CAVALIER NEWSLETTER

November 14, 2025

At John Carroll Catholic High School, we educate young men and women in a welcoming Catholic environment that promotes academic excellence, nurtures holistic integrity, and inspires Christ-like servant leadership.

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

IMPORTANT DATES:

Fall Play (Mystery, Mayhem & Murder) - Friday, November 14 - Monday, November 17

Super Jazz - Sunday, November 23 (3pm)

Thanksgiving Break - Monday, November 24 - Friday, November 28

Giving Tuesday - Tuesday, December 2

First Friday - Friday, December 5

State Trumbauer Competition - December 5 & 6

Metanoia Retreat - December 5 - 7

School Mass - Monday, December 8 (Holy Day - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception)

Homewood Christmas Parade - Tuesday, December 9 at 6pm

Praise & Worship Night - Wednesday, December 10 at 6:30pm

Christmas at Carroll (Fine Arts Showcase) - Thursday, December 11 at 7pm

Late Start Wednesday Dates for November:

Wednesday, November 19 (9:05am)

Buses will run at regular times
Cafeteria will be open for breakfast
Student drop-off at regular time is available (Commons)

All information regarding late starts, events, special dates, meetings, etc. is accessible 24/7 on the JCCHS Google Calendar.

Follow the link below for a PRINTABLE version of the

2025-2026 Monthly Calendar!

CALENDAR

IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE: Please note a change to the calendar above. Baccaluareate Mass and Graduation for the Class of 2026 has been moved to Sunday, May 17.

SOS BUTTON (SUGGESTIONS OR SUPPORT)

We value your suggestions and we want to make sure you receive the help and support you need.

Please use the SOS Button below to submit a Suggestion or to request Support. Your suggestion or support request will be funneled to the appropriate member of our team for follow up.

As always, thank you for all you do to help make John Carroll a great experience!

Ronald Steele, Principal

SOS

NEWS AND INFORMATION

DISTRICT 6 TRUMBAUER COMPETITION

The District 6 Trumbauer Results are in, and we are incredibly proud of the John Carroll Thespians who competed! They performed excellently in various theatrical events at Thompson High School, competing against numerous schools. Out of 30 events, John Carroll received 22 Superior Rankings (highest possible) and 8 Excellent Rankings, with 21 Superiors advancing to the State Competition on December 5th and 6th at UAB. Notably, the Group Musical piece "Welcome to the Rock" was selected as one of four to go to State, showcasing the hard work of students like Ryan Swetz, Charlotte Watts, Amelia Leath, Mary Louise Alessio, Jack Turkiewicz, and Aydan Wyatt! Several individual participants will also represent the school at State, with many being first-time competitors!

Additionally, JCCHS Theatre Director Joey Plaia, did double duty at the event on Saturday - coaching and following the competitors while also serving as the District 6 Trumbauer Vice-Chair! Congratulations to all!

JCCHS FALL CHOIR CONCERT

It was a wonderful fall afternoon for the JCCHS Choir's Fall Concert! Thank you to everyone who attended and thank you to Choir Director Mrs. Maria Wilson and the JCCHS Choiristers for all beautiful and inspiring concert! Families, alumni and friends will have another chance to enjoy the John Carroll Choir at "Christmas at Carroll" (our annual Fine Arts showcase) on Thursday, December 11 at 7pm!

ST. MONICA'S MISSION

Members of St. Monica's Mission (Respect for Life Club at JCCHS) served at Her Choice gala, in support of women who choose life for their unborn children. The event was held at The Club in Birmingham, AL on Thursday, November 6.

Pictured left to right: Adam McCuiston, Anton Brakke, Sr. Mary Patrick Connor, O.P., Arely Martinez Cruz, Minh Lam, Annie Stover, and Sydney Driggers

JCCHS SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMITTEE:

Altar of Remembrance

The Catholic Church dedicates the month of November to all Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Church celebrates the deceased and remembers all of those awaiting entry into heaven. So that our student body, faculty, staff, and parents can pray for the dead, the Spiritual Life Committee encourages students to bring pictures of loved ones to the altar of the John Carroll Chapel to commemorate our faithful departed and offer prayers. If you would like to participate, please feel free to bring a picture of a family member or friend and place it in the Chapel Sanctuary.

The Old Testament tells us that “it is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins” (2 Macc. 12:46). This verse points to the existence of purgatory, where those who have died suffer in a mystical way and are prepared for heaven. Catholic speaker Chris Stefanick mentions that all of those in purgatory will be saved, as the only direction from purgatory is UP!

THE CHOOSE ACT ALABAMA ('26-'27)

The CHOOSE Act Alabama has announced the application timeline for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Renewing family applications start on December 15, 2025, and end on March 31, 2026.
New family applications start on January 2, 2026, and end on March 31, 2026.
Renewing families must actively apply; renewals are not automatic.
ALL John Carroll families are encouraged to apply.

Further details will be updated on the CHOOSE Act Alabama website chooseact.alabama.gov and on the Application Timeline included below:

SAVE THE DATE:

Giving Tuesday 2025

Giving Tuesday is a universal day of giving. John Carroll chooses this day to kick-off our Annual Fund Campaign that provides critical support to families (currently over 80 students) who otherwise could not afford John Carroll tuition, as well as funding for state-of-the-art facilities, innovative technology, and competitive salaries & benefits for our faculty.

Save the Date for Giving Tuesday or follow the link below to make your gift today!

GIVE TODAY!

WINTER WEATHER DRESS CODE INFORMATION

Winter is just ahead!

So, what is allowed and what is not allowed to wear at school?

No blankets are to be carried and/or worn in class or in the halls.

Jackets/sweatshirts/sweaters: All need to be JCCHS apparel. Overcoats, hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants (in very cold weather) is acceptable until the first bell rings. Once the bell rings - students are required to be 100% compliant.

Ladies: Black tights are acceptable under your uniform skirt. Pants with bell or flared styles are not allowed - the tights need to be the type that go into the socks.

Headwear: No hats are allowed after the first bell. That includes hoodies, baseball hats, beanies or any other head covering. All can be worn until entering the building.

Theme: We need to be uniform compliant when the first bell rings - no excuses.

In the instance of extreme cold weather - Mr. Elliott will advise as to any additions or exceptions.

CARROLLIGHTS GALA COMMITTEE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Parents, it’s time to get to work on the PTO Gala - Carrollights! Please sign up to volunteer for the Carrollights Gala Committee and serve JCCHS.

Feel free to sign up for more than one position.
Feel free to sign up your spouse (preferably with their permission).

There will have committee meetings but if you can't attend no worries - we can still work with you to assign an individual task.

VOLUNTEER

WEBSITE RESOURCES: Quicklinks

For your convenience, 'Quicklinks', has been added to the top navigation bar of the JCCHS website! It includes links to all the most often visited pages on the website:

Morning Bus Service
Lunch Account Information
NHS Tutoring Signup
School Calendars
Student Handbook
and more!

JCCHS

APPLY TODAY!

PRAYER REQUESTS

COMMUNITY PRAYER REQUESTS

Use the form to submit your prayer requests for our Thursday Masses and for our time in the chapel.

Praying together as a school community for these petitions builds solidarity, demonstrates love, and encourages us to look outward.

THE LOOKING GLASS LITERARY MAGAZINE

Dear Cavalier Students,

Do you enjoy writing poetry? Short stories? Doodling? Creating images? We would like to ask you to consider contributing to The Looking Glass, John Carroll's Literary magazine. We're hoping to collect contributions through Dec. 2 and assemble this journal during exams.

Follow the link below to inform us of your submission!

LOOKING GLASS