The month of September offered our Explorers an opportunity to fully embrace the core values of Brotherhood, faith, and service. Through various activities and initiatives, students were able to strengthen their bonds, deepen their spiritual lives, and contribute to their community in meaningful ways. Together, they embodied the Marist spirit of unity and commitment that defines Christopher Columbus High School.  These experiences are not only memorable but transformational and help to shape our students into compassionate leaders and men of character.

Continue to keep Matthew Nuñez, class of 2025 and son of our Director of Counseling, Carlos Nuñez '94, and their family in your prayers. We pray that Matthew has a successful surgery with a full recovery and that his family find strength, faith and peace during this difficult time.

Our School Family Gathers in Prayer for Matthew
We held a prayer service for Matthew's recovery with our Campus Ministry Leaders, students, faculty, and staff. Deacon Dugard has exposed the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration in our Chapel and we keep Matthew in our intentions at our daily Mass.  Saint Marcellin Champagnat, pray for us. Mary Our Good Mother, pray for us. And let us remember, to pray for each other.

We are pleased to announce that Christopher Columbus High School was named a 2024 Cognia® School of Distinction.  Our school earned this prestigious recognition based on achieving outstanding results in a rigorous accreditation engagement review conducted by Cognia, the global nonprofit school improvement organization. Out of over 1,350 institutions reviewed in the 2023-2024 school year, only 49 schools and 11 systems were awarded this distinguished recognition. Thank you to  Pedro Garcia-Casals, our Dean of Curriculum and Professional Development, and Andres Fernandez, our Director of Continuous Improvement, and their hardworking committee for leading this successful reaccreditation effort. We congratulate them and all of our talented and dedicated Marist educators on this incredible accomplishment. 

The College Board announced that our school has been named to the Advanced Placement® Program School Honor Roll with a Gold distinction, for a second year in row. This year we were also recognized with the AP Access Award. These awards recognize schools whose AP programs broaden access for students to excel in advanced college-level coursework. We received this recognition based on criteria that reflect a steadfast commitment to reinforce the school’s college-going culture, provide opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximize college readiness. 

Congratulations to our 10 seniors who have earned the title of Commended Scholar from the National Merit Scholarship Program.  Three of these seniors have also been named semifinalists and will continue in the competition for national merit scholarships.  The outstanding students are Matias Claure (Semifinalist), Matthew Gasca, Adreian Jimenez, Luke Meinhardt, Gabriel Olano, Sebastian de Jesus Ordonez (Semifinalist), William L. Owen (Semifinalist), Ethan Pouza, Daniel  Prieto, and Jose Zozaya. We also congratulate our faculty and counselors who work hard to educate and prepare our students to compete academically for State and National competitions. 

Thomas Abraham, one of our esteemed alumni from the class of 1971, had the incredible honor of presenting our iconic Columbus "C" cap to His Holiness, Pope Francis. During their meeting, Pope Francis admired the cap, and Thomas explained its significance as a symbol of our beloved high school. It was a memorable and proud moment for our school community!

Field day was a resounding success as our newest Explorers brought their energy and enthusiasm, making it a day to remember. Welcome to the Brotherhood, Class of 2028!

Celebrating the First Masses of the School Year
Fr. Mark Reeves celebrated the opening of the school year Masses, reminding us The Year of the Hermitage is an opportunity for us to continue to build our Marist Mission with a new generation of Marists. Thank you Deacon Dugard and Campus Ministry. 

 

Junior and Senior Encounter
Juniors and Seniors at Encounter were invited to a deeper relationship with themselves, with others, and with Jesus Christ.  Encounter was led by Mr. González, Ms. Llontop, Mr. Diaz, Mr. Jesurun, and Campus Ministry Retreat Leaders Pablo Badell, Marcelo Hoed de Beche, Nathanael Sanchez, Richard Prieto, and Lucas Martinez. President Kruczek visited the Encounter during lunch to speak about who Jesus is in his life.

Confirmation Preparation
Students prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation with Campus Ministry Retreat Leaders led by Mr. Gerardo González, Mr. Gabriel Barbeite, Mr. Matthew Chica, Mrs. Cristina Cruz, and Mr. Emmanuel González.  Please keep the Confirmation Candidates, and the Confirmation team in your prayers.

Campus Ministry Retreat Leaders Formation
Campus Ministry Retreat Leaders gather every week for formation and prayer.  Coordinator Javier Aragon, '25 leads the closing prayer.

Our Cross Country Program is doing exceptionally well. Both our Varsity and JV teams took 1st Place at the Spanish River Invitations in Boca Raton.  The Varsity Team finished 4th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in Ocala and the JV Squad took home 1st place at the  King of the Hill Invitational at Tropical Park.  Our top runners are:  Diego Eseverri - 16:07 5k, Anthony Scarcello- 16:08 5k, and Alexander Lopez- 16:15 5K.  Thank you Coach Areces.

Golf Team Won 1^st Place at Dade County Youth Fair
After finishing in the top three in five tournaments this season, the Golf team took first place winning the Dade County Youth Fair against every team in Miami-Dade County (Public and Private). The team shot  286 (+6) with an under par round from Senior Nicholas Shortal (69) -1. Victor Herrera shot (70) Even Par, Carl Tegel (73) +3, and Hubert Ramirez finished out scoring with a (74) +4. Thank you Coach Marinelli.

Swim Team Kicks Off Season with 5 Straight Wins
The Swim team had a great start to the season with five notable wins against Mast Academy, Doral, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Palmetto high schools.   Thank you Coach Dukes.

Esports Kicks Off Season with Win Over Santa Fe H.S.
Congratulations to our Overwatch Esports Team for their big win over Santa Fe High School. Led by Lucas Dulzaides and Brian Torres, the team easily swept the competition, not giving a single meter to the other squad. Joined by Julian Hurtado, Christian Macias, and Lucas Lopez, the squad set a high bar for the rest of the season. Thank you Mr. Harriman and Mr. Sanchez.

Hispanic Heritage Breakfast
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, the World Languages Department hosted a breakfast in the L Building Dining Hall.  Students were allowed to wear shirts representing Hispanic countries and they enjoyed varied breakfast treats representing Hispanic countries.  Of course there were plenty of croquetas, empanadas, and pastelitos to go around.

Hispanic Heritage Salsa Mixer with OLLA
The World Languages Department once again hosted our Annual Hispanic Heritage Salsa Mixer. The Department invited 50 seniors from our sister school, Lourdes Academy, to join 50 of our seniors in a salsa lesson followed by a traditional Cuban lunch.

LINK Club Hosted 3^rd Annual Special Olympics Softball Clinic
The LINK Club, in collaboration with Columbus Varsity Baseball, proudly hosted the third annual Special Olympics Softball Clinic for the amazing athletes of Great Heights Academy. It was a day filled with throwing, catching, batting, and running bases -- but even more than that, it was a celebration of teamwork, learning, and inclusion. The day was a true expression of the Marist spirit.  Thank you to Mrs. Gonzalez-Rojas,  Coach Weber, Coach Casals, Br. Al, Mrs. D. Martinez, Mr. Nunez, and Ms. Llontop.

Explorers Travelled to Massachusetts to Serve with Lazarus Ministries
Explorers attended a service trip to Lazarus House Ministries which included visiting two homeless shelters where they served the poor and homeless in Lawrence, Massachusetts. They also had the opportunity to interact with our Marist School in the area, Central Catholic High School. Thank you Br. Al.

More than 60 colleges and universities set up stands in the Cafeteria and Gym for the College Fair. This event is always well attended by not only Columbus students but also by students of Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart who receive a special invitation.   Students walk away more informed about the colleges they are interested in and about the overall college application process. Thank you to the College & Career Guidance and Counseling Departments who not only hosted the fair in September but also over 20 individual colleges for presentations.  These included Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Yale, Boston University, UM,  Miami Dade Honors College, UF, Dartmouth, and many more.

Counseling Dept. Parent Nights
Our Counseling Department hosted informational meetings for parents by year level. Parents heard valuable insights form our counselors and presentations from campus ministry, service learning and College/Career Guidance.

The talented young men of CCNN put on their first ever  The Ship Live Gameday Edition before the football game against Palmetto at Tropical Park.  The outstanding production was sponsored by Baptist Health.  Special thanks to Mr. Ramos, Mr. Delgado and Mr. Busatto.

The Columbus Debate Team travelled to Dallas, Texas where nearly 90 high school debate programs from 15 different states converged on Grapevine High School for a weekend of debates.  In Varsity Public Forum, Joseph Alonso and Ignacio Chazarreta finished as quarterfinalists. Joseph was voted as the 6th best speaker of 160. In JV Public Forum, Sophomores Mason Ross and Diego Gonzalez finished in 3rd place.  Thank you Mr. de Tuya.

Columbus Films' Comedy Mauricio Can't Get a C has been selected to screen at the Melbourne Independent Film Festival. We are also very excited to announce that this film along with the documentary Beautiful Disaster: The Making of Uncle Mike have been selected to screen at the Luminary Independent Film Fiesta in Paris, France. Special thanks Mr. Diaz, Mr. Ulloa, and Ms. Medico for their leadership and for helping our Film students achieve this amazing distinction.   

The Club Fair was a huge success! With so many incredible opportunities, we truly have something for everyone here at Columbus. From specialized programs to clubs and societies, our Explorers are ready to Forge Greatness wherever their path leads.  Thank you SAC.

Thank you to everyone who supported the National Honor Society’s Blood Drive. Whether you donated, volunteered, or helped spread the word, your contributions made a difference. Because of your generosity, we were able to impact countless lives. Thank you to Mrs. Amador.

The Anglers Club hosted its annual Boater Safety Course, sponsored by the Monica Burguera Foundation and led by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. Students and family members earned their Boater Safety Certificate, learning essential rules and regulations.  Thank you Coach Dukes.

The Columbus SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) chapter sponsored an exciting field trip to the Kennedy Space Center.  Our Explorers explored iconic exhibits like Heroes & Legends, Gateway: Deep Space Launch, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Apollo-Saturn V, and the Mars Rover Vehicle Navigator. A few lucky students even had the chance to meet and chat with Ret. Colonel Ken Cameron, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and space shuttle astronaut.  Thank you Mr. Gonzalez.

Our school’s marketing campaign this year featured 10 outstanding students who represent Columbus exceptionally well:  Vicente Gonzalez (Mas Scholar, Football State Champion, Externship Program Leader), Cameron & Cayden Boozer (Athletic Scholars, 3x State Basketball Champions, The Throne National Basketball Champions), Austin Gonzalez (Desmond Family Success Center, Campus Ministry Leader), D’Andre Ward (Desmond Center Success Center, Track, Football State Champion), Lucas Gonzalez (Mas Scholar, Marist Youth Leader, Stand for the Silent Club President), Jake Dans (National Honor Society Member, Project Last Drop Founder, Alzheimer’s Awareness Club President), Andrew Ahrendt (CCNN 2x National Champion, Media for Minorities Member, Eagle Scount), Sven Stumbauer (2x Regional Debate Champion, 2x Model U.N. Best Delegate and Dante Munecas (Mas Scholar, FBLS State Champion, Volleyball Player.  President Kruczek visited all ten of them in class to present them with their personal poster. 

in Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Marist Brothers’ first General House in France, L’Hermitage, a large rock was installed on campus at Marist Circle ea on September 6th.  Named L’Hermitage Rock, it serves as a symbol of the strength, determination, and resilience that St. Marcellin and the early brothers possessed when building the house and establishing their religious order.  L’Hermitage Rock was made possible due to the vision of Principal David Pugh and the support of Dr. E. Carter Burrus and the King Family. May it inspire future generations to embrace challenges with courage, unity, and faith.

Sophomore Max Garcia won the 2024 USF2000 Championship with Pabst Racing. His determination, and talent have paid off, and the Columbus community couldn’t be more proud of this incredible achievement on the track!

Our Junior and Senior Counselors Mr. Nunez and Mrs. Debra Martinez, along with our Mas Family Program Team of Mrs. Galvez-Cuesta, and Mr. Lewis proudly represented Columbus at the 2024 National Association for College Admission Counseling in Los Angeles, CA.

Upcoming October Events to Remember:
10/4:  Fall Pep Rally (12:30 – 2:30pm, Gym)
10/6:  Mother & Son Mass & Breakfast for Freshmen/Sophomores (9:00am; Gym/Café)
10/11:  Walk-a-thon (7:45am – 11:00am; Tropical Park)
10/12:  Fred Foyo Brew Fest (4:00pm; Field)
10/14:  Columbus Day Holiday (No School)
10/20:    Mother & Son Mass & Breakfast for Juniors/Seniors (9:00am; Gym/Café)
10/23:   PSAT for Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors; NO SCHOOL FOR SENIORS
10/24:  Homecoming Football Game (7:00pm, Tropical Park)
10/25:  Career Day (7:45am – 12:00pm; various locations)
10/25:  Homecoming Dance (7:00pm; JW Marriot Marquis)
10/27:  Father & Son Mass/Breakfast (9:00am; Gym/Café)

Marist Youth Group meets every Tuesday at 7:30pm in the Columbus Chapel.