Friday, September 27th

Advice from Academics 

21 Ways to Check for Understanding!

Bishop Grahmann Awards - Quarter 1 

Please nominate 3 seniors for the Bishop Charles Grahmann Award for the 1st Quarter (due 10/10/24 at 12pm) 

For anyone new to JPII, this award is presented in honor of Bishop Charles Grahmann's support of John Paul II High School.

Students should exhibit the following criteria:

• Works hard with a good attitude in classes
• Exhibits service to others
• Strives to deepen their faith
• Exhibits good citizenship
• Shows leadership.

Please nominate senior students who you feel deserve this award based on the above criteria. 

Nominations are due no later than Thursday, October 10th at 12:00 PM for the 1st quarter. You may nominate 3 students. 

The following senior students have already received the award and are not eligible to be nominated: 

• Miriam Bayas
• Catherine Lemme
• Ian McCormick
• Taylor Salava
• Mark Saloma
• Donte Truong

Thank you for taking the time to nominate outstanding students for this prestigious award! 

Vote using this NOMINATION FORM

Board of Trustees at Mass - 10/2/24

On Wednesday, we have invited our 6 new school board members to our 8:00 AM mass and to have breakfast and a little tour afterward. I hope many of you will be able to say hello as we move around campus. 

Consecration to Jesus through Mary

Please use Paul's Parent Square Post to let him know if you are interested! 

What is Consecration to Jesus through Mary?

Consecration to Jesus through Mary, commonly known as "Marian Consecration," is both an act and a way of life in which an individual embraces the gift Christ gave us on the Cross of the Blessed Virgin Mary's maternal care. Personal Consecration has been designated as the highest form of Marian devotion.

Ultimately, it is an act of resignation to the will of the Blessed Mother, which is aligned with the will of God.  We follow the path of Christ by allowing her to form us into disciples and imitators of Christ.  We give ourselves to the Virgin Mother to be our mother also.  Just as the Son gave Himself to the Virgin Mary, we, too, can embrace this life path. 

It is not an act to take lightly.  It requires prayer, discernment, and devotion but is worth every moment of preparation.

Why consecrate ourselves?

Aside from its very ancient roots, this practice is said to be one of the quickest and surest ways to achieve holiness. 

An essential aspect of this Consecration is that our prayers, actions, and sacrifices are offered to Jesus through Mary.  She makes them more perfect, pure, and precious before presenting them to Christ. 

We are all called to pursue holiness in this life.  Consecrating ourselves to the Mother of God is a powerful method of walking the path to holiness.

Our namesake, Saint John Paul II, describes Consecration to Mary as changing his life.  He even says that reading St. Louis de Montfort's book was a "turning point" in his life.  His Consecration to Jesus through Mary was so important to him that he adopted as his papal motto St. Louis de Montfort's own words that summarize total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, "Totus Tuus" ("Totally Yours").  Also, John Paul II recited the extended version of de Montfort's consecration prayer during his daily prayer. 

How does this work?

Everyone will need a copy of Father Michael Gaitley's book 33 Days to Morning Glory. I am working on getting copies donated. We will meet once a week during the 33 days of preparation and prayer. The first meeting will be on Thursday, November 7. Then, we will meet four of the following five Wednesdays, taking the Wednesday during Thanksgiving off. I plan to have morning and afternoon meetings to accommodate as many people as possible.  

33 Days is a long-time commitment.  What happens if we miss a day? What do we do?  First, don't get discouraged.  Second, do not quit.  Read the readings and prayers for the days you missed, and keep going.   The weekly meetings are to help you stay motivated and focused. The Consecration concludes on Thursday, December 12, at The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   We have an all-school mass that day.  Those who participated in the Consecration will come forward and publicly read the final consecration prayer and receive a blessing from Father Mark.  I feel this could be a great witness of piety by the faculty and staff that we can show the students.  I ask that you spend the next several days discerning if God is calling you to make this Consecration to Jesus through Mary. If you are interested, please respond yes to the form on Parent Square!

Events Next Week

Monday, September 20th

• B Day
• Daily Prayer - 8:00 AM - Chapel
• Class of 2025 College Application Study Halls 7:30 AM - Senior Presentation Hall 
• PLC Meetings - 8:00 AM
• College Visits - Cardinal Break 
• Louisiana Tech
• Stephen F. Austin
• University of Kansas

Tuesday, October 1st

• A Day
• Bible Study - 8:00 AM - Administrative Conference Room 
• Daily Prayer - 8:00 AM - Chapel 
• Freshman Class Meeting - Cardinal Break
• College Visit - Cardinal Break 
• University of Tulsa
• Tech Lunch-N-Learn
• Volleyball - JV Red at Prestonwood 5:00 PM
• Volleyball - Varsity at Prestonwood 6:00 PM

Wednesday, October 2nd

• B Day
• Weekly Mass - 8:00 AM Chapel 
• Blood Drive
• Coffee with the Counselors 8:00 AM 
• Praise and Worship - Cardinal Break - Chapel
• College Visits - Cardinal Break 
• Drake University
• Purdue University
• Wabash College
• Worship Wednesday Afternoon - Campus Ministry
• HOCO 101 Parent Meeting 6:00 PM

Thursday, October 3rd

• A Day
• Daily Prayer - 8:00 AM - Chapel 
• Cohorts - Cardinal Break
• Football - JV at Decatur High School 5:00 PM
• Volleyball- JV Navy Legacy Christian 5:00 PM
• Volleyball - Varsity vs Legacy Christian 6:00 PM

Friday, October 4th

• B Day
• Daily Prayer - 8:00 AM - Chapel 
• JPII Spirit Dress Down Day
• College Visit - Cardinal Break
• University of Chicago
• Cross Country - Varsity at TCAL/CSAF CC Invitational The Buff TBA
• Water Polo - Boys Varsity vs Southlake Carroll Away 6:00 PM

Saturday, October 5th 

• Football - Varsity at FW Mercy Culture Prep 7:00 PM

Instructional Technologist in Classrooms

Please let Ashley know if you are doing something great with tech in your classroom. She would love to come and watch and see how she can help with any technology in your classes! 

Lunch Numbers

The number of students at recent lunches has not been as balanced as they should be. Please make sure that you are sending your classes to the lunch that you were assigned. Julie works very hard to make sure the numbers at each lunch are balanced and it is important to keep them balanced for seating and the amount of food prepared by Flik each lunch period. 

State Fair Tickets

State Fair of Texas Tickets are in the Academic Administration Office Workroom.  Please take one ticket for yourself and sign off that you have taken one. 

Student tickets are for distribution to 2nd period classes and those teachers have been notified and received their class set of tickets.

Superintendent Visit

On Tuesday, our superintendent Dr. Hammel, will be on campus for her annual school visit. We know everyone will help to welcome her with our one-of-a-kind Cardinal hospitality. She will mostly be in meetings but will take some time to walk around campus. The tentative schedule is as follows:

• 9:00 - Arrival & Meet with Casey
• 9:30 - Meeting about Academics and Operational Vitality – Casey and Kayla
• 11:30 - Lunch with Admin Team
• 12:00 - Classroom Visits – Kayla
• 1:15 - Wrap-up Meeting – Casey
• 1:30 - Depart