Finding time to accompany your middle school student anywhere on a Sunday afternoon is no small achievement these days as participation in afterschool and home-related activities grows. Fortunately, a solid representation of seventh and eighth grade parents (with their middle school children) visited the Cardinal Mooney Campus during the January  22nd Open House, between Noon and 2:00 p.m.

What our guests found were Guidance staff, administrators, the entire faculty, and NHS upperclassmen eager to provide information on what life is like in our family and faith-oriented educational environment. Among the highlights were demonstrations on the use of wireless  iPad technology in the Mathematics Department and a live entertainment in the Music Hall from the school orchestra.

The Media Center was open for parents and future students to have refreshments and cookies as a projection screen displayed smiling faces of current freshman and transfer students taken on Grandparent's Day. Just inside the entrance, English Teacher Christa Naylor exhibited a 3-D rendering of the upcoming Media Center renovation and discussed how it will incorporate state-of-the-art library resources.

A steady stream of parents moved through Guidance and the newly remodeled admissions office. This event is intended to help parents to begin considering high school options for their child. The next 8th grade placement test will be held on Thursday, February 2nd.  

Mr. Christie summed the day up best by closing with an announcement over the public address system thanking our visitors and encouraging them to return home to their next family commitment: seeing their  NFL Team compete in one of the Championship Playoffs!

You can share in the experience of this year's Open House by looking over the photos, below, or by calling the Admissions Office, anytime, to obtain an informational brochure on CMHS.

Open House #1

Incoming students in the Freshman class and those who recently transferred to CMHS from another grade were the center of attention on Wednesday, January 18th, for Grandparent's Day. 

This is the sixth consecutive year in which the school has welcomed grandparents. The event is evolving into quite a tradition, with an estimate of more than 50 relatives present.

The program began with a formal presentation in the Music Hall designed to unite and welcome family members and to provide an overview of a typical student experience. This was followed by having National Honor Society members serve in the role of Campus Tour guides for the visiting guests. Stops included classes in progress, the Chapel,  and main facilities where each grandson or daughter spends at least a portion of their day.

The visitors converged, once again, in the Media Center where light refreshments, pastries, and cookies were offered. A highlight of the gathering took place when each Cardinal Mooney student with a visiting grandparent had a photo taken, together, as a memento of the occasion. These will be mailed to the Grandparent’s home.

According to Jennifer McDonald, Director of Advancement, a number of the visiting Grandparents have had their own children attend CMHS. In this way, Grandparents take away a true sense of how the Campus, teaching methods, and programs continue to change over time.

Thank you to all grandfathers and grandmothers (including step-grandparents) who took the time to join your Cardinal Mooney student on this special day!

Please check back, soon, for more photos!

Grandparent's Day 2012

Grandparent's Day 2012 #2

Just as the second semester begins so does the tradition of hosting an area school in a friendly match of Academic Olympics! With more team members trying out than openings available, this year’s group of scholars is sure to be ready and eager when they face the first of nine area schools on January 10th. All home matches are open to the public and take place in the campus Media Center. The complete schedule can be found by clicking on the link, below.

Those high achieving individuals who have the distinct honor of representing Cardinal Mooney this year, under the faculty stewardship of Mrs. Kathy Jewell, include:

Starters: Ben Walsh (captain), Calvin Wheeler, Juan Pablo Gonzalez and Alec Mackinnon

Alternates: Alex Shaw (will rotate with Alec), Grayson Schrantz, Casey Dowling and Rico de Torres

Along with five additional students who may not compete yet will be part of regular practices:

Mike Kahl, Sarah Coffey, Elizabeth Reynolds, Brian Richter and Jimmy Kahl.

On behalf of the entire school community, we wish the Cougars the very best of luck as they respond in game-show like fashion to each challenging question.

More information on the Sarasota Education Foundation's Academic Olympics program is available by clicking here, or referring to the featured story in Cougar Showcase (along the top of the website).

The very first-of-its-kind Cardinal Mooney Christmas Festival was held on Monday evening, December 5, 2011 in the Music Hall. The clever stage production of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!!)" offered uproarious humor to entertain a receptive community audience.

The Comedy was written by: Michael Carleton, Jim FitzGerald, and John Alvarez.  (Please see Cougar Showcase Slide Panel on this website for more information on Theatre Director Kyle Lacertosa)

Comically rewritten excerpts from many classic holiday stories and specials, including Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "It's A Wonderful Life," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," Tchiakovsky's classic Christmas ballet, "The Nutcracker," and "Frosty the Snowman" were featured. Interspersed within the show were references of many not-so-familiar traditions celebrated at Christmastime throughout the world. A highlight of the play occurred when the cast invited individual audience members up to join in with the frivolity of a scene.

The performance concluded with an enthusiastic medley of Holiday favorites sung in chorus by the cast, with the lyrics greatly modified for best comic effect.

Donated canned goods for All Faith’s Food Bank were collected in lieu of a door charge and the Cougar Cooking Club's Holiday Cookbook was offered for sale at a $5.00 cost.

The thoughtfully costumed cast, who included talented upperclassmen as well as impressive new student-actors, were:

Danny Perrone, Natalie Almeter, Devon Stanford, Lexi Orsini,Maggie Mayhew, Lexii Augustyniak, Alexis Brown, Teagan Nichols, Lauren Carlson, Nicole Nicholson, Elizabeth Panagopoulos, Haley Sylvester, and Meg Mitchell

Here are a few photo highlights!

1st Christmas Festival #1

1st Christmas Festival #2

1st Christmas Festival #3


1st Christmas Festival #4

Congratulations to Ms. Lacertosa, the production crew, and the enthusiastic cast for establishing a brand new CMHS Holiday tradition of our own.

By the Way: It’s not too soon to mark your calendar for the Spring 2012 production of "Schoolhouse Rock, Live!" set to run March 21-24!