Pope John Paul II High School

    POPE JOHN PAUL II HIGH SCHOOL, 1901 Jaguar Drive, Slidell – Pope John Paul II High School, in eastern St. Tammany Parish, is the regional, coeducational, college preparatory school that provides a Catholic academic setting for young men and women through a standards-based educational curriculum infused with the Catholic Identity Standards. As a school dedicated to the mission of academic excellence, faith development and leadership, the students are challenged to excel, while growing in self-confidence, self-worth and thoughtful inquiry in this environment.
    The administration helps to make Pope John Paul II an environment for academic excellence. Martha Mundine, principal; Lise Bremond, assistant principal for academics; and Roy Delaney, dean of students, are the school administrators. Mark Jeanmard, athletic director; Sal Vinterella, school counselor; and Michael Bourgeois, campus minister, complete PJP’s administrative team. A dedicated faculty and staff, more than half of whom possess a master’s degree, help foster a quality Catholic education.
    “It is an exciting time at Pope John Paul,” says Mundine. “Academically our students continue to excel with an average ACT score consistently higher than local, state and national averages. Ninety-nine percent of graduates from the Class of 2012 continued on to higher learning. Our college-prep curriculum exceeds all requirements for the Louisiana TOPS scholarship program; 64 percent of graduates qualified for TOPS and earned more than $3.3 million in scholarships.”
    A challenging honors curriculum is also available to students who qualify. Advanced Placement and honors courses include English V, Calculus AP, Biology II, anatomy and physiology and Chemistry II. Upper-level students may also choose electives from the following Louisiana Virtual School classes: Latin, AP Human Geography, digital graphics, game design and webmaster. Dual enrollment is also available, where a student can earn college credit while still in high school.
    Faith development is an essential part of the Pope John Paul II school community. Leadership from a strong theology department helps the student body and staff form a Christ-centered community. In addition to a four-year theology program, students live out their faith through a volunteer service program, dedicating 50 percent of their required service hours to their church parishes and the remainder to the local community and school.  Students organize and facilitate school Masses and eucharistic prayer services. A liturgical choir performs at school services, and a school retreat team assists with grade-level retreats.
    Leadership opportunities are plentiful at Pope John Paul II. The small school atmosphere allows students to assume leadership roles in a variety of extracurriculars. National Honor Society students provide many services, including tutoring, and the Student Council coordinates a busy calendar of activities for the entire student body.
    A full range of athletics is offered to students, including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, tennis, golf, cross country, soccer, powerlifting, track, cheerleading and dance team. Other extra-curricular activities include mock trial, robotics, Math and History clubs, and a Student Ambassador program.  This year a Debate Team and Media Club have been added.
    Technology at Pope John Paul II contributes to and enhances the curriculum and students’ educational experience. Every student is equipped with an iPad2, featuring Pages and Keynote, and Mac equivalents of Word and Powerpoint. Students can access thousands of educational apps and study aids. The campus features wireless network access. Classrooms are equipped with the latest in projection technology, allowing faculty to fully integrate technology into daily lesson plans. The biology lab utilizes 10 IBM desktop computers, digital cameras, projection equipment and probe technology to facilitate learning and exploration through laboratory exercises and demonstrations. Students in Publications I & II utilize five iMac computers and industry-standard software to design and produce quality school publications, including newspapers and a yearbook.
    Pope John Paul II High School is a vibrant educational community providing greater Slidell and the Archdiocese of New Orleans with a quality Catholic school education steeped in church history but remaining fully alive to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. In the spirit of the newly beatified Blessed John Paul II, this school daily lives out his motto, “Totus Tuus” or “totally yours,” in the lives of all it serves.