Below is a list of special programs that are offered at Catholic High School. There is something for every student and there is no activity fee, therefore allowing each student to participate.
Our very own beekeeping club! Learn more about beehives and how they make honey.
KCHS is the school’s own morning news. Every day, the school has announcements via television. The announcements consist of students who need to come down to the office, what’s for lunch, birthdays, detention hall, notes from different teachers, and the achievements of the sports teams. Mr. Straessle gives the news on Mondays, and during the rest of the week, the student officers take care of the announcements. KCHS is broadcast from the newly updated Harry Hastings TV Studio, which is located on the first floor. This room allows the office to add newsbriefs quickly.
What was once a fun student activity has become a course, complete with an elective credit. The students in Broadcast Journalism meet every day before school, at both lunch periods, and often after school, all in preparation for the morning announcements and to produce weekly video segments known as the Friday Morning News. Broadcast journalism is taught by Mrs. McWilliams.
The studio is named for Mr. Harry Hastings, who donated funds in the late 1960s for Catholic High’s original television studio. In 2009, Mr. Hastings’ son, Harry Hastings, Jr., blessed Catholic High with a further donation, allowing us to furnish a new studio, from which we broadcast in high definition.
Our French teacher takes a group of students to Quebec Canada in the early summer. The student must have completed French II in order to participate.
Literary Magazine
Meet twice a week during first lunch to play chess.
Brother Richard takes a group of upcoming seniors to Europe for ten days.
If you enjoy fishing, this is your club.
Help plan the Homecoming dance and Winter Formal. The dances are all student driven.
If you are a senior and play a sport, you can join this group. The seniors look after those that are struggling with a bully. Sponsor is Coach Richard Cochran ’91.
The mock trial program was started to allow high school students to experience the courtroom in a hands-on role. The mock trials are set up and structured just like a real court, bound by the same rules.[31] This can help the students to know exactly what role each of the different people in a court (judges, lawyers, witnesses, etc.) do in the judicial system. High school competitions are even held in functional court rooms in the local City Hall to lend additional authenticity to the trial. Cases typically have to do with problems faced by teens, and will usually involve teenagers as witnesses. Each year the case for pre-Nationals competitions alternates between a Civil case and a Criminal case.
Model United Nations, also known as Model UN, is an extra-curricular activity in which students typically roleplay delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. This activity takes place at MUN conferences, which is usually organized by a high school or college MUN club. At the end of most conferences, outstanding delegates in each committee are recognized and given an award certificate; the Best Delegate in each committee, however, receives a gavel.
Regardless of ability level, the Catholic High mountain biking club provides a positive experience for all student-athletes in accordance with NICA’s Five Core Principles: Inclusive, Equal, Strong Body, Strong Mind and Strong Character. In turn, the goal is to create life-long cyclists who are conscientious, responsible and empowered. To get involved or find out more information contact Mr. Paul Lincicome or Coach Bob Black Ocken
Mu Alpha Theta, the international high school and two-year college mathematics honor society, enjoyed its installation at Catholic High School for Boys with 22 founding members in January 2008. To be eligible for membership, a student must have completed four semesters of college preparatory mathematics and be enrolled in a fifth semester. In addition, the student must maintain at least a 90% average in these courses as well as overall.
Mu Alpha Theta was founded in 1957 at the University of Oklahoma and has grown to more than 1,500 chapters around the world. It is sponsored by the following professional mathematics organizations: The Mathematical Association of America, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges. The purpose of the organization is to promote scholarship in and enjoyment and understanding of mathematics among high school and two-year college students.
Juniors and Seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.75. All members take part in one NHS-sponsored service project each academic quarter.
This group promotes a better understanding of their respective political philosophies and through interaction between the groups have a better tolerance of opposing views and understand why those views are held.
The Catholic High Battalion Physical Fitness team competes in three to five physical fitness competitions each year in the following events: crunches, push ups, standing long jump, pull ups and a 300-yard shuttle run. Our cadets train 3 days a week to improve their strength flexibility and overall conditioning in preparation for the competitions. Catholic High’s Physical Fitness Team is the reigning National Champion and was also National Champion in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Every year at Catholic High there is a group of boys who choose to follow the path of knowledge under the guidance of Mrs. Connell and Ms. Meadows. This team of students spends every L2 in room 203 studying obscure facts and being quizzed over nubilous information. During the quizzing, Mrs. Hunter actively records the type and number of questions that each student answers correctly. This process allows her to discover each student’s strengths to determine who will participate in the quiz bowl match. The students involved with Quiz Bowl are some of the best and brightest Catholic High has to offer. State Champions 2009
This group is sponsored by the local Rotary Club and they participate in volunteer projects.
The Rocket Times is Catholic High’s award-winning student newspaper. The staff is comprised of talented writers and photographers from the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. These individuals meet daily to brainstorm, write articles, discuss journalism, and listen to guest speakers. Students who work on the Rocket Times receive academic credit for their study of journalism. More recently, the Rocket Times has undergone a change to a magazine format, allowing Mrs. Gretchen Gowen to expand the class’s scope to commentary, interviews, and reviews. After all the articles are written and all the photographs are taken, the editor-in-chief and his assistant editor spend countless hours assembling and printing each issue of the Rocket Times, which is published seven times each year. Mrs. Gowen oversees the meetings and assists staff members in their journalistic pursuits.
Started in 2005, this group provides music for the school masses. It teaches the boys proper vocal technique. This group meets just about every day during lunch.
President, Vice President, Secretary. Each candidate gives a speech as to why the students should elect him. The election held in the fall and the student body, minus the Freshmen class, elects the officers.
BIGS in School Program is now called “Site Based Mentoring.” Catholic High has had a wonderful relationship with BIGS in School since 2005. Students need to be at least 16 years of age. They will fill out an application and then interview. The purpose of the interview is to help the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas match the high school student with an elementary student who shares similar interests, musical, athletic, video games, and so forth. Our goal is to introduce these youngsters to an older student–not quite an adult, but not quite a kid anymore either–who is somewhat like them, someone to whom they can look for guidance and support. A minimum of one hour a week for the school year, with the occasional phone call or email during the summer. This is a wonderful program, and our Catholic High students who become involved with it probably benefit as much, if not more than, the “littles” whom they meet. Also, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arkansas will write letters of recommendation for universities and scholarships for the students involved. We had one presenter who told our students that he learned he had been accepted to his university of choice because his little wrote a letter for him: he absolutely stood out in the crowd of applicants.
Every year a group of Catholic High funny guys gets together to provide a source of near-weekly entertainment for the entire student body. This group of seniors, led by Steve Aday, gather during the week to create skits, which are then performed during that week’s football pep rally. Their first job, however, is to throw open the doors of Catholic High in August, welcoming their newest brothers.
The Drama Club, led by Mrs. Carrey Reynolds, is the Catholic High organization that produces the annual spring play. In the recent past, we’ve put on The Matchmaker, Arsenic and Old Lace, and The Odd Couple. Regardless of the play, the Catholic High boys and Mt. St. Mary girls are bound to put on quite a show!
St. Anselm defined theology as “faith seeking understanding.” In 2006-2007, the first year for the Catholic High Theology Club, led by Stephen Hart (Class of ’07) and sponsored by Mr. Ashburn and Mr. Dodge, students who wanted to understand their faith more deeply met in Mr. Ashburn’s room before school Tuesday mornings to discuss a variety of theological topics, including metaphysics, apologetics, writings of Avery Cardinal Dulles, John Paul II’s theology of the body, Benedict’s Deus Caritas Est, revelation, Christ’s Resurrection, the eschaton, Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, and a Catholic view of Paul Tillich’s existentialist philosophy. The Theology Club is open to any and all students who seek to answer questions about God, faith, and the Church.
It never seems to fail that the third quarter feels the longest. During the first quarter, we’re all still excited about school’s beginning. The second quarter brings us cooler weather, more football, the beginning of basketball, and, of course, Christmas, just over the horizon. And fourth quarter, well, enough said. The third quarter, though, stretches on endlessly, with dark, cold days keeping us in-doors. What’s a brotherhood to do? Why, play basketball! So, unless something more important comes up, we meet as a school on Thursdays to pit homerooms against one another, two games at a time, until only one homeroom remains.
The staff is comprised of talented writers and photographers from the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Each student is responsible for certain pages in the yearbook from writing, designing and editing. The Yearbook comes out in May of each year.
The Rocket Times – a monthly print publication
Lift Off News – www.LiftOffNews.com
Growing up with an older brother that went to Catholic High, I knew I wanted to be a part of what he always referred to as “The Brotherhood.” I love that I’m able to explore so many of my interests, from joining Broadcast Journalism and JROTC my freshman year to becoming president of the drama club as a junior. As I get ready for college in two short years, I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given at Catholic High that will help me stand out in the application process.
