Schools

jpIIschool We are grateful for the example of Pope John Paul II and are pleased to have our school named in his honour.

Pope John Paul II belongs to the family of schools known as St. Paul's Roman Catholic Separate School Division #20, also known as Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Religion is an integral part of the Catholic school program. Each grade level receives the equivalent of 150 minutes per week of religious instruction. Our school is served by St. Philip Neri Parish.

Our school serves the neighbourhoods of Eastview, Nutana Park, Nutana Suburban Centre, Holliston, Brevoort Park and Stonebridge. Pope John Paul II has a student population of 210 students from K-8. We are richly staffed with classroom teachers, Learning Assistance Teachers, a band teacher and English as an Additional Language teachers. Our kindergarten program runs full days, every day. There is a before and after school program called Kidzclub and a pre-school program. We run a full extra-curricular program for our senior students. This year our school board's theme is Reaching Out to Transform the World. To support this ideal, our school has chosen to support the construction of a girls' residence in Africa known as Friends of Loa. We are also working with Friendship Inn in order to help us understand how to help the needy in our own city. Our school community council is very involved in our program. They run many fundraising activities, but also try to bring the school community together through fun times such as Welcome Barbecue, Family Ties dance, Movie Night and many more fun activities.

Our school's website is www.gscs.sk.ca/jp2

At St. Philip School, we strive to be the hands of Christ by serving those around us. Catholic education has allowed us to become more rooted in faith, better able to grow in knowledge and more readily able to reach out to transform the world in a variety of ways. St. Philip School has 210 students and 38 staff members and special programs offered at St.Philip include; core french for all grades, band in grades 6-8, Full day/All day kindergarten and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. The 2010-2011 year was the beginning of a Virtues Education program for all students. Each month, a new virtue is the focus for all staff members and students. The virtues learned this year include; enthusiasm, thankfulness, peace, hope and courage. By learning about and practicing the various virtues daily, the students are assisting in creating an environment of caring and respect for all.

Various extra-curricular activities are offered at St. Philip including; cross country running, volleyball, basketball, indoor relays (track), floor hockey, daily house leagues, sketch club and ASL sign club.

This year, our Advent Family Evening was held at the church and the theme was Christmas around the World. Our Kindergarten to grade five students taught us about various Christmas customs and traditions world wide. In January, the "Gift of Reading" was held at St.Philip, thousands of donated books from the other Catholic Schools were delivered to the school. Students and staff sorted, selected and packaged the donated books for various community schools in Saskatoon and for other organizations in Saskatoon. In April, St. Philip School will be collecting food for the Friendship Inn as another way of working to Transform the World through service.

Please look us up on our website at www.gscs.sk.ca/phi