With the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year coming to an end, now is the time to look back at the many memories it brought to the Benet Academy community.
As summer ended, Redwings returned to Benet to begin the school year. The seniors began their final year of high school, while the freshmen were formally inducted into the Benet community. The freshmen participated in Froshfest to grow familiar with their schedule and meet some new friends. On the first Friday of the school year, Student Government held the annual Soc Hop in St. Daniel’s parking lot. In early October, the Homecoming dance and freshman mixer were held. Additionally, Benet students participated in three all-school masses throughout the first semester; featuring priests from various local parishes, the masses marked the start of the school year, All Saints’ Day, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The Redwings enjoyed some very successful sports’ seasons in the first half of the school year. The girls volleyball team placed second in the state for the fourth year in a row. Additionally, both the girls’ golf and tennis teams qualified for the state finals. On the boys’ side, the cross country team was crowned ESCC conference champions. Students were jubilant when they heard that the football team hired accomplished former NFL player James White as its new head coach. Additionally, twenty-six senior athletes proudly committed to play sports next year in college.
Moving on to performing arts, Benet had two plays during the first semester. Silent Sky, a story about women in astronomy, and Clue, based on the famous board game, both received good reviews. Additionally, the November Orchesis Dance Showcase highlighted Redwings dancers.
The first half of the school year concluded with the student-favorite Christmas Drive. The two-week event featured many exciting activities to raise money for the surrounding community. Some of these activities included a casino night, spirit days, and the famous beard-growing competition. Some teachers even sold snacks out of their classrooms, with Ms. Bates’ famous cupcakes again proving a big hit. Christmas Drive ended with an all-school assembly, featuring a student vs. teacher basketball game and the reveal of the amount of money raised. Students were thrilled to learn they had raised an amazing $81,000!
In summary, Benet had a very successful first semester, and hopes to replicate that in the second half of the school year.
