West Houston / Katy Catholic School Celebrates Milestone Anniversary
HOUSTON – St. John Paul II Catholic School (StJPII) will celebrate 30 years of excellence in Catholic education in the West Houston/Katy area when they open their doors to students this fall. Starting with five rented temporary buildings and 56 students in 1988, the school has grown to more than 700 students in pre-kindergarten through 8
th grade with a facility of more than 60,000 square feet. StJPII’s history is deeply rooted in their community of families, teachers, alumni and volunteers, so it is very appropriate that Principal Rebecca Bogard declared that the 2017-2018 school theme would be “Celebrating Our Community of Saints.” The school’s 1980’s-themed 30
th Anniversary “Don’t Stop Believin” Gala, chaired by parent Sally Clark and headlined by the Spazamatics band, will be the culmination of a year-long celebration of StJPII’s founding.
When school begins this year, students will be greeted by some new sights, including new 4
th-8
th grade Assistant Principal Dr. Michael Weinman. An experienced educator and himself a product of Catholic education, Dr. Weinman says he has “embraced the positivity, core values and growth mindset flowing through the hearts of the campus.” Additionally, thanks to a generous financial gift from the school’s PTO, every classroom on campus has gained “flexible learning spaces,” which include non-traditional furniture such as brightly-colored wobble chairs, small group tables, standing desks and whiteboard tables to enhance the students’ learning experiences. While much has changed since the school’s founding, what remains is StJPII’s firm commitment to their mission of “preparing all students spiritually and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.”