Mary Mayo selected Guidance Counselor for SBP

Mary Mayo recently joined the staff of St. Bernard Preparatory School to take up the duties of guidance counselor. After twenty-five plus years of service at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Mayo retired and accepted the vacated guidance position at St. Bernard Prep replacing Barbara Rasplicka who is now Assistant Headmistress at the school.

Mayo brings her knowledge of planning and assessment to St. Bernard Prep. “I am really looking forward to meeting the students and working with them as well as their parents,” Mayo said. “My main focus will be getting to know each student and helping to guide them to the right curriculum to take them to the next challenging step in their lives.”

“In the high school years, everything from community service and leadership roles to great academic achievement is important,” Mayo said. “Everything counts starting in the 9th grade and continuing through the senior year. It is never too early to be preparing for college and the next level.”

“When students have an idea of what they might want to do, I will work in every way to assist them in finding the top schools in their chosen field,” Mayo continued. “I want to make sure they have the necessary curriculum, especially in the math and sciences, so they will be successful.”

Mayo received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts and Counseling from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She is married to David Mayo. They have three grown children – Ben (Jena), Will and Sarah; and one granddaughter, Avery Mayo.

Hinson joins St. Bernard faculty

One motto at St. Bernard is “Old Teachers never die. They become Saints.” This couldn’t be more true as Margaret Hinson, a thirty-four year veteran joins the faculty at the Prep School. Hinson declares she was definitely born to teach, and accepted a position at the prep school teaching English to the Freshmen and Junior classes.

As a child, Hinson was a California girl and describes herself as an ex- army brat. “I have lived all over the US and Europe. My first three years of high school were completed in Germany, and I graduated my senior year in Kansas."

While attending Auburn University, she married Jim Hinson and started a family. In 1978 Hinson graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in Secondary English and then earned a graduate degree in Secondary English and Special Education with a concentration on working with emotionally disturbed adolescence.

She was the first student to be named Secondary Student Teacher of the Year at the University of South Alabama, and has been nominated teacher of the year three times at two different schools. In 1998, she was awarded the Parent Teacher Student Association of Mobile- Secondary Teacher of the Year for Mobile County. In 2004 she was named Wal Mart Teacher of the Year for North Mobile County in Alabama.

Having taught in mostly inner city schools, Hinson became acquainted with St. Bernard Prep as a substitute teacher last year. “St. Bernard is certainly a lot different from inner city schools,” Hinson said. “While in Mobile, I mostly taught AP Seniors, and really enjoyed the students who had the drive. At St. Bernard the students have that drive.”

Hinson has enjoyed the atmosphere at St. Bernard, but really thinks uniforms make such a difference in the classroom. “I was in Mobile when we first went to uniforms, and saw first- hand what a difference it makes in classroom performance. What I like most at St. Bernard is the special bond the students have with one another. The older students reach out to the 9th and 10th graders, and I don’t see the problems with discipline that I have seen in the public schools.”

Fr. Joel Martin, Headmaster at St. Bernard Prep, said he looks forward to Mrs. Hinson joining the faculty, and sharing her expertise. “I have watched her in the classroom as a sub, and I have to agree, she was born to teach.”

The Hinson’s moved to Cullman in 2010 and has two grown children, and five grandsons. Andy and his wife, Sarah have two boys, Joseph and James, and are anxiously awaiting the adoption of their little Chinese girl at the end of September. Their daughter, Christine is married to Doug Gordon, a commander in the Navy, who is expected to build and become the captain the Navy’s newest nuclear sub - The USS North Dakota. They have three sons, Chris, Nick, and Ben.

Saint Bernard Lady Saints experienced great interest in the girl’s volleyball program. Recently Shannon Mescher accepted the position as volleyball coach, and decided it was time to take a new direction with her young team by hosting the team’s first ever volleyball clinic through professionals at Middle Tennessee State University.

Under the direction of Alicia Lemauu and Queen Nzenwa, the team worked on basic fundamental skills, as well as building a team chemistry. Lemauu has played collegiate volleyball at MTSU, and Queen Nzenwa was a University of Kentucky standout and has played volleyball professionally for Spain and Finland. She will continue her professional career this coming year in France.

Both ladies have worked at many of the high schools in Cullman County throughout the summer, but have been most impressed with the campus and facilities St. Bernard offers. “I would compare St. Bernard to any community college campus,” Lemauu said. “As a matter of fact, I am quite jealous. My old high school didn’t have this.”

Nzenwa , who attended boarding school in Nigeria, echoed her comments by stating how impressed she was to find the gym up to health codes. “The facilities are just awesome.”

Sixteen girls attended and worked on techniques and drills. “These girls were very coachable. Normally with young girls there is a level of frustration. They certainly made our job easier by absorbing the information and being very open minded,” Lemauu said.

Mescher knows the road ahead of her young team will be challenging, but is pleased with the team’s dedication. “While our teams have been working on conditioning all summer, this camp has been a great opportunity to provide our junior varsity and varsity girls with not only fundamental techniques but also a team building spirit.”

Parents were involved in the clinic making sure the girls were eating a health diet by providing well balanced meals prepared in the gymnasiums kitchen. “We had such wonderful support, and are very thankful for all of their work preparing the nutritious meals,” Mescher said.

The Lady Saints will open their first home season game against Asbury on August 18, at 4:30 p.m. in the Fazi-Richard Athletic Center. To follow the Lady Saints visit the website at www.stbernardprep.com

Alumni gather at St. Bernard

Hundreds of alumni gathered at St. Bernard recently for the Annual Alumni Reunion celebrating one of the largest turnouts in recent years.

The weekend included a golf outing which consisted of 44 players. The Championship Winners of the tournament held at Chesley Oaks Golf Course were Peter Nassetta, Patrick Nassetta, Greg Clark and Matt Branch. Second place was awarded to Pete Fitzpatrick, Carl Kuchler, Tom Martin, and Harry Davies. Class Year Champ went to the Class of 1958 Joe Engel. Mixed Team Championship was awarded to John Kreger, Cheryl Kreger, Dennis Meinert and Carol Rooney., and the Prep School Champ was John Arndt.

Saturday was packed with events ranging from a town hall meeting, lunch, and a formal dinner in the Fazi-Richard Athletic Center.

The town hall meeting was presented by Fr. Marcus Voss, OSB, and Abbot Cletus Meagher. Fr. Marcus spoke of development projects underway to enhance the facilities at St. Bernard which included roofing the barns on the farm, renovations in the dining hall bathrooms, and brahma room, and future plans for the Heidrich Library Building to be utilized by the performing arts program.

Abbot Cletus addressed the town hall meeting by speaking of the Clairvaux Society which has recently been established. A leaflet about the Clairvaux Society was prepared to address the Benedictine Missions and to remember the men who had a “clear view” of what they wanted for St. Bernard, and to the men who are leading us into the next fifty years.

Lunch followed in the cafeteria and consisted of natural organic pork raised on the Abbey farm.

A dinner was served Saturday evening hosted by students and monks at St. Bernard. Guests were served a freshly tossed green salad, prime rib, steamed squash with zucchini, and garlic mashed potatoes with hot rolls and dessert.

During the dinner the Classes were recognized and had photos taken. A tribute was made to the Class of 68 Basketball Championship Team as well as to Mrs. Ruth Richards who has reached her 101st birthday. A video taken in 1971 was shown by the alumni from the Class of 1971. The evening ended with a tribute to Br. Augustine Campion, OSB, who was given a special recognition for his remarkable abilities to stay in touch with students from the college and his dedicated years of service in the ministries of St. Bernard Abbey, especially the school and Ave Maria Grotto.

Archery tournament coming to Cullman 2012-14

By Rob Ketcham The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — In Cullman, it’s rather easy for everyone to get their fill of almost any and all traditional sports, such as baseball, football and basketball, among numerous others. However, the Cullman City Parks and Recreation has struck a deal to bring a lesser-known sport to the city — archery.

According to Nicole Ard, the marketing manager for Parks and Recreation, the city will host the McKenzie Archery Shooters Association Pro/Am Tour Classic from 2012-14.

She said the event, which will be held at St. Bernard Preparatory School, will bring in at least 1,000 professional and amateur archers for a 3-D target competition.

“This is as big as it gets,” said John Hunt, director of parks. “You’re talking about 1,000 to 1,200 of the world’s best archers.”

In addition, Ard said Parks and Recreation is estimating each year’s event to bring in at least a $1 million economic impact for the city.

“More than anything, this will be a great opportunity to showcase our city,” Ard said.

Hunt added, “We’re really excited about all the people it will bring into the community.”

According to the ASA website, each sanctioned tournament features competitive rounds of 20 life-like, 3-D animal targets made of foam. Binoculars are permitted in order to assist archers determine the target’s distance and aim correctly before executing their shot. The competitors are then scored using a scoring system of 14, 12, 10, eight, five or zero points per arrow.

While Hunt acknowledged Cullman already has the 2009-built Community Archery Park, he said the event will be hosted at St. Bernard because of the massive amount of space needed for such a large event.

The park that will eventually be set up at St. Bernard will include 20 lanes with 20 targets in each.

He said they plan to use the open land behind the school for a village and utilize the woods for a near-realistic hunt of 3-D animals varying in size, such as foxes, bears or deer, among others.

Hunt said, “We’re very appreciative of St. Bernard for letting us use their facilities for the duration of the tournament.”

With nearly 1,400 happy members belonging to one of the nation’s top parks and recreation departments, Ard said they are continuing to try and stay ahead of statewide and national trends by hosting the tournament and emphasizing archery’s popularity.

She said, “We’re very competitive, and we like to be the ones setting the trends.”

Hunt said people can prepare for what the larger-scale tournament will be like when the Cullman Community Archery Park plays host to the Bowhunters of Alabama State Tournament this Aug. 27 and 28.

Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 257.

St. Bernard Buzzing with Activity

The month of June is proving to be a very busy time for the St. Bernard Community in Cullman. Debris clean-up efforts in the city are expected to continue through the month of June, but that has not hampered access to Ave Maria Grotto, St. Bernard Abbey or St. Bernard Prep School.

Fr. Joel Martin, Headmaster at St. Bernard Prep School, says registration is taking place on a daily basis for both the middle and high school. School personnel are working diligently to get new textbooks ordered and to complete the scheduling process. “We are ordering several new textbooks to include all levels of English literature, AP Chemistry, Spanish, Anatomy and Physiology,” Fr. Joel said.

Applicants are showing great interest in the program offered at St. Bernard Prep. “We are delighted with the interest shown in our middle school program,” Fr. Joel said. "It’s early June and already we have twenty-one students registered for the seventh grade and twenty-five for the eighth."

The upcoming senior class will include those students who enrolled in the St. Bernard Middle School when it opened five years ago. Fr. Joel commented, “We are excited about the possibilities of this class. They have some exceptionally gifted students.”

Renovations are currently underway at St. Bernard Dining Hall to overhaul the public restrooms located in the lobby. Plans are to eliminate the unused cloak room, expand the restroom walls and install new fixtures.

Camp St. Bernard is underway during the month of June. Sixty-six students were enrolled in the first camp. The fourth camp is currently booked, but a few openings are available in camps two and three.

Youth Basketball Camp is slated to begin June 20-23 for boys; and June 27-30 for girls.

June 23-26 St. Bernard will host the annual alumni reunion. Anyone who attended St. Bernard is welcome to attend.

Ave Maria Grotto continues to welcome visitors on a daily basis. The grotto is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information regarding Ave Maria Grotto, summer camp, basketball camp, or registration to the Middle and High School, call (256)739-6682 or visit www.stbernardprep.com

Graduation Ceremonies held at St. Bernard Prep

The Alabama Pipes and Drums played “Pomp and Circumstance” which set the tone for a joyous celebration of the Class of 2011 at Saint Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman, Alabama. Twenty-four graduates, their family and friends packed the Abbey Church on Sunday, May 22, 2011, at 2 p.m. to celebrate the final chapter of their high school years.

Dr. Lewis Sumberg was the commencement speaker addressing the graduates on their service to their family, community, and country. Having published many books and teaching in classroom, Sumberg is most proud of his service to his country during World War II and demonstrated his patriotism by morphing from an academia professor with an academic hood to his proud cap identifying him as a WWII Veteran.

Traditionally at St. Bernard, honor is bestowed on distinguished alumni who have shared in the St. Bernard educational experience. Abbot Cletus Meagher and Fr. Marcus Voss honored Dr. Albert Fromhold, and Fr. Richard Martin for their outstanding contributions to society in general and for their impact of the many individual lives they have touched.

After the presentation of diplomas to each senior, Fr. Joel Martin announced this year’s graduation awards. Minji Kang received the valedictorian award while John Russell was named salutatorian. In giving the general excellence medal, the highest award given to a graduating senior, Fr. Joel stated that “the criteria for this award requires that a student must be enrolled at St. Bernard Prep for the last two full years, be dedicated to academic excellence, exercise leadership and represent the values of the school.” The 2011 General Excellence Medal was awarded JC Albritton.

Minji Kang’s farewell address spoke of the challenges facing a new high school graduate, memories created, and friendships made. In her valedictory address she said, “Graduating from high school is not the endpoint of our journey through life; only the beginning. We just finished writing one chapter of our life journey successfully, now it is time for us to write another chapter.”

“You will never know what will happen next when you go to college,” she continued. “Never be afraid of the new beginning, for Helen Lowla said, ‘You will never win, if you never begin…’ Remember when we all first started at SBP we were all afraid, but look at us now,”

She concluded her remarks with a quote from Richard Bach, "Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."

The Class of 2011 garnered $1.8 Million dollars in scholarship offers to colleges and universities across the country.