Student Standouts: Cai ’27, Best Buddies, Girls on the Run, Football, Boys Swimming
Faculty Feature: Baumgartner
Congratulations to this week’s standouts below. Way to go #RamNation! And as always, if you have a story to share, please email weeklynews@micds.org.
Seventh Grader Earns 1st Place at Piano Competition
Catherine Cai ’27 won first place in the Seventh Grade Piano Solo Competition held by the Missouri Music Teacher Association (MMTA)! “It was really fun to get together and compete with other great teen pianists,” Catherine shared. “I’m so excited that my hard work paid off!” The competition was held at the University of Missouri – Columbia on Sunday, November 14, 2021. Way to go, Catherine!
MICDS Best Buddies Hosts Friendsgiving
After not having an in-person event in almost two years, MICDS Best Buddies was thrilled to host Friendsgiving last weekend—and it was a huge success! “I think everyone who was able to make it had such a blast,” shared MICDS Best Buddies Co-Head Alex Johnson ’22. “There were loads of activities that we set up to keep everyone engaged: blow-up beach balls with starter questions, coloring sheets, hopscotch, cornhole, and a few others. ”
Thirteen MICDS students got to meet their buddies in person for the first time on Saturday. “It was a super fun event,” reflected MICDS Best Buddies Chapter President Anna Scott Baur ’22. “All of our members got to meet their buddies for the first time, and they found them by looking for whoever had their matching puzzle piece. We did a lot of Thanksgiving coloring sheets and dancing! Everyone had a great time, and it was so fun to be back together in person again.”
What is Best Buddies? It is an international organization that strives to normalize friendships between people with disabilities and people without them. Our MICDS students have committed to a one-to-one friendship with a person with a disability. They text/call at least once a week and get together at least twice per month, once on their own as a buddy pair and a second time as a group with other MICDS buddy pairs.
Happy Friendsgiving to our Best Buddies club and their friends!
Girls in Grades 3-6 Race in 5k
Saturday marked a very special day for many third- through sixth-grade girls at MICDS who participated in Girls on the Run this fall. What is Girls on the Run? It’s a national program and organization that teaches girls about empowering life lessons (i.e. empathy, perseverance, goal-setting, the power of words, friendship) while also simultaneously training them to run a 5-kilometer race. Although last year’s culminating race and season were held virtually, this year, the practices and the race were all held in person. On Saturday, November 13, an incredible 31 MICDS girls, their running buddies, and their coaches completed the 5-kilometer race in Forest Park! Way to go, girls!
During one of the practices leading up to race day, the entire MICDS campus was invited to participate in a practice 5k around Olson Hall and the adjacent grassy area. Check out some of the practice race fun below!
Thank you to all of the girls and the coaches (Sarah Keen, Ruth Rainey, Suzy Brauer, and Leslie Crais) for making Girls on the Run 2021 so much fun!
Football District Champions
Our MICDS Rams beat the Parkway North Vikings 42-6 to earn the Class 4 District 3 Football Championship title, our 15th district title, last Saturday! Read the recap of the game on STL Today here. Next up, the team competes in the quarterfinals against St. Dominic this Saturday.
MICDS Football Program Inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
The MICDS Football Program was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 14 during a wonderful event. Director of Athletics Josh Smith accepted the award on behalf of the program and there were a number of coaches including current Head Coach Dr. Fred Bouchard, some alumni players, Maggie Holtman (wife of the late Ron Holtman, former Head Coach), Head of School Jay Rainey, and two of our current captains. Way to go, Rams!
Boys Swimming Finishes Strong
The Rams competed in the Missouri Class 2 Boys Swimming Championships at St. Peters Rec-Plex last weekend. Congratulations to Lee Naber ’22 who finished with two runner-up finishes in the two events he won Class 1 titles in last year: the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle. He broke the school record in the 200 free and took second overall. Also in the finals, Ryan Mauney ’22 took 10th in the 200 free. Way to go, Rams!
Faculty Feature: MICDS Music Teacher Performs at Blues Game
Middle & Upper School Instrumental Music Instructor Josh Baumgartner performed with his band, Sweetie & The Toothaches, at last weekend’s St. Louis Blues ice hockey game! Baumgartner played the saxophone for the 20 songs that his band performed in front of 16,000 people. “It was really fun to play for such a large audience and for so many people that don’t know the style of music that we play well,” he shared. “Sweetie & The Toothaches plays a style of music that was very popular in the ’40s through ’60s called ‘Jump Blues.’ We also play a lot of boogie-woogie and blues.” He also said that it was really interesting to be playing for a sports event. “It reminded me of being in pep-band when I was in high school and college. It was an amazing experience, and I hope to continue to play bigger and better shows!”
Check out a sample of their performance below where Mr. Baumgartner has a solo in a couple of the tunes! Let’s Go Blues and let’s go, Mr. Baumgartner!