Dear Saint Families,
Happy Summer! It is hard to believe that it is already the end of July and a new school year is quickly approaching. This certainly has been the strangest summer I have ever experienced. From planning a reopen plan to protect our community, graduating my senior and get her off to college, and making sure to take a little break, my mind and heart continue to be filled with hope and joy to bring our community back together again!
We need to share in the joy and love of our faith and our saint community. Throughout the summer, we have worked hard to get our campus ready for our little saints to return and welcoming our new saints! We have completed necessary maintenance and we were able to move forward with the completion of new carpet and cabinets in our Middle School classrooms to change the flow and function for our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Our Science Lab update is underway as well. We working through bids to ensure full completion of renovations for the fall of 2021; thank you for your continued support of this project! We have purchased a number of resources including Seesaw, i-station, ClassLink, and others along with protective equipment so that we create an enhanced educational experience and a safe environment as we navigate the changes this year.
Throughout this academic year, we will live out our motto in a very new way!
Be not afraid...
this school year will be a great one, we are growing in faith, knowledge and most of all virtue!
Our school theme this year is “Growing in faith and virtue.”
We are so excited to continue to grow as we implement a new virtues program where all of our students will focus on learning about a virtue each month, studying Saints and developing stronger relationships with Jesus to help us imitate His life and the virtues. It truly will be a remarkable year for all of us together growing as one Saint family.
And now, I am so grateful and excited to introduce our new staff to you, please see below!
In Him we trust,
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Principal
P.S. We will continue to share updates and communicate with parents in the coming weeks as we prepare for the start of school.
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Welcome to the StJPII Community...
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Marci Aldrett,
IPC Teacher
Marci Aldrett will be teaching Integrated Physics and Chemistry for 8th grade. Marci studied both her undergraduate and graduate degrees (M.B.A) at Texas A&M. After working as a pharmaceutical sales rep., she chose to stay at home with her four kids, Andrew, Marielle, Gianna and Annelise. Marci loves to spend time with her family, explore new places, read, and live life to the fullest. Marci lives in Katy with her husband, Salvador, kids, and Misty the dog, and attends St. Faustina Catholic Church. She has learned so much in her first year as a teacher and is ready to be back in the classroom to inspire kids to observe and understand the role of science in their everyday lives.
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Phoebe Castellano,
2nd Grade Teacher
Phoebe is beyond excited to begin teaching at St. John Paul II! She is a San Antonio native who recently moved to Houston with her husband Jake and fur babies, Rocky and Adrian. Phoebe graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and previously taught at a Catholic school in San Antonio. She has taught first grade for the past 5 years and early childhood for 2 so she is very excited to start a new chapter in 2nd grade.
In her free time, Phoebe enjoys crafting, baking, visiting museums, and exploring the outdoors with her husband. She is looking forward to her new life in Houston, making new friends, and finding delicious new places to eat.
Phoebe is thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful community and looks forward to an amazing year!
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Erin Colford,
7th Grade Science and 8th Grade Math Teacher
Hello students and families of St. John Paul II! My name is Erin Colford and I am so excited to be joining the StJPII team this year in middle school teaching 7th grade science, and 8th grade math! Erin is originally from New Hampshire and went to college in Massachusetts at Stonehill College where she studied education and environmental science, but moved to Houston two years ago to get her teaching certification through Relay Graduate School of Education. She attended Catholic schools from 1st grade - college and have always been proud to carry her Catholicism with her wherever she goes. Erin is excited to teach, learn, and live out the gospel alongside a community of people who share her faith. Even though she lives in Texas now, she will ALWAYS be a fan of the Boston Red Sox and the Patriots, but can occasionally catch her cheering for the Astros. In her free time she loves to run, hike (or any athletic activity), try new coffee shops, and read! Erin cannot wait to meet you all and to officially be a part of the StJPII community!
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Noreen Dooley,
Technology Coordinator
It is with great excitement and honor that Noreen is joining St. John Paul II Catholic School as the new Technology Coordinator! She began her teaching career in 2000, and since then taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade in Quinlan ISD, Bryan ISD, and Katy ISD. In addition, she has served as a K-5th grade Instructional Technology Specialist in Bryan ISD, a PreK-12th grade Digital Learning Coach in Lamar CISD and a 6th-12th grade Classroom Technology Designer in Katy ISD. She is also a Professional Learning Specialist for the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE), which is a non-profit organization that supports educators in the successful integration of digital resources and innovative teaching practices worldwide.
She is a Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Master Trainer, Global Minecraft Education Edition Mentor and a Google Certified Educator. She received my Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State University and her Master's degree in Educational Technology from Texas A&M University. When she's not at work she loves traveling and spending time with her husband and two daughters (ages 12 and 15).
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McKenna Martin,
Pre-K Teacher
Hello! I am McKenna Martin and I am so excited to join the StJPII family this year! I have taught Pre K4 and Kindergarten in the Archdiocese for 5 years. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma where I danced for a couple of different dance companies and then went on to dance for Disney Cruise Line. After my time with Disney I discovered what I really wanted to do, teach! I retired from dancing and moved back home to Houston and found my love for teaching. My husband Ryan and I got married in 2018 and last August we welcomed our son, Brady. Ryan, Brady, Riley (our puppy) and I love spending time outside with our friends and family. I am very excited to meet all of you and am looking forward to an amazing and fun year.
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Monica Morales,
3rd
Grade Teacher
Monica is a certified PK-4th grade elementary teacher with 9 years of experience teaching Kindergarten, First Grade and Fourth Grade. Prior to joining StJPII, she worked at Spring Branch ISD, abroad with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools at Lakenheath Air Force Base in England and Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, and began her teaching career with Austin ISD as a bilingual teacher. Monica has also been teaching CCE at St. John Vianney for the past few years. She enjoys experiencing different cultures, cooking and baking. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, and a Master degree in Bilingual Education, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. She has two sons who currently attend StJPII.
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Eric Olson '98,
6th Grade Social Studies and Religion Teacher
Eric Olson is our new 6th grade Social Studies and Religion teacher. He is an StJPII Alum from the Class of 1998. He is also a graduate of Strake Jesuit and Texas State University. Additionally, he completed his M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. He has spent most of his career working in education: teaching Social Studies, working in Campus Ministry and coaching both football and baseball.
Eric, his wife and three children are moving back to Houston after spending the last 4 years living outside of Detroit. (Don’t worry, he's still a huge Houston sports fan.) They definitely missed the sunshine and Tex-Mex food and can’t wait to join the StJPII community.
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Sara Schoppe,
3rd Grade Teacher
Sara Schoppe is excited to start her first year as a third grade teacher at St. John Paul II Catholic School. Sara will teach religion and social studies. She originally hails from Michigan where she went to a Catholic elementary, middle and high school with her four siblings, the oldest of which is a priest, Fr. Allen Alexander, MIC. She continued her Catholic education in college at Franciscan University where she earned her BS in Mathematics and Education. She moved to Texas in the late summer of 2014 to start teaching for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Shortly after moving to Houston, she met her best friend and husband, Matthew and they have been married now for 3 years. In our free time we enjoy camping, road trips, and visiting Matthew’s alma mater, Texas A&M for football games. I love anything Christmas, baking, and watching movies. I have a passion for teaching and helping others grow in their faith, so I am excited to be a part of StJPII community!
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Other Staff Reassignments:
- Ryan Schwab – Elementary Assistant Principal
- Suzy de Leon – Dean of Curriculum & Instruction
- Jessica Fannin - 4th grade Math/Science
- Sarah Kushner – 6th grade Math/7th grade Math & Pre-Algebra
- Andrea Moniaci – 2nd grade
- Christine Ulery - Kindergarten
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As we begin the 2020-2021 school year together, you can be certain that StJPII will always put our Lord and the health and safety of our community first. School administration continues to plan for an on-time and in-person start on
August 18, 2020.
We understand that each of our families have unique circumstances and if you would like to request Remote Learning for your child(ren) the
submission deadline is August 3.
Please click on the button below to view the StJPII Plan to Reopen Campus Covid Handbook which includes details about our instructional plans, mitigation practices, frequently asked questions, and more.
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Thank you to all of our generous donors for giving to the 2019-2020 Annual Fund! Please click below for our current list of St. John Paul II benefactors. Every gift, no matter the amount, makes a positive difference in the lives of our students. As we are gearing up for the new year, be on the lookout for information on our 2020-2021 Annual Fund Drive, which will kick off on September 9!
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- Middle School Math: PG 17 Middle school math will be following an honors track and placed in leveled Math courses.
- Missed Assignments: PG 19 If a student is absent more than three days due to illness, a parent may request missed assignments.
- Tom Bevans Award: PG 21 Tom Bevans’ Award- a virtues in practice program will be implemented in all grade levels to grow our students in faith and virtues. One student will be selected annually and awarded The Tom Bevans’ Award to honor and recognize the student for exemplary work toward growing in their virtues.
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IXL Log-On Information
In preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, the school has purchased some new digital resources (including ClassLink which is a single sign-on/one stop shop for all StJPII digital resources). Therefore, IXL accounts have been updated for consistent logins across all platforms.
IXL Usernames
- All IXL usernames now follow this format:
- First initial, last name, last two digits of graduation year
- For example: Noreen Dooley is graduating from StJPII in 2025. So her username would be ndooley25.
Older students may already be familiar with this format because their new username is the same as their email address.
IXL Passwords
- Most passwords have remained the same.
- However, if a student is using the new username format and their password is no longer working, please try the password "jp2student".
If a student is still experiencing log in issues, please contact our new Technology Coordinator, Noreen Dooley –
ndooley@jp2.org
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this updating process.
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Cafeteria Service
ECI Management runs our school cafeteria and together with them we are taking all possible precautions to assure the safety of the students and staff. Concerning Food Service, ECI has developed a back of house plan as well as an alternative to cafeteria service that enables them to safely serve our students with proper distancing. Part of the classroom delivery option will be an online ordering system to prevent gatherings in the GSC. Please click the letter below for more information.
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Before and After School Care Program
The Before and After School Program (BASP) will begin on
Tuesday, September 2
to ensure we are appropriately staffed to accommodate social distancing.
New parents may sign up for our Before and After School Program at the Ice Cream Social, however, current families must sign up by clicking the registration form below. For more information, see the Parent Student Handbook or contact BASP Director
Leticia Velasco.
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Used Uniform Sale
The Used Uniform Sale is on
August 7 from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m
. on the Fischer Pavilion. Proceeds will benefit the Class of 2021.
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6th Grade Chromebooks
As a parent of a middle schooler, it is evident that cyberspace has replaced the woods we grew up with. In the spirit of keeping your children safe, StJPII requires parents of students entering 6th grade and/or new to our campus to take the CMGConnect Internet safety video course prior to checking out Chromebooks this school year. This will assist you in protecting your kids from Internet dangers, and better guide them to wise choices in this technologically paced world. Please use the following link within the sample register response below to access. You will be required to submit your certificate (pdf) to
Dr. Weinman (
mweinman@jp2.org
) by August 14th.
Once received, the Chromebook will be issued to your child following the Middle School orientation/technology acceptable use policy sessions. Thank you for your support as we continue to prioritize your child’s safety and spirituality!
Thank you for registering for the
CMGConnect Parent portal
. We commend you for taking this step to protect your family online! Now that you are registered, your next steps are to:
- View the Safe Haven video (approx. 18 minutes)
- Complete the quiz (approx. 2 minutes)
- Submit your certificate
Keep the Faith,
Dr. Weinman
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Middle School Math
St. John Paul II Catholic School strives to provide the most rigorous Catholic education for our children. Prior to Christmas Break, the administration contracted Rice University to review our current Middle School math curriculum sequencing and resources. Teachers and administrators spent the day vertically aligning Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (state standards) to safeguard transitional gaps and ultimately ensure Algebra readiness. After prayerful consideration and based on current student data, it was evident that providing leveled courses in Middle School mathematics is the next step in supporting each student’s learning capacity and academic growth. Mathematics courses in 7th and 8th grade will offer an Honors path, while 6th grade sections will rigorously differentiate within the TEKS curriculum framework. Students who meet specific criteria during 6th and 7th grade will be placed into Honors level classes going forward. (Please see overview of MS Math program shown below). In order to stay in the Honors program, students must maintain an 80% or better in their Honors class.
Honors mathematics placement will take into account several points of data from your child’s last three years. The following may be used by members of the math department and administration to determine placement:
• IOWA/CogAT
• End of Year Exam
• Teacher Recommendation
• Course Grades
In August, you will receive a placement letter indicating which math section your child is scheduled for this upcoming year. We look forward to your partnership in this curriculum transition. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
Dr. Weinman.
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Volunteer Approval Process
We love our volunteers! If you wish to volunteer during the upcoming school year, you must be volunteer approved.
Click here
to go to our website for a checklist on how to become volunteer approved. For first time volunteers, you will see that processing the paperwork will take
four to six weeks
to complete, so don’t delay!
If you wish to volunteer this year click
on the button below.
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Join the PTO - Letter from the President
On behalf of the PTO Board and Committee Chairs, welcome back to the 2020-21 school year! What an interesting year we have ahead of us! With it all, I know that the StJPII community will “Grow in Faith and Virtue”.
As always, all parents at StJPII are a part of the PTO. One of the many fabulous things about StJPII is our wonderful community. Our PTO has a rich history in providing student programs and support to our school. With this said, it takes a village and we would love your help. We have opportunities that are big and small for everyone!
Be not afraid….
to volunteer!
We can’t wait to make new memories with you!
Here’s to a happy and healthy school year,
Victoria Forkner
2020-21 PTO President
Please click the button below to review the 2020-2021 Parent Opportunities Handout. Sign up for these opportunities will be available at a later date. If you are interested in serving as a Room Parent Coordinator, please send an email by clicking the Interested in becoming a Room Parent Coordinator below.
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Ice Cream Social
All NEW Families are invited:
Sunday, August 16, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
in the BAC/GSC (gym and cafeteria).
Orient new families, pick up uniforms/carpool tags, register for BASP, get information for after-school clubs, sign up to volunteer for PTO Committees, snack on ice-cream, and meet fellow StJPII SAINTS!
Arrival Times by Last Name (to foster social distancing):
- A through L Last Names - arrive starting at 2:00 p.m. and leave no later than 3:00 p.m.
- M through Z Last Names - arrive starting at 3:00 p.m. and leaving no later than 4:00 p.m.
This year, we ask that Ambassadors not attend due to social distancing and limited numbers for the Ice Cream Social. In lieu of attending in person, all Ambassadors should call their new families ahead of time and welcome them to StJPII.
Additionally, please make sure you place all your Spirit Store orders in advance for pick up only at Ice Cream Social.
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Teacher Video in lieu of Meet and Greet
The traditional Meet and Greet will not take place in person. Instead, each homeroom teacher will send out a welcome video to their students. Details about when to pick up your carpool tags and casual uniform orders will be sent at a later time.
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Virtual Parent Nights
Sept. 2 - PreK, Kindergarten, Middle School Parents
Sept. 3 - 1st-5th Grade Parents
Parents nights will be virtual this year and further details will be coming soon. Parents will have the opportunity to hear about your child(ren)'s academic year.
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Elementary
WHCSA, our elementary sports league, is still considering the soccer schedule. They have not come to a final decision as to whether they will not have soccer season at all, or option 2, to combine it with the winter basketball season.
Middle School
The GHCAA, our governing league for middle school athletics, has decided to postpone all middle school sports until after January 1st. As of today, they are working on how to integrate the fall sports into the winter and spring schedules. As they update us we will inform you of the adjustments.
Additionally, we have decided to postpone ALL camps, which includes soccer, football, and volleyball as well as soccer and volleyball tryouts until further notice. We hope and we pray, and will be thankful for whatever God sends our way! For more information, you may contact Elementary Athletics Director,
Mary Beth Hewitt
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St. John Paul II Catholic School
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1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
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