Last Week at JPII - 09/14/26

This week JPII started up the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CSG) programs in the new Atrium in the St. Joseph Building.

September 14, 2026 - It’s been busy at St. John Paul II Academy! Here’s a look back at some of the highlights from last week, capturing the heart of life at JPII.

CGS is a Montessori-based method of Catechesis that invites children into deep contemplation and relationship with the Lord. JPII offers Level I and Level II CGS for Kindergarten - 3rd Grade.

Older students (familiar with the atrium) were excited to begin work right away, choosing materials such as the model altar, the Annunciation, and the Baptism work. Kindergarteners (new to the atrium) began with practical life works such as pouring water and rolling mats - tasks that lay the foundation for more complicated works in the atrium.

This week, Boys Leadership went on a bug hunt, finding a variety of critters such as cicadas, caterpillars, and a praying mantis. Girls Leadership painted their personal canvas bags to take on their adventures.

Ms. Seidl’s 8th grade science class built electroscopes - scientific instruments used to detect electric charges - using aluminum foil and mason jars! This project was part of their chapter on electrostatics, learning about charged particles and how the charges move.

Congrats to our 6th grade girls volleyball team on another win Friday night. Undefeated in their league thus far!

Great moments in the 9th & 10th grade classrooms last week: a student proudly admires her work after successfully proving Proposition 3 in Mr. Mellender’s Euclidean Geometry class. And Ms. Fletcher’s Church History Class took a look at the original encyclical defining of the Immaculate Conception (Ineffabilis Deus) to identify the four conditions of an “ex cathedra” statement.

And Ms. Potter brought a special treat from her uncle’s farm to the 1st grade - a whole corn stalk! Students enjoyed writing and sketching observations, as well as measuring their height against the stalk.

Hope you enjoyed this week in the life of JPII. Stay tuned for more glimpses in and out of the classroom as we continue to form saints, fully alive!