Last Week at JPII - 11/25/24

A 2nd grader cheers on the 8th graders at the Faculty-Student Volleyball game on Friday.

Nov 25, 2024 - It was a busy week 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.

On Friday, JPII teachers faced off against 8th graders for the annual Faculty-Student volleyball game. The 8th graders smoked the faculty during the first game, the faculty won the second game, and the final game went to the teachers at a close 27-25. Well played, everyone! The whole school enjoyed a half-time dance party doing The Interlude Dance. The dance was invented at UNI in 2010 and has been a tradition at their athletic events. JPII adopted it this year as a fun way to include the entire student body in athletic events.

5th and 6th grade dove into the art of map-making, creating detailed guides to unique worlds. Students are using various mediums for this project - ink, watercolor, and pencil. They have drawn inspiration from a wide variety of subjects, including various literary works ranging from Narnia to Winnie the Pooh’s 100 Acre Wood. Still others are creating maps for several real historic locations, from our great state of Nebraska to Ancient Jerusalem. One student is even creating a map of his backyard, but in the style of Tolkien! Once completed, their maps will be displayed in the front office of the school for all to admire. This project allows students to understand spatial relationships and patterns in the world, while also honing their creativity and eye for beauty.

Kindergarten took a trip to the Omaha Zoo! They enjoyed playing at the old Rosenblatt Stadium and going on a scavenger hunt through the Aquarium. They especially enjoyed the penguin enclosure, where they got to see the penguins being fed and learn about different penguins from a staff member.

Girls' Leadership learned how to use hammers and screwdrivers, and practiced their skills by making birdhouses. The girls are looking forward to decorating the houses over the next few weeks, and once completed, they will have the option to take the houses home or have them on campus.

Boys' Outdoor Leadership was hard at work this week practicing their sanding, carving, and wood-burning! Some of the boys have begun to work on personalizing their walking sticks that they will take on various outdoor adventures in the greater Omaha area.

It was also an exciting week for JPII’s high school. On Wednesday, the JPII 8th grade class joined the high school students for a shadow day. Following Mass, students enjoyed a philosophy class with Dr. Fletcher. After reading a piece on Beauty by Pope Benedict XVI with Mrs. Thorpe, students traveled to the Joslyn Museum and viewed six art pieces in light of the day’s readings. An engaging seminar class discussion took place in Sarah Joslyn’s original office in the museum. The week ended on a high note when, on Friday, High Schoolers got dressed up and attended the Catholic Homeschool Association of Omaha (CHAO) fall dance.

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!