Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • March 15, 2024 17 The board of directors of St. Stanislaus has appoint- ed Gary Blackburn president of the school and Nancy Artigues principal for the 2024-2025 school year. Blackburn succeeds Brother Barry who will complete an eight-year term as president. Blackburn and Artigues assume their new roles on July 1. “Brother Barry’s 13 years of service at St. Stanislaus has been a blessing for our school,” said Robert Vol- lenweider, chairman of the board of directors. “He has been driven to enhance our students’ experience and to continue the mission of St. Stanislaus in providing a place of sanctuary. The formation of lay administra- tion in the charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart is critical for the continued success of SSC. The board of directors firmly believes Gary and Nancy are well prepared to lead SSC as President and Principal, respec- tively.” Blackburn has served as principal since 2017, and Artigues has been assistant principal since 2018. Black- burn has served in a variety of teaching and adminis- trative roles at several Catholic schools, including nine years at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, assistant principal at McGill-Toolen in Mobile, AL, for eight years, and five years as principal of St. Ignatius Catholic School, also in Mobile. Artigues worked as a teacher, consultant, and ad- ministrator in Catholic and public schools including (L-R): Gary Blackburn, Nancy Artigues, Brother Barry Landry nine years at Holy Trinity and four years at St. Clare. She also served as an instructional coach and private/ public school consultant for the Mississippi Department of Education. Blackburn earned a Bachelor of Science in math ed- ucation from the University of New Orleans and a Mas- ter of Science in secondary education from the Univer- sity of Alabama. Artigues received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in education from Tulane University and a Master of Arts from the University of New Orleans in special education with certification in K-12 administration. Brother Barry served as academic assistant princi- pal before being appointed president. During his eight years as president, he led the school through the CO- VID pandemic and helped bring significant improve- ments to school programs and facilities, including the replacement of outdated main campus lighting with en- ergy-efficient LED lights, as well as major renovations to the chemistry lab, including state-of-the-art technol- ogy, equipment, and furniture and the creation of the school’s STEM lab and classroom. In addition, all other classrooms were modernized with improved technology infrastructure and equipment, new flooring, furniture, and white boards. Outside the school building, Brother Barry directed the work to remove the old chapel and gym, which had become safety hazards since Hurricane Katrina. They were replaced with greenspace creating a more welcoming and visually appealing campus. “My time at St. Stanislaus has been a blessing to me beyond measure,” Brother Barry commented. “Gary and Nancy have demonstrated their total commitment to SSC and the Brothers’ charism. I am so pleased that they will be president and principal. Our school is in great hands.” Brother Barry will remain at SSC through the sum- mer before beginning a sabbatical program in August. He will then move to Metuchen, New Jersey, to begin service next January at St. Joseph High School where his primary responsibilities will be teaching as well as faculty and student formation in the Brothers’ charism. St. Stanislaus announces leadership changes, bids farewell to Brother Barry Landry St. Patrick Catholic High School is proud to announce that Jade Agler ‘24 has been named a National Merit Finalist. Agler is one of 15,000 final- ists which consists of high school se- niors from across the country. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to con- tinue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million. Agler joins nine other St. Patrick alumni who were previously named National Merit Finalists. As a National Merit Finalist, Agler has demonstrated exceptional talent and potential, setting a high standard for their peers and fu- ture generations. On the academic side, Agler has a 36 ACT Score and a 4.0 GPA. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2024. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit ® $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-represen- tational basis. About 840 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 160 corporations and business organizations for final- ists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to fi- nance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institu- tion. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced in four nationwide news releases begin- ning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title. The entire St. Patrick community congratulates Jade on this well-deserved accomplishment and looks for- ward to seeing their continued success in the future. Agler Jade Agler named National Merit finalist S t . P atrick C atholic H igh S chool , B iloxi Congrats to Lady Irish soccer team Congratulations to the Lady Irish soccer team on their back-to-back state championship! The girls beat Tupelo Christian Academy 7-0 implementing the mercy rule! Tim McDaniel named finalist for the 2024 National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year It is with great pleasure that the National High School Athletic Coaches Association announces the advancement of Tim McDaniel from St. Patrick Catholic High School as a finalist for the 2024 National High School Athletic Coaches Association national Coach of the Year in the sport of boy’s cross country. Eight finalists from across the nation will be honored during The National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet which will take place at the National High School Ath- letic Coaches Association’s national convention at the Bismarck Hotel and Convention Center in Bismarck, ND, on the evening of June 26. The highlight of the banquet will be the naming of the NHSACA national coach of the year in nineteen recognized sports catego- ries. Coach McDaniel was nominated for this national honor by their state’s high school coaches’ association. This selection was based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and win- ning percentage. The nominees and finalists are evalu- ated by experts in the field of coaching using a sport- specific rubrics to assign points in each category. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association is the oldest coaches association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978. McDaniel