Happy New Year Columbus Family! 

 

We enthusiastically returned for the second semester, eager to achieve our goals and complete what we started. 

As we begin a new year, let’s reflect on the past and make necessary adjustments to successfully move forward in our lives. It is imperative that we stay motivated to establish realistic resolutions that will assist us in our efforts and foster continual improvement. Prioritizing what is most important can lead to greater consistency and productivity.  Let us all strive for these things while adhering to our core Marist values and keeping God at the center of our lives.   Adelante!

Catholic Schools Week Mass on Campus
The Columbus community gathered to celebrate Catholic Schools Week at Mass on the of morning  January 31^st.   Iker Merino and Mario Sueiras, Senior LINK Club members, were speakers and shared that serving the special needs community gives them the opportunity to put their faith in action and live the Marks of a Marist Student.  Thanks to Mrs. Eyda Alegret, Mr. Emmanuel Gonzalez, Br. Dittus, Mrs. Gonzalez-Rojas, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Daniella Rodriguez, Mr. Daniel Rodriguez, Mr. van Hemert, and Ms. Bates.  

Catholic Schools Week Service
Also on Jan. 31st, we gathered as a school family to prepare sandwiches for the needy in our community. Thank you to the students and parents for their generous donations and to all the faculty and staff members who volunteered their time. Over 75 students, staff, administrators, and faculty contributed to help make over 1,400 PBJs which made 720 meals.  The lunches were delivered to Coconut Grove Outreach, a St. Hugh Catholic Church affiliate, and other organizations around town.  Thanks to our campus ministry leaders, Mr. Pino, Mrs. Chomat, and Br. Dittus .

We are proud to announce our nominees for the 2023-24 Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards, one of the nation's most highly regarded student awards programs. Each of these seniors have excelled academically, maintaining a high GPA, all while serving selflessly in our community: Mitchel Corteguera (Art), John-Barry Bertematti (Athletics), John Visconti (Business)-not pictured, Dominic Gatto (Digital & Interactive Media), Alexander Valcarcel (Drama), Nicholas Diaz (English & Literature), Mateo Silva (General Scholarship),  Sebastian Broche (Journalism)-not pictured, Felipe Sanchez-Noguera (Math), Jovan Rojas (Music and Dance), Evan Hartigan (Science), Matteo Morett (Social Science), James Sacher (Speech), Lucas Artime (Vocational/Technical), Javier Diaz Alonso (World Language).   Special thanks to Mrs. Galvez-Cuesta, Mrs. Amado, Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Clute.

Our first-year robotics team, Explorer 4, competed at the VEX Robotics Competition at St. Brendan’s High School. Explorer 4 won five out of its six matches, ranked fifth out of the 36 teams, made it to the semifinals, and received the Sportsmanship Award. Congratulations to: Matias Claure, Nicholas Hernandez, Adrian Jimenez, Santiago Martinez, and Luke Meinhardt.  Thank you Mr. Rodriguez.

Miami Dade Fire Rescue Visited the Columbus EMT Program
Students in our Honors Medical Intervention (EMT) class participated in a demonstration given by a team from Miami Dade Fire Rescue.  Thank you Mr. Chica.

We had 70 cars turn out for our Car Show and Chicken Wing Cook Off. Special thanks to the club’s President Lucas Rodriguez, Vice President Lucas Alonso, and Secretary Adrian Lorie. They did a phenomenal job organizing the event. The “People’s Choice” winner was Mr. Jason Hill.  The club will be donating money to the My Kori Story Foundation in honor of Kori Santiago ‘19. Special thanks to Mrs. Alonso.

Columbus Connects Lecture Featured Chicago White Sox Managers
The January Columbus Connects Leadership Lecture Series was all about baseball.   Miami Marlins First Base Coach and World Series Champion Jon Jay ‘03 served as the moderator for the lecture panel with Chicago White Sox Manager Pedro Grifol ’88 and Assistant Hitting Coach Mike Tosar ’87.  VIEW COLUMBUS CONNECTS LECTURE SERIES 2024 SPEAKERS.

Columbus Films Selected for Screening at London Festival
Three films produced by our Columbus Films Club  were selected to be screened at the Lift Off First Time Filmmaker Festival in London, England:  Invictus, Trials of Twelve Episode 8 and The Underappreciated Job of a Substitute Teacher

This is a wonderful opportunity for them to showcase their skills on an international platform. Thank you Mr. Diaz and Mr. Ulloa.

Basketball Team Won GMAC Championship for a 3^rd Year in a Row
Congratulations to Coach Moran and the basketball team for winning the GMAC Championship for a third year in a row.  The team is now preparing for district competition.

Electives Fair
The Course Selection Season began with a very helpful Electives Fair hosted by the Counseling Department.  The faculty and students did a great job explaining the many different elective courses that Columbus has to offer.  Thank you Mr. Nunez and the Counseling Department.  

The Columbus Advancement Office announced the launch of the Columbus Launchpad, an innovative program that seeks faculty and student collaborative initiatives that impact our communities in novel ways by applying one or more of our Marist Pillars. Columbus Launchpad is designed to empower our faculty to turn their visionary ideas into reality, while actively involving students and making a meaningful impact in the community. Selected projects will receive financial support and resources to help bring their ideas to fruition. 1st Place will receive $25,000, 2nd Place $5,000 and 3rd Place $2,500.  If you would like to learn more Columbus Launchpad or make a donation towards this meaningful initiative CLICK HERE.   Thank you Mr. Ramos and Mrs. Cue.  

Led by Coach Kam, The Soccer Team is headed to the regional tournament ranked in the “Top 50” in the state of Florida.  Good luck to Explorers!   

Wrestling Team Won the John Raich Memorial Tournament
The wrestling team competed at the John Raich Memorial Tournament team which had over 32 teams competing from South Florida. Our team tallied a huge 280 points which was almost 50 points more than 1A power Cardinal Gibbons, who finished as the runner ups.  Arturo Sanchez  and Michael Mora finished as champions.  Thank you Coach Grant.

Members of the Anglers and Spearfishing Clubs had the opportunity to visit the Rocket Trailers factory and received a personal tour by the owner Ralph Masso, a Columbus parent.   They learned about the logistics of building the industry leading boat trailer company.  Thank you Coach Dukes.

Anglers Club Fished at the Gulf of Mexico
Members of the Anglers Club participated in special invitation to fish the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This trip is special because it’s on most fisherman’s bucket list as they are going for world class trophy fish. The boys put their skills to work and managed to land blackfin tuna and a wahoo. The boys had the experience of a lifetime and enjoyed local Louisiana cuisine and culture.  Congratulations to: Carlos Saladrigas, John Glassford, Nicholas Fleites, Jorge Galceran, Klint King, Pablo Echavarría, William Wilkening, Andrés Anez, and Tyler More. Special thanks to Coach Dukes and  Coach Garrigo.  Earlier in the month, Anglers Rick Rodriguez del Ray and Francisco Aguirre were crowned the winners of the Winner Takes All Bass Fishing Tournament for their efforts to target the biggest fish.  

Campus Ministry Leaders served at both the St. Brendan Catholic Elementary Confirmation Retreat and the St. Thomas the Apostle Parish  8th Grade Retreat and Parish Faith Formation Confirmation Retreat.  Special thanks to Mr. Emmanuel Gonzalez, Mr. Daniel Rodriguez, and Campus Ministry Leaders for serving beyond Columbus.

Campus Ministry Leaders Javier Aragon and Nicholas Rivas led separate 5 Minute Prayers with Athletes, Coaches, and Athletic Trainers, Clubs, Honor Societies, and Moderators after school.  Special thanks to Deacon Dugard.

Football Back to Back Championship Celebration
The school held a celebration on the field to honor the football team with the entire student body, faculty, staff and Lourdes Cheerleaders. Congratulations to the Back to Back Champs!

Global Social Justice Club Activity  
For Human Trafficking Prevention Month, our newly formed Global Social Justice Club held its inaugural event with a powerful presentation on Human Trafficking given by the State Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force.  They shared valuable information on this critical issue. Major kudos to Senior Nicolas Diaz for orchestrating this impactful gathering.  Special thanks to Mr. Chacon and Br. Tom.

Black Student Organization Goes on Service Trip to R.R. Moton Elementary
Students from our Black Student Organization visited R.R. Moton Elementary Magnet School of the Arts in Homestead.  They mentored and helped the young students with mathematics and science and served as great role models.  Special thanks to Mr. Campbell and Mr. Guest.

Congratulations to our outstanding student-athletes on earning Miami Herald First Team All-Dade selections:  Bowling (Sergio Alonso); Golf (Victor Herrera, Hector Perez Sainz); Cross Country: (Alejandro Romagosa) and Football (Alberto Mendoza, Jose Leon, Ralph Suarez,  Benji Blackburn, Daylen Russell, Hector Chavez (Defensive Player of the Year), Willis McGahee IV, Robert Czeremcha, and Bryce Fitzgerald)

Marist Rosary Podcast
The Marist Rosary Podcast was crafted by the Marist Brothers USA Province with the help of Mr. Omar Delgado, Columbus Education Technology Specialist.  Each episode offers a unique experience of the Holy Rosary led by different members of the wider Marist community who bring their personal touch and reflections to the prayers and meditations. Marist Rosary goes beyond recitation.  The Marist family breathes new life into the age-old tradition of the Rosary.  Subscribe to “Marist Rosary” and join a community united in prayer, reflection, and the pursuit of spiritual well-being.   Rosary on Spotify    Rosary on Apple Podcast

Cristian Tamargo Selected for FC Barcelona Youth Camp
Freshman Cristian Tamargo trained with "La Masia" (FC Barcelona's Youth Program). Christian was the only player selected from Florida to attend this FC Barcelona Training Camp.

Aiden Cuervo Won a National Student Production Award
Aiden Cuervo won our second National Student Production Award for Animation/Graphic/Special Effects for his Animated film Trails of Twelve.  

Coach Scholer Named Bowling Coach of the Year
Columbus Bowling Coach Adam Scholer ‘81 has been named Miami Herald's Bowling Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, our bowling team secured the highest spot in Dade County, finishing 21st at the state championships. Additionally, three of our bowlers made it to the top 100 during the qualifying round.  Congratulations Coach!

Upcoming February Dates to Remember:
2/7:   Digital Safety & Mindfulness Lecture with Richard Guerry (6:00pm, Café)
2/10:  Columbus Pig Roast (12pm – 6:00pm, field)
2/12:  Walkathon Holiday (No School)

2/14:  Ash Wednesday
2/19:  President’s Day Holiday (No School)