Althoff Catholic High School
Science Through the Lens of Religion
Often times it is not if you can do something, rather if you should do something. That is what Althoff adds to STEM learning with STREAM (STEM + Religion). The religious, moral decision making process of a person grounded in a faith tradition. Bio Med students learn about body systems and map their peers’ brains. Learning how the brain communicates and functions. These lessons are followed up with the hands on experience of dissecting a sheep’s brain to visualize structures of a brain. All balanced with ethical discussions about decisions medical workers encounter.
Adding Up The Future
The Althoff Math Team participated in four competitions this fall at SWIC and excelled in each of them. Consisting of members from all of the grade levels, with members competing in both individual and team events. Individual members were able to score multiple first and second place finishes, across grade levels and over multiple weeks. In the team event they went 4 for 4 sweeping the team events. Placing first in their Division.
So if you are doing the math 4 for 4 = Excellence!
Fostering the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Belleville CEO is an honors course for high school seniors from Althoff, Belleville East, and West. It teaches valuable entrepreneurial and leadership skills, providing a behind the scenes experience of local businesses. Students learn how to lead, focus on productivity, and not stopping until the job is finished. These lessons are a driving force behind business, and understanding their importance places CEO students at an advantage in the workforce.
During the course of the year students meet with a variety of local business leaders. Students also learn the nuts and bolts of business by creating their own businesses and developing their own product or service. The year culminates with a trade show of their business’ products or services hosted at Althoff.
Lessons Off the Bench
During Homecoming week students learned the real risks of choices they make. Judges Andrew Gleeson and John O’Gara spoke to students. They brought lessons to the student body of the real life consequences of decisions made at parties and with drugs and alcohol, even if you are only in the room when substances are present.
Crusaders on the Field
Goals to Reach Their Goal of State Champs
Boys soccer marched through the playoffs securing a chance to play for the state championship. As the boys learned all year effort, hard work, and determination payoff with success on the field. In the State Tournament came a rematch against Wheaton Academy, avenging last year’s semifinal loss with a decisive win. A loss in this year’s final ended the dream of state champs, but they learned how success may be built on small victories over many years.
Running Their Own Races for a Joint Goal
Cross Country members had a great season with the boys team qualifying for State as a team and runners from the girls squad qualifying individually. Cross Country is a unique sport with each runner running their own race as part of a team. It combines individual tactics and success within team strategies to push the individual and team over the finish line. Over many meets and numerous miles run the determination, perseverance, effort, and fight shown by these runners are lessons that will guide them through life.
To be of Service to Others
Freshman Retreat
For the third year in a row the annual retreat for all freshman took place at St. Augustine Catholic parish with twelve specially trained senior-leaders and Mr. Bouc, the Campus Minister, as director. Being a freshman is full of anxieties and pressures. The theme of the retreat was all about appreciating the gift of our uniqueness. Teaching that every person, including yourself, is a one-of-a-kind creation from God, thus every person is amazing!
Playing raucous games, sharing personal stories, eating some Chick-fil-A, and completing the experience in prayer, everyone could grow in appreciation for how God made YOU and each other. It was a day of building relationships and bonds to last a lifetime.
A Day of Transformation, Leadership, and Faith
Inspired by Christ, "The last shall be first, and the first shall be last". Those who are willing to lead must strive to be people of service. On this day, a new group of seniors have made this commitment to serve as ministers of Holy Communion to our school community and, hopefully, to our larger Church. A few of these seniors say that they have anticipated this moment ever since their freshman year when they first witnessed a group of seniors commissioned for this ministry.
If you want to lead, you must be willing to serve. It's the Althoff way. It is the Christian way.