JPII Vision 2016

pope john paul ii high schoolA Strategic Plan for 2011-2016

Vision

2016

“The Glory of God is thehuman person fully alive.”

—St. IrenaeuS

Dear JPII Community,My thanks and commendation to all who have worked

so long and so hard to create this plan for the school and

future generations of students.

pope john paul ii high school has enjoyed the well

deserved reputation of excellence since its inception and

has added so much to the Diocese and to the nashville

and hendersonville communities as well.

i wish the Board, the faculty, the parents and students much success in the

fruitful implementation of Vision 2016.

Wishing you every blessing, i am,

sincerely in christ,

MoSt rev. DavID r. Choby

bIShop of naShvIlle

Dear Parents, Students, and Friends, on behalf of all those who have shared their ideas with

us on the creation of this strategic plan, i am pleased to

present you with Vision 2016.

since its founding in 2002, pope john paul ii high

school has endeavored to prepare students to be

“strong in mind, body, character, and spirit for lives

of learning and service, according to the gospel” (our

mission statement). our goal is to help students become

Renaissance men and women whose lives are oriented

to the service of others. We want them to aim high! We desire that our students

glorify god by using the talents he has given them to their maximum abilities—to

become scholars and not merely students, to become saints and not merely believers.

Vision 2016 is a concretization of these lofty ideals as pope john paul ii high school

looks to its future. May our work together cultivate a passion for scholarship,

curiosity, creativity, and faith in the lives of our students.

sincerely,

fauStIn n. Weber, heaDMaSter

January 1, 2011

in 2006, through the leadership of the Board of Trustees and school administration, pope john paul ii high school instituted a planning process that culminated in a document titled Vision 2010, which has governed our actions since that time. The Board reaffirms the core principles from Vision 2010 which remain foundational to the mission of jpii:

What We Believe

We Believe Service to Others is Fundamental to our Vocations as Christiansour school must never become an enclave,

protected from the needs and aspirations of the

poor and marginalized, especially our fellow

christians. We must welcome and serve all who

are sent to us; indeed, we must seek out those in

need and those who are marginalized in our quest

to know and love the god revealed in christ.

We Regard Teaching as a VocationThe mark of a great catholic school is its faculty

and staff, who exhibit a love for students and

testify not only by what and how they teach, but

also by their selfless service to and love for their

students. in so expending themselves, they fulfill

their vocations as educators.

We Seek to Build a Community of StewardshipFor a school to live out its mission, it needs the support of a wide community of friends and

benefactors. all of our stakeholders must participate actively and contribute generously in order

for our school to become a diverse and resourceful community dedicated to learning and service.

We must deploy our human and financial resources in ways which clearly reflect and promote the

mission and goals of the school and ensure the long-term viability of our school.

Students load more than 17,400 food items for Second Harvest Food Bank

Students tutor at Smithson Craighead Academy

4 Vision 2016 : What We Believe

Our Purpose is Explicitly Dedicated to Christour school is explicitly dedicated to serving christ as he encounters and transforms individuals and

their culture. christ, in Whom humanity reaches its fullness, is then the model and standard for all

the activities of our school.

We Recognize the Dignity and Importance of Each Personour faith inspires us to acknowledge and respect the dignity and importance of each human person.

Because of god’s love, every person is created in the image of god and called in christ to holiness

and shared enjoyment of Truth. Therefore, all students are to be challenged and supported to develop

the particular talents with which god has endowed them and to dedicate these gifts to the service

of their neighbors.

We are Dedicated to the Pursuit of Truth through AcademicsWe believe the purpose of catholic education is to know and love god, pursue truth in the service

of love, provide a curriculum that is academically challenging, and offers multiple approaches to

understand and appreciate the truth and goodness of creation and the splendor of the creator.

Vision 2016 : What We Believe 5

Promote a vibrant Catholic, Christian community that leads students to Christ.

catholic schools are called to cooperate with god’s grace in the lives of their students to

encourage a living encounter with christ. Through their liturgies, common prayer, study,

and service initiatives, students should be immersed in a culture where the spiritual life and

the life of faith are so pervasive that it is natural and, to a certain extent, unnoticed—almost

like breathing. in essence, this is the great gift of a catholic school: that the practice of faith

is not an isolated “sunday obligation,” but an integral part of daily life, providing meaning,

direction, and synthesis to the fragments of a teenager’s busy life. in this goal, we welcome

the participation of students and families of all christian faiths, united in service to the

gospel of jesus christ.

inspired by these principles, the Board has established six priorities for Vision 2016. These priorities direct the initiatives which follow.

The Byzantine Christ in the JPII Chapel

“ First and foremost every

Catholic educational

institution is a place to

encounter the living God

who in Jesus Christ reveals

His transforming love and

truth. In this way those

who meet Him are drawn

by the very power of the

Gospel to lead a new life

characterized by all that is

beautiful, good, and true;

a life of Christian witness

nurtured and strengthened

within the community of

our Lord’s disciples.”

— pope beneDICt, April 17, 2008

What We Will Do

6 Vision 2016 : What We Will Do

in central Tennessee. We reaffirm our commitment

to the christian service internship program.

Moving forward, we seek to link our christian

service initiatives to parish and church efforts to

serve the poor and marginalized, so as to more

explicitly connect students’ school lives with their

local churches.

Become a Center for Scholarly Engagementjpii is blessed by its many benefactors and its cross

connections with parents and supporters. To assist

in building a vibrant faith community, jpii seeks

to become a center for scholarly engagement in

service to the Diocese of nashville and to the

broader christian community of central Tennessee.

The “ink and Blood” exhibit in the spring of

2010 and the annual “John paul ii Distinguished

lecturer” series are examples of this initiative. We

will sponsor symposiums, create alliances with

area universities for colloquiums for our students,

and host local experts for scholarly discussions of

contemporary issues for the purpose of advancing

the cause of ecumenism and scholarship in accord

with our namesake, pope john paul ii.

Link our Christian Service Internships with Area Church Initiativesas part of Vision 2010, we required that each

student give 40 hours of direct service to the

marginalized. each year, jpii students provide

more than 25,000 hours of service to charitable

agencies in the Metro nashville area, inspiring our

students to put the needs of others before their

own. They have become a formidable force for good

Ink and Blood Exhibit

Distinguished Lecturer George Weigel with Faustin Weber and

Bishop Choby

Students experiencing an outdoor Mass

faith initiatives

Continue to Seek New Opportunities for Worship and Prayerjpii hosts weekly Mass for all of its students,

supported by the commitment of area priests

and organized by the school’s chaplain. Moving

forward, we will continue to make it a priority

to expose students to the wide diversity of

liturgical practices and devotions within our

christian heritage, including scripture services,

penance services, opportunities for silent prayer

and adoration, and devotions. We believe that

by introducing students to the richness of our

christian tradition, we will encourage them to

lead lives of greater prayer and reflection.

Improve the Pastoral Care of Freshman StudentsTransitioning to high school, building new

friendships, stepping up to higher level

expectations, discovering one’s talents, and finding

one’s niche all contribute to making freshman

year difficult, regardless of which high school one

attends. in 2010, we piloted a “Freshman Year of

studies” program to assist our freshmen in making

this transition, premised on the belief that they

need extra pastoral care. The program was highly

successful, yielding better grades, greater student

satisfaction, and lower attrition rates. We wish to

institutionalize FYs as part of Vision 2016.

Recommend a Study of Area Parishes jpii will recommend that the Diocese of nashville

perform a study of north nashville parishes

relative to catholic schools.

faith initiatives


Support academic initiatives that extend the tradition of excellence for our students.

academic initiatives

Deepen and Broaden our Foreign Language Programjpii students are required to take one of three languages (French, spanish, or latin) for a minimum

of three years, the most ambitious language requirement among nashville’s high schools. Beginning

in 2010, we introduced a fourth-year ap elective in spanish and will explore adding ap electives

in latin and French to deepen our curriculum further. in addition, because Mandarin chinese

is the most spoken language in the world, we will explore adding Mandarin as an elective in

our curriculum.

Adopt a “Modeling” Approach in our Science ProgramBegun in chemistry as a pilot program in 2009, with excellent results and positive feedback from

our students, “model-based instruction” will become the norm for our science program. “Modeling”

rejects the follow the recipe formula typical of the traditional lab manual and instead asks students to

approach their learning like scientists—developing conceptual models from the data and observations

they make during labs which they must then explain and defend to their teachers and classmates.

Research indicates “modeling” leads students to a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and

empowers them to communicate ideas with greater facility and accuracy. Because of its emphasis

on interpretation of experimental data and analysis of graphs and charts, we believe it will also pay

dividends for our students on college entrance exams such as the acT and saT, which measure

these skills.

10 Vision 2016 : What We Will DoInterpretation of data in science class

“ The greater danger for

most of us lies not in

setting our aim too high

and falling short; but in

setting our aim too low,

and achieving our mark.”

— MIChelangelo

What We Will Do

Scholar research in the Puryear Library

College Fair Day in the JPII Gymnasium

Develop a School Wide Writing InitiativeThe writing initiative will cultivate students’

writing abilities by creating opportunities for

students to practice and publish their writing.

The initiative will foster students’ analytical and

creative writing skills by supporting professional

development and common planning opportunities

for teachers whose subjects require written

assessments. jpii’s english department will

facilitate student writing workshops, before and

after school, on topics like “the college essay”;

offer tutorial writing labs for essay revisions

and rewrites; and promote student publishing

opportunities, including a literary magazine, a

catholic schools’ Week essay contest, a poetry

contest, and the library’s Writer’s café. jpii will

explore possible use of online writing programs

that will support efforts to individualize writing

instruction and allow for collaborative learning

opportunities, and peer/teacher feedback for

effective revision.

Seek Partnerships with Area Universities and Collegesnashville is blessed to have excellent universities

and colleges, many of which offer outreach

programs and research opportunities for high



school students. We will actively seek to connect

our students to these programs and invite these

schools to partner with jpii in joint initiatives

to augment the academic opportunities for

our students.

Introduce a JPII Scholar Research ElectiveTrue scholarship can be ably demonstrated in

independent research during which students dig

into a topic over an extended period of time. For

upperclassmen with aptitude and demonstrated

independence, we will offer a “jpii scholar

Research” option as an elective in their class

schedules. They will be guided by a teacher and

their final research project will be assessed by a

panel of judges and/or published in journals.

Expand Access to APThe advanced placement curriculum exposes

students to the best curriculum available at the

high school level, sanctioned and monitored by

the nation’s best teachers under the auspices of

the college Board. approximately 70% of all

students at jpii have completed at least one ap

course by their graduation. Research indicates that

students who take ap courses are more successful

in college, even when compared to students with

similar entrance test scores. For these reasons, we

will adjust our curriculum so that 100% of our

students take at least one ap course matching

their talents prior to their graduation, so that

the scholarship ap courses will catapult them to

success in college and beyond.

Formalize our Tutorial Programit is not enough to have high standards. We must

also help students stretch to reach those standards

and provide assistance to them when they need

encouragement and one-on-one instruction.

paying for outside tutors is costly and these tutors

must learn about our curriculum to be effective.

jpii began a free tutorial program for students

in 2010 which we are now formalizing as part of

Vision 2016. each department will provide faculty

before and after school to help students who seek

it out. if students are atheletes or have other after

school responsibilities, they have the option to

come before school for help.

Develop Further the Effectiveness of our College Counseling Program Recognizing the advantage of applying early for

college acceptance (through the early action/early

decision admissions process), the jpii college

counseling office will support initiatives that help


Vision 2016 : What We Will Do 13

seniors move up their time table for applying to

college, including fall sponsorship of overnight

college tours, day trips to regional universities,

saturday morning “jump start” sessions to help

seniors begin the application process, the october

college Fair at jpii (now with more than 130

colleges), on-campus college visits, and the use of

advanced software to aid students and families in

the application process.

Strengthen our International Travel ProgramWe believe that travel to other countries broadens

our students’ horizons and helps them better

understand their own culture. students at jpii

are afforded many opportunities for travel. Most

notably, we have a sister-school relationship with

st. edmund’s in england that allows selected

students to spend three weeks there as part of

the loughlin exchange program. We have also

sponsored tours to paris, Rome, and Quebec in the

recent past. We will create a two-year international

travel cycle that outlines upcoming trips to assist

families in their planning. in addition, we will seek

to add a mission trip to an underdeveloped country

for the purpose of serving the poor and helping

our students better understand the systemic effects

of poverty.



Create a Four Year Curricular Cycle for Systematic Renewal of the Curriculum as a means of systematizing changes in our

curriculum and the textbooks we use, each

department will be guided by a four-year review

cycle with specific goals each year, including

analyses of standardized test data, trends in

technology and software, new textbooks, and

authentic assessments, all for the purpose of

keeping each departmental area aligned with best

practices in its discipline.

Create a Competitive Forensics and Debate TeamWe believe a strong debate program will provide

an exciting extracurricular option for our students

and give them another venue in which to excel.

uncoupling forensics from our drama program

will give our forensics program the opportunity to

flourish, even when the fall and spring play dates

are proximate to forensic competitions.

Upgrade Students’ Technological Optionsjpii will undergo a major technological upgrade

in the summer of 2011 to support students in

their studies, giving them access to state of the art

computers, resources, and on-line tools.

Vision 2016 : What We Will Do 15


Offer Students More Distance Learning OpportunitiesThe emergence of distance learning technology to

supplement our core curriculum opens unlimited

possibilities for our students. We will begin offering

acT and saT prep electives using software available

through this medium and will continue to explore

other options that refine and extend the reach of our

curricular program.

Inspire and support excellent teaching.

professional development initiatives

Establish an Optimal Teaching Load for Full Time FacultyTeachers who are involved in the extracurricular life of the school through moderating clubs, coaching,

and sponsoring academic teams are powerful examples to students of the Renaissance men and women

we hope our students will become. We also want these teachers to have time for planning excellent

lessons, to be available to give students extra help through tutorials, and to return graded work to

students in a timely fashion. The Board recognizes that significant planning time is needed to help

teachers balance their commitments and will prioritize significant planning time and optimum class

sizes in the budgetary process.

Enhance Professional Development OpportunitiesTo keep teachers abreast of the best practices in their fields, jpii will invest in its teachers and

significantly enhance its professional development funding.

Provide Teachers with First Tier Technology Tools to be Effectiveall teachers will be given new laptops or desktops as part of Vision 2016, along with access to software

and curricular materials to support effective practices.

Conduct Annual Performance Reviews in addition to routine classroom observations, the headmaster and/or Dean of academics will conduct

annual performance reviews of all jpii faculty.

Introduce Merit Bonusesjpii will award merit raises to its most outstanding faculty on the basis of the annual performance

review to reward and sustain excellent teaching.


“ The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher

demonstrates. The great

teacher inspires.”

— WIllIaM arthur WarD

What We Will Do

Enhance the culture of stewardship and philanthropy.

stewardship initiatives

Seek Additional Means of Support for our “Fund for Excellence” Appealjpii is blessed with parents who are generous. We realize they are also at a point in their family life

when their expenses are at their highest. While maintaining our current parental giving levels at 60%

or more, we also will seek to supplement our appeal with gifts from past parents, alumni, friends,

and foundations.

Create a JPII Alumni Clubjpii is proud of its alumni and desires to keep them connected to the life of the school. We will create

a regular newsletter for all alumni, promote and sponsor numerous alumni functions, and hire an

alumni director to oversee these and other initiatives.

Establish an Endowment Fund for JPII Though jpii is a young school, a robust endowment fund is essential for it’s long-term health. The

Board hereby establishes an endowment fund and will seek means to fund it, both through ordinary

means (the operational budget) and extraordinary means (planned gifts, bequests, and other gifts).


“ Instruct them to do good,

to be rich in good works,

to be generous and ready

to share, storing up for

themselves the treasure of

a good foundation for the

future, so that they may

take hold of that which is

life indeed.”

— I tIMothy 6:18-19

Alumni at Homecoming

Freshmen girls enjoying their lunch break

What We Will Do

Make JPII “Green.”

environmental initiatives

Conduct an Energy Audit and Form a “Green Team”conservation of energy, water, paper, and other resources is not only good fiscal

policy, it is also responsible stewardship of god’s gifts to us. During the next five

years, we will make a significant commitment to reduce energy costs. We will

conduct an energy audit and create a metric to measure progress which will be

routinely reviewed by the Director of Finance and operations, headmaster, and

Board. in addition, we will form a “green Team” of students and faculty to inspire

responsible conservation and stewardship of school property and resources by our

students and staff during the school day. We will celebrate our successes in these

efforts as we improve.


“ Look with wonder at the

Creator because of the

beauty He has placed and

keeps in existence. Only

this humility before the

grandeur and mystery of

creation can save man from

the ill-fated consequences of

his own arrogance.”

— pope John paul II

What We Will Do


“ Architecture, of all the arts, is the one

that acts the most slowly, but the most

surely, on the soul.”

— erneSt DIMnet

What We Will Do

classroom, involves more than 150 students.

our 2-D and 3-D classrooms are crowded. put

simply, we’ve outgrown our space. We need an

additional classroom for 2-D art, an expanded

3-D studio, a computer lab, a multi-use room

that can double as a lecture hall or a site for

one-act plays, a large choral room with taller

ceilings and auxiliary practice rooms, and an

additional classroom for our theater program.

Develop a Comprehensive, Long-Term Master Facility Planall future expansions of jpii should be done

within the context of a master plan so that our

property can be developed to the fullest extent

possible. included in our long-term dreams

are more classrooms, additional science labs,

a faculty lounge, offices, an outside eating

area, a walking trail, beautification alongside

Vietnam Veteran’s Blvd., indoor batting cages

for baseball and softball, an amphitheater, and

other amenities.

Develop facilities to further support our academic, artistic, and athletic programs.

Upgrade Athletic Fields and Facilitiesin just nine years, jpii has built a robust

athletic program which competes favorably at

the highest levels in Tennessee. as participation

rates have grown and sports (such as lacrosse)

have reached a level of popularity unforeseen

when the school was built, so must our facilities

grow to support these teams. The Board has

prioritized the building of public restrooms

and concessions to serve our outside athletic

venues. in addition, we need a track to support

our track and field program, scoreboards

and bleachers for lacrosse, bleachers for

soccer, additional sidewalks, lighting, and

drainage/landscaping work.

Expand the Fine Arts CenterThe success of our fine arts programs, with

four distinct tracks in theater, chorus, visual

arts and instrumental music, has exceeded

our founders’ most optimistic forecasts. our

choral program, operating out of a traditional

facility initiatives

Thank You

about jpii

pope john paul ii high school was founded in 2002 by Bishop edward Kmiec to serve the diocese of nashville and the citizens of Middle Tennessee. in just nine years, it has grown to become the second largest non-public high school in the nashville area, with a 2010-2011 enrollment of 615 students hailing from ten counties and supported by bus routes to clarksville, gallatin, hermitage, lebanon, Mount juliet, nashville (West end), and Bowling green, Ky.

consistent with a classical, liberal arts education, all students take a minimum of four years of Math, english, Theology, and history and at least three years of science, Foreign language, and the arts. students may choose between the advanced placement, advanced, or standard core levels, giving each student the opportunity to be successful. Twenty advanced placement courses are available for potential college credit, whereas options in the arts include Theater, chorus, instrumental Music, or 2-D/3-D art. For information on the academic program and its results, visit: jp2hs.org/facts.

The school offers students a rich array of extracurricular choices. student athletes play at the highest level of competition in the state of Tennessee (Division ii). since the school’s founding, jpii teams have won four state championships and competed in numerous state finals and final fours. students perform in jazz bands, theater productions and choral concerts. They compete against other schools in science olympiad, Math Teams, college Model united nations, Debate, and Youth in government contests.

For more information on the school, its students, and its programs,call or visit the school’s website at the address below.

pope John paul II hIgh SChool

117 CalDWell DrIve

henDerSonvIlle, tn 37075615-822-2375

www.jp2hs.org

JPII is grateful for the time and effort the following individuals put into creating Vision 2016.

JPII BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Mr. William Wood,

Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Mr. john Zobl,

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Mr. Thomas Mccarthy, Secretary of the Board

Mr. jay hoover, Treasurer

Rev. William s. Bevington, Chaplain to the Board

Mr. edward a. overbey, jr.

Rev. john sims Baker

Mr. eugene n. Bulso, jr.

Mrs. janet carr

Mr. scott gettelfinger

Mrs. Diane huggins

Mr. Rick isaacson

Mrs. susan jones

Mr. ed leonard

Mrs. amy seigenthaler

Mr. gino Marchetti

Mr. john Reding

Mr. john sooker

JPII ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Mr. Faustin Weber, Headmaster

Ms. Karen phillips, Dean of Studies

Mr. Mike Mclaren, Dean of Students

Mrs. laura Thigpen,

Director of Finance and Operations

Mr. patrick Weaver,

Director of Admissions and Advancement

Mrs. julie Rollins, Athletic Director

JPII DEPARTMENT ChAIRS

Mrs. jennifer smith, English

Mrs. jj ebelhar, Fine Arts

Mrs. jackie Beals, Foreign Language

Mrs. Betty Mayberry, Math

Mr. andy Bradshaw, Physical Education

Mrs. jennifer Dye, Science

Mrs. jennifer Walden, Social Studies

Mr. chris Findley, Theology

JPII FACULTY AND STAFF

JPII PARENTS

pope John paul II hIgh SChool

117 CalDWell DrIve

henDerSonvIlle, tn 37075

JPII Vision 2016

Documents

Transcript of JPII Vision 2016