What a month of  December!  We welcomed CJ Henderson ’17 to campus for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of our new Athletic Center  and days later found out that our alum Mario Cristobal was named the head football coach for the University of Miami Hurricanes. That same week, the Columbus family gathered together to receive a gift of a lifetime.  In 30 minutes, under the heat of the morning sun, our students witnessed a life altering moment. Our Explorers were there as alum Marcus Lemonis generously gave back to the entire Columbus community. It was an act of kindness that set an example.  The kind that I have seen from our Columbus family many times.

As I think back to when we opened our doors back in August, we all felt extremely hopeful that we could create a safe environment and offer an uninterrupted education to our students. While we were confident in our planning, there remained some uncertainty.  Today, I cannot be prouder of our accomplishments. We successfully achieved our goals and completed our first semester, remaining engaged in education, activities, and competition.  Well done Columbus Family!  This would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of our Marist Educators, Explorers, and parents.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Marcus Lemonis ’91 Announced he would Make a Historic $10.1M Donation in a Surprise Visit - It Included an $18,000 Gift to all Faculty/Staff Members
December 9, 2021 will go down as one the most joyous days at Columbus thanks to alum Marcus Lemonis ’91 who in a surprise visit in front of the entire student body, faculty, and staff on the football field, announced he would make a $10.1 M donation to Columbus, the largest in school history.  The gift included a $3.1M tip (part of his #GreatAmericanTipOff Campaign) that gave every faculty and staff member $18,000, just in time for Christmas.  The other $7M, he announced, would go towards school programs to include a new College and Career Guidance Center named after longtime CCHS teachers Pat Call and the late Irene Culmo as well as for a Success Center for students from disadvantaged backgrounds named after the Desmond family who played an instrumental role in him attending Columbus. Lastly, he gave a special surprise to the students, announcing that he would give the following day off.  His generosity brought tears of joy to many of the teachers and and staff members present  and the announcement generated much press both locally and nationally.  VIEW CCNN LIVE VIDEO

Henderson Family Athletic Training Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
We officially celebrated the opening of the Henderson Family Athletic Training Center with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony. Both CJ Henderson ’17 and his brother Xzavier ’20 attended along with their family members, friends, alumni, board members, faculty, and staff.  As part of the ceremony, Fr. Alejandro Rodriguez Artola ’81 blessed the facility.  The center would not have been possible without the generous $250,000 donation of CJ who is currently a Corner Back for the  Carolina Panthers. Watch Local 10 News Coverage

Congratulations to our Newly Inducted Hall of Fame Members
At our annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on December 1st,  we honored the following members of the Columbus family for their outstanding achievements and steadfast dedication to our school:  Facundo Bacardi '84, Br. Felix Elardo (Teacher/Admin), Nancy Husted (Teacher) Posthumously, Dr. Mary Eileen McDonough (Parent of Alumni), Anibal Valdes (Alumnus of Colegio Champagnat) Posthumously, Karl 'Joe' Weber '83 (Teacher/Coach).

Celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in Mass
On December 8, as a Catholic Marist community, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception at Mass.  Thank you Mr. Gonzalez and Campus Ministry.

Men for God Retreat
Members of the Sophomore Class enjoyed the Men for God Retreat which was led by  students Victor Castillo, Nicolas Sedano, Andre Valeron, and Nicolas Villafuerte.  Special thanks to Mrs. Eyda Alegret, Ms. Krystal Alegret, and Mr. Emmanuel González.

Florida College Tour
There were 37 seniors who embarked on a three day, six university and college tour. The boys visited the University of South Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, Tallahassee Community College and Santa Fe College. Our students toured the campuses and were able to experience university life in a special way since our own alumni at the schools assisted in their tours (Alec Rodriguez '21 and Fernando Salinas '19). Earlier in the month, the College and Career Services Department hosted a Virtual Junior College Kick-Off  to start the college application process. A recording of the session can be accessed HERE.

Band Performs at Holiday Concert
Mr. Cooper and the band held their annual holiday concert in the cafeteria.  To listen and watch the performance  click here.  

Operation Christmas Child
The students in Mrs. Gonzalez-Rojas’ College Prep English and Communications Methodology classes donated and packaged toys, school supplies, and hygiene products for Operation Christmas Child. The 56 boxes, each containing a hand-written card from our Explorers, will be delivered to needy children all over the world.  Thank you for making a difference Explorers!

Anglers Club Participated in Bud N Mary’s Fishing Trip
The Anglers club went on its annual Bud N Mary’s fishing trip where they were able to catch various fish like yellowtail, hogfish, schoolmaster, grunts, and groupers. The boys exploited their fishing skills which brought home great table fair from shore to door. Special thanks to Coach Duke, Mr. Connell and Ms. Valdes.

The Debate Team, led by Mr. De Tuya, is having a very successful year as they compete at various local and national tournaments.  They are currently ranked 15th in the state and are one of the top 300 programs in the nation, despite having a smaller program than many of its competitors.  In December, the team competed at the 43rd annual Isadore Newman Debate Tournament and the South Florida Catholic Forensic League Tournament, giving a successful full-team effort at both events.  They placed third as a team at the National Civics and Debate Championship in Orlando and were Quarterfinalists in LD at Princeton.  They also won $10,0000 in scholarships received from the Florida Education Foundation.  Special thanks to Mr. Ciocca and Mr. Machado for their support of the team. 

We are proud to announce that two seniors and members of the Mas Family Program, Nicolas Morles and Bryan Martinez,  were recently awarded the Questbridge Scholarship, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the nation which provides students with a full four-year scholarship worth over $200,000 each.   Nicolas matched at the University of Notre Dame and Bryan matched at Boston College.

Football Team  - State Semifinalists
The Varsity Football Team finished the season as the District and GMAC Champions.  They made it to the State’s Final Four in the semifinals.  Congratulations to Coach Dunn and the entire team on another incredible season.

Three Explorers participated in our Football Early Signing Day Celebration at Columbus.  Congratulations to these outstanding Explorers.  We wish them good luck in their post Columbus football careers:    Denim Edwards (United States Naval Academy), Fernando Mendoza (Yale University), and Cornelius Wright (The University of Massachusetts).  We also congratulate our entire football coaching staff led by Coach Dunn.

The Varsity Wrestling Team took first place at the West Coast Bradenton Manatee Tournament, third place at the Jensen Beach Invitational and they currently have a record of 12 -2 after defeating Boca Raton “Olympic Heights HS” at home by a score of 60-20.  Best of luck to Coach Husk and the team as they continue on in their season.

Athletic Director Mr. Mckeon and Principal Pugh proudly stand by the Greater Miami Athletic Conference Championship trophies that were recently sent to the school for the Columbus team victories in Bowling, Cross Country and Golf (football also won a GMAC Title in 2021 but trophy not pictured).   

$10,000 Collected for Marist Schools in Venezuela
Marist Teachers Helping Marist Teachers
In collaboration with the Ayuda a Educar organization, Columbus raised $10,000 for food supplies for teachers who work in Marist school in rural parts of Venezuela.  The food went to vocational schools which were created by Marist Brothers to provide children and young people with a basic education and vocational training so they can help support themselves and their families.  The money was raised mostly from the donations from the Columbus faculty and staff.  Special thanks to Br. Al, our Director of Service Learning. 

Christian Wilson Wins Drama Scholarship
Columbus drama student Christian Wilson has won a district drama scholarship for theater management.  Congratulations Christian!

Upcoming January Events to Remember
1/3:       Faculty and Staff Return to Campus After Christmas Break 
1/4:       Classes Resume
1/5:       Dangers of Vaping Lecture For Parents (6:30pm, Café)
1/4–12: MAP Assessments (English & Math)
1/12:     Electives Fair (8:00am, Gym)