CCHS Parents, Alumni and Friends:

Happy New Year Cougars! On behalf of our CCHS Staff and Faculty, I want to express our gratitude for your generosity throughout the holiday season and the many blessings you bestowed on us and our school. 

Last fall, The Wall Street Journal published an article, Amid the Pandemic, Progress in Catholic Schools, highlighting the positive impact American Catholic schools had on their students during the pandemic. We're blessed to be at Charlotte Catholic.

The past few months have been very busy and we are happy to share this issue of Cougar News, celebrating the best of our Cougar community through faith, service, sports, and arts! We invite you to join us and participate in the fun-filled events we have planned for 2023. There are details, dates, and deadlines outlined in the pages ahead - mark your calendars and plan to spend time with us.

All the best,

The Class of 2023 gathered for Mass at the CCHS chapel on November 21 to kick off Senior retreat. Seniors braved the chilly temperatures at Camp Thunderbird for a day of reflection, fellowship and fun including games, s'mores, and small group discussions.

November and December were months of numerous service projects and collections to support the greater community. It was heartwarming to see students, faculty, and staff bring in Thanksgiving boxes, winter coats and accessories, toys, money and gifts to benefit Charlotte and Catholic charities. Highlights include:

• The FCA Club collected Thanksgiving boxes and frozen turkeys for the Charlotte Rescue Mission
• The Student Council Adopt-A-Family fundraiser raised $13k in gifts and monetary donations, allowing us to directly serve 18 families and 23 children with developmental challenges.
• Levine Buddies Club Toy Drive
• Young Activists Club Winter Coat & Accessories Drive benefitting Bridge for Kids

Catholic Schools Week January 29 - February 4

The CCHS Choir led the school through the Christmas tradition Lessons in Carols. A small group of choir singers also shared the gift of song at the Pastoral Center Christmas Celebration.

The MACS Fine Arts Center stayed busy with shows, recitals, and concerts! Performances included:

·        A Christmas Carol

·        The Reluctant Dragon

·        CCHS Band Concerts

·        Honors Dance Recital

·        Lessons in Carols

·        MACS Band Concert



What a blessing to have a state-of-the-art venue to host students, families, and community supporters!

On November 8, Nikki Doule' Warren, CCHS Alum, parent, and 3rd grade teacher at St. Gabriel, spoke with 9th grade health classes about the importance of mental health and normalizing discussions around depression and suicide prevention. Mrs. Warren speaks in loving memory of her brother, Gregg Doule' '97.

On January 13, CCHS Seniors attended a presentation led by Ben Litton '15 and

Gary Dolan, both graduates of the United States Military Academy. The interactive discussion focused on how to serve as a leader and take your faith with you in leadership, citizenship, and service.

It's always fun to see alumni come back to campus, especially when they are taking the field or court for an athletic match-up! CCHS was excited to host the first annual LAX Alumni Reunion with 40 alumni from more than a dozen different graduating classes! The Alumni Basketball tournament is always very popular, and we were thrilled to have 128 alumni from five decades take the court!  See full details in the Crossroads Express.

Alumni, faculty, and staff, along with their families, gathered for an indoor tailgate on January 6, 2023! Special thanks for our Legacy Club members who provided crafts and activities for future Cougars before the men's basketball game!

As announced last fall, Charlotte Catholic High School will adopt a President-Principal model of school governance beginning with the 2023-24 school year. Mr. Kurt Telford will assume the role of president, and a search for a new principal is underway. The Catholic Schools Office has contracted with Partners in Mission to lead the search. Learn more here: CCHS Principal Search Prospectus.

The PTO was very busy celebrating the students, faculty, and staff throughout November and December! Faculty and staff were treated to monthly birthday celebrations, a coffee truck and snack bar during Parent-Teacher Conferences, Thanksgiving treats, Christmas breakfast and generous gifts all thanks to donations from our CCHS parents! Additionally, our PTO sponsored a homeroom door decorating contest before Christmas break! The winning homeroom won a special breakfast!

In the spring of 2022, our athletic department created an Integrity Initiative, Cougars Rising, to help foster a culture of integrity throughout our athletic programs. We believe that leadership is the cornerstone for shaping a team’s culture and successful teams. At the core of this initiative is a focus on sportsmanship, positivity, best effort, and the value of how we treat others.

• As coaches, we have to balance our desire to win with our obligation to teach important life lessons including, honor, humility, and helpfulness.
• As student athletes, peers regulate each other's behavior in a proactive, positive, and healthy way. We encourage spectators to serve as leaders who pause for ethical reflection and take principled action.

Cougars Rising is a comprised of two committees:

• The Coaches Committee comprised of 18 coaches.
• The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) comprised of 44 student athletes representing 22 different sports.

Coaches select student athletes that demonstrate leadership potential to serve as a liaison between their team, other teams, coaches, and administration. The two committees meet separately on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to discuss integrity and ethics in sports. Coach Cabana will oversee the SAAC meetings while Coach Christmas leads in the coaches' meeting.

The Athletic Boosters hosted Winterfest, a CCHS parent social, on January 21 at the stadium. Nearly 200 people attended this inaugural event and celebrated our awesome CCHS community,

January 29 - February 4

Catholic Schools Week

February 4

Sadie Hawkins Dance

CCHS

February 11

Gala

Carmel Country Club

February 17

No School

Diocesan Professional Day

February 20

No School

President's Day

February 25

High School Placement Test

CCHS

Click here for the full 2022-23 MACS Calendar.

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

 https://www.charlottecatholic.org/