Catherine McAuley graduate, and reigning Miss Maine, Julia Furtado, received the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award for her work in community service, physical fitness, and talent last weekend during the preliminary round of the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. The McAuley community could not be more proud of this 2009 graduate, and we wish her the best in all of her future work, both here in the state and abroad.  Click on the links below to see more of Miss Furtado’s extremely noteworthy accomplishments.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Miss-Maine-2011-crowned.html?searchterm=Julia+Furtado

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Miss-Maine-wins-royal-award-during-pageant-prelim.html?searchterm=Julia+Furtado

http://www.pressherald.com/news/miss-maine-honored-for-triple-excellence_2012-01-14.html?searchterm=Julia+Furtado

Anna Gervais ~ Class of 2012

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award

Anna Gervais was selected by the staff and the Class of 2012 for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award.  A DAR Good Citizen must have the qualities of dependability (which includes truthfulness, loyalty, and punctuality), service (which includes cooperation, courtesy, and consideration of others), leadership (which includes personality, self-control, and the ability to assume responsibility), and patriotism (which includes unselfish interest in family, school, community and nation) to an outstanding degree.  Anna will also participate in the DAR scholarship contest.  Good luck, Anna!

Molly Miller ~ Class of 2013

CMHS Goalie, Soccer

First Team All Conference – Soccer

Congratulations to Molly Miller, who has been selected as First Team All Conference for soccer.  This acknowledgment is voted on from the other coaches in our conference.  She’s also listed in www.sportsinme.com that shows her as # 2 in Class A for saves made this past season.  Although it is still early, Molly has received interest from Division I Siena College, along with several other colleges.  Click on the link below for an interview with Molly as the Athlete/Player of the year!  Great job, Molly!

http://www.theforecaster.net/content/p-sportsfallaofymcauley-120711

Hannah Calkin ~ Class of 2014

Actress, Portland Stage production of The Snow Queen

Hannah Calkin auditioned and received a part in Portland Stage Company’s premiere holiday production of The Snow Queen, a folk tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. As part of the ensemble cast, Hannah had many small roles, such as a townsperson, a flower, a robber, an attendant in a princess court, and an angel.  Hannah, McAuley is proud of your achievement!

Mary McManus ~ Class of 2014

McAuley Ambassador to the Maine Youth Leadership Program

May 2012 – USM campus in Gorham

Motivating Maine’s Future Leaders. That’s what Maine Youth Leadership is all about. Since 1980, Maine Youth Leadership (MYL) has worked with Maine youth to seek out, recognize and develop their leadership skills. Their goal is to motivate Maine’s future leaders and create a network of civic-minded students who will better their communities through volunteering. The programs encourage and assist students at critical times in their quest for self- identification and development and we provide give-and-take discussions with thought leaders and role models from across Maine society.

Each year, high school sophomores from all parts of Maine are invited to participate in the four-day Motivate ME Seminar held at the University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham.  Congratulations to Mary on her nomination as the Ambassador to Maine Youth Leadership!

Heather Chapman ~ Class of 2014

CMHS Ambassador to HOBY Youth Leadership Seminar

June 2012 – UNE Campus, Biddeford Maine

HOBY (Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership) is the nation’s foremost youth leadership development organization. Founded in 1958, HOBY’s mission is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.  HOBY programs are conducted annually throughout the US.

The HOBY Leadership Seminar focuses on providing outstanding high school students with an amazing opportunity to learn how to lead and make a difference.  The U.S. State HOBY Leadership Seminars are designed for high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective, ethical leaders in their home, schools, workplace and community.  Congratulations to Heather on her selection as the McAuley HOBY Ambassador!

Congratulations to the McAuley Limelighters on their stellar performance of Pamela Gien’s The Syringa Tree at this year’s One-Act Drama Competition.  The play, which takes places in Johannesburg, South Africa during the apartheid period, was beautifully acted by the Limelighters, garnering them a first-place finish overall.

According to one judge:  “At the risk of indulging in hyperbole, this was perhaps the single most compelling high school production I have seen in over 25 years of adjudicating festivals.  Beautifully conceived and staged, your vision is remarkable and acted with a maturity and grace and professionalism. . . You took us to South Africa, showed us the struggle, love, hate, and battle for freedom, and back to love of country; love prevailed. . . You touched my heart and the tears came.”

We wish the Limelighters well as they head to the Class B State Competition at Rockland High School March 25 & 26.  Break a leg, ladies!

Congratulations to members of the McAuley Limelighters for their participation in the Young Playwrights Festival at Bonny Eagle High School last Saturday.

Victoria Hugo-Vidal ’10 is credited for creating the play, Fools’ Gold, which was cast and directed by Amy Richard ’10.  The Limelighters performed with a group of twelve local schools from Bath and Freeport who embrace student work.

Kudos to these McAuley students for sharing their creative talents with the McAuley community…and beyond.

Join the McAuley Limelighters as they perform the comedy:

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of Macbeth

When an all-women’s theater group performs an “original” production of Macbeth for adjudication for the country’s community theater competition, everything that can go wrong … does.

Show times are Friday, November 20, at 7:00 PM and Saturday, November 21, at 2:30 and 7:00 PM.

The cost is $5/person and tickets are only available at the door.

Please call 797-3802 FMI, or email Lynne Erkkinen, Director, at lerkkinen@mcauleyhs.org.

Four McAuley theater students have extended their talents beyond the School’s stage by being cast in local community theater productions.  Each competed against many of the greater Portland area’s top theater students for their roles.

Sam Dedian, a senior, will star as Sharpay in the Lyric Theater production of High School Musical, which opens this month with a three-week run.

Grace Fosler, also a senior, recently finished performing as Janet / ensemble member in the Portland Players production of The Rocky Horror Show, a cult and fan favorite that opened on Halloween weekend.

Brittany Kopec and Danielle Nickless, both freshmen, recently performed as leads in the Studio 48 production of High School Musical at the Chocolate Church in Bath.

McAuley continues to be a proud supporter of the arts and the students who choose to participate in them!

Hats off to the McAuley Limelighters for being recognized as the Class B Runner-Up in the 2009 Regional One-Act Competition Festival!

Held at South Portland High School on March 7, the troupe presented Alice! A Childish Story Take, a contemporary twist on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, under the leadership of Drama Director Lynne Erkkinen.

In addition to walking away with the Runner-Up title, the Limelighters received special awards in four separate categories for their stellar work.

Anna Weltin ’09 and Samantha Dedian ’10 received distinction as the Competition’s “All Festival Cast” winners, representing strength in acting among the participants as a whole.  Senior Beth McAllister was recognized as the group’s “Best Supporting Actress,” while Cassandra Donatelli ’09 and Courtney Libby ’10 were celebrated for their attention to artistic detail in set design.  Two choreography awards were also given to the Limelighters — one to seniors Anna Devoe and Macauley Kenney, and the other to junior Staci Clarke.

Congratulations, ladies, on your extraordinary talent and artistry on the stage!

McAuley senior M.C. Kusturin’s original play has been selected for performance by Portland Stage Company. Her one act play “Ten Things I’ve Learned from Working at Flatfolds” will be rehearsed by PSC’s affiliate actors and presented during their Little Festival of the Unexpected from May 12-17. This festival “gives first hearings to emerging voices in American theater” and we are proud that M.C. is among the best and brightest.

Catherine McAuley High School was the runner up at the Maine State Drama Festival at Falmouth High School. Rebecca Weidler, Beth Neault, and Grace Fosler won prestigious All-Festival Cast awards and the entire cast and crew won a special commendation for Theatricality. Rebecca Tanous won a Music and Sound design award. Amy Smith won a special commendation for Costumes, and Beth LaFreniere, Robyn Sukeforth, Shelby Stowell, and Natalie Johnson won a special commendation for Hair and Makeup Design. Congratulations to the entire Limelighters Cast and Crew for a wonderful production of The Odyssey!

The McAuley Limelighters invite our students, staff, and families to attend a public performance of their one act play, The Odyssey, on Thursday evening at 7:00. This play will compete on Friday evening at 7:45 at Falmouth High School for the chance to go to states.

Kenny Finkle, the author of Indoor/Outdoor currently playing at Portland Stage, visited Mrs. Erkkinen’s Theaterworks class on Friday, 11/4. He shared his experiences as a working playwright and former actor with them. Students Meghan Rhoades and Melissa Giftos performed their final quarter scene for him, and he was most impressed.