Senior Named MTAL Basketball MVP

Taylor Fox '10 was named the MTAL's Most Valuable Basketball Player. A four-year starter, Taylor averaged over 20 points a game for Santa Catalina's two-time co-league champion team. Catherine Jablonski '10 was a first team pick, and Gigi Hanlock '12 was selected for second team. Go Cougars!

Middle School Spelling Bee

(Left to right) Lauren Mendoza, Lily Patterson, and Anna Shokareva

We would like to congratulate all those students who participated in the Middle School Spelling Bee on February 10, 2010. Of the twelve finalists, three endured the longest. Eighth grader Anna Shokareva placed third and seventh grader Lauren Mendoza placed second. Eighth grader Lily Patterson spelled extraneous correctly to win the bee. She will represent Santa Catalina at the County Spelling Bee at 1:30 PM on Sunday, March 14, at the Hartnell College Western Stage.

We are very proud of all of the finalists. They each worked hard in preparation for this challenge. To each one of you, a very well earned "t-h-a-n-k y-o-u!"

Freshman Wins Science Award

Lauren Johnson '13 won a Special Award from the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency for her eighth grade Science Fair project entitled "Holding Back the Tide - Sassy Strawberry Salinity." Lauren's presentation showed the effects of seawater intrusion on agricultural crops, particularly strawberries, which are a high value crop in Monterey County. The MRWPCA awards support science development and projects that highlight seawater intrusion and pollution prevention. Congratulations, Lauren!

Best Friends Become Eagle Scouts

Lower School alumni Brian Bhaskar and Ross Vittetoe, who have been best friends since Pre-K, were awarded the rank of Eagle Scouts in a Gold Cord ceremony at Santa Catalina. "It is such a special place for me and Brian with so many memories," said Ross. "The Hacienda made the day even more special and to be surrounded by friends and family was amazing."

The highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America program, only 1% of all Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges, demonstrating Scout Spirit, service, and leadership. Congratulations!

Prize Day Special Award Winners 2009

Shelby Carroll, winner of the Veritas Award

Veritas Award
Shelby Carroll '09

Alumnae Awards
Allegra Krasznekewicz '09
Brooklynn Moore '09
Katherine Robinson '09
Michaela Schlosser '09

Christopher Award
Stephanie Sanchez '09
Heather Souza '09

Munras Courtesy Award
Alexandre Harrell '09

Admiral Robert Hatcher Award
Dorothy Dowson '09

Outstanding School Support
Katherine Adams '09
Sarah Bellingham '09
Kenly Flanigan '09
Michele Jaeger '09

Robert P. Balles Awards

First in Class over Four Years
Allegra Krasznekewicz '09
Katherine Robinson '09
Second in Class over Four Years
Dorothy Dowson '09
Academic Excellence in Mathematics
Ji Young Park '10
Special Award for Contributions to a Wide-Range of Activities
Mary Bolt '09
Agnes Cho '09
Clare Riley '09

Sister Mary Kieran Scholarships
Kelsey Pennington '10 - 1st place
Alyssa Dougherty '10 - 2nd place

Croom and Meriwether Beatty Awards
Kayti Ramirez '11
Jenna Sitenga '12

Students Honored at Scholastic Awards in NYC

(Left to right)
Susan Kendall, Anna Shokareva, Nathan Doherty, Hannah Clevenger, Susan Smith

Andrea Kohatsu '09 and Middle School students Hannah Clevenger, Nathan Doherty, and Anna Shokareva, along with their families, and teachers, Susan Kendall and Susan Smith, attended the Scholastic Arts and Writing celebrations, exhibits, and events in New York City on June 3-5, 2009.

Gold Award, Computer Art
Just Believe by Nathan Doherty

Honored on stage at Carnegie Hall, Nathan Doherty won a Gold Award for Computer Art, Andrea Kohatsu won a Silver Award for Graphic Design, and Hannah Clevenger and Anna Shokareva won Silver Awards for Computer Art. Susan Kendall was presented a Gold Medal in recognition for her role as a teacher and mentor.

The three judges were sculptor Tom Otterness, painter Philip Pearlstein, and Wendy Woon, the Deputy Director of MOMA. They looked for works that best exemplify originality, technical proficiency, and the emergence of an authentic voice and vision.

Silver Award, Computer Art
Future Veterans by Hannah Clevenger

The students' work was showcased at various locations around New York City including the World Monuments Fund Gallery, Parsons Aronson Gallery at the New School for Design, and the Scholastic Headquarters.

Teachers and students also attended a series of workshops, where they learned about creative careers from New York City art professionals such as studio artists, literary agents, designers at major corporations, directors of art galleries, and other NYC cultural leaders and organizations. Designer Zac Posen discussed his fashion design work, writers and artists welcomed award recipients at publications such as the New Yorker Magazine, Rolling Stone magazine, and DC Comics. Gallery tours and visits to artist studios were also offered.

Silver Award, Graphic Design
A Day in the Life of a Human by Andrea Kohatsu

"It is important to acknowledge visual literacy, to celebrate that part of the child, which is integral to the education of the student," said Susan Kendall. "Creative thinking and problem solving are essential and exceedingly sought after in the world today. It is a long standing belief in education and reflects the mission of our school."

Susan Smith remembers winning a Scholastic Award as a teenager, "The award was definitely a motivational factor in my life. Our students have now joined a committed community dedicated to supporting young artists. The goal is that the students will stay engaged, nurture their creativity, and inspire those around them to artistic and academic excellence."

Silver Award, Computer Art
Arguing with Myself by Anna Shokareva

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers encourages and recognizes emerging teenage artists and writers. Each year, students in 7-12 grades submit their creative work for professional assessment. Two Upper School students and eleven Lower School students won Gold Key Awards, which placed their work in the national competition for the Gold and Silver Awards.

Congratulations to all our talented artists!

Charlotte Perry Performance Awards

Mary Bolt as Dolly Levi and Nicole Dovolis as Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!

Elle O'Brien as Minnie Fay and Ali Ruhnke as Barnaby Tucker in Hello, Dolly!

The Theatre Arts Department announced the winners of the Charlotte Perry Awards at this year's Evening of the Arts. Voted on by faculty, staff, and students, the awards recognize the outstanding performances in the school's three theatre productions: fall musical, mid-winter play, and spring musical. The awards are named in honor of Charlotte Perry, instructor of drama at Santa Catalina from 1956 to 1982.

And the winners are:

Actor in a principal role (male)
Nicole Dovolis '10 as Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!

Actor in a principal role (female)
Mary Bolt '09 as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!

Actor in a supporting role (male)
Ali Ruhnke '10 as Barnaby Tucker in Hello, Dolly!

Actor in a supporting role (female)
Sarah Bellingham '09 as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz
Elle O'Brien '10 as Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly!

Actor in a character role (male)
Devin Ryan '10 as Nikko, Commander of the Flying Monkeys, in The Wizard of Oz

Actor in a character role (female)
Angela Balestreri '09 as the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz

Congratulations to all the performers and the Theatre Arts faculty for another year of fantastic productions!

Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award

(Left to right, back row to front row)
Dr. John Murphy, Nonie Bechtel Ramsay '71, Linda Mutty, Peter Folger
Sister Claire, Debra Baker, Sister Christine, Christy Pollacci

Debra Baker, religion teacher, was awarded the Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award on May 19, 2009. In a ceremony in the Rosary Chapel, Sister Claire spoke about her many accomplishments, including heading the Peace and Justice club, R4, and the Environmental Task Force Committee.

"In keeping with Santa Catalina's mission, Debra devotes her efforts to the education of young women who will care for the planet, address the circumstances of those suffering injustice, and bring a sense of the spiritual to their immediate surroundings," Sister Claire stated.

Mrs. Baker joined the Upper School faculty in 1995. She is married with two daughters, and holds a Masters of Divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Congratulations!

Photography Students Win Weston Awards

Seniors Ryan Tuttle and Ariana Patterson were awarded photography scholarships by the Gina and Kim Weston Scholarship Fund. A reception was held on May 22, 2009 at the Sunset Center's Marjorie Evans Gallery in Carmel.

Competing against 77 submissions, Ryan won second place and a $500 award. She will be continuing studying photography at UC Santa Cruz and plans to pursue a photography career. Ariana won an honorable mention and $200, and will continue taking photography courses at UCLA.

The Weston scholarship was established to support high school and college students studying art photography in Monterey County. Students submit images created with conventional analog processes as well as traditional alternative processes such as platinum printing.

Upper School History Awards

The 2009 Howell-Hughes Award winners were announced this week. Katie Goodson '10 was recognized for her research on Jim Thorpe, the great Native American athlete, and Danyel Kahumoku '10 was honored for her thesis on Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress. Quyen Le '09 was also acknowledged for her junior year essays on the 1862 Battle of Shiloh and the 1968 Tet Offensive.

"These papers represent the level of excellence in research and writing which we hope to see our girls attain," said Broeck Oder, history teacher. "The history department takes great pride in their success!"

Alumna Wins Women's Surf Competition

Amanda LeVett '01 won the women's competition at the Sunshine Freestyle 29th Annual Surfabout at Carmel Beach on May 16-17, 2009. Awesome!

Yearbook Dedication Announced

The Upper School yearbook staff announced that the 59th annual edition is dedicated to history teacher, Ms. Deeter. Congratulations!

"All the students who have taken a history class with her know the passion with which she teaches, the energy she puts into a lesson plan (dramatic hand gestures included), as well as the multiple bursts of fright when the campus alarm system goes off. The cross-country team will tell you that while they pant on their runs, she can keep up a conversation as she "jogs" alongside of them. Everyone would agree that she does what she does with a commitment to giving her students her all."

- Cantalinan 2009

Congratulations Mathletes!

Upper School students competed in the 41st Annual Mathletics Competition on May 2, 2009. Out of 414 students from 53 schools, our girls took home 7 of the 12 top prizes:

High School Calculus Division
Santa Catalina - 1st place team (Lottie Dowson '09, Quyen Le '09, Hannah Kim '10)
Lottie Dowson - 1st place
Quyen Le - Honorable Mention

Math Analysis (Precalculus) Division
Santa Catalina - 1st place team
Brooke Kim '11 - 1st place
Kristina Flathers '11 - 2nd place
Ji Young Park '10 - 3rd place

Algebra II
Santa Catalina - 2nd place team
Jinny Kim '12 - 2nd place
Elizabeth Clark '11 - 3rd place
SoYoung Kim '11 - Honorable Mention

Geometry
Annika Fling '12 - 3rd place

Senior Awarded Scholarship

In a competition against students across California, senior Katherine Robinson was awarded second place in the liberal arts category and a $1,500 scholarship by Bank of America on April 23, 2009. Congratulations!

California Math League Winners Announced

The 2009-2010 results for the California Math League are in. The top cumulative scores based on the number of questions answered correctly during all six contests are:

1st Place Lottie Dowson '09
- 27 correct
- set school record of averaging 4.5/6 questions correctly
- set school record for answering a total of 27 questions correctly
2nd Place Hannah Kim '10
- 26 correct
- earned the second ever perfect score (6/6)
- cumulative total surpassed previous school record
3rd Place Ilene Kim '10
- 25 correct
- cumulative total surpassed previous school record
4th Place Jinny Kim '12
- 21 correct
5th Place Kelsey Pennington '10
- 20 correct

Top Students by Class

Seniors
Lottie Dowson
Quyen Le
Katherine Robinson

Juniors
Hannah Kim
Ilene Kim
Kelsey Pennington

Sophomores
Elizabeth Clark
Kayti Ramirez
Isabelle Williams

Freshmen
Emily Blake
Jinny Kim
Tiffany Song

Congratulations!

Seniors Win Poetry Awards

The annual Monterey County High School Poetry Awards recently announced winners. This year, Santa Catalina seniors took home nine of the 42 prizes awarded. Congrats, cats!

Cash Awards
Vita Burn "Up Here In The Mountains"
Andrina Chaffin "Just Close Your Eyes"
Alexandre Harrell "Shoes"
Megan McCaffrey "What I Truly Adore"
Brooklynn Moore "Lullaby For East 56th"
Emma Wells "One Last Day In the Rain"

Book Awards
Vita Burn "The Forest Witch"
Katherine Kihs "The Beauty"

Theatre Students Attend Thespian Festival

(Top left to right)
Roger Thompson, Stephanie Sanchez '09, Heather Souza '09, Alex Opechowski '11, Mrs. Thompson
(Bottom) Brittny Sattler '10, Sarah Bellingham '09, Kelsey Player '11

Six theatre arts students participated in the 2009 California State Thespian Festival in Ontario, CA on April 3-5, 2009. Accompanied by drama teacher, Roger Thompson, and Mrs. Thompson, the group participated in performing arts events, attended theatre workshops, watched exceptional plays and musical productions, and gained valuable information and skills.

A round of applause for Sarah Bellingham '09 , who won a superior award for her classic monologue, and Stephanie Sanchez '09, who auditioned and was cast in ACT I of the All State Show. Both events were highly competitive and our girls stole the spotlight. Brava!

Hospital Awards Student Volunteers

Two students were given Junior Volunteer Hours Awards at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. From November 2008 through February 2009, Quyen Le '09 volunteered 50 hours and Alyssa Dougherty '10 volunteered 200 hours. Congratulations to our future medical specialists!

Science Fair Awards

Reisa Soedarsono, Sharlene Djuhari, and Kathryn Callander
share a prize on their anemone protein extraction project.

A big round of applause to all the Santa Catalina students who participated in the 2009 Monterey County Science and Engineering Fair on March 27-29, 2009. Here is a list of winners:

Upper School
Sarah Bellingham '09 - Behavioral Science 2nd
Kathryn Callander '10 - Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology 2nd
Sharlene Djuhari ' 10 - Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology 2nd
Alyssa Dougherty '10 - Behavioral Sciences Grand Prize (1st Runner-Up), First Place
- Award, American Psychological Association
- Award, Teachers of Psychology in ISEF Secondary Schools
- Award, U.S. Army
- Award, U.S. Air Force
- Award, U.S. Navy/ U.S. Marine Corps
Taylor Fox '10 - Mammalian Biology 3rd
- Award, US Department of Public Health and Human Services
Katherine Jablonski '10 - Mammalian Biology 3rd
- Award, US Department of Public Health and Human Services
Reisa Soedarsono '10 - Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 2nd

Lower School
Andrew Arnold - Environmental Engineering 2nd
Mikala Avalos-Feehan - Product Science-Biological 2nd
Bridget Bartz - Environmental Science 2nd
Megan Bright - Microbiology 2nd
Marisa Christensen - Environmental Engineering 1st
Caroline Conron - Product Science Biological 2nd
Katie Griffin - Aerodynamics/Hydrodynamics 3rd
Megan Hand- Aerodynamics/Hydrodynamics 2nd
Kendra Hoffman - Product Science-Physical 1st
Lauren Johnson - Plant Biology
- Award, Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency
Tandy Johnson - Aerodynamics/Hydrodynamics 2nd
Jessica Michalek - Microbiology 3rd
Jack Tardieu - Earth Sciences/ Planetary Sciences/Physical Environments 2nd

Lower School Scholastic Gold Key Awards

Teachers Susan Kendall and Susan Smith recently received letters of congratulations from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and a list of the Gold Key winners. Across the country, students in grades 7-12 submitted more than 140,000 works of art and writing.

Awards are give to work that demonstrates the highest levels of originality, technique, and personal vision. Students are recognized with Gold Key pins and certificates. Congratulations to our artists!

Computer Art

Future Veterans by Hannah Clevenger

Decisions by Caroline Conron

Just Believe by Nathan Doherty

Artemis by Madeline Fithian

Unreal by Francesca Murray

Arguing with Myself by Anna Shokareva

Photography

Eyes by Anna Shokareva

Printmaking

Striped Thoughts by Elena Dryer

Loss by Victoria Kohatsu

Bitterness by Lucy Scattini

Sculpture

A Day in the Garden by Bridget Bartz

The Greed by Alexa McWhorter

Upper School Scholastic Gold Key Awards

A Day in the Life of a Human by Andrea Kohatsu

Art teacher Dana Hart-Stone announced the winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for originality, technique, and personal vision. Natalie Cullom '11 won a Gold Key for painting, and Andrea Kohatsu '09 won a Gold Key and Silver Award for graphic design.

Apology for Bad Dreams by Natalie Cullom

In their 86-year history, the Scholastic awards have recognized some of America's most celebrated artists and authors while they in grades 7-12. Winners have included Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Frances Farmer, Robert Indiana, Donald Lipski, Joyce Maynard, Joyce Carol Oats, Philip Pearlstein, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, and Andy Warhol.

Brava to our next generation of artists!

Musicians Perform Exceptionally at Festival

Brooke Kim, Dah Kyung Kim, Pia Park, and Sophia Yu

Brava to Upper School students who entered the Central Coast Section of the California Music Educators Association's Solo-Ensemble Festival on March 28, 2009.

• Jenny Kanazawa '09 and Vanessa Woodard '12 received ratings of excellence on piano.
• Gwen Humble '12 and Sophia Yu '11 received ratings of superior on violin.
• Dah Kyung Kim '10 received a superior rating on viola.
• Brooke Kim '11 received a Command Performance and will perform among the state's finest young violinists in Sacramento.

Art Students Sweep County Competition

The Island by Rhianna La Chance

Middle School art students won awards in every category in the 2009 Youth Art Competitive in March. The exhibit featured students from Monterey County high schools and middle schools. Awards were given to work demonstrating visual appeal, creativity, content, and media skills. Bravo to all our artists!

Crafts
Rhianna La Chance The Island - 1st Place
Hannah Clevenger The Storm - 2nd Place
Ellie Stork Lady in Gold - 3rd Place
Makena Ehnisz Silence in Silver - Honorable Mention
Francesca Flores Broken Love - Honorable Mention
Jocelyn LaChance Exotic Happiness - Honorable Mention

Fine Arts
Greg Johnston King of the Savannah - 3rd Place

Graphics
Elena Deyer Striped Thoughts - 1st Place
Mikayla Avalos-Feehan Age - Honorable Mention
Lucy Scattini Bitterness - Honorable Mention

Sculpture
Kelsey Green A Play for the Gold - 1st Place
Marisa Christensen Poised in Duel - Honorable Mention

Students Selected for Summer in Japan

Thanks to strong academics and an interest in Japanese culture and history, Hana Mohsin '11 was chosen, along with sophomore Allison Minami, for a summer cultural exchange trip to Japan. The trip is sponsored by the Salinas Ichiki-Kushikino Sister City Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. Omedetou!

Students Win Golf Scholarships...and Meet Justin Timberlake

The AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association selected seniors Ryan Tuttle and Lani May Centeno as college scholarship recipients. At a kickoff event for the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Ryan was awarded the $5,000 Darius Keaton Memorial Scholarship, while Lani May received the $5,000 Couch Family Scholarship. They were each honored for seven years with the association and their volunteer activities with junior players and local tournaments.

As a bonus, Ryan was given a hug by Justin Timberlake when she volunteered at the driving range on February 11, 2009. The aspiring photographer noted, "It was a great moment!" Photo by Ryan Tuttle

Three Seniors Named National Merit Finalists

Seniors Kathryn Robinson, Allegra Krasznekewicz, and Agnes Cho were named finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition. As three of 1,300 finalists selected from 1.5 million applicants, their outstanding academic records, high SAT scores, and qualification tests stood out in the crowd. Congratulations!

Junior Honored for Outstanding Service

Bess Pezzini '10 was presented with the Violet Richardson Award for outstanding community service by Soroptimist International Salinas on January 21, 2009.

Soroptimist - from the Latin words soror (sister) and optimus (best) - is an international women's organization dedicated to improving the lives of women throughout the world. The prize included a scholarship with a matching donation to Bess' favorite charity.

Bess' award-winning project included growing pumpkins for local businesses that purchased them as Halloween decorations. The funds were then donated to the Monterey County 4-H. She also volunteers at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and is active in Ag Against Hunger.

Arts Publication Honored

Mosaic was given a rating of "Excellent" by the National Council of Teachers of English's "Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines" in 2008. The publication included student poems, short stories, drawings, and photographs, as well as a CD of student music.

"This is an achievement for our students," said English teacher Simon Hunt. "We should all feel glad to be part of a school that recognizes the value of the arts and supports student writers, photographers, artists, and musicians."

Student Selected to Spend Summer in Japan

Allison Minami '11 has been chosen for a summer cultural exchange trip by the Salinas Ichiki-Kushikino Sister City Association. The program is open to resident students with strong academic credentials and an interest in Japanese culture and history who are prepared to act as a delegate. Salinas is a member of Sister Cities International, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.

Senior Wins Poetry Contest

Allegra Krasznekewicz '09 won a place in the 2008 River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest with her poem An Outcast Memory. In affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Book, the contest's purpose is to inspire young people to explore the natural environment and cultural history where they live, and to express what they discover through poetry and art.

Allegra has also won second place in the John Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth Creative Minds Poetry Contest for The Coming of Night, and a Scholastic National Gold Key for her personal memoir, Being Krasznekewicz in America. It won't be long before this budding writer is on the best seller's list!