Immaculate Heart of Mary School was awarded the title of “No Place for Hate” by the Anti-Defamation League.

Holli Levinson, ADL’s education project director, presented the award to Tricia DeWitt, principal, and Angela Walsh, school counselor, during an assembly on March 24.

“IHM School teaches that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore have dignity and are worthy of respect,” said DeWitt when she accepted the honor. The school also promotes moral virtues each month. Activities and prayers are used and awards are given to the students who best represent that particular virtue.

Every student signed a “Resolution of Respect Pledge” which is a promise to be kind and fair to everyone, and to tell a teacher if they see someone being bullied. In addition, IHM participated in school-wide projects throughout the year to promote tolerance.

“No Place for Hate” is part of the Anti-Defamation League’s diversity education program. This program empowers communities across the country to challenge prejudice and bigotry.

Marist student Julia Denniss is Georgia’s first three-time state spelling bee winner.

Denniss—Class of ’15—won the 50th annual Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee. She will go on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championships in Washington, D.C., this June.

Julia’s winning word was “planisphere.”

A short film by Sean Klooster, a 17-year-old junior at Pinecrest Academy, Cumming, is one of the entries in Goodness Reigns’ People’s Choice Award.

The videos are stories of Catholic faith created by and for youth and young adults to evangelize the world.

Klooster’s short film is titled “Letting Go.” It shows people how the sacrament of reconciliation can relieve the burdens people carry with them, he said. The inspiration for the film came from a lyric of a country song by singer Tim McGraw: “the weight of a 100-pound sack,” he said.

Everyone is invited to watch and vote at www.goodnessreigns.com/vote/ until May 1.

The winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive $1,000 in cash.

In January, filmmakers, from beginners to experts—ages 14 and older—submitted their videos for the Goodness Reigns: Share the Story short film contest. Contest winners in each award category will be announced April 1, and may choose to receive either all-inclusive travel packages to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain, or video equipment packages. The organization’s director is Suzanne Haugh, a contributor to The Georgia Bulletin. For more information on the specific award categories, visit www.goodnessreigns.com/contest-awards.php.

Once the contest ends, all films will remain online indefinitely as the webpage will serve as a growing repository of short films on the Catholic faith for catechists and the general public to access.

Geared specifically to reach youth and young adults, the competition presents an opportunity for the young church to grow in and share the Catholic faith by becoming digital witnesses.

Klooster, who attends Good Shepherd Church, Cumming, said he’d like to work in film as a career. He admires Steven Spielberg and among his favorite films are “Forrest Gump” and “Saving Private Ryan.”

His film has exterior shots of Atlanta’s Christ the King Cathedral and the inside of Pinecrest Academy chapel.

Said Klooster: “I just hope people can watch it and be moved by it.”

Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue joined the company of famous athletes who wore jersey number 00, like Oakland Raiders football center Jim Otto and Boston Celtics basketball center Robert Parish, when Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, presented him with a commemorative jersey on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, during a school assembly.

The jersey was presented to thank Archbishop Donoghue for his numerous contributions to the Archdiocese of Atlanta, but in particular for the gift of their school.

Archbishop Donoghue launched the “Building the Church of Tomorrow” campaign 14 years ago, which raised more than $100 million for the construction of new schools and Catholic campus centers, as well as endowments for the education of seminarians and for the retirement needs of priests.

Three Catholic elementary schools opened in 1999 and Blessed Trinity was one of two Catholic high schools to open in 2000.

“Archbishop Donoghue, you made it possible for our 1,400 alumni and 935 current students to receive the benefits of a Catholic high school education. Our gratitude for all you have done for Blessed Trinity and the Archdiocese of Atlanta cannot be measured, but as a small token of our esteem, we would like to present you with a football jersey numbered 00 to represent the year BT opened,” said Blessed Trinity principal Frank Moore.