Swim team doubles in size

Swim Team Coach Carson Glasscock was very pleased with the level of participation from students at St. Bernard Prep School in Cullman.  Glasscock, who has coached the team for the past four years, encouraged all students to consider being part of the team especially if they have previously participated in competitive swimming.

“Swimming is one sport where students can compete individually or with a team, and it requires hard work and dedication.  We have an excellent program in place and want to encourage as much participation as possible,” Glasscock said.  

Team members practice three days per week from 3:45 – 5:15 pm, and must be registered with the USA Swimming and Cullman Swim Association. “We have a bus which leaves the quad at 3:30 p.m. after school to transport students across town to the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center (CWAC) for practice,” Glasscock continued.

Members of the SBPS Swim Team pay as much as $120 in fees which include the USA Swimming Association as well as use of the CWAC.

Representing the girls is Sarah Peel, who earned the Alabama State Champion title this past summer in the Age 11-12 girls breaststroke.  She is joined by Torey Badar, and returning team member, Morgan Matz.

Bennett Glasscock, who received All- State honors in the backstroke, and Sean Moriarty will be leading the boys division.  These two AHSAA State qualifiers are joined by returning team member John Paul Stolz, and newcomers Nathan Giffen, Keagan Meagher, and David Schartung.

“I am excited to see the participation, and look forward to competition.  Hopefully we will be showcasing our first relay team in the boys division,” Glasscock said.  

The St. Bernard Swim Team will travel to Madison, Alabama on October 1, 2012 to participate in the James Clemens Invitational. For more information on meet schedules, visit www.stbernardprep.com.

Glasscock participates in LeadAmerica

Bennett Glasscock, a senior at St. Bernard Prep, took a 10-day break from swim training this past summer to take part in LeadAmerica, a youth leadership program at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Boston, Massachusetts.  As part of LeadAmerica, Glasscock was the only student in attendance from Alabama.

LeadAmerica, one of the nation’s educational leaders in personalized experiential learning, offers outstanding, high-achieving high school and middle school students the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and the experience of real college life while they explore their future career path and discover what inspires them most.

Nominated by his teacher, Mr. Randy Hasenbein, Glasscock was happy to take advantage of the opportunity, which offered him a chance to see how his college dream can turn into a career.  LeadAmerica consisted of lectures and hands-on projects that included everything from building robots to websites.  While students enjoyed the classroom projects, they were also introduced to dorm life as Glasscock roomed with five other young men from the United States.

With a bit of a mischievous grin, Glasscock said it was fun getting to know new people.  “It’s funny to mix with others and see how much they remind you of friends and relatives at home,” Glasscock said.  

Glasscock’s interest in engineering comes from his late grandfather, Larry Glasscock.   

“Since my grandfather’s passing a couple of years ago, we have been going through his things, and I enjoy finding his creations and seeing what makes them work,” Glasscock said.

LeadAmerica provided the opportunity to explore an engineering career path.  The ten days consisted of lectures on different kinds of engineering, and then the groups divided into workshops to build robots, circuit boards and even websites.

“One of my groups built an obstacle course out of binders and a robot to go through the obstacle course.  Each group got a motor and it was up to them to figure how to make the gears move it,” continued Glasscock.

LeadAmerica partners and collaborates with some of the top colleges and universities throughout the United States to offer college immersion programs designed to better prepare these students academically and emotionally for the transition to college life and beyond. 

According to Glasscock, the MIT visits and lectures from the professors was a great experience.   Glasscock quickly learned Physics is the recommended basis for engineering.

Glasscock leads St. Bernard’s swim team and hopes to find a good engineering school that provides an opportunity for swimming as well.

Bennett is the son of Carson and Wendy Glasscock of Cullman.

Bockhold and Brown attend National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine

During the summer, two outstanding juniors from St. Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman  attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.    Mackenzie Bockhold and Mikayla Brown joined  high school students from around the globe this summer for a 10-day forum in which they were introduced to a variety of concepts in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice.

The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine created a virtual classroom with hospitals, clinical facilities and healthcare professionals.  By shadowing key personnel, these  students  had a great opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on a medical career.

Brown said she had an amazing experience and was pleased to interact with  people  from a wide variety of medical fields, such as dentists, pediatricians and emergency medical professionals.

“I particularly enjoyed our field trip to the Georgia Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  We  given a tour of the anatomy lab complete with cadavers.  I was even happier when I learned one doesn’t have to be a pre-med major to attend medical school,” Brown said.

Bockhold agreed with Brown by saying she enjoyed all the anatomy lab stations which had been set up with cadaver bones, brains, etc.  

“This forum opened my eyes to different things in the medical field.  We had the opportunity to speak with many different kinds of health care professionals.  It is amazing just how broad the medical field really is.    The  real human bones  and organs gave it a whole new look for me,” Bockhold said.

Brown plans to be a reconstructive surgeon, and hopes to pair that with public rhetoric and communications.

As for Bockhold, she plans to visit Georgia Tech and look into Biomedical Engineering.  “I think I will enjoy the mathematical side of medicine.  I want to help others get better, and stay healthy.”

Both girls were grateful for the invitation and  opportunity to attend this program.

Bockhold is the daughter of  Donald and Sandy Bockhold of Cullman.  Brown is the daughter of Dr. Michael and Susan Brown of Arab.

NLF is an educational organization that brings various professions to life, empowering outstanding young people with the confidence to make well-informed career choices.

New Dining Hall Management at Saint Bernard

Students at St. Bernard Prep are being welcomed back to campus with a free “appreciation” luncheon and a new motto in the Dining Hall – Eat. Learn. Live. 

Chef Edward Frederick with Flik Independent School Dining of Leland, NC has joined the St. Bernard Community with a staff to create fresh daily menus and a new style of dining at the co-educational day and residential school.

Flik provides culinary-trained chefs who prepare foods from fresh ingredients, limiting the use of processed foods and avoiding artificial colors, flavorings, M.S.G. (monosodium glutamate), preservatives, or trans fats.

Frederick emphasizes, “We only purchase meats graded choice or higher, and our fresh ground beef and hamburger is 80% lean. We roast our deli beef and turkey on-site. To support the communities of which we are a part, we make every effort to use seasonal fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers. This dedication to fresh, healthy cooking lets us meet a wide range of nutrition requirements and standards, including Vegan, Vegetarian, Orthodox Kosher and Hallal. We also provide a full range of exceptional catering services.”

A few items students and guests will never see on the new Saint Bernard menus include items such as instant mashed potatoes, prepared convenience foods, frozen vegetables (except corn and peas), or high-risk foods associated with food-borne illness such as steak tartar or egg-based custards.  Flik works closely with the school nurse to provide adequate meals for students with allergies or diabetes, or those who have special dietary needs such as vegetarians.

To help students understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, Flik offers a Balanced Choices® program which gives kids information about dietary choices through in-classroom and in-dining room components. The goal of all nutrition education programs is to educate students through engaging activities and to teach them the importance of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

Abbot Cletus Meagher, OSB, after welcoming students to the fall term, expressed his excitement in having Flik at St. Bernard.  “I am very happy to have Flik partner with the Abbey and our school and I am looking forward to a healthier lifestyle for all.” 

School menus are posted online at www.stbernardprep.com.

Saint Bernard Prep Renovates Middle School and Welcomes New Faculty

 

Saint Bernard Middle School Principal, William Calvert, was all smiles this summer as he watched the improvements being made to Founders’ Hall.  Several years ago, the upper level of the facility was renovated to house the Middle School.  However, window replacement was postponed due to budget constraints.  In June of this year, alumni and supporters of St. Bernard were contacted through the Summer Appeal, asking for their assistance in replacing the single-pane windows of the school.

Through their generous support, St. Bernard alumni and friends answered the call, and funds were raised to make the much-needed capital improvements.   Workers completed the window project by removing the remaining single-pane windows in Founders’ Hall and replacing them with environmentally-rated, double-pane windows.  School officials expect these new windows will result in a significant reduction in the utility usage for Founders’ Hall.  

In addition to the new windows, instructional areas were expanded.  “We have added more classroom space to the building, and improved traffic flow throughout the Founders’ Hall facility.  A passageway to the Northeast corner of the building has been opened allowing students to walk inside the building without weathering the elements,” Calvert said. 

The basement was renovated by adding new walls, science lab stations, a restroom, and an additional classroom.  In addition, the Middle School has access to a new mobile wireless lab, which includes 18 fully-loaded laptops and a secured cart with recharging capabilities.  Calvert said, “This lab enables students to do research, student projects, and word processing without having to cross campus to the high school.”  

John Tekulve, Saint Bernard Headmaster, welcomes two new faculty to the staff.  With the addition of new faculty member, Shelley Perry, the school has updated another classroom with a state-of-the-art smart board and document scanner.  Miriam Stella, a graduate of SBP, joins the faculty to teach math at the Middle School as well as Algebra I at the Middle and High School. 

Fr. Joel Martin, President of St. Bernard Prep, is pleased with the outpouring of support to assist students in their academic years at St. Bernard.  “As out enrollment grows, I am delighted that we have the support which enables us to enhance the educational program at St. Bernard.”

“Our supporters have been generous in helping us achieve our goals at St. Bernard,” said Fr. Joel.  “For this we are truly thankful.”

For more information about St. Bernard Prep visit www.stbernardprep.com or like them on facebook  www.facebook.com/stbernardprep.

Saint Bernard welcomes Shelley Perry as Faculty Member

Ms. Shelley Perry has joined the faculty at Saint Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman and will begin her teaching assignments this Fall Semester 2012.  Perry, a twenty-nine year veteran teacher, will teach classes in biology and chemistry.

Ms. Perry attended college at Saint Bernard College, Athens State College, and the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) where she majored in Chemistry and earned a double minored in Math and Biology.  

John Tekulve, Headmaster at St. Bernard Prep, said, “I am eager to have such an outstanding teacher join the faculty.   Ms. Perry will teach two classes of Biology as well as two classes in Chemistry.  In addition she will teach a course in AP Chemistry and serve as Senior Class Moderator,” Tekulve continued.  “We know from our own experience what Ms. Perry can do.  She has taught many students whom she has guided to enter the medical field other related professions.”  

Perry brings a great deal of enthusiasm to her new job.  “I have a brand new smartboard with a built-in document scanner that I can’t wait to start using.”  This technology allows Perry to record lessons, which can be saved to a file.  St Bernard students can then review, study or watch lectures given in class.

“I want my students to develop a love of the sciences.  I want them to enjoy being lifelong learners, and to appreciate the world around them,” Perry said.  

Perry’s commitment to students in the classroom is evident in her own life.  She has received many honors and accolades including the UAB Master’s Program Secondary Student of the Year, the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Secondary Teacher of the Year as well as the Cullman City Schools Teacher of the Year.  She is expected to complete her graduate work at UAB during the coming year.

Perry is the mother of Nick (Lindsey) Perry; and Lauren Perry.  She is the grandmother of Acelyn, Ryne, and Rhett who live in Ft. Drum, New York where their father, Nick, is a Captain in the US Army.