Our Approach
Guided by the rich liberal arts tradition and teachings of the Catholic Church, the education at St. John Paul II Academy inspires a deep appreciation for beauty, a desire to pursue goodness, and love for the truth.
What does this actually mean for your kid?
We find God in creation and never tire of His wonders. Creation isn’t limited to just “nature” — though we do get outside as much as practicable — but also includes music, outer space, logic, and of course, humanity. So we developed a curriculum that fuses history, math, theology, science, music, and even P.E.
Sometimes subtly and sometimes obviously, it all points back to a Creator who loves us. Rigorous study prepares students for high school, college and the world (we are serious about this) and prepares them to be happy, holy adults who go to Heaven and bring others along, too.
As they grow older, our students are invited into the great dialogue of Western Civilization. Not just as observers in a sterile anthology: as much as possible, JPII engages with primary texts so that students become participants in that conversation. They grow as inheritors of a patrimony that really does belong to them.
We take field trips because they are opportunities for classmates to grow in love for the world and for each other.
And we believe that for the modern apostle, an hour of study is an hour of prayer.
These are just a few of our beliefs. JPII integrates all these beliefs and practices into a community culture that we think is unique in Omaha or anywhere. Below, you can get to know us better with some extended writings on our approach and some of the terms we use to describe it.
The Liberal Arts tradition
The liberal arts are a body of knowledge worth knowing for a complete and happy life.
They take their name from the Latin word liber, meaning free. A better name for this educational tradition might be “the arts of liberty.” What is it that we must know in order to be free people?
Traditionally, this body included seven fields: logic, grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. In classical times, these represented the fullness of human knowledge which would give the learner a full understanding of humanity’s place in the universe, their own place in humanity, and how to become prudent in human affairs. Sometimes this tradition is called “the humanities” or “humane letters” for this reason.
In short, the liberal arts tradition is a canon of works that teaches a certain attitude toward knowledge, freedom, and virtue. Will a liberal arts education “make” our kids virtuous? No. But it will prepare their hearts for the acceptance of virtue.
From our Kindergarten Montessori Atrium to our Upper School Socratic discussions, from music and choir lessons to philosophy and geometry classes, and from reverent participation in Mass to energetic field games and house competitions, the goal of integrating the Liberal Arts into the JPII curriculum is for students to become clear-minded, joyful men and women of action and good character.
For much more on the liberal arts approach, please see The Arts of Liberty by Dr. Matthew T. Mehan.
The Teachings of the Catholic Church
Christ came to earth as a man to teach us the Truth, so that the Truth might make us free. St. John Paul II Academy provides an education grounded in the liberal arts that is inherently designed to foster freedom. The integration of the teachings of the Catholic Church into the JPII Curriculum through daily Mass, theology classes, and Feast Day celebrations allows students to pursue freedom more fully than if they were to simply study the Liberal Arts alone.
Integrated Classical Curriculum
The Classical method of education is one that seeks to form the whole person - mind, body, and soul - and inspire the student to continually seek the good, true and beautiful. A Classical Education is typically divided into three stages known as the Trivium - Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.
The first stage of a Classical Education is known as the Grammar stage. This stage typically spans Kindergarten through 4th grade and during this stage, the foundations for all other learning are laid (phonics, grammar structures, the Catechism, science facts, math rubrics, etc.).
The second stage of Classical Education is known as the Logic stage, and typically spans 5th grade through 8th grade. During this stage, the student begins to observe the way facts learned in the Grammar stage fit together into a logical framework. They are able to see the relation between all their school subjects - for example, how mathematics can be paired with science to deepen research, or how great works of literature bring life to historical timelines.
The third stage of a Classical Education is known as the Rhetoric stage, and spans the high school years - 9th through 12th grade. In this stage, the student becomes proficient at expressing the framework they have worked to understand during the Logic stage. Students are able to elegantly engage with materials and articulate arguments, and are fully prepared at the conclusion of this stage to bring goodness, truth, and beauty to the outside world.
Following the Classical Method, each phase of the JPII education builds upon itself, forming students intellectually, morally, and physically in order that they may live holy and well-ordered lives.
We’re proud to be an ICLE Premier Member.
To learn a little more about Catholic liberal education, we invite you to watch the short video to the right from the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education.