday night 34-32.

"I'm looking forward to the weeks to come" concluded Assinesi. "There's a lot of good basketball ahead of us still."

Varsity Girls

The Lady Knights finished the first round of region play undefeated at 7-0 with an overall record of 11-4. The team posted key wins over Charlotte Latin 54-49, a team that had defeated St. Joseph's last year, and a victory against Blacksburg who, at the time, was also undefeated in the region. With the 57-48 victory over Blacksburg, the Lady Knights took sole procession of first place in the region.

"I was very pleased with the way my team played the first half of the season," stated Head Coach Grace Franklin. "However, I told girls that the second time we meet these teams, they will have improved and be out to get us," stated Coach Franklin.

These words rang true on Friday night as the Lady Knights fell to Christ Church at home 35-33. St. Joseph's had won the first match-up between the two rivals earlier in the season 36-23.

"We have six more region games and we have to step up our offensive play," added Coach Franklin. "We have to continue to be solid and play Lady Knights defense. Christ Church controlled the boards as they out rebounded us on offense and defense. We cannot be satisfied with what we have already accomplished. We have to play harder than we did the first half of the season."

The girls play away on Tuesday night against Greenville Tech Charter.

Click below to view more basketball photos:
St. Pius X Varsity Boys Christmas Tournament in Atlanta
Varsity Girls vs. Christ Church

St. Joseph's hosted special guest speaker Joseph Pearce on Wednesday, January 18th, during the Omega Activity Period. Pearce spoke at SJCS two years ago on Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and in keeping with the 2011-2012 school theme "I have called your friends," Pearce was invited back to share his conversion story at the request of faculty member, Dr. Jill Kriegel.

Pearce's journey was a tumultuous one - he cites the secularism of his public school and the anti-Catholic sentiment surrounding him at home and in society as influences on his route to joining white supremacist and anti-Catholic terrorist organizations in England and Ireland. Having been introduced to the works of G. K. Chesterton while serving his second prison sentence, Pearce's path began to change. Further reading in Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and St. Thomas Aquinas eventually led him to the Catholic Church and a life devoted to his family and the promotion of Catholic culture.

A native of England, Joseph Pearce moved to the United States in 2001 to begin his position as writer in residence and associate professor at Ave Maria University in Florida. His many books include biographies of Christian literary figures, such as Shakespeare, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien. Mr. Pearce is also the editor of St. Austin Review, an international review of Catholic culture, editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press, series editor of Ignatius Critical Editions, host of two EWTN series on William Shakespeare, and executive director of Catholic Courses.

St. Joseph's sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were encouraged to invite a friend to school for the second annual Bring A Friend Day held on Friday, February 13. Over seventy visitors signed up and enjoyed lunch and spending part of the day with their St. Joseph's friend.

The History Honor Society officers for this year are: President, Kyle Pietrzak; Vice-President, John Dutch; and Secretary/Treasurer, Amy Hase. SJCS History Teacher Meby Carr serves as the club moderator.

Members are selected based on their History GPA and are required to meet certain criteria, such as attending lectures or completing service projects. Members of this club recently attended the Republican Presidential Debate held at Wofford College in November, and many of the members are attending appearances featuring the Presidential candidates. Pictured above, presidential candidate Rick Santorum poses with SJCS senior Christopher Schrank and graduate Emily Schrank '09 on January 8th at Stax's Restaurant in Greenville.

The SJCS Middle School Boys Basketball Team has earned two wins against eight losses thus far in the 2011-12 season. While having talented and experienced players on this year's squad, the current record reflects a Middle School league schedule that is the strongest in many years. Nevertheless, the team has been competitive in every game and has only to finish tight contests more strongly to gain additional victories.

"The nice upside to what has been a disappointing beginning is the steady progress of our seventh graders who have showed amazing improvement and increasing confidence since the beginning of the season," stated Middle School Coach Kevin Stanton.

In early games this season John Krall has accounted for most of the tough points and steady leadership that should produce wins over good teams in the weeks ahead. Equally important are the contributions from fellow eighth grade veterans Christian Baliker, Sean Langan, Ken Lava, Wyatt Nally, and Walker Seman, A strong seventh grade contingent is led by guards Garrett Davidson, Shane Dunlavey, Andrew Judkins, Drew Luzzatti, and Adam Okinaga. Forward Jared Rex has been putting up good numbers and is joined by fellow seventh graders Jack Culumovic, Jon Kessinger, and Spalding Latham.

Since the Christmas break, the team has registered tough losses with Christ Church, Shannon Forest, Southside Christian, and Legacy Charter. However, the Knights won a close contest with Our Lady of the Rosary on January 17th and are looking forward to an away game at Mt. Zion and rematches with St. Mary's and Christ Church before the annual Catholic Schools Week Jamboree on January 29. The team will divide into two squads for the Jamboree and hope to meet in the tournament final.

JV Boys

With a little over half the season completed, the St. Joseph's JV Boys Basketball Team is looking forward to a strong finish with the remaining six games.

"Our goal is to tie first or second in the region," stated Coach Charles Franklin.

Since the start of the season, the team has improved in every facet of the game. One example would be the team’s performance last weekend against Powdersville. In the first matchup earlier this season, Powdersville won handedly by 18 points. In the second match up last Saturday night, the Knights beat them by three.

"With tough games remaining against rivals Christ Church and Southside Christian, I fully intend for the outcomes of these games to be dramatically different," concluded Coach Franklin. "The boys have worked hard all season and their improvement is evident. I'm proud of the way they've handled themselves thus far, and look forward to what the next six games has in store for us."

Congratulations to the following middle school students chosen to represent the school in the 2012 SCISA Middle School Quiz Bowl Competition: eighth grader Caroline McCoy, seventh graders Billy DeGroote and Joey Schmidt, and sixth graders Robby Matlock, Nathan Meglic, and Cian Rusnak. Sixth graders Joshua Barrett, Ryan Byrne, Sami Miller, and Gabi Sammon were chosen as alternates. SJCS Middle School English Teacher Shawna Fesler serves as the team moderator. These students will represent St. Joseph’s in the SCISA Regional Competition to be held on Tuesday, February 7th at St. Joseph's.

Members of the Sophomore Class went bowling at Star Lanes on Wednesday afternoon, January 11th as a part of the Sophomore Search program. Students were awarded gift cards for their bowling accomplishments, and bowling pin "trophies" went to students with the "Highest Score," "Most Strikes," and "Most Gutter Balls." The students enjoyed socializing and a pizza lunch.

Click here to see more photos.

The JV Girls Basketball Team holds a 6-2 season-to-date record coming off a win last week at Landrum followed by a loss at home on Saturday against Powdersville.

"We've had some exciting moments so far this season," stated Coach Woogie Lee. "The one that stands out in my mind the most was the triple overtime win against Christ Church."

The Lady Knights battled Christ Church at home in early December and the game went back and forth, but the Lady Knights prevailed and won by seven points in triple overtime. The girls team then traveled to Christ Church in early January, where they lost a close game to the Cavaliers 27-23.

"Everyone has made a contribution so far this season," added Coach Woogie. "I know the season will only get better. This is very special group of girls, and if they continue to stay the course, we will end with a winning season."

The SJCS International Thespian Honor Society Officers for this school year are: President, David Rogozenski; Vice President, Clare Ruble; Secretary, Kevin Carey; Treasurer, Andrew Anderson; Clerk, Katie Mobley; and Publicity Chair, Sarah Bathon. SJCS Fine Arts Department Chair Teresa McGrath serves as the club moderator.

Under the guidance and leadership of this organization, students are preparing to travel to Lander University in February to participate in the annual theatre conference. At this event, the cast of Our Diamond, directed by senior David Rogozenski, will compete against other high schools across the state for the opportunity to advance to the International Festival in Lincoln, NE this June. Additionally, students will participate in Individual Events and have the opportunity to audition for college scholarships.

Congratulations to sophomore Kira Sawyers, who auditioned and was selected to participate in the 2012 All-State Orchestra. The competition, held on Saturday, January 7 in Columbia, was open to violinists from across the state who qualified for the competition by winning a seat in a Regional Orchestra. Sixty-five violinists competed for forty seats and Kira won a position in the second violin section. The 2012 All-State Orchestra Concert, to be held in Myrtle Beach February 24-26, will feature the best string orchestra students in the state.

Fourteen middle and high school students battled over chessboards during the Second Annual Gauntlet Challenge on Wednesday afternoon, January 11. Participating middle school students Matthew Bynum, Morrigan Dearman, Neha Dias, Elias Longenecker, Ben Ragan, Sydney Richardson, and Joseph Schmidt faced high school students Jake Armstrong, Martin Cordi, Zack Gerstner, Luke Lepak, Andrew Schatteman, Peter Schatteman, and Matthew Schmidt. The strong middle school contingent, coached by parent volunteer Doug Ragan, won four out of the seven matches to once again claim the title.

In other chess news, a team of St. Joseph's middle school students captured second place overall in the 23nd annual Pawndemonium Scholastic Chess Tournament held on Saturday, January 7 in Asheville, NC. Eighth grader Neha Dias and sixth graders Brendan Cummings and Megan Seidel competed with over one-hundred students in grades K-12 from North and South Carolina. An individual first place trophy was awarded to Neha Dias.

Click here to view more photos from the Gauntlet Challenge.

Students in Jean Crosby's sixth grade science classes recently began a unit on Chemistry. Each student adopted one element and began their study of Chemistry by researching their element. They used textbooks, encyclopedias, and the internet as resources to find out the specifics on each element, such as the date of discovery, uses, melting point and boiling points, the family it belongs to, and other interesting facts.

Sixth grade girls in Shawna Fesler's English classes recently completed a three paragraph essay in twenty minutes after being given only three pictures about which to write. Their instructions were to create a "Key Word Outline" for each picture and then, using the outlines, write three paragraphs, focusing on introductory and clincher sentences. Each essay was different, showcasing the girls' unique perspectives and penchant for creativity.

Congratulations to all the students who made the Second Quarter Honor Roll.

Click here.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Wrestling Team hosted their first home meet of the season this past Friday night against Landrum and Christ Church. While the Knights lost a tough match against Landrum, the team pulled off a win against Christ Church.

"Losing to Landrum was disappointing," stated sophomore Team Captain Nadir Dbouk, "but we will see them again later in the season and we know what we have to do to win."

In spite of the loss, the match marked a huge milestone for some of the wrestlers, according to Coach Matt Vinson.

"Cameron Cummings, Patrick Hamod, and Phillip Key have struggled some this year, yet they all posted wins against one of the toughest teams we will see all season," stated Vinson. "I say all the time how hard this team works, and it continues to be true."

The middle school team also competed this past week, traveling to Byrnes High School on Saturday for a qualifying tournament. Eighth grader Jeffery Fann and seventh grader Luke Bikulege both qualified for the state tournament in Lexington.

"Our middle school guys represent a great group of boys and most of them are first year wrestlers,” added Coach Vinson. "Even though they didn't qualify this weekend, Trey Lagaly, Nathan Petrofes, Josiah Tennent, and Jack Valente all made it to the finals of their bracket. That is a huge accomplishment considering they wrestled against 1A-4A teams. These guys represent the future of this program, and it looks very bright."

Click here to view more photos.

The following students currently serve as officers in this year’s Letterman's Club: Co-Presidents, Dani Inglesby and Ryana Smith; Secretary, Aly Cajka; Treasurer, Chris Schrank; and Publicity Chair, Allison Suhrer. SJCS Athletic Director Jan Carino serves as the club moderator. The Letterman's Club is open to all student athletes who have earned a Varsity Letter. The club is service oriented and members frequently assist at games and athletic events during the off-season as well as promote school spirit.

The Letterman's Club recently sponsored and designed the Catholic Schools Week t-shirt. Order forms can be found on the website home page and are due to the Household Deans by Thursday, January 12.

Members of the French Honor Society visited the French I, II, and III classes to celebrate La Fête des Rois (Three Kings Day). Also called L'Epiphanie (Epiphany or "revelation"), La Fête des Rois celebrates the travels of the three Magi, or Kings of the Orient, who followed a star to Bethlehem to visit Jesus a few days after the Nativity. In addition to a brief lesson about the much-loved holiday, they shared a galette des rois (three kings' cake). Made of puff pastry and filled with frangipane, each galette contains a fève (a dried bean or porcelain figure) and the one who finds it is crowned the king and can choose his queen for the day or vice versa.

The French Honor Society Co-Presidents for this year are seniors Matthew Dix and Bernadette Wersinger. SJCS French Teacher Jeanne McCoy serves as the club moderator.

WYFF News 4 Anchor Beth Brotherton was on hand to award History Teacher Meby Carr with the Golden Apple Award on Wednesday, January 4th. BI-Lo and WYFF News 4 team up each week to reward teachers who are going above and beyond. Nominated for this award by SJCS parent Barbara Key, Carr has been teaching history for 24 years and has been at St. Joseph's for 14 years. She teaches U.S. History, AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government, and Economics. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Carr serves as the Youth In Government Moderator, History Honor Society Moderator, Senior Class Advisor, and Household Dean.

Click here to see the WYFF Broadcast.

The SJCS Alumni Board hosted their annual Christmas gathering at Saffron's West End Café in downtown Greenville on December 23rd. Over one hundred alumni enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks while socializing with former classmates dating back to the class of 2001. A number of door prizes, including gift certificates to local shops and four tickets to a Greenville Road Warriors hockey game, were awarded during the event.

"This was the best alumni Christmas event yet," stated Alumni Board President Matt Foster '04. "It's a great blessing to be able to visit with old friends and classmates during such a wonderful time of year and to witness this event growing year after year. Fellow alums tell me all the time that they look forward to this gathering as a part of their annual holiday celebration."

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Sixth grade students in Jean Crosby's science classes recently completed their study of the Water Planet unit. The students had learned about the different types of water sources available on our planet and the different types of currents, tides, and pollution that can occur in the ocean. Special guest Steve Benz, former President and CEO of Marine Spill Response Corporation, was invited to speak to the classes about the oil industry. As head of the world's largest business that focuses on cleaning up oil spills, Marine Spill Response was the single largest company involved in cleaning up the BP oil spill, and Benz spoke to the students at length about how the oil industry works and what happens when an oil spill occurs.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Basketball Team competed in the Anderson Pepsi Challenge Holiday Tournament in late December. The first game matched the Lady Knights against Pendleton High School, and St. Joseph's walked away with a close 45-42 victory. Senior Elizabeth Moore led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Katherine Reynolds with 10 points and Imani King with 7 points.

"What a delight it was for me to see senior Megan Heijjer return to the court again following last season's knee injury," stated Head Coach Grace Franklin. "She will help us out in the post this season."

The Varsity Girls then faced Westside High School in the semi-final round. The Lady Knights had previously lost to Westside by three points in the November Greenville High Lady Raiders Invitational Tournament, but this match-up proved to be more difficult, and St. Joseph's lost the game 53-28. The Lady Knights finished the tournament in fourth place, losing to Hillcrest High 48-37. Junior Katherine Reynolds was named to the All-Tournament Team.

"I was proud of how the girls adjusted to the man-to-man pressure put on by Hillcrest and Westside," concluded Coach Franklin. "Facing 3A and 4A teams in this tournament helped us gain the confidence that will be needed to handle future pressure from teams in our conference. I'm looking forward to the season ahead."

Varsity Boys

Heading into the St. Pius X Christmas Tournament with four victories from their last five games, the Varsity Boys Basketball Team faced Prince Avenue Christian in the first round of tournament play in late December in Atlanta, GA.

The Knights got off to a sluggish start, as the Prince Avenue Warriors built a 23-20 lead going into the half. St. Joe's returned strong in the third quarter, pressing the Warriors full court and holding them to two points as the Knights gained a ten point lead by the end of the third quarter. The Knights continued the pressure in the fourth quarter and won the game 52-35.

"I was proud of the way the boys stepped it up in the second half," stated Head Coach Paul Assinesi. "They started off slow and could have become frustrated, but they knew what had to be done and didn’t give up."

St Joseph's then faced host school St Pius X in the semi-final round. The Knights had trouble getting comfortable on offense, shooting only 20% from the field, and lost the game 47-29. The Knights then played Charlotte Catholic for the fourth place finish and lost 67-39.

"I was proud of how hard the boys played in the last game and throughout the tournament," added Assistant Coach Chris Carino. "The skills needed to compete in this tournament against much more experienced teams will serve them well for the rest of the season."

Both the boys and girls teams will host Southside Christian at home on Tuesday, January 3rd.

Cristina Ortiz, wife of SJCS faculty member Chris Ortiz, recently visited the AP Government Class to share her experiences on becoming a U.S. citizen. Ortiz discussed the process of citizenship, her plans to become an active citizen, and her opinions on immigration reform, based on her personal experience. She also answered many questions from the class.

Middle school girls in Anne Gragtmans's and Shawna Fesler's sixth grade history classes worked together in groups recently on power point presentations. The topics included ancient civilizations from such regions as Kush, Ghana, and Zimbabwe in Africa and the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs in South America. The girls were happy to apply skills they had learned in keyboarding class.

Click here to view more photos.

Students in Joanna McLucas's seventh grade science class recently completed a unit on earth science. The students used sieves to separate samples by size and calculate the percent composition of their soil mixture. They also shook sedimentation devices to look at the way in which materials can become trapped and fossilized. The students especially enjoyed a chance to look for their own fossils; many found sharks' teeth, along with coral and fossilized shells.

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The Fine Arts Department recently presented its annual Christmas Concert, "Oh Holy Knight." The concert began with a performance by the high school Modern Dance Class under the direction of Tami Kiser.

This was followed by a performance from the newly formed Middle School Chorus, under the direction of Robert Lee, and featured Neha Dias on recorder, Kevondrea Haynes on tambourine, Greg Gardziola on drum, and a solo by Katie Malone.

The Beginner and Advanced Band Ensembles performed several Christmas classics under the direction of Stacey Zaniewski. The Beginner String Ensemble performed under the direction of Xiao-Li Saliny and the Advanced String Orchestra was directed by David Saliny.

The High School Chorus concluded the program with a variety of Christmas music, including solo performances by Allison Espada, Kristen Farrenkopf, Ian Miller, Patrick Mobley, and David Rogozenski. Additionally, the High School Chorus teamed up with the Advanced Strings Ensemble to perform two selections: Vivaldi’s "Gloria" and Handel's "Hallelujah."

The program concluded with a reception hosted by St. Joseph's Jubilate Guild. Patrons donated canned goods to help re-stock St. Anthony's Parish Pantry.

Click here to view more photos.

The following seniors currently serve as officers in this year's Science National Honor Society: President, Jay Rex; Vice President, Collin McMillen; Secretary/Treasurer, Chris Schrank. Faculty Moderator is Jennette Pelicano.

The organization has completed the following during the first semester, with plans for more activities during the second semester:

• Several club members are participating in the GHS Medical Explorers program.
• Students were able to watch a knee anatomy lab run by Village Orthopedics.
• The club hosted Mr. Al Squire, GHS MedEX Program Director, who spoke about the process for beginning a medical school at GHS.
• Two members attended the SC Junior Academy of Science Fall Workshop and took home the First Place Trophy for the quiz bowl competition.
• Members helped to facilitate and judge the St. Albert The Great Middle School Science Fair.
• Club President Jay Rex gave a speech about his experience as a paid summer employee at Clemson's Genomics Institute.
• The group met for food and fun one Friday night and visited the Roper Mountain Science Center Planetarium.

St. Joseph's students helped serve others in a variety of ways during the Advent season.

• Student Council collected and delivered toys to the Salvation Army Toy Shop. They also sold Candy Grams and donated $315 to benefit Birthright.
• Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society members joined forces to sing holiday music for residents at The Gardens at Eastside. Tri-M also donated canned foods to help stock St. Anthony's Parish Pantry with the admissions proceeds from the school’s Christmas concert.
• GS Student Youth Group visited a nursing home to sing Christmas Carols.
• The Varsity and JV Football Teams assisted the Salvation Army in sorting, organizing, and setting up toy displays for families and children.
• The Gragtmans Household visited with nursing home residents, singing carols, helping with bingo, and distributing small gifts contributed by the girls.
• Members of the McLucas Household helped out at the Greer Relief Children's Christmas Party helping to keep refreshments stocked, assisting Santa with gifts, playing with the children, etc.
• The O'Connor/Stanton Household donated money for children suffering from malnutrition in the Sudan.
• The Schroeder Household adopted a family through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The students purchased gifts for a family that otherwise would not have exchanged Christmas presents.
• The Ruble Household collected and delivered gift cards, luggage, clothes, blankets, lotions, and cosmetics for Pendleton Place, which provides families safety and support in abusive situations.
• The Ogilbee Household also purchased gifts for Pendleton Place.

Click here to view photos from the Gragtmans Household's service work.
Click here to view photos from the Football Team's service work.

Sophomores Savannah Klosowski and Adam Miele recently attended the National Catholic Youth Conference held in Indianapolis, IN. This year's conference, titled "Called To Glory," was a three-day experience of prayer, community, and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and their adult chaperones. The schedule included keynote addresses and workshops addressing a wide variety of topics. There were also opportunities for liturgy, reconciliation, prayer and worship, recreation, and special activities. This year's keynote speaker was Catholic author and speaker Mark Hart, a University of Notre Dame graduate who currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Life Teen. Savannah served as a representative for her parish, St. Anthony of Padua, and Adam was a representative for his parish, St. Mary Magdalene.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Wrestling Team is coming off a good showing at the Wildcat Invitational Tournament held on December 10th at Woodmont High School. Sophomore Nadir Dbouk placed second and senior Gabe McCall placed third in a tournament consisting of 3A and 4A teams.

"The guys wrestled well and we won some tough matches," stated Head Coach Matt Vinson. "I'm proud of the way these guys have worked, both on and off the mat."

Other wrestlers on the team this year include seniors Perry Bolick and Patrick Hamod; juniors Connor Bolick and Phillip Key; sophomore Austin Van Houten; and freshmen Cameron Cummings, Ryan Litzinger, Theo Longenecker, and Shane Lotts.

"This is the best group I have ever coached, and we're eager to make a run for region champs," concluded Coach Vinson. "I'm looking forward to a great season."

The team will participate in the Christmas Clash Tournament in Greenwood on December 22, and will wrestle at home next on Friday, January 6 against Christ Church.

Middle School Team

This is the first year that the school has been able to support a full middle school team, and the boys are already showing signs that they belong with the best. The team traveled to Irmo High School on December 10th for the Sting Classic. Eleven middle school wrestlers competed, and six of the boys placed in the Top Four. Seventh graders Jeffery Fann and Luke Bikulege both came away with First Place finishes. Zander Unterzaucher finished in second place, Dan Veideman finished third, and Jacob Soapes, Josiah Tennent, and Jack Valente all finished in fourth place.

"The number of boys interested in wrestling at St. Joe's has doubled this year, which provides great competition in practice, helping to make our teams even more competitive," added Coach Vinson. "The numbers have given me the opportunity to add Coach Mark Valente to help with tournaments. He is a great asset to the team, and I look forward to him getting involved in our program."

Team members include eighth graders Nathan Petrofes, Zach Seidel, Josiah Tennent, Zander Unterzaucher, and Dan Veideman; and seventh graders Luke Bikulege, Jeffrey Fann, Trey Lagaly, Jacob Soapes, and Jack Valente.

The middle school team will participate in the Hillcrest Qualifier on Saturday, December 17th at Hillcrest High.

Click here to view photos from the 12-10-11 Middle School Tournament.

Congratulations to the Wiethop Household in the high school and the McLucas Household in the middle school, both winners in the Box Tops for Education Fall Household Contest. The winning Households were treated to a special breakfast at school on December 7th, prepared by SJCS parent and Box Tops School Coordinator Barbara Key. A special thank you to all Household participants. SJCS has raised $2,144 since the start of the school year through this project, and families are encouraged to continue saving box tops for the Spring Box Tops Contest.

And then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before: What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas served as the inspiration for this year's Knight Before Christmas Gala. The school's largest fundraiser of the year involved hundreds of hours of planning and all members of the SJCS family, including students, staff, parents, friends, and community partners. Students were able to witness the gymnasium being magically transformed into "Whoville" on Friday, December 2nd during Gala Spirit Day. Dressed in SJCS spirit wear, the students enjoyed a "candy bar" spread of tables filled with candies, cookies, and treats during lunch. That evening featured a sneak preview "Girls Knight Out" with refreshments and a showing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas reserved exclusively for SJCS moms, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, and friends.

More than 400 guests enjoyed an evening of food, dancing, and fun at the Gala on Saturday night, December 3rd. Highlights from the evening included the involvement of St. Joseph's students: Knights Chorus members Kevin Carey, Abby DeMars, Kristen Farrenkopf, Katie Gagne, Amy Hase, Maddy Longenecker, Ian Miller, Katie Mobley, Patrick Mobley, and David Rogozenski performed several music selections; senior John Dutch served as event photographer; eighth-grader Yanni Koutsioukis played the bugle as he led the procession of food to open the buffet lines; and senior Katie Helvey's Falls Park painting sold for $1,000 during the live auction.

A Knight to Believe… and perhaps, a little bit more was made possible by the tireless efforts of Gala Co-Chairs Jeanie Gilmer and Diana Van Houten, and their incredible team of volunteers. All proceeds from the evening's festivities directly benefit the school's tuition assistance fund, which enables deserving students to attend St. Joseph's regardless of their financial situation.

For more photos, click:
Candy Bar
Girls Knight Out
Gala Festivities

Congratulations to senior Mark Schott, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Mark joined Troop #521 in May 2005 where he served as Senior Patrol Leader. His Eagle Project involved implementing playground improvements at St. Anthony's Catholic School in Greenville, including repairing the playground gate and building picnic tables with umbrellas.

The Senior Class held a fundraiser recently to raise money for their senior class gift. Forty seniors volunteered their time and worked shifts making cookies, delivering milkshakes, calling out orders, and cleaning tables at Fuddruckers Restaurant on Woodruff Road. The class earned tips and a percentage of the sales from the evening's business. Thanks to all the students and families who patronized this fundraiser.

Click here to view more photos.

St. Joseph's newly formed Middle School Chorus debuted at Mass on Friday, December 2nd. The group sang two songs during Communion: How Can I Keep from Singing? and Whence is That Lovely Fragrance? with a solo performance by seventh grader Katie Malone. Choir members include Breanna Anderson, Neha Dias, Elizabeth DeMars, Greg Gardziola, Kevondrea Haynes, Danielle Maggio, Katie Malone, Caroline McCoy, Lauren Miller, Maddy Miller, Gabbie Perrotta, Vanesa Rodriguez, Maddie Starks, and Kate Weaver. The group is directed by Robert Lee and will perform, along with the High School Choir, Band, Strings Ensembles, and Dance Class, at the annual Christmas Concert Oh Holy Knight on December 8th at 7:00 P.M.

Congratulations to the following Varsity Football Team Members who were recently named First Team All-County: Sophomore Running Back Andre Stoddard and Senior Kicker Tyler Visin. Senior Defensive End Michael Kopscik and Senior Defensive Back Aaron Lesiak were named Honorable Mention All-County. Stoddard and Kopscik were also named to the All-Region Team.

The seventh grade class recently enjoyed a day retreat at Look Up Lodge. Under the theme of "Finding God," the students enjoyed sessions based on Active, Thinking, and Spiritual dimensions of life, followed by a relationship session on "Being Thirteen." The retreat was planned and led by members of the High School Campus Ministry Team. Time was also allotted for games, fun activities, Mass, and prayer.

The St. Joseph's Varsity Boys Basketball Team opened their season with the Greenville County Thanksgiving Tournament held November 21-23. The Knights lost games to Eastside (57-29) and J.L. Mann (34-30), but defeated Pickens High (46-41), all 3A and 4A public schools.

"With such a young team, I was happy with the way our team improved with every game during the tournament," stated Head Coach Paul Assinesi.

Returning for the Knights this season are seniors Tyler Lagnese and Michael Kopscik, junior Ben Quattrone, and sophomores Landry Assinesi, Ben Dunphy, and Alexander Powell. New members to the team this year include seniors Chris Schrank and Tyler Visin, juniors Jim Warren and Joey Wooten, and sophomores Ryan Bergman, Gene Langan, and Feras Namouz.

The Knights are preparing for their first home game against Shannon Forest on Monday, December 5th and then face rival Christ Church at CCES on Friday, December 9th.

"I believe that this team has a chance to be an outstanding team by the end of the season once they gain some more experience," concluded Coach Paul. "They have the drive and the will to succeed."

JV Boys

With the start of the season just around the corner, the JV Boys Basketball Team is ready to enjoy the fruits of their pre-season hard work. The team opens play at home on December 5th against Shannon Forest. They play at home again on December 7th against Christ Church.

Returning for the Knights as Team Captains are sophomores Luke Lepak, Alex Luzzatti, and Andrew Stein. New members include sophomores Jordan Chamberlin and Joe Morelli, freshmen Luke Coffey, Jimmy Fountain, and Alex Marchek, and eighth graders Joe Blaso and Carter Powell.

"We're excited for the start to the season," stated Coach Charles Franklin. "We expect to be competitive and show good sportsmanship with every game."

The team hopes to win their region and to avenge their losses to Blacksburg, the only team to beat them twice last season.

Fifty-two SJCS high school students and eleven middle school students attended the YMCA's annual Youth in Government (YIG) Conference held at the State House in Columbia November 16-19. The conference comprised 1,200 high school students and 300 middle school students from across the state. SJCS faculty members Joel Brandon, Meby Carr, John Devanny, and Megan Koon, along with intern Chris Carino, accompanied the students to Columbia. Noted accomplishments included:

• Senior Mark Scott received the Outstanding Witness Award. This award is presented to those members of the trial team that are outstanding witnesses in the trial cases.
• Juniors Megan Galloway and Elizabeth Ann Satterfield received a Best Bill Award for their bill on the qualifications for being selected for a South Carolina jury.
• Legislators Stan Bikulege, Philip Key, Austin Mattison, and AP Powell had bills passed and signed by the Youth Governor. Collin Miller, David Rogozenski, Sean Rusnak, and Chris Schrank led a successful effort to overturn vetoes on their bills, which also passed.
• Senior Joshua Schammel was selected to attend the Committee on National Affairs next summer, and junior Kaitlyn Posa was selected as an alternate.
• Eighth Grader Walker Seman received an Outstanding Statesman Award for Middle School.
• Eighth Grader Emma Gross was selected as a Middle School Presider, one of only three selected for the first time in the history of Middle School Youth in Government.
• The entire high school delegation once again received the Premiere Delegation recognition, an accomplishment that this group has won for the past ten years. The Middle School also received Premier Delegation recognition.

Click here to view more photos.

Seniors Allison Espada, Taylor Murphy, and Ian Miller recently auditioned for and were named to the 2011-2012 South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) All-State Chorus. Approximately 1,900 students throughout the state participated in the auditions. Allison and Taylor were chosen for the Mixed Chorus, while Ian was selected for the Men's Chorus. These students will be performing at Winthrop University in March.

The school recently held its annual Scholastic Book Fair on campus. Students, staff, and parents purchased books for gifts as well as for leisure. In addition to being an event to promote literacy, the Scholastic Book Fair proceeds helped the school library and media center earn $837 worth of books for the youth literature and non-fiction sections.

Click here to view more photos.

Longtime St. Joseph's Board of Trustees Member Pearlie Harris was recently honored with the opening and dedication of the Pearlie Harris Center for Breast Health at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. The center was named after Harris at the request of an anonymous donor. Harris, an active volunteer in the community, began her association with the hospital as a volunteer after retiring from education.

The SJCS Athletic Department recently sponsored their annual Alumni Basketball Game in the school's gym. Fans were on hand to witness this annual spirited rivalry between the Varsity Boys Basketball Team and the Alumni squad. This year's alumni team, under the direction of Chris Carino '04, consisted of the following players: Will Coffey '01, Chris Carino '04, Rob Valerio '04, Michael Gilliard '04, Ben Coffey '07, Justin Mohr '07, Ian Okinaga '10, Michael Swoyer '10, Roger Clinkscales '10, and Craig Scholz '11. The two teams played five 10-minute periods, and while the varsity boys ultimately outscored the alumni, the two teams were neck-and-neck down the stretch resulting in an exciting finish.

Congratulations to Varsity Girls Tennis Team Members Olivia Baumgarten, Shannon Beck, and Nila Veerabagu, who were recently named to the All Region Team. After posting a strong 9-2 season record, the Lady Knights entered the state playoffs and were finalists in the Upper State Championship.

The Science Department hosted their annual "St. Albert the Great" Middle School Science Day on Wednesday, November 16th in celebration of St. Albert the Great, Doctor of the Church and Patron of Scientists. The afternoon was open for family viewing as eighth graders presented their science fair projects and sixth and seventh grade students presented projects demonstrating scientific concepts. Eighth grade winners will now go on to compete at the Greenville County Science and Engineering Fair in March. All seventh graders are encouraged to participate in the Bi-Lo Invention Convention February 28 and 29, 2012.

• Eighth Grade Science Fair Award Winners: First Place, Sterling Turmon (Best Bat Performance: Wood or Aluminum?); Second Place, Sean Langan (How Safe Is Our Water?); Third Place, Kara Cervetti (Are Relatives' Fingerprints Similar?)
• Eighth Grade Honorable Mention: Christian Baliker (Fast Food Chains), Caroline Calder (The Effects of Hair Dye on the Strength of Hair Fiber), Emma Gross (Does Natural or Processed Sugar Affect Your Blood Sugar More?), Mary Kramer (Blue vs. Brown: Does Eye Color Affect Peripheral Vision?), Hollis Lucas (The Effects of Aerodynamics on Distance), Maddy Miller (Physical Characteristics Passed from Parent to Offspring in Dutch Rabbits), Jack Mobley (Gilder Creek Bacteria), Julia Ossi (Do Boys or Girls Have Better Short-Term Memory?), Nathan Petrofes (Are Natural Weed Killers Effective at Speedily Killing Weeds?), Margaret Utecht (Does Virtual Bowling Affect Actual Bowling?), Ethan Veideman (The Effect of Heart Rate on Vision), Hannah White (Vitamin C: Nature or Man?)
• Seventh Grade Invention Convention Winners: First Place, David Schroder (Turbo Toilet); Second Place, Alexandra Masters (The Solar Powered Towel Heater); Third Place, Kathleen Gibson (EZ Breezy Beach Buggy) and Drew Luzatti (Easy Mail); Fourth Place, Patrick Berryman (Gather then Slather) and Brannon Timms (EZ Slice)
• Seventh Grade Honorable Mention: Annamarie Bell (The Paw Pad), Allison Copsey (Buggy Buddy), Morrigan Dearman (el Bandeja de Taco), Danielle Maggio (Teenage Girls; Our World), Madalyn Palash (The Crutch Carry), Natalie Konopka (The Coffee Coat)
• Seventh Grade Teachers' Choice Awards: Elizabeth Armstrong (Side Shades), Matthew Bynum (The Toothinator), Jackie Curry (The Garden Guardian), Luke Erbrecht (Cool It!), Chandler Fann (The Big Big Bangs), Diego Franco (The Snow Stopper Sleeve), Adam Green (The Better Butter Spreader), Elias Longenecker (The Hyperactive Hound Helper), Anna Marchek (The Jeweled Light), Ford McCoy (The Write-out Pen), Sean Miller (SP Legit Grips), Jonah Rehg (The Unbreakable Fin), Catherine Starks (Flip Flop Don't Stop), Kaely Thompson (Kourt Support)

Click here to view more photos.

The recent "Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat" Food Drive netted 3,643 pounds of food, as compared to 1,477 pounds collected last year. This annual contest, sponsored by St. Joseph's International Thespian Honor Society and Student Council, benefitted St. Anthony's Catholic Church Food Bank and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Pantry. Congratulations to the Crosby/Tierney Households in the middle school and the McCoy/Milteer Households in the high school for the largest amount of food collected. Special thanks to all of the school families for their support of this project.

High school students in Frank Kucinic's Health and Wellness Class recently had the opportunity to attend a two-day lecture series presented by the Greenville County Sheriff's Department. Five deputies presented information regarding the realities of poor decision making as it relates to underage drinking, drug use, and how a presence on social networking programs like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace could be held against them if not properly used. The police officers gave witness to important issues that young adults are faced with in today's society, and the difficult real life scenarios they deal with in the community. Each officer that spoke had special training in these related areas, and several of them put the students through interactive activities, such as a sobriety test. SJCS faculty member Joel Brandon, a former practicing attorney, spoke about the legal ramifications for minors and their parents regarding underage alcohol and drug use. Brandon shared several case studies and fielded questions to paint a picture of the importance of being informed.

"My hope is that this program helped our students stay well-informed on these issues in order to make good choices and good decisions," concluded Kucinic.

Seniors Peter Schatteman and Taylor Murphy placed first in the Challenge Bowl (Novice Division) at the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science Fall Workshop held on Saturday, November 12 at Converse College in Spartanburg. The duo took the initiative to attend, register, and compete against three-student teams from around the state. In addition to competing, the students listened to presentations on artificial intelligence and robotics as well as forensic interrogation techniques from university professors.

As the South Carolina High School League 1A State Runner-Up last season, the St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Basketball team is rebuilding this season to fill the void left by the graduation of five key players.

Returning players include seniors Elizabeth Moore, Monica Fric, and Megan Heijjer, junior Katherine Reynolds, sophomore Elizabeth Bannio, and freshman Imani King. Moving up from Junior Varsity are sophomores Madeline Fric and Sierra Hyer. Joining the team after taking a year off are senior Cara Mohr, and juniors Kristen Farrenkopf and Clarissa Sutter.

"The time and the hard work that these girls have put in during the off season will make the transition a little easier," stated Coach Grace Franklin. "I plan on taking advantage of the speed that these young players possess to play a much more up-tempo game."

The returning players are dedicated to playing hard and helping the newcomers adjust to the Lady Knights way of playing basketball. Captains Elizabeth Moore and Monica Fric have high expectations for the team in hopes of getting back to the state play offs in Columbia.

"I believe that the hard work and potential of this team will definitely show once we hit the court," stated Moore. "We will not be a surprise to teams this year, as we’ve made a name for ourselves. Everybody knows about the St. Joseph's Lady Knights."

The girls will open pre-season play at Greenville High in the Greenville High School Lady Raiders Invitational Tournament November 21-23.

"This year's theme is 'Unfinished Business.' We left something in Columbia last season that we need to get," concluded Coach Franklin.

JV Girls

The upcoming season for the JV Girls Team is marked by the addition of ten new players. Returning for the Lady Knights are sophomore Olivia Baumgarten, and freshmen Frankie Malafronte and Deanna Zimeri. New members to the team this year include sophomores Melissa Mohr, Emily Wood, Flannery Wood, Margaret Stanton, eighth graders Tia Caron, Sarah Kocher, Sara Catherine Masaschi, Michelle Malsch, and seventh graders Megan Palash and Leah Saunders.

"This is a special group of girls," stated JV Coach Chinessia Lee. "They love the game of basketball, and they love to learn new things about the game. I am looking forward to the upcoming season."

Forty-one juniors participated in the school’s third annual Kairos Retreat held off campus November 5-7. Kairos, a word meaning "God's time," is a three-day student-led experience totally devoted to God. Held at Catholic high schools around the country, Kairos requires students to step away from their busy schedules, giving up TV, cell phones, i-pods, clocks, and schoolbooks; anything that would distract them from the purpose of the retreat. Under the guidance of SJCS faculty member Julie Schroeder and the leadership of retreat rector and senior Carly Campbell, seniors Andrew Anderson, Matthew Dix, Maddy Longenecker, Justin Peck, and Ryana Smith served as the retreat leaders. These seniors attended the school's second Kairos retreat held last November, and worked for almost a year on the planning of this year's retreat.

Congratulations to the following cross-country runners who were recently recognized by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) as All-State: Keyes Gilmer, Carol Lewis, Sara Catherine Masaschi, Ford McCoy, Bailey Mullins, and Bernadette Williams. The following runners were named to the Top Ten All Region Team: Carol Lewis, Sara Catherine Masaschi, Bailey Mullins, Ford McCoy, and Carter Powell.

Coach Marie Kernell was named SCHSL Region Coach of the Year and South Carolina Track and Cross-Country Association Female Coach of the Year.

Congratulations to junior Alexa Lagaly, who was named Volleyball All State, Region Player of the Year, and 1A Player of the Year by the South Carolina High School League. The following volleyball players were also recently recognized: All State Honorees Jamila Johnson and Katherine Reynolds; All Region Honorees Kelsey McCormick and Nicholle Stein. Coach Jan Carino was named Region Coach of the Year.

The St. Joseph's Middle School Math Team placed fourth out of thirty teams who competed at the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Middle School State Math Meet held October 18th in Orangeburg. Eighth graders John Kelly and Hannah White achieved high honors for leading their respective teams with high scores. The Middle School Math Team, consisting of eighth graders Kara Cervetti, Neha Dias, John Kelly, Yanni Koutsioukis, Jack Mobley, Ethan Veideman, and Hannah White, along with seventh graders Jackie Curry and Matthew Nassif and sixth graders Catalina Linstrom and Jonathan Nipert represented the school at this event. Middle School Math Teacher Anne Gragtmans accompanied the students to Orangeburg.

Seniors Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Justin Peck, Kyle Pietrzak, Joshua Schammel, Peter Schatteman, and junior Allison Suhrer were able to land tickets to the Republican National Debate held at Wofford College on Saturday evening, November 12th. Sponsored by CBS News and National Journal, the event featured all of the current Republican candidates answering questions on their potential role as the next Commander-in-Chief. As members of the school’s History Honor Society or students in Meby Carr's A.P. U.S. Government class, the evening provided an outstanding opportunity for these students to witness history in the making.

Congratulations to senior Allison Espada, who won First Place competing against four other finalists in the Greenville In Harmony "Sing for Scholarship" vocal competition on November 5th. Greenville in Harmony Chorus, a group dedicated to promoting music education in the community, sponsors the Sing for Scholarship program as a way to foster a love of music in high school students, and as a way to expose the students to barbershop harmony. Greenville in Harmony is a chapter of the Sweet Adelines International.

Seventh grade girls in Joanna McLucas's American History classes were recently visited by guest speaker Suzanne DiCarlo from the Living History Farm at Roper Mountain Science Center. She spoke to the girls about life during the late 1700s. The students learned how to pick seeds from cotton balls and how to place fibers on a carder. DiCarlo also explained the typical garments of the time period and the role of women on the Upstate farms.

The school's National Art Honor Society has embarked on a project to add school spirit to the high school hallways. The project, led by senior Jay Rex, includes a thick blue stripe as well as a white and black stripe extending from one end of the hallway to the other. Interspersed throughout are the various school logos.

The National Art Honor Society Officers for 2011-2012 are: President, Matthew Dix; Vice-President, Madeleine McMillan, Secretary, Kayla Twomey; Treasurer, Perry Bolick. Club moderator is SJCS Art Teacher Deborah Henderson.

Fifty-two high school students were selected to fill Youth In Government (YIG) leadership positions for this year's delegation. Students competed for these positions through an application, recommendation, and interview process. YIG, a mock state legislature and trial program sponsored by the YMCA, will be held from November 16-19 in Columbia, SC. This year marks St. Joseph's tenth year of participation.

• Senior Class: Legislators: Perry Bolick, Noah Coish, David Rogozenski, Sara Ruble, Chris Schrank; Attorneys: Carly Campbell, David Estes, Grace Hanna, Michael Newton, Jessica Peck, Peter Schatteman, Mark Schott; Speaker Pro Tempore: Cory Satterfield; Upper Chamber Party Leader: Josh Schammel; Governor's Staff: Claire Capelle
• Junior Class: Legislators: Shannon Beck, Aly Cajka, Kevin Carey, Megan Galloway Ali Griffin, Philip Key, Elizabeth Ann Satterfield, Nicholle Stein, Audrey Ward; Premier Presider: Kaitlyn Posa; Committee Co-Chair: Elizabeth Coffey
• Sophomore Class: Legislators: Anissa Armaly, Olivia Baumgarten, Stan Bikeluge, Kathryn Corasaniti, Stephen Krupka, Emily Lang, Michelle Lee, Austin Mattison, Collin Miller, Gigi Nally, Campbell Plumblee, A.P. Powell, Sean Rusnak, Kira Sawyers, Katherine Schroeder, Elizabeth Shafer, Austin VanHouten, Melissa Zankman; Attorney: Ben Dunphy; Committee Co-Chair: Noah Schammel
• Freshmen Class: Legislators: Christopher Baumgarten, Cameron Cummings, Catherine Eberly, Keyes Gilmer, Charlotte Ruble, Sam Wickert

Congratulations to the High School Academic Team, who captured First Place in the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Regional Quiz Bowl Tournament hosted by St. Joseph's on November 8th. Led by senior Team Captain Mark Schott, team members included seniors Taylor Murphy, Peter Schatteman, and freshmen Martin Cordi, Sam Reidt, Andrew Schatteman, Caleb Smith, and William Tierney. These students successfully answered questions on art, current events, geography, grammar, history, literature, math, music, religion, and science. St. Joseph's received a bid to compete in the SCISA State Quiz Bowl Championship on November 22nd in Orangeburg.

St. Joseph's was recently presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award by the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA). Headmaster Keith Kiser accepted this award on behalf of the school from SCISA Executive Director Larry Watt at the annual Fall Headmaster's Conference held November 3rd in Orangeburg. SJCS voluntarily hosted several regional student activities during the past year, including the Middle School and High School Quiz Bowl Competitions. Additionally, SJCS staff members Joel Brandon, George Carr, Sean Chapman, and Anne Gragtmans have been instrumental in promoting student activities for the state. SCISA hosts twenty-four state level competitions and shows for students each year from kindergarten through grade twelve.

SJCS sixth grader Nathan Meglic and alumnus Chris Gragtmans pose for a picture at the annual Green River Race held on Saturday, November 5th in Saluda, NC. Kayakers from all over the world were on hand to compete in this internationally recognized event. The race itself involves skill and endurance in a whitewater kayak as competitors navigate a series of grueling class five and class six rapids. Gragtmans, a professional paddler who has competed in this event for eight years, finished in the Top Five out of 150 competitors each of these years.

For the second year in a row, the St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Cross Country Team won the 1A South Carolina High School League State Championship, competing on November 5th in Columbia against teams from across the state.

"I am so proud of these girls for capturing the title again this year," stated Head Coach Marie Kernell.  "What sets them apart is their love of the sport and their fierce determination to be winners."

The Lady Knights scored 31 points, followed by Landrum in second place with 64 points. In a field of 113 runners, SJCS had five out of the fifteen girls named All-State:  eighth grader Sara Catherine Masaschi placed second, sophomore Carol Lewis third, eighth grader Bailey Mullins fourth, freshman Keyes Gilmer eleventh, and sophomore Bernadette Williams placed thirteenth.  Also running were seniors Madeleine McMillan (17) and Dani Inglesby (18). All seven girls recorded their personal best times for the year at the state meet.

"Capturing the state title for a second straight year is such an incredible feeling," added Coach Kernell.  "But it's also bittersweet, as it marks the end of another great season and the time to say tearful goodbyes to our seniors."

The SJCS Boys Cross-Country Team finished fourth out of twenty teams who competed in the state championship run.   Seventh grader Ford McCoy completed the course with a personal best time of 17:43 (11th place) earning him a spot on the All-State Team. The remainder of St. Joseph's Top Five scoring finishers all posted career personal best times as well: junior Sean Connelly (18:40), sophomores Luke Lepak (18:24) and Andrew Stein (18:35), and eighth grader Carter Powell (17:50). Also running for St. Joseph's were seniors Andrew Anderson and William Lewis.   

"Having finished in fifth place last year, the boys team moved up a spot this year to place fourth," stated Head Coach George Carr. "It's a young team, and they're clearly knocking on the door of the top two spots for next year."

Click here to view more photos from the State Meet. 

Click here to view The Greenville News State Meet Photo Gallery. 

From the moment that this team officially began their season, Head Volleyball Coach Jan Carino knew that this group of girls would make a run for the state championship.

"These twelve players compose the most talented team that I have ever coached," stated Carino.  "Their volleyball skills are exceptional.  It's a coach's dream to work with such a fine group of athletes…not only for their volleyball skills, but also for the commitment, dedication, and fun that they brought to the team."

The Lady Knights began their bid for the state title with a 16-0 region championship, earning them a number one seed and the right to host the first round of the state playoffs.  The Lady Knights breezed past Ware Shoals in this first match-up 25-5, 25-5, and 25-9.  In the second round, St. Joe's once again dominated at home, defeating Chesterfield 25-11, 25-14, and 25-10.  In the third round, the Lady Knights traveled to Ninety Six.

"It's a bit more nerve wracking when you have to leave your home court and enter the environment of another team's home court," added Coach Carino.  "I expected to be challenged in this match, as they too were ranked a number one seed in their region."

The Lady Knights defeated Ninety Six 25-12, 25- 20, and 25-12 and secured a berth in the Upper State Championship Game.  The Lady Knights hosted Fox Creek (North Augusta) on November 2nd and sailed to easy victories in the first two games 25-9 and 25-13. The third game proved to be a bit more exciting, but in the end, St. Joe's emerged with a 25-22 win.

"Last year, our run for the state championship ended at this point in the Upper State Championship Game, as the team succumbed to the pressure with a loss to Southside Christian," said Carino.  "There was no way that this group of girls was going to allow that to happen this year. It's amazing what a difference a year makes in the maturity of the players. These girls were so driven to go all the way this year, and no one was going to stop them."

For the first time in the school's history, the Varsity Volleyball Team advanced to the state championship game, and the Lady Knights traveled to Columbia on November 5th to battle Branchville High School, the Lower State Champion, for the SCHSL 1A State Title.  St. Joseph's continued their dominating play and crushed Branchville in three games 25-9, 25-12, and 25-16. 

"I am so happy for these girls," stated Carino. "They worked incredibly hard all season and never complained, from pre-season boot camp to work-outs led by local trainers throughout the season. I kept reminding them to stay focused on their ultimate goal and that’s what got them through."

In addition to breezing through the state playoffs and the championship game, this group of athletes had not lost a single set since the Hillcrest Tournament on September 10th.

"The team won 56 straight games," concluded Coach Carino.  "What an accomplishment!"

Upper State Championship Game Photos

Volleyball Playoff Photos - The Greenville News

Volleyball State Finals photographed by Carolina Sports

The Mystery and Manners Chapter of the National English Honor Society recently celebrated the two-hundredth anniversary of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's first novel, with a traditional English tea. Students also took part in English country dancing and a Jane Austen trivia contest.

The following students serve as officers in this year's National English Honor Society: President, Sara Campanelli; Vice-President, Abby DeMars; Secretary, Cory Satterfield; Treasurer, Alex Schaeffer; Cultural Affairs Liaison, Jessica Peck; Service Project Coordinator, Mitchell Jones. English Department faculty member Megan Koon serves as the Club Moderator.

SJCS History Department Faculty Member Meby Carr presented two workshops at the South Carolina Independent School Association’s (SCISA) Fall Teacher Conference held in Columbia on Friday, November 4th. One workshop was titled "How to Start a History Honors Society" and the second workshop covered "Internationalizing the Teaching of Social Studies Using Germany as a Model Through the Transatlantic Outreach Program." This marks the second time that Carr has presented at the SCISA Fall Conference.

The St Joseph's Junior Varsity Football Team capped its season to finish 7-1 with a three-game winning streak over Christ Church, Southside Christian, and Spartanburg Christian. Posting the best record yet in its young history, the team opened the season with four straight wins before suffering a lone loss at Landrum and then rebounding with three straight victories. The team recorded several firsts, including finishing at the top of the region standings.

"This has been a truly outstanding season marked by a resolute commitment to not only win against more established programs, but also to persevere even when key players have been out for multiple games," stated Head Coach Bill Hudson. "The bench simply stepped it up so that there was never a let-down."

The final game of the season at Spartanburg Christian seemed to echo these sentiments. Down 30-26 and with the clock winding down, quarterback Jake Reinstein connected with Jacob Keating on what appeared to be a 55 yard scoring play and the go ahead touchdown. However, an official spotted the ball out at the Warrior’s 19 yard line, erasing the points off the board and leaving the Knights with more work to do. Two plays later, Reinstein connected with Jordan Smith in the corner of the end zone for the winning touchdown and a 32-30 score. Following the kickoff, an interception of a Spartanburg Christian pass by Jacob Keating sealed a hard fought win and provided further emphasis to this team’s never quit attitude.

"I have never been around a more resilient team than this one," stated Assistant Coach Tom Lagaly. Assistant Coach Mark Reinstein added, "I have been involved with many teams, including championship teams, but none as special as this one."

With the season now over, the JV Knights are already looking forward to next year. The team sends off a group of talented freshmen to the Varsity squad, but will be in great shape with a solid core of returning athletes.

"The impact of all of the players that are moving up cannot be overlooked," concluded Coach Hudson. "These young men possess a confidence and fierce competitive spirit that will certainly be missed. However, they leave behind a winning legacy that is ready to be carried on by an awesome core of returning players - many of whom have already been a huge part of our success."

Click here to view more JV football photos.

Middle school girls in Barbara Ogilbee's Household recently celebrated All Saints Day with a special luncheon. There was an Italian theme and the girls enjoyed varieties of pasta, salad, bread, and tiramisu. Afterwards, they played All Saints Bingo in an effort to recall the many saints who serve as great role models of faith. The girls wrote the names of various saints on their bingo card squares. Mrs. Ogilbee read out names of saints from a pile of cards; the girls would then cover a square if the name read matched one of their squares. Straight bingo winners won candy treats and two "cover-all" winners won gift cards. The Household discovered a fun new way to celebrate the lives of the saints.

High school students in Meby Carr's Economics Class recently hosted guest speaker and SJCS Class of 2002 graduate Tiffany Godbout Sanders to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of opening one’s own business. The students had been studying different types of business formations and had interviewed different business owners outside of class. As the owner of Just Teasin' Hair Salon in Mauldin, Sanders discussed the differences between being part of a large corporation versus owning and running one's own business.

Congratulations to the following SJCS swimmers who were recently named All-State: Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Natalie Konopka, Aya Nance, John Kelly, Brooks McCoy, Justin Mehl, and Josh Schammel.

In other swimming news, junior swimmers Kate Kelly and Justin Mehl were recently named by USA Swimming as Scholastic All Americans. These students were selected for meeting required time standards in national swim competitions, as well as attaining a 3.5 or higher Grade Point Average (GPA).

Middle school students in Joanna McLucas's seventh grade science classes recently enjoyed a special presentation by guest speaker and SJCS parent Teresa Richardson. In her work as an engineer in quality control, Richardson uses a process called supply chain brainstorming to help identify problems and work on solutions. She worked with the students on problem solving techniques, and how to apply these techniques to problems they face in their lives. She also discussed how the students could apply this knowledge to help make their inventions for the school's upcoming Science Day.

The St. Joseph's Parents Guild sponsored a Lunch and Learn program on October 26th in conjunction with the school's Red Ribbon drug awareness activities. The program, presented by the Greenville Family Partnership, enlightened over thirty-five SJCS parents regarding prescription drugs - their use, abuse, and the proper way to dispose of them. The Parents Guild holds several informational meetings for parents throughout the year in an effort educate them on issues and dangers facing teenagers today.

Congratulations to the Middle School Chess Team, who captured First Place in the annual South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) State Chess Championship held October 27th in Orangeburg, SC. Eighth grader Neha Dias and seventh graders Shane Dunlavey and Ben Ragan were all declared "Champions" with perfect scores of five wins each. In a computer-determined ranking, Dias took the First Place Trophy, Dunlavey took the Second Place Trophy, and Ragan was awarded the Third Place Trophy. The team score for the Knights was 19 out of 20 possible points. SJCS team players included Savanna Bannio, Morrigan Dearman, Neha Dias, Shane Dunlavey, Charlotte Gayle, Charlie Henderson, Elias Longenecker, Robert Matlock, Noah Perez-Vergara, Ben Ragan (not pictured), and Sydney Richardson. Close to one-hundred students participated in the tournament in the middle school division. The team was accompanied by SJCS Math Department Chair George Carr and Chess Club Coach Doug Ragan. SJCS Middle School Math Teacher Anne Gragtmans serves as the Club Moderator.

In other chess news, the Middle School Chess Team also claimed First Place in the second annual Greenville Scholastic Open (K-8th Grade Division) on October 29th at St. Mary's School in Greenville. Over eighty players from two states competed in the four division tournament. Individual trophies went to St. Joseph's seventh graders Ben Ragan (Second Place) and Elias Longenecker (Third Place). St. Joseph's students who competed included Shane Dunlavey, Ben Ragan, Elias Longenecker, Neha Dias, Charlotte Gayle, Morrigan Dearman, Savannah Muron, Jacob Soapes, Patrick Berryman, Matt Bynum, and Joseph Schmidt. WYFF News Channel 4 provided coverage of this event on their 11:00 P.M. newscast that evening.

The St. Joseph's Knights successfully concluded regular season play in year two as a varsity football team by closing the gap between their young program and some of the Upstate's most established and successful football programs. St. Joseph's finished their regular season with a win over Whitmire (40-0) and earned a first ever trip to the playoffs, something that Head Coach Joe Hyland believes is well deserved.

"Our players compete hard, week in and week out, and when you do that good things happen."

After a three game winning streak - during which they topped North Central and twice beat Calhoun Falls - the Knights lost close games to Blacksburg, Landrum, and Christ Church. In each of those three region games, the boys in blue could not hold on to leads late in the game. Nevertheless, with twenty young men on a soon to be growing roster, the coaching staff remains upbeat about the way the players competed.

Offensively, the team was led by quarterback Tucker Genal, who has thrown for 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns, wide receiver Aaron Lesiak, who has nearly 500 yards in receptions, 5 touchdowns, and a number of big plays, and sophomore running back Andre Stoddard, who has nearly 1800 yards and 24 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, St Joseph's was led by a group of young linebackers: Austin Mattison (65 tackles, 1 interception return for a touchdown), Stan Bikulege (50 tackles, 2 forced fumbles), and defensive end Michael Kopscik (40 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries).

In addition, the Junior Varsity finished their season as region champs and the coaching staff is hopeful that the ongoing effort of all the players continues to pay dividends as it has for the varsity team this season.

"It is remarkable to see that, for those that trust and continue to commit themselves to the causes and goals we have within our program, there is a payoff, both on the field and in the lives of these young men," stated Coach Hyland. "I couldn't be more proud of this first group of seniors who have paved the way, gotten us to the playoffs, and given us a chance to win while laying the foundation for future players to build upon."

The Knights will play in the first round of the state playoffs on Friday night, November 4th, at 7:30 P.M. at Christ Church.

Click here to view photos from Senior Send-Off and the last home game.

High School students in Frank Kucinic's Health and Exercise Science Class recently studied the importance of staying physically active and the importance of practicing safety when participating in these activities. Jon McMeekin and Chad Valitchka, Sales Representatives for Smith & Nephew Orthopedics, visited the class to discuss the different conditions that might occur due to lack of activity and the natural wear and tear on bones, muscles, and joints. Having worked closely with surgeons in the operating room, the sales reps guided the class through a lab where students were able to perform a knee replacement procedure.

The SJCS Fine Arts Department proudly presents their fall play An Ideal Husband Friday through Sunday, October 28th-30th on the school's campus.

When truth transforms into deceit, people's lives change in a split second. Unfold the story of this political scandal in the struggle to find "an ideal husband" in a seemingly lost society.

Show times are Friday, October 28th at 7:00 P.M., Saturday, October 29th at 7:00 P.M., and Sunday, October 30th at 3:00 P.M. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens. A Sunday Matinee Family Special is being offered for $45.00.

Enjoy the show!

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to senior Amy Hase, who was recently chosen as the Greenville Hospital System (GHS) Volunteer of the Month for October. Amy volunteered over fifty hours this summer with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on the Greenville Memorial Campus. GHS Administrative Assistant Julia-Ann Ogorzalek nominated Amy for this award because of the dedication and commitment Amy exhibited to her volunteer duties.

"Not all of the assignments were exciting, but Amy completed each one correctly and with a cheerful heart," added Ogorzalek. "Amy showed up faithfully and was greatly appreciated by the departmental personnel."

Freshmen in Sharon Ruble's Biology classes recently brightened the study of one of their most challenging subjects, cell respiration and photosynthesis, by drawing the light reaction with sidewalk chalk. The sidewalk from the high school entrance to the gym was colored with displays of electron transport, the creation of energy ATP and NADPH, and the breakdown of water into oxygen and hydrogen protons. It may one of the first times that learning the cycles of photosynthesis could be referred to as fun!

Click here to view more photos.

High school students in Christine Wiethop's Algebra II classes spent time recently reviewing linear functions. The students worked in pairs to answer questions drawn from a box, using individual white boards to show work. After finishing each problem, the students took their answers to be checked by Mrs. Wiethop, selected a new question from the box, and returned to their seats to try and solve the next problem. They received one point for each problem answered correctly, and were required to get eight points to earn 100% for their day's class work. The students earned bonus points after finishing the first eight problems.

Click here to view more photos.

The Varsity Girls Tennis Team, with an 8-2 record to date, has met with much success this year. With one match left in the regular season, Coach David Foster expects that the team will once again make it far into this year’s playoffs.

"The depth of play on our team is by far what has contributed to our continued success," stated Coach Foster. "These girls have worked hard to be at their level of play and it's showing."

One of this season's highlights was playing 3A rival Greenville High. In the past, Greenville has won handily by simply playing better than St. Joseph's. This year, however, the Lady Knights won both doubles matches and one singles match.

"If we would have won the two singles matches that both went to third set tie-breakers, we would have successfully defeated them 5-2," added Coach Foster. "As it stood, the match was a close loss for St. Joe's at 4-3. Nevertheless, it built confidence among the girls to see how far they have come and where they are now."

Other notable victories for the Lady Knights this season have included Southside Christian (5-2) and Eastside High (5-2 and 4-3). The varsity girls will finish their regular season with an away make-up match against Southside Christian on Tuesday. Play-offs begin on Thursday, with the team ranked #2 in their region.

JV Tennis

With one remaining match left in the season, the JV Girls Tennis Team will soon wrap up their regular season. The team currently holds a 4-7 record, with four of their losses coming down to one court that decided the match. Team Captain Margaret Milteer, along with the remaining seven players Sarah Gibson, Maggie Milam, Margaret Eberly, Jessica Forry, Campbell Plumblee, Bridget Swartz, and Caroline Fowler, played well all season and exhibited much improvement.

"You wouldn’t think that you could see that much of a difference in two months, but it's unbelievable what they have accomplished and how far they have come," stated Coach Steingold. "I hope to see each of these girls on the courts at St. Joseph's next fall."

Congratulations to all the students who made the First Quarter Honor Roll.

Click here.

Congratulations to the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team for their undefeated season in region play (16-0) and their subsequent crowning as the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) Region Two-1A Champions. Not only was the team undefeated, but they did not lose a single game in any of their region matches. St. Joseph's will host Ware Shoals in the first round of the state playoffs on Monday, October 24 at 6:00 P.M.

• The JV Girls Volleyball Team was also undefeated in region play with a record of 12-0 and they were crowned Region Two-1A JV Champions.
• The Middle School Girls Volleyball Team finished second in conference play and finished third in the conference tournament. Eighth grader Samantha Silver and seventh grader Megan Palash were both named All Conference.

Congratulations to the Varsity Girls Cross-Country Team, crowned Region Two-1A Champions at the SCHSL Region Meet held on October 18th. The Lady Knights also claimed two of the seven All-Region positions: sophomore Carol Lewis placed second and eighth grader Sara Catherine Masaschi placed third.

Congratulations to the following students selected to serve on Campus Ministry as Core Team Members for the 2011-2012 school year: Andrew Anderson, Carly Campbell, Caroline Cooney, Matthew Dix, Timothy Litzinger, Maddy Longenecker, Will McLellan, Madeline McMillan, Justin Peck, and Bernadette Wersinger. Father Dwight Longenecker serves as the club advisor and Julie Schroeder serves as the club moderator.

The Fourth Annual Knights Challenge 5K and Family Fun Run, sponsored by the Alumni Board, took place on campus on Saturday morning, October 8th in conjunction with Homecoming weekend. Runners from ages 5 to 64 competed for commemorative medals on the challenging St. Joseph's cross-country course. With more than twice as many participants as last year, this year's event drew 130 runners and walkers from the Upstate and beyond, including students, alumni, faculty, parents, and friends in the community.

• The winning time was run by Travis Tarbet of Greer, nephew of SJCS faculty member Barbara Ogilbee.
• For the first time, a Household competition was held and Household points were awarded to each Household based on participation. The Crosby Household was the winning Middle School Household and the George Carr Household was the winning High School Household. Eleven Household Deans also earned points for their Household through their participation: George Carr, Meby Carr, Jean Crosby, Luz Fernandez, David Foster, Anne Gragtmans, Megan Koon, Barbara Ogilbee, Sharon Ruble, Jay Tierney, and Christine Wiethop.
• Graduate Matt Williams '02 served as the Event Chairman again this year. Event sponsors included Corley Plumbing Air & Electric, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Look2Find LLC, and Toyota of Greenville.

Click here to view race results.

Click here to view more photos.

The Fine Arts Department recently presented their Fall Art Exhibit. Artwork completed by students and staff during the summer was on display in the school library as part of Spirit Week. Students displaying their work included senior Michael Newton; sophomores Madeline Fric, Sierra Hyer, Grace Mosley, and Melissa Zankman; freshmen Luke Coffey, Michael Connelly, and Thomas Fawcett; eighth graders Alie Fink, Kristen Kauffman, and Samantha Silver; and seventh grader Matthew Bynum. Faculty members Meby Carr, Deborah Henderson, Teresa McGrath, and Joanna McLucas also submitted entries, including a quilt, artwork, and photography.

Click here to view more photos.

Sixth grade students recently attended their annual one-day retreat at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Simpsonville. Planned by School Chaplain Father Longenecker, Dean of Student Life Jimmy Touzeau, Campus Ministry Moderator Julie Schroeder, and members of the school's Campus Ministry Team, the retreat was centered on the theme of "All God's Children." High school Campus Ministry students led the children in creative group activities. The sixth graders made suits of armor, baskets, and angel wings that developed out of their study of the lives of twelve different saints. The sixth graders also enjoyed ice breaker games, prayer activities led by sixth grade teachers, and the celebration of Mass. The retreat provided an enjoyable and inspiring day to help sixth graders bond as a group, feel more welcome at St Joseph’s, and to learn to hear and respond to God's call in their lives.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to sophomore Kira Sawyers, who recently earned a spot in the first violin section of the 2011 Senior Western Region Orchestra. Kira competed against students from Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee counties for her position in the orchestra. The Region Orchestra event will be held November 11-12 at Anderson University.

Congratulations to the 2011 Homecoming Court: Freshmen Jessica Forry and Theo Longenecker; Sophomores Carol Lewis and Stan Bikulege; Juniors Nikki Williams and Timothy Litzinger; Seniors Dani Inglesby, Sarah Ruble, Ryana Smith, Ashton Ardoin, David Estes, and Colin McMillen. Colin McMillen and Dani Inglesby were crowned King and Queen.

Click here to view more photos.

Students and staff celebrated Spirit Week October 3-7 in the days leading up to Homecoming. Click onto the links below to view photo galleries from the weeklong festivities.

Character Day
Battle of the Holiday
Nerd Day
Retro Day
SJCS Pride Day

Freshman Katrina Konopka won two individual state freestyle titles, and juniors Kate Kelly and Justin Mehl each won the 100 Butterfly title in 3A competition at the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) State Swim Meet held at the University of South Carolina Natatorium in Columbia on Saturday, October 8th. Overall, both the girls and boys teams each placed sixth among the twenty-five teams that competed.

Finishing in the top three slots for the girls were Kate Kelly (first in 100 Butterfly), Katrina Konopka (first in 50 Freestyle and first in 100 Freestyle), and Aya Nance (third in 100 Butterfly). The girls 200 Medley Relay Team, consisting of Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Natalie Konopka, and Aya Nance, placed second in the state.

Finishing in the top three spots for the boys were Justin Mehl (first in 100 Butterfly) and Josh Schammel (third in 100 Backstroke). The boys 200 Medley Relay Team placed third in the state with swimmers Brooks McCoy, John Kelly, Justin Mehl, and Josh Schammel.

"For our 1A team to place well overall in a 3A state meet is something to be very proud of," stated Head Coach Jill Holliday. "Many of our swimmers dropped times and moved up in position. I was quite pleased at how well all of the St. Joe's swimmers did representing the school."

Click here to view more photos from past swim meets.

Having captured the school's first South Carolina High School League 1A Region and State Titles last year, the St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Cross-Country Team has worked towards one goal this season...to win both of these events again this year.

"The girls have some big shoes to fill, and they are determined to give it their best shot," stated Head Coach Marie Kernell. "They are totally focused on the only two races that really count… the region and state meets. They have the talent, drive, and heart to capture both of these titles for a second straight year."

Sophomore Carol Lewis and eighth grader Sara Catherine Masaschi have led the school's varsity squad this season by placing first and second respectively in every meet. Running cross-country for the first time this year, sophomore Berna Williams and eighth grader Bailey Mullins have stayed in the top seven at every race. Co-Captains Dani Inglesby, Madeleine McMillan and sophomore Jennifer Coggins round out the top seven runners.

"All of these girls are racing hard and setting personal best times with each race," added Coach Kernell. "They are well positioned to lead the varsity squad into the final races of the season."

Boys Cross-Country

Following their victory last week over Greer Middle College Charter, the Varsity Boys Team is feeling confident as they look towards the Region Meet on October 18th.

"The boys ran on a challenging course last week, and they did what they came out to do - win in a big way." stated Coach George Carr.

Earlier multi-school races placed the boys team finishing fifth at Spartanburg Christian and fourth at Landrum, but a solid third among the region teams, and well within range to take home a trophy at the state meet.

"I have three runners who have each placed first for the team in one of the last three meets: Andrew Stein at Spartanburg Christian, Carter Powell at Landrum, and Ford McCoy at Blue Ridge Christian, concluded Coach Carr. "It's exciting to still see leaders emerging on the team this close to our regional and state meets."

Both of the varsity teams will run their last regular season meet on Tuesday, October 11 at Christ Church beginning at 5:30 P.M. The girls and boys junior varsity teams will run their last meet of the season on Tuesday, October 11 at SJCS beginning at 4:45 P.M.

During the month of October, St. Joseph's, along with the Diocese of Charleston, turns its focus to pro-life issues. Respect Life Month began at the school on Saturday, October 1st as students from across the state attended Teen Life Fest. Bishop Robert Guglielmone was on hand to address over 130 teens on the importance of life and the Church's teachings on life issues. National singer/songwriter Bob Rice provided music throughout the day and offered a powerful testimony for the pro-life cause. Several SJCS students spoke, including seniors Claire Capelle and Amy Hase and junior Theresa Pometto. Capelle gave a progress report on her vision to open an Upstate home for unwed mothers.

In addition, approximately 100 students, parents, staff, and supporters stood as witnesses for the unborn in the annual nationwide Life Chain along Woodruff Road in Greenville on Sunday, October 2nd. Also during this month, students and faculty will join in the national Rosaries for Life Campaign, which aims to pray tens of thousands of rosaries for the defense of the unborn. SJCS Chaplain Father Longenecker encourages faculty to weave pro-life issues into lessons where appropriate. Finally, high school students will have the chance during October to sign up for the school's bi-annual trip to Washington, D.C. for the nationwide March for Life in January.

View more photos from the Life Chain.

St. Joseph's ninth grader Jake Armstrong built a LEGO® model for the new church being designed for his parish, St. Paul the Apostle in Spartanburg. Jake was inspired to build the model based on his lifelong desire to be an architect, along with his father's work as a member of St. Paul's Building Committee. Using LEGO® designer software, Jake began early this year designing the church based on initial church drawings. After 3-4 renditions, he then asked his pastor, Father Gahan, for a sketch of the church, which was provided from a fund-raising brochure this past spring. Jake designed his model based on this sketch. Once St. Paul's building campaign to fund the new church is completed, Jake would like to get parish children involved in raising money for the church by offering an opportunity to guess how many LEGO® bricks it took to build his model.

In addition to designing the church, Jake has built many different buildings, boats, and other creations, "freestyle", with LEGO® bricks. He won Spartanburg County Library's LEGO® contest several years ago.

As a culminating lab for their unit of study on plants and plant reproduction, the sixth grade boys in Jean Crosby's science classes recently dissected flowers to reinforce the material learned in these units. As they worked, they identified the parts of the lily, including the reproductive organs, as well as comparing and measuring the flower's various parts. The class also examined some pollen grains under the compound microscope. This was the students first experience dissecting at St. Joseph's in their new lab and using dissection tools, along with stereo and compound microscopes. The teacher reported that several boys were in awe at the complexity of the flowers, and one even remarked, "I didn't realize flowers were so cool."

Click here to view more photos.

South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Executive Director Larry Watt was on hand for a special school-wide assembly on September 30 honoring the large number of St. Joseph's National Merit Semi-Finalists and Commended Students. Watt traveled to Greenville from Orangeburg, SC to present the school with the SCISA "School of Honor" plaque for this outstanding achievement.

Seniors Abigail DeMars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Cory Satterfield, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott were recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, ranking them in the top one percent of the nation’s high school seniors. Dani Inglesby and Joshua Schammel were recognized as Commended Students, ranking them in the top five percent of the nation's high school seniors.

In celebration, Headmaster Keith Kiser honored the senior class with a cake and treated the faculty and student body to a day off on October 31st.

Click here to see WYFF News 4 coverage.

Twenty-eight high school students earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Exams.

• Cole Buchanan, Theresa Krupka, Miguel Larrain, Ellie Larson, Katie Lynam, Kelsey Mazur, Jeremy Mehl, Tristan Sexton, and JP Wilmeth qualified for the "AP Scholar with Distinction Award" by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
• Mary Grace Carey, Emily Cinquemani, Mary Kate McClintock, Caitlin Rowe, Stephanie Saunders, Tamar Sparrow, and Arianna Wise all qualified for the "AP Scholar with Honor Award" by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• Klyn Carr, Kaitlyn Dunphy, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Katherine LaDue, Taylor Murphy, Kyle Pietrzak, Liz Reynolds, Caitlin Rusnak, Danielle Sampson, Peter Schattemen, and Mary Stanton all qualified for the "AP Scholar Award" by completing three or more AP Exams, with scores of 3 or higher.

The College Board's Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both based on the successful performance on theses exams.

Over halfway through the season, the SJCS Varsity Girls Volleyball Team continues to barrel through their region competition. The Lady Knights are currently 10-0 in conference play with a big win last week over defending 1A State Champions Southside Christian.

"Last year, Southside Christian denied us the opportunity to make it to the state championship game," stated Coach Jan Carino. "This year, our girls defeated the Sabres in three games with scores of 25-17, 25-11, 25-11."

The Lady Knights have been ranked Number One in the SCHSL 1A competition every week since the season began, and so far, they have lived up to those expectations.

"This is a very solid, very skilled group of girls," added Coach Carino. "They have worked hard all summer and continue to work hard. The team intends to keep that number one ranking through the season and into the state championship game."

The Lady Knights will host Christ Church on Tuesday, October 4th at 6:00 P.M. Knights’ fans are encouraged to come out and support the team.

Click here to view more photos.

Nearly 400 grandparents, grandchildren, and friends of the school enjoyed St. Joseph's sixth annual Grandparents and Friends Day Celebration held on Wednesday, September 28th. Sponsored by the school's St. Anne's Society, the Parents Guild, and the Advancement Office, the festivities included brunch, a choral performance, student-led campus tours, and Mass.

The highlight of the program was the presentation of the Grandparent of the Year Essay Contest winners. Director of Advancement Gina Turcotte first read aloud the ten runner-up essays. St. Anne’s Society Board Member Dennis Cannon then presented the winning essays. The 2011 Essay Contest Winners were sixth grader Charlie Henderson, writing about his grandmother, Sandy Terry, and sixth grader Lizzie Reinstein and ninth grader Jake Reinstein, both writing about their grandfather, Pat Sullivan.

Students then toured their grandparents around the school, pointing out their locker and favorite spots. Following the tours, Headmaster Keith Kiser gave a short state-of-the-school update in the chapel to all grandparents. He encouraged them to not only continue their important role in the lives of their grandchildren, but to consider how they might participate in the life of the school. The morning concluded with the celebration of Mass.

Membership in the St. Anne's Society is open to grandparents and friends of the school, and its primary role has been to inspire learning by supporting the continued growth of the Mary Lou Foody Memorial Library and Media Center.

Grandparents Prayer
Dear St. Anne, you were truly twice blessed to have our blessed Mother as your daughter and Jesus our Savior as your grandson. I know that every period of our lives has its responsibilities as well as its joys. Today, it seems that grandparents have either too little use or too much. Help me to know just where my duties lie in my particular situation and to carry them out as best I can. Take care of my family, my children, and their children. Inspire them all to follow your Grandson and lead truly Christian lives. Keep all of us in your loving care. Never let us turn away from Jesus, and help us, in the end, to receive the joy of entering into your Grandson's glorious presence forever. Good St. Anne, pray for us grandparents. Amen.

Click here to view more photos.

High school students in Jennette Pelicano's Chemistry Class recently spent time reviewing for an upcoming test by using the CPS "clicker" system. Each student is given a response pad and they enter their answers to questions displayed on the board. The activity provides the students and instructor with immediate feedback about which concepts need to be studied.

Congratulations to the forty-two SJCS seventh graders, representing 48% of their class, who qualified for participation in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP): Patrick Berryman, Luke Bikulege, Sophie Coburn, Jack Culumovic, Sam Cumby, Jackie Curry, Garrett Davidson, Sean Davis, Billy DeGroote, Shane Dunlavey, Luke Erbrecht, Cole Fesler, Josh Fisher, Diego Franco, Kathleen Gibson, Travis Griffin, Sydney Hyer, Andrew Judkins, Becky Lapinski, Spalding Latham, Kamryn Leonard, Andrew Luzzatti, Danielle Maggio, Katie Malone, Alexandra Masters, Ford McCoy, Mathew Nassif, Adam Okinaga, Megan Palash, Emily Pares, Noah Perez, Ben Ragan, Jonah Rehg, Claudia Reing, Jared Rex, Leah Saunders, Joey Schmidt, David Schroder, Henry Smith, Jacob Soapes, Catherine Starks, and Alexis Vu. These seventh graders became eligible by their achievement on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) or other standardized tests that they took in sixth grade, having scored in the top five percentile in one of the qualifying verbal, math, science, or social studies sections. They are now invited to take the SAT or ACT in December, January, or February for academic recognition.

The SJCS Fine Arts Department and Jubilate Guild hosted the first Coffeehouse of the 2011-12 school year on September 23rd. This open mic-styled event was hosted by seniors John Dutch and David Rogozenski. High school students performed a variety of skits and songs to entertain the crowd. Highlights included vocal solos and duets, student bands, and a ukulele performance.

Click here to view more photos
(Photos by sophomore Mica DeAngelis)

In addition to the ten National Merit Semi-Finalists recently recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, two other St. Joseph's students out of a class of seventy-one seniors were recognized as Commended Students. Dani Inglesby and Joshua Schammel are ranked among the nation's top five percent of high school seniors. The National Merit Scholarship Program, a privately financed academic competition for recognition and scholarships, bases its awards on high school student results on the PSAT.

The St. Joseph's Middle School Volleyball Team won the championship title in an eight-team tournament they hosted on Saturday, September 24th. The Lady Knights were undefeated in pool play, defeating each of three teams (Shannon Forest, Langston Charter, and Our Lady of the Rosary) in two games. This placed the team in the Gold Division, where they defeated Mt. Zion in two games in the semi-final match (25-22 and 25-15) and then went on to defeat St. Mary's Aiken in the championship round (25-17, 30-28, and 15-7).

"Keeping our focus all day led to a great payoff . . . and our first trophy," concluded Middle School Volleyball Coach Amber Jones.

Seniors Grace Hanna and Josh Schammel attended the South Carolina Statehouse's National Constitution Day Celebration held in Columbia on September 16. Sponsored by the SC Chapter of American Board of Trial Lawyers, the program included the James Otis Lecture Series and a talk given by Dr. Joe Stukes of Florence, among others. Students selected for this honor attended the lecture series in the House of Representatives Chamber of the Statehouse, and received a certificate recognizing them as 'James Otis Scholars' as well as a copy of Forgotten Founders, the Life and Times of Charles Pinckney. Both students were selected based on their interest in government and history.

Eighty members of the Class of 2014 enjoyed the Sophomore Retreat held at Look-Up Lodge September 18-19. School Chaplain Father Longenecker, along with a team of sophomore teachers and Campus Ministry members, led the students in an overnight retreat on the theme of pilgrimage. Class of 2011 graduates Seth Kiser and Theresa Krupka gave a presentation about their recent pilgrimage to Spain, and Fr. Longenecker presented part of his Spiritual Hero program, illustrating the stages of the journey of faith with film clips from The Matrix and Lord of the Rings. SJCS Theology Teacher Sean Chapman spoke on friendship with God, while Campus Ministry leaders gave six presentations on the lives of the saints. Mass on Sunday evening was followed by campfire and Eucharistic adoration, along with an opportunity for confession. The students also enjoyed ice breaker games and Fr. Longenecker's "Across Camp Mega Relay." In addition, the sophomores had time for personal reflection. The retreat ended with free time and the chance to enjoy Look-Up Lodge's recreational facilities, including the giant swing, zip line, water slide, and boating on the lake.

Click here to view more photos.

The SJCS Junior Varsity Football Team has opened the season with back to back 20-0 wins and a 2-0 record. Head Coach Bill Hudson attributes the success to a number of factors, but the two that stand out are dedication and desire.

"The identity of this team was a little bit of a mystery going into fall practice," stated Coach Hudson. "We knew that we would have to coach up some new players on our system and weren't quite sure how the team would gel. Exhibiting an outstanding dedication and desire to get better, the team has spoken loudly about its identity and looks to stake its claim on the history of the program as the first team to go 3-0 in tonight’s game against Liberty."

Although the team is led by ninth graders, the JV squad has been blessed with solid performances from players in the seventh and eighth grades as well. The number of players giving quality performances reflects the work ethic of the team and the leadership of the older players.

"Our wins have definitely been team efforts," added Hudson, "but Jake Reinstein continues to shine on both offense and defense, while Jacob Milam has been vital to shutting down the opposing offenses."

After a week off, the team is anxious to get back into action. Kickoff is 5:30 P.M. tonight at Liberty.

"The guys that have been in the program for two or three years are excited about the dividends of all their hard work,” concluded Coach Hudson.

Varsity Football

The Varsity Football Team is off to a terrific start this season with a 3-1 record to date. Head Coach Joe Hyland attributes this season’s early success to the offseason.

"Without a doubt, the single biggest difference this year versus last year is that our young men are bigger and stronger…they've been together challenging themselves and encouraging one another to give what they have so our program can get better. We’ve seen this effort translate into a competitive spirit on the field."

Knights fans witnessed a close loss during their first week of play in which St. Joseph's gave up 21 first quarter points before outscoring their opponent 28-13 the rest of the way. The Knights followed up this narrow three-point defeat with three consecutive wins. The team now faces Heathwood Hall in this week’s matchup with a chance to be 4-1 heading into region competition.

"Our coaches and players understand that it is a long season and that there are going to be ups and downs," added Coach Hyland. "Our goal is to get better every week."

Seventh grade students in Susie Benkert's Religion Classes recently spent class time exploring Lectio Divina, the ancient art of praying the Scriptures. This is a slow, contemplative encounter with the Word of God, and it has been a key part of the Christian monastic traditions, particularly with Benedictine monks. It consists of four steps: Lectio (listening, reading), Meditatio (Meditation), Oratio (Prayer), and Contemplatio (Contemplation).

Freshmen in Sharon Ruble's Biology classes are studying the building blocks of life. Students recently completed a lab where they compared and identified the organic compounds that make up proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Indicators were used to distinguish the compounds and determine the macromolecules from food samples. This is the second formal lab for the freshman class this year. They will soon begin their study of cellular structure and function and the association with these organic compounds.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to eighth grader Michelle Malsch, who won the Spirit T-shirt Design Contest sponsored by the Booster Club last spring. Michelle was recognized in an all-school assembly after Mass on September 16 and presented with a $50 Visa Gift Card.

The girls on the St. Joseph's Varsity Tennis Team have shown great improvement from summer practice. Head Coach David Foster noted that as each of the girls age, their mental game improves, helping their overall play.

"Each year, it seems, I am taking this team to a new level. At this point, I feel like all I can do is fine-tune their already strong game. It's exciting to be a part of this building process."

The team continues to retain and acquire quality talent from a range of different grades throughout the school. This year's members include senior Carly Campbell, juniors Amy Asbury, Shannon Beck, and Aly Cajka, sophomore Olivia Baumgarten, freshmen Catherine Eberly and Madeline McChesney, and eighth-grader Nila Veerabagu.

"What's different this year is the depth of the team," stated Coach Foster. "At no point does this team level off into two drastically different levels of play. Consequently, there are many rivals among our players, and the ladder could look very different by the end of the season."

The Lady Knights have scrimmaged against Greer Middle Charter, and competed against Eastside and Whitmire, winning all of their matches. The team plays at home against Riverside on Wednesday, September 21.

JV Girls Tennis

The JV squad, under the leadership of new Head Coach Candace Steingold, has competed in three matches already this season. With a tough season opening loss to JL Mann, followed by a close loss to Mauldin High, the girls pulled out a win against Greenville High (6-1) last week.

Coach Steingold shares a passion for the game with her father, who is a tennis teaching pro at Legend Oaks Golf Club in Summerville, SC.

"This is my first year coaching at St. Joseph's and I am very excited to be part of this team," concluded Coach Steingold. "They are a great group of girls."

This year's team captain is Margaret Milteer. Returning to the squad are Margaret Eberly, Jessica Forry, Sarah Gibson, Maggie Milam, and Campbell Plumblee. Two new players have joined the team this year: Caroline Fowler and Bridget Swartz.

"My goal this year is for the girls to have fun while improving their tennis game during practices and matches," stated Coach Steingold. "What really matters most to me is simply for the girls to enjoy themselves out on the courts."

The JV squad plays at home on September 20 against Spartanburg Day and again at home on September 22 against Christ Church.

Congratulations to the following seniors elected to serve on the Senior Senate this school year: Andrew Anderson, Carly Campbell, Kerry Cleys, John Dutch, David Estes, Collin McMillan, Cory Satterfield, and Ryana Smith. Moderators are George Carr and Meby Carr.

The Senior Senate, an eight-member group elected by the rising senior class each spring, represents the wishes of the senior class to the administration and conveys information back to the class as a whole. The senate helps to plan fundraisers and activities for the class, as the seniors work year-round to help raise money for the annual Senior Class Gift presented to the school at Commencement. The Senior Class raised over $400 from a recent Car Wash. Other fundraisers throughout the year include monthly hot dog lunches, a TV raffle, and a tip night at a local restaurant. In addition to fundraising, seniors enjoy an annual class trip and volunteer at Special Olympics each spring, among other privileges.

Click here to view Car Wash photos.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognized ten SJCS students out of a class of seventy-one seniors. Abigail DeMars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Cory Satterfield, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott were named National Merit Semifinalists, ranking them in the top one percent of the nation’s high school students. These seniors will be notified in February 2012 of their standing as Finalists.

Congratulations to the following students elected to serve as National Honor Society Officers for the 2011-2012 school year: President, Elizabeth Moore; Vice-President, Claire Capelle; Secretary, Kaitlyn Posa; Treasurer, Alexis Krcelic; Parliamentarian, Clare Ruble. Moderators are Michele Houmis and Karah Viola.

High school students in Sean Chapman's Church History Class enjoyed a special presentation from guest lecturer Emmanuel Thery on September 9. Thery lives in Paris, and works for Michelin North America, headquartered in Greenville. He, along with several other lay Catholics and a Catholic priest, spent three weeks this past summer working in Catholic communities in the remote regions of Tibet. These established communities have been in place for several centuries, but the inhabitants have been without a Catholic priest for the last fifty years. The Tibetan villagers were delighted to welcome Thery and his companions as they brought both the Word of God and the Sacraments to this community. But, according to Thery, the inhabitants preached an equally eloquent gospel to the visitors through their lives of joy and simplicity.

Led by sixth year returning Head Coach and SJCS alumnus Jill Holliday and first year Assistant Coach Matt Terry, the St. Joseph's Swim Team is off to a strong start after claiming first place finishes for both the girls and boys teams in a Greer High School Invitational Meet and Woodmont High Invitational Meet and second place finishes in dual meets with Fort Mill High School and Eastside High School.

This year's team boasts a total of thirty-four swimmers, twenty-five of whom are returning from last year’s squad. The Girls Team consists of Claire Andrew, Lindsley Blaakman, Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Lauren Konopka, Natalie Konopka, Savannah Klosowski, Mary Kramer, Caitlan Lovett, Anabel Masaschi, Gigi Nally, Aya Nance, Cassandra Reinholtz, Cory Satterfield, Kira Sawyers, Alyssa Smith, Ryana Smith, Margaret Stanton, Alexandria Strauss, Alex VanHaasteren, and Mary Veidemen. The Boys Team consists of Glen Andrew, Patrick Hudak, John Kelly, Yanni Koutsioukis, Brooks McCoy, Justin Mehl, Matthew Morel, Taylor Murphy, Neal Satterfield, Josh Schammel, Noah Schammel, Connor Thorne, and Sam Wickert.

"Our team is made up of great swimmers and great individuals who support each other and are there at the end of the lane to cheer on each other," stated Coach Holliday. "We are continuing to strive to teach the swimmers to grow as individuals and as a team, both in and out of the water. With a year under our belt in the new league (South Carolina High School League), we are going to give it our all to be the best we can be."

Many first place finishes have come from the girls team so far this season. These include the Medley Relay Team of Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Aya Nance, and Cory Satterfield, the 200 Freestyle Relay Team of Claire Andrew, Katrina Konopka, Natalie Konopka, and Cory Satterfield, and the 400 Freestyle Relay Team of Claire Andrew, Kate Kelly, Lauren Konopka, and Aya Nance. Also placing first for the girls in individual events were Kate Kelly, Katrina Konopka, Natalie Konopka, Aya Nance, and Alyssa Smith.

The boys first place finishes have come from the 200 Medley Relay Team of John Kelly, Brooks McCoy, Justin Mehl, and Josh Schammel, the 200 Freestyle Relay Team of John Kelly, Brooks McCoy, Noah Schammel, and Connor Thorne, and the 400 Freestyle Relay Team of Justin Mehl, Josh Schammel, Noah Schammel, and Connor Thorne. Also finishing first for the boys in individual events have been John Kelly, Brooks McCoy, Justin Mehl, and Josh Schammel.

On the schedule this week, the team will compete against Wade Hampton High School on September 13 and at the Riverside High Invitational Meet on September 17.

"Our swimmers have already posted over 25 state qualifying times," added Coach Holliday. "Our competition will be watching us closely as we head into the season's Region Meet on September 27 and onto the State Meet on October 8. Look for great things to come from this year’s swimmers."

Click here to view more photos.

Students in Deborah Henderson's art classes were recently photographed working on several art projects:

• High school students learned to speak without using words for their "All About Me" project.
• Eighth grade girls chose a theme to decorate a mask or their own casted hand.
• High school students worked on a still-life drawing of vases and bottles using charcoal.
• Sixth grade girls used the letter of their first name as the foundation for their "illuminated letter" project.
• Seventh grade boys learned how to draw and shade portraits.

Click here to view more photos.

Congratulations to SJCS Head Football Coach Joe Hyland and sophomore Running Back Andre Stoddard, who have been awarded Coach of the Week and Player of the Week Honors, respectively, by the Greenville Touchdown Club. George Rogers, former University of South Carolina Running Back and Heisman Trophy Winner, was the guest speaker at a special luncheon honoring these award winners on Wednesday, September 7. Stoddard rushed 289 years and scored 4 touchdowns as SJCS defeated North Central 44-15 on September 2.

SJCS Chaplain Father Dwight Longenecker led the blessing of the newly constructed rooms on Wednesday, September 7 during the school day. The rooms included the new first floor kitchen and new meeting room, the new first floor middle school science lab (#402), all new second floor middle school classrooms (#500-505), and all new third floor Fine Arts rooms (Art, Music, Dance). Students in each classroom were able to witness the blessing of the newly constructed rooms as Father prayed these words:

We dedicate this room to the education of youth, to the progress of science and the arts. May it become a center where students and teachers, imbued with the words of truth, will search for the wisdom that guides the Christian life and strive wholeheartedly to stand by Christ as their teacher who lives and reigns forever and ever. AMEN.

Congratulations to the following students elected to serve on the Middle School Council for the 2011-2012 school year: President, Cristina Waingart; First Vice President, Caroline Lovett; Second Vice President, Danielle Maggio; Secretary Alie Fink; Treasurer, Sydney Hyer; Historian, Emma Gross. Moderators are Joanna McLucas and Barbara Ogilbee.

St. Joseph's Varsity Girls Volleyball opened their regular season with an exciting win over 4A Mauldin High School on August 29. The Lady Knights lost the first game 25-20, but were able to rebound and win the next three games with scores of 25-12, 26-24, and 25-19. The Lady Knights finished the week strong with two more 4A victories: they defeated Travelers Rest High 25-19 and 25-16, and went on to defeat Riverside High 25-19 and 25-23.

"I purposely put together a strong non-region schedule to challenge this team, and they have proven to me and to others that they can hang with the best teams in the area," stated Head Coach Jan Carino.

This year's squad includes juniors Elizabeth Coffey, Kayla Dixon, Alexa Lagaly, Katie McCormick, Kelsey McCormick, Katherine Reynolds, Nicholle Stein, and Allison Suhrer, sophomore Caitlin Moon, freshman Jamila Johnson, and seventh grader Kaely Thompson. Stein and Kelsey McCormick serve as the Team Captains.

"The girls have worked hard during the pre-season," added Coach Carino. "They attended two summer camps, played in several scrimmages, and have been put through speed and agility sessions all summer. This team has been put to the test against larger schools and they are competitive with all of them. This says a lot about these girls and their dedication to volleyball."

The Lady Knights play at home again in a tri-match on Tuesday, September 13 at 5:30.

Click here for photos from the Lady Knights' victory over Mauldin.

JV Volleyball

The SJCS JV Girls Volleyball Team has also had a strong start to the season. They competed in the Hillcrest High School Tournament on Saturday, August 27 and walked away with a First Place Trophy in the Silver Division, defeating JL Mann in the championship game. On the road to this win, they defeated Pendleton High School and Wade Hampton High.

Members of this year's team include sophomores Caroline Buchanan, Sydney Newsome, Kelly Olin, Natalia Sanchez, and Elizabeth Shafer, freshmen Abby Anderson, Hayn Arrington, Melanie Granada, Imani Grace King, and Carolyn McCullough, eighth grader Cristina Waingart, and seventh grader Maria Bartell. Newsome and Shafer lead the squad this year as Team Captains.

"We are fortunate that we have such a great foundation of players in our volleyball program," concluded Carino. "This is a very talented group of players and they should have a great season."

The JV Team will host Greer MCC and Blacksburg at home on Thursday, September 8 at 5:30.

The eighth grade class enjoyed an overnight retreat at Look-Up Lodge August 28-29. Father Longenecker was supported by an enthusiastic team of high school Campus Ministry members, who led the students in sessions on the "Four R's"of Reverence, Respect, Responsibility, and Relationships. The sessions included talks by Father Longenecker, SJCS faculty member Anne Gragtmans, SJCS graduate Ricky Schosky, and Campus Ministry students. Along with the talks were themed activities, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, as well as a campfire, swimming, boating, relay races, and time for Look-Up Lodge’s famous three-man swing. The eighth grade retreat was a great kickoff for the class of 2016's final middle school year, and was designed to help equip the students for the exciting transitions ahead.

Click here to view more photos.

The St. Joseph's student body participated in an Honor Code Assembly during the August 31st Activity Period. Academic Dean Viri Lashley and Dean of Student Life Jimmy Touzeau reviewed and discussed the Honor Code and its critical role in the life of the school, after which National Honor Society members performed skits illustrating the Honor Code in action. Following the assembly, all students returned to their Households to sign the Honor Code, signifying their understanding of and support for these important guidelines.

Click here to read more about the SJCS Honor Code

Honor Code Pledge 

The school's annual Red Door Ceremony was held prior to the start of the school year's first All-School Mass on Friday, August 26. Headmaster Keith Kiser welcomed all ninth grade students and other new 10-12 grade students into the high school with these words:

Eighteen years ago, in the autumn of 1993, St Joseph's opened its doors. On the morning of August 26, 1993, the first thirteen students entered the high school through this same red door, which served as the entrance to a little house next to a Lutheran Church on Augusta Road. Since then, by God's providence, the generosity of many friends and the hard work of countless people, St Joseph's has become a beacon for fine Catholic education in the Upstate.

Every door is a symbol of a new beginning. As you enter high school here at St. Joseph's, we invite you to enter a new world - a world of adventure, friendship, true education, and discovery. Christ calls Himself the door and the way to eternal life, and He invites us to step out of our normal expectations and follow Him.

To quote Pope John Paul II, "Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ!"

Students of the Class of 2015 and those who have joined us in other high school grades from other schools and from other parts of our country - you have passed through the red door and so become part of St Joseph’s Catholic School.

We pray that you will soon feel at home as part of our community. We welcome you!

Congratulations to the JV Girls Volleyball Team for capturing First Place in the recent Hillcrest High School Volleyball Tournament-Silver Division. The girls defeated J.L. Mann in the championship game on Saturday, August 27 with scores of 27-25 and 25-3. Twenty teams from both public and private schools around the Upstate participated in this event. Eighth grader Cristina Waingart was named All-Tournament.

Congratulations to the following students elected to serve on Student Council for the 2011-2012 school year: President, Sara Ruble; Vice President, Keitt Panuccio; Secretary, Aly Cajka; Treasurer, Chris Schrank; Historian, Dani Inglesby. Club moderators are Marie Kernell and Jimmy Touzeau.

Members of the St. Joseph's community enjoyed food, fellowship, and fun on Sunday, August 21 at the school's annual New Family Social. The SJCS Parents Guild provided a barbeque dinner, all the fixings, and homemade desserts to welcome almost 300 of the school’s newest students and /or parents. Families were able to eat at tables designated by grade level, allowing them the opportunity to meet other families in their child's class. Following dinner, Headmaster Keith Kiser briefly addressed the students and their parents by first introducing the sixth and ninth grade faculty. Leaders of each parent volunteer group (Parent's Guild, Knight's Circle, Jubilate Guild, and the Sacred Heart Guild) also addressed the crowd. In a separate location, high school students from the Fine Arts Department entertained the younger siblings. This was the first of many events designed to assist new parents and students on ways to become engaged and involved in the life of the school.

Click here to view more photos.

St. Joseph's Varsity Football Program hopes to take another step in the right direction this fall. Following the team's inaugural season last year, the players committed themselves to getting bigger and stronger in an effort to become a more physical football team. But in many ways, the team's goals remain the same.

"We desire to get better each week, to become the best football team that we can be," stated Head Coach Joe Hyland. "In the process, we would like to add to our win total from last year and attempt a run at the playoffs with the group of seniors we currently have. We expect great things out of our kids and, given the way many of our sophomores have worked, it is exciting to consider what type of team we could have both this year and beyond."

Senior Brace Plumblee continues to lead by example, having weathered injuries last season and at the start of fall camp. Junior Tucker Genal has adjusted well to his new role as the starting quarterback, while sophomores Austin Mattison and Sean Rusnak have made great strides with their strong work ethic. Sophomore Andre Stoddard, a very strong player for the Knights last year, is even better this season, and sophomore Ben Dunphy is showing improvement on both sides of the ball. Sophomore Stanley Bikulege and freshman Shane Lotts have added intensity and ability to the team’s defense.

"I am very excited about the upcoming season, and I'm most inspired by the increasing numbers of players at the JV level," concluded Hyland.

The team's first home game is Friday, August 26. Kick-off is 7:30 P.M.

The Junior Varsity Football Team is hoping to build on the successes of the 2010 season. Entering the prior year with relatively few experienced JV players, the team won three games and rose to the challenge of entering a new league, while also laying a solid foundation for the future. This year, the team looks to continue building quality young men and players and to increase its winning percentage by taking advantage of that foundation while enjoying a nearly 75% increase in numbers.

"With the number of good players, we can now better prepare for games,' stated Head JV Coach Bill Hudson. "The challenge is no longer having a coach to fill in here or there, but to make sure that everyone is engaged…a change and a challenge welcomed by all the coaching staff."

Coach Hudson, along with assistant coaches Brandon Blaso, Jim Blaso, Mark Reinstein, and Ron Thompson, could not be more pleased with the 38 young men that stepped up for the 2011 season. The Knights are led by a solid core of veterans: freshmen Cameron Cummings, Grant Espada, Jacob Milam, Mike Moloney, Jake Reinstein, Charles Vandross, Evan Willoughby, and Antonio Zimeri and returning eighth graders Joe Blaso, Matt Moloney, and Dan Veideman. The roster is bolstered by a host of new members: freshmen Billy Bartell, Michael Byrnes, Robert Gleason, Jacob Keating, Ryan Litzinger, and Jordan Smith, eighth graders John Krall, Hollis Lucas, Wyatt Nally, and Zach Seidel, and seventh graders Luke Bikulege, Matt Bynum, Sam Cumby, Garrett Davidson, Sean Davis, Nicholas Dew, Cole Fesler, Josh Fisher, Carson Genal, Travis Griffin, Jonathan Kessinger, Grayson Kinsler, Trey Lagaly, Jared Rex, Joey Schmidt, Jacob Soapes, and Brannon Timms.

"The effort that these guys have put in has been tremendous since day one," concluded Coach Hudson. "There has been a great deal of leadership from the older guys to direct the enthusiasm of the younger boys and to provide encouragement. We will be pretty solid as everyone has shown a commitment to being better both individually and as a team."

The JV squad opens play on Thursday, September 1 at home against Spartanburg Christian. Kick-off is 6:30 PM.

Eighth grader Tia Caron recently participated in Locks of Love, cutting off 12 inches of her hair to donate to this charitable cause. Locks of Love, located in West Palm Beach, FL, accepts donations of braids or ponytails at least 10 inches in length and makes wigs for children and adults who have lost their hair or who cannot grow hair. The wigs are offered free of charge to those who cannot afford to pay. This effort marked the third time that Tia has donated to Locks of Love since 2006, and this donation marked her longest ponytail to date.

"I do this again and again because I want people to feel good about themselves and fit in with their friends, especially when they go out in public," stated Tia. "I am lucky because I'm healthy and my hair grows fast and thick. This is something I can do for other people."

SJCS welcomes the following new faculty and staff members for the 2011-2012 school year: Jean Crosby, Shawna Fesler, Robert Lee, Chuck Milteer, Christopher Ortiz, Ron Thompson, and Tyler Vanhook.

Congratulations to senior Andrew Anderson, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. A seven-year member of Simpsonville United Methodist's Troop #158, Andrew completed his Eagle Board of Review on May 11. His Eagle Project involved building a pergola and an outdoor classroom area at Plain Elementary School in Simpsonville.

Andrew was also recently awarded the Boy Scout Medal of Merit by the National Boy Scout Office Review Board. This award was given for performing an act of service of an exceptional character that reflected an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others while executing Scouting skills and ideals. Andrew was recognized on the field at the Greenville Drive game and featured in the local Fox newscast on August 8, 2011.

Following last year's South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) 1A Region and State Championships, the SJCS Varsity Girls Cross-Country Team will open their season on August 31 with a meet at Christ Church Episcopal School.

"I am very excited about the upcoming season," stated five-year Head Coach Marie Kernell. "I have high aspirations for my girls this year and believe we can meet all of our goals."

The Varsity Girls Team consists of senior captains Dani Inglesby and Madeleine McMillan, junior Alli Griffin, sophomores Jennifer Coggins, Caroline Kelly, Carol Lewis, and Bernadette Williams, freshman Keyes Gilmer, eighth graders Caroline Calder, Sara Catherine Masaschi, and Bailey Mullins, and seventh grader Sophie Coburn.

The Junior Varsity Girls Team consists of 15 members: Madison Bolick, Peyton Chittum, Allison Copsey, Mary Esposito, Laetitia Grapotte, Sarah LeBlanc, Carissa Leonard, Mairin McLeer, Becca Messer, Amanda Nesta, Natalie Rogers, Margaret Smith, Audrey Ward, Hannah White, and Emma Wetenhall. They will also compete in the varsity meet on August 31.

"The girls are motivated, hard working, and have the drive to compete to win," concluded Coach Kernell. "We are known for our 'pack style' running, which is very intimidating on the course and very difficult to beat."

Having finished in the Top Five their first season in the SCHSL State Meet last year, the Varsity Boys Cross Country Team is feeling confident they can do even better this year with the influx of new, young talent.

The Knights are led by senior team captains Andrew Anderson and William Lewis. The varsity squad is rounded out by senior Collin McMillen, junior Michael Kiser, sophomores Luke Lepak and Andrew Stein, eighth graders Carter Powell and Alexander Unterzaucher, and seventh grader Ford McCoy.

"The team's got an excellent balance of grizzled veterans and talented newcomers," stated ten-year Head Coach George Carr. "I'm excited to see what they can do over the next two months on the road to state."

The Junior Varsity Boys Team consists of juniors Sean Connelly, Philip Key, Ben McCormick, Grant McMillan, and Ross Miller, sophomores Stephen Krupka, Dan Miller, Kevin Norton, Steve Rosenzweig, and Aidan Sokol, freshmen Philip Coburn, Michael Connelly, Martin Cordi, Thomas Fawcett, Joseph Kiser, Theo Longenecker, and William Tierney, eighth grader Charlie Lesperance, and seventh graders Elias Longenecker, Noah Perez, Ben Ragan, and Oliver Reing.

Both teams will run in their first meet of the season at Christ Church on Wednesday, August 31.

Students returned to campus this week for the start of the 2011-2012 school year. Sixth grade and ninth grade students, along with new students in other grades, participated in Orientation on Wednesday, August 17. Members of the Middle School and High School Student Council, along with the Senior Class, were on hand to assist with Orientation. Classes began for all students on Thursday, August 18.

Click here to view photos from Orientation Day.

Click here to view photos from the First Day of School.

The Class of 2012 Senior Retreat was held at Look-Up Lodge on Tuesday, August 16. Following breakfast, the class had sessions with Father Longenecker on the different personality types, and how their own personality type influences important choices in their future. The group celebrated Mass and enjoyed lunch, followed by time for swimming, boating, the zip-line, and the three-man swing.

Click here for more photos.

Fifty-seven members of the Class of 2015 traveled to St. Augustine, FL August 8-10 for their Freshmen Class Trip, accompanied by Headmaster Keith Kiser, Dean of Student Life Jimmy Touzeau, faculty members Jill Kriegel, Jeanne McCoy, Chuck Milteer, and Jay Tierney, and parent chaperones Cathryn Anderson and Karen Arrington.

Day one began with a tour of Castilla de San Marcos and a visit to Ripley's "Believe It or Not" Museum. Following a pizza dinner, the day ended with a screening of the new Harry Potter movie at the local IMAX theater. Tuesday's tour began at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, where the first Mass was celebrated in the United States. The students held a morning prayer service at the 208-foot stainless-steel cross located at the site. The day's activities also included a visit to (and drinks from) the Fountain of Youth, as well as time at the beach and shopping on St. George's Street. Later, the group enjoyed dinner at the Sea Fair Restaurant, celebrating freshman Thomas Fawcett's birthday with cake and ice cream. The evening concluded with a hoedown at the St. Augustine Amphitheater, where the students enjoyed singing and square dancing. The group's final day began at nearby Flagler College, followed by a tour of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and a Spanish Military Hospital. The morning ended with a visit to the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum, and the group lunched at the Spanish Kitchen before departing for home.

To help ensure their successful transition from eighth grade to high school, St. Joseph's introduced a new experience for ninth graders last year titled Freshman Connection. This year-long program is designed to introduce and acclimate ninth graders to the academic, social, and spiritual aspects of high school life at St. Joseph's. The annual Freshman Class Trip is one of many activities planned for this program during the 2011-2012 school year.

Click here to view more Freshman Class Trip photos.

Congratulations to juniors Shannon Beck, Will McLellan, and Kaitlyn Posa who were recently selected to be part of a group of Upstate high school students participating in Youth Leadership Greenville 2011-2012. The Greenville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Greenville County School District, launched Youth Leadership Greenville with the mission of engaging Greenville County youth in a series of classroom and practical learning experiences designed to develop, cultivate, and nurture their leadership potential and to get them engaged in Greenville's future. These students will be presented with many opportunities during this nine month leadership program to discover all that Greenville has to offer, examine more closely the careers they may be considering, and to find ways they can make a difference during their senior year in high school.

The SJCS College Guidance Office reported that SJCS students scored an 86% pass rate on Advanced Placement (AP) exams completed this past spring, the highest score in the school's history. Of the 185 AP exams taken, SJCS students scored a "3" or better on 158 of the tests. A score of "4" was earned on 46 of the exams, while a score of "5" was earned on 81 exams. The state and national AP pass rates were reported at 60%. Greenville County has not yet released their most recent AP pass rates.

SJCS students took the AP exams in May 2011 after completing college-level courses at St. Joseph's. All St. Joseph's students enrolled in an AP class are required to take the AP exam and must score between "3" and "5" on a five-point scale to earn college credit. Most of the nation's colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on successful performance on these exams.

SJCS sponsored several athletic camps on campus this summer. Over 200 students, ages 8-18, attended a wide variety of camps in June, July, and August, including football, tennis, wrestling, cross-country, baseball, cheerleading, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. SJCS faculty, staff, coaches, alumni, high school students, and friends of the school helped to provide instruction for this group of youngsters. Sports camps are an annual tradition in the summer months on the St. Joseph's campus.

Click here to view more camp photos.

More than 120 students, parents, faculty, and alumni participated in the St. Joseph's annual "Come Back to Give Back" Service Day held Saturday, August 6 on campus. This event, sponsored by the SJCS Alumni Board, helped prepare the campus for the coming school year. Participants spent the morning painting first floor high school classrooms and hallways, staining the outdoor picnic tables, landscaping and mulching the grounds, power washing the sidewalks, and moving furnishings into the new middle school tower, to name just a few of the many tasks completed. The morning also served as a wonderful opportunity for school families, both new and old, to meet and reconnect. Following the work, a barbecue lunch, provided by the Alumni Board and the Advancement Office, was enjoyed by all.

Click here for more photos.

Congratulations to rising senior Mark Schott who recently received three perfect scores on SAT Subject Tests in Chemistry, Math Level II, and U.S. History.

Congratulations to Class of 2011 graduate Erik Holsen, who will be a football walk-on at Wofford College this fall. Erik played two seasons for the Knights, earning All-Region and All-County honors. The 2010-2011 school year represented the first year for the St. Joseph's Varsity Football program. The team finished their season with the school's first shut-out game and sent their first senior football class off victoriously.

Congratulations to four SJCS swimmers who turned in outstanding performances at the YMCA Long Course National Swim Meet held at the Georgia Institute of Technology Aquatics Center in Atlanta, GA July 25-30. The four St. Joseph's swimmers, representing the Middle Tyger YMCA located in Duncan, SC, competed against YMCA swim teams from across the United States.

• Class of 2011 graduate Jared Kauffman placed first in the 200 freestyle relay, second in the 400 freestyle relay, third in the 50 breaststroke, fourth in the 100 breaststroke, fifth in the 200 medley relay, and sixth in the 200 individual medley. Jared, along with SJCS team member Justin Mehl, was a member of two record-setting relay teams: first place in the 800 freestyle relay with a new record time of 7:45.59, and first place in the 400 medley relay with a new record of 3:54.41. Jared was named the YMCA National Champion in the 200 breaststroke and will continue his swim career at Ohio State this fall.
• Rising junior Kate Kelly placed first in the 200 medley relay and seventh in the 100 butterfly. Kate’s 100 butterfly time and her 200 butterfly time from a previous meet qualified her to swim in the Speedo Junior National Championship in Palo Alto, CA August 8-12.
• Rising freshman Katrina Konopka won the 50, 100, and 200 individual freestyle races, making her the YMCA National Champion in each of these events. Her time of 26.31 in the 50 freestyle qualified her for the Olympic Trials next year in Omaha, NE. She also participated in five relays, earning a gold medal in four and a silver medal in one. Two of the relays also set new National YMCA records.
• Rising junior Justin Mehl took fifth in the 200 freestyle, sixth in the 200 butterfly, and seventh in the 400 freestyle. Justin also served as the anchor swimmer on five relays, earning a gold medal in four and a silver in one. Two of the relays broke National YMCA records. All four of Justin's individual times also qualified him to compete in the Speedo Junior National Championship in Palo Alto, CA August 8-12.

Congratulations to Class of 2011 graduate Steven Schwark, who recently earned his Eagle Scout Award. A seven-year member of Simpsonville United Methodist's Troop #159, Steven completed his Eagle Board of Review on July 27. His Eagle Project involved building a dog shelter, landscaping, and painting the offices at the Concerned Citizens for Animals Shelter in Greenville.

The St. Joseph's Alumni Board held a reception for local alumni on Thursday, July 28th. Several alumni came out for the Greenville Drive game to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. The Alumni Board hosts quarterly receptions throughout the year as a way for alumni to keep in touch.

The school's Board of Trustees recently announced the addition of a new member elected to serve a three-year term beginning July 2011. Matthew P. Utecht is a shareholder with the law firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. and serves as the leader of its Healthcare Practice Group. He currently also serves on the Board of Directors of the Greenville Free Medical Clinic, and is a former President of the Greenville Humane Society Board of Directors. Matt earned his B.A. in Communications from John Carroll University and his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He and his wife, Laure, have three children and are members of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish.

Congratulations to twelve rising seniors who have qualified to enter the National Merit Scholarship Program: Abigail Demars, Grace Hanna, Amy Hase, Dani Inglesby, Mitchell Jones, William Lewis, Taylor Murphy, Jessica Peck, Cory Satterfield, Joshua Schammel, Peter Schatteman, and Mark Schott. Based upon their 2010 PSAT scores, these students are among the 50,000 highest scoring participants in the country selected from a group of over 1.5 million entrants. From these 50,000 high scorers, approximately 16,000 students will be named in September as National Merit Semifinalists.

Congratulations to SJCS rising junior Bradley Kauffman, who placed second in The Blade Junior Golf Classic held July 19-20 at Thornblade Club. Kauffman turned in a personal-best 4-under par 68 round on his home course to secure the runner-up title.

Congratulations to the following SJCS students who broke swimming records at the end-of-season SAIL (Swim Association Invitational League) Championships and Classics held recently at Westside Aquatic Center:

• Class of 2011 member Jared Kauffman broke his own record in the 15-18 boys 50-meter breaststroke.
• Rising eighth grader John Kelly, along with his teammates, set a record in the 13-14 boys medley relay.
• Rising ninth grader Neal Satterfield, along with his teammates, set a record in the 13-14 boys freestyle relay.

Class of 2011 graduates Ted Bell, Taylor Boyle, Pete Bynarowicz, Klyn Carr, Katie Lynam, and Caitlin Rusnak recently returned from a week-long tour of Italy. They visited key sites in Assisi, Rome, Venice, and Verona. SJCS faculty member Meby Carr, who accompanied the students on this trip, will also be leading a group of students to Italy over Spring Break 2012.

Congratulations to rising juniors Pietro Bottari, Austen Burnikel, and Nic Poupore, who recently helped their Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) U-16 Boys Soccer Team win the Southern Regional Soccer Championship in Murfreesboro, TN. The team has now advanced to the U.S. National Championship July 26-31 in Phoenix, AZ.

Construction is in full swing on campus this summer as the school works towards the completion of the first phase of the Red Door Campaign.

Click here to view the scope of summer work.

Click here for more photos.

Congratulations to rising junior Ben Caron, who was recently awarded a Third Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do (TKD). Ben, who has been involved in TKD for nearly ten years, also qualified for the Junior Olympics held in San Jose, CA.

Congratulations to rising senior Abby Clark, who recently captured eighth place in the Impromptu Speaking category at the Future Business Leaders of America National Conference held in Orlando, FL. Abby competed with more than sixty students, all of whom were first and second place winners in their respective states.

Congratulations to SJCS students Elizabeth Bannio, Michelle Malsch, and Caty Brown, along with their 14U Sandlappers travel softball team, for winning the ISA (Independent Softball Association) State Softball Tournament recently in Lexington, SC. The team is coached by St. Joseph's JV Softball Coach Mr. Schanon Smith. The team qualified for the Fast Pitch World Series to be held in Winter Haven, FL at the end of July.

St. Joseph's will offer several more summer camps open to any student in the community: Study Skills Camp (July 11-15), Boys/Girls Basketball Camp and Boys/Girls Soccer Camp (July 18-22), Writing Skills Camp (July 18-22), High School Summer Writing Course (July 25-August 5), and Girls Volleyball Camp (August 1-5). More information and registration forms can be found on the home page of this website.