Gulf Pine Catholic

18 Gulf Pine Catholic • February 16, 2024 Nativity BVM Catholic Elementary School cele- brated Day Two of Catholic Schools Week, Celebrate Your Students , by inviting Nativity students to dress as their favorite saint. From St. George to St. Peter to St. Francis, all the saints were well represented! Students celebrated this day in their seminary groups where they were given an opportunity to tell a little about their chosen saint and describe what made their saint special. Lauren Ellis, Nativity School campus minister and par- ish director of religious education, expressed the importance of this special day. “By researching and learning more about their ‘Heavenly Heroes,’ our stu- dents are able to celebrate this week by growing closer to God. This is the utmost goal of our religious educa- tion and coincides perfectly with Catholic Schools Week.” We couldn't be more proud of our Nativity Saints!! Principal Traci Kessler leads a discussion with her St. Bernadette seminary. School librarian Judy Kavanaugh poses with her St. Anne seminary group. Catholic Schools Week N ativity BVM S chool , B iloxi H oly T rinity C atholic S chool , B ay S t . L ouis Holy Trinity students who best displayed the virtue of Generosity were awarded Knight of the Month for December. These outstanding students received a liter of Coke, a sports bottle, certificate, and a yard sign to proudly display their achievement. Recipients include (back row, l-r): Thomas Freeman, fourth grade; Ana Anderson, third grade; Sofia Betancourt, sixth grade; Gavin Douglas, sixth grade; Levi Necaise, fifth grade; Dominic Gambino, third grade; and Gray Garcia, fourth grade. Front row l-r: Lorelei Lacoste, first grade; Audrey Ladner, first grade; Saylor Smith, second grade; Audrey Delgado, Kindergarten; and Rowan Renz, Kindergarten. Knights of the Month Our Lady Academy (OLA) kicked off Catholic Schools Week with a bang, hosting its second annual Family Carnival on Fri., Jan. 26. The event, filled with traditional carnival games, prizes, and delicious food, brought families and the school community together for an evening of festive fun. In conjunction with Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, OLA welcomed its alumna, Missy Treutel Schmidt ‘79, as a special guest speaker. After the Sunday evening Mass, Schmidt shared insights on Eucharistic Adoration and discussed her book filled with testimonies of Eucharistic miracles. She also engaged with students on Mon. during school, sharing her testimony and leading them in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. OLA continued the celebration throughout the week. Each day, various clubs distributed small gifts of appreciation to parents during the morning carline drop off. At lunch, students were treated to funnel cakes, freshly made by faculty members. The PTO hosted a special lunch for all teachers and staff to acknowledge their dedication to Catholic schools. The week culmi- nated in a Tri-School Mass celebration with St. Stanislaus and Holy Trinity. It was a week full of cele- bration and gratitude for Catholic schools. Catholic Schools Week O ur L ady A cademy , B ay S t . L ouis Families enjoy games and food at the family carnival. Students inAdoration with alumna author and guest speaker, Missy Treutel Schmidt. Jacob Bradford committed to Louisiana Tech. He is a 6-foot-2, 265-pound defensive lineman who holds the all-time Rock-A-Chaw sacks record. He selected Louisiana Tech over Army, Colorado, Jacksonville State, and Navy. Over the course of his four-year career at St. Stanislaus, Bradford has amassed over 300 tack- les, 67 tackles for loss, and 23 sacks. He has been selected for all-state honors three times and has also been an academicHonor Roll recipient. Congratulations, Jacob! S t . S tanislaus C ollege , B ay S t . L ouis Bradford commits to Louisiana Tech L-R front row: Yara Bradford, Jacob Bradford, and Jordan Bradford; L-R back row: Stace McRaney, Seth Rugg, Tim Lala, Tate Thigpen, and Mark Logan.