A Reflection on the Generosity I’ve Seen
Dear Friends of JPII High School,
There are many parts of working at the Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II that I love: the dedicated students and families, the supportive faculty and board, the spirit of earnest learning, and the environment of faith and hope. This last month, during our first End-of-Year Appeal, I was struck by another aspect of this job I couldn’t have imagined, but am nonetheless incredibly grateful for: the immense generosity of our community, near and far, that has so willingly joined us in this great endeavor.
I didn’t expect to feel the joy of a donor over Zoom, who beamed as Mr. Hockel and I told him about the school while he was driving, balancing his phone on the dash. I didn’t expect that a couple would be willing to talk outside of Panera (because of covid restrictions) about Christ and His love and the need for this school for almost two hours in cold weather. I didn’t expect the kind notes people sent us saying they were praying for the school daily, not only supporting us financially but spiritually as well.
I am not sure that I will ever get used to this aspect of the job; that I will ever not be surprised at the generosity of those who give for no other reason than they believe that this school is good and necessary and for His Kingdom. I believe that the generosity of those near and far will continue to bring us to our knees, as we thank God for His Goodness and the gift of those who make this school possible.
On behalf of the students, families, faculty, and board of the Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II, I want to thank those who have supported and prayed for our school during this End-of-Year Appeal. The money we have raised will go toward our Building a Beacon of Light Campaign, which helps cover our essential operating costs and truly helps keep Catholic high school in Northern CO an option for families.
If you are interested in getting more involved or giving to our Building of Beacon a Light Campaign, please visit www.chestertonjpii.org/donate for more information, or email me at LYeh@chestertonjpii.org.
Thank you again for your support, and of course, for your prayers. You have been, and will continue to be, in mine.
Elizabeth Yeh, Executive Director
Student Applications for SY21-22 are Open!
Student applications for the 2021-2022 school year are open! If you or anyone you know is interested in receiving more information about JPII High School, in speaking with the faculty and staff, or in setting up a shadow day, please have them reach out to Mr. Hockel, bhockel@chestertonjpii.org.
All relevant informaton can be found at www.chestertonjpii.org/admissions.
Introducing a New Staff Member
Peter M. Crnkovich, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville with a degree in Communication Arts, will be joining us as administrative assistant and composition teacher. He has training in philosophy, theology, and English composition and literature. Since graduating in 2016, Mr. Crnkovich has spent the intervening years teaching in schools in both the private and public sector.
He taught English in Spain for one year, worked as a substitute in northern California, and, most recently, taught English and reading at the secondary level at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, a private education company specializing in teaching students with Dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning disabilities. Nothing pleases him more than instilling a love of reading and writing in others.
Mr. Crnkovich was raised in the Catholic faith, receiving his formation from both a small Catholic school founded, in part, by his parents and Opus Dei. He desires to make the love of Jesus Christ and Our Mother a part of his everyday life and work. He hopes to pass on that love to his students.
Welcome, Mr. Crnkovich!
From the Headmaster’s Desk
Discourse During Discord:
What Can We Do in these Trying Times?
by mr. blaise A. hockel
Last week we saw a group of people intrude upon the Capitol Building, and that was quite something to the minds of our students. Several of them felt a great sense of despair—never a desirable thing, and horrid in the heart of these, so young—and all of them that had any understanding of the circumstances were deeply desirous to know what they ought to do in response. In answer to these young minds, there are several things that we, as parents and guardians who love them deeply, could strive to say: we could say that they must not fret, we could assure them of our continued care and love and support, and we could tell them that all these things, too, shall pass. And while all of these things would be true, there is still something in the heart that rebels to what might be perceived as sentimental responses without an answer to the mind; it is true that we love them, it is true that things will get better, and it is true that those things often seem so far off or intangible that they don’t necessarily offer us comfort in the moment. So was the case with one of the young ladies who responded to her parents in precisely that way: she felt that those responses were unhelpful platitudes, for she is a woman of action, and so she wanted to know what she could do about it.
I think that is why we have seen all that occurred in the last year. Youth, whose admirable passion is great, sees injustice in the world all around them, and, despite not being quite sure what to do about it, determines that something must be done. Our response at the Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II is to agree that there must be action taken, though perhaps not in the way that they anticipate. They must learn.
The antidote to these unreasonable times is to make sure that we take an added daily dose of reason; I cannot recall how many times in the last few months I have heard someone say that this or that was ‘unprecedented’, but it seems that either everything is not unprecedented or we’ve lost track of what that really means. What really seems unprecedented these days is a reasonable conversation—where two parties of opposing view points can sit with one another in amicable discourse, disagree, and then break bread together instead of breaking heads. My advice to the student in question (and to all of our students) would be to apply themselves hard to their studies—particularly to the logic course that we offer—so that they can muddle through these uncertain times and know truth for themselves. And, of course, the most important thing that they can actually do is to return to the Sacraments that will give them grace to overcome the trials of any given Tuesday that the world will throw at them.
Or so this is the musings of one man. This, I think, is why we should be wary of Disney films (as enduring as they are), and the like. They are not wicked things, I think, but that may be just the point: within Disney things are very cut-and-dry; evil is clearly evil, and there are only ever really a few bad chaps in the lot (a wicked step-mother and her faceless cronies). These views of reality deprive us an ability to rightly comprehend how the world works. Of course, faire stories and Disney films, beyond having a special place in our hearts, have a vitally important role that I will reflect upon in some later letter, but the point here is more about the way they make us understand how we pursue the good. Rarely is the world so clean, people all want good things, but are very often confused about what is really good or what’s really going to get them there. At the end of the day, the only way for our students to know how to respond to the turgid, unstable waters of the world is for them to study attentively, to pray ardently, and to encounter Truth as often as they are able.
Sophomore Theses
All our sophomores will start working on their sophomore theses at the beginning of February. The sophomore thesis is an original work of the student wherein they show their growth in various subject areas, demonstrating their mastery over subject matter over multiple courses (two or more) under the one-on-one guidance of a mentor teacher.
The students write a formal, academic presentation of a self-selected topic, and they pair their essay with both the creation of an artifact (see below) and a presentation to a panel of teachers and community stakeholders at the end of the spring semester.
We are excited to share what they create!
What is an “artifact”?”
An “artifact,” in the academic sense, is simply an object made by a person. Usually, this object demonstrates something about human exploration, culture, or history. For our sophomores, it will be the materialization of an idea or an argument which demonstrates that they are ready to become an upperclassman.
Register Now for Summer Camp at Annunciation Heights!
In a few short months, the youth and families of the archdiocese will be heading into the beautiful Rocky Mountains for a week of adventure and friendship in a dynamic faith-filled environment. With our summer camp schedule beginning in June, we will host six one-week youth sessions and three family camps. Youth camp sessions are offered for boys and girls from grades 4 through 12. Programming will include climbing, hiking, small group formation, Mass outdoors, and so much more. For more information about dates, pricing, and to register, visit: https://annunciationheights.org
Annunciation Heights | Colorado
Annunciation Heights is a youth and family camp and retreat center located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. We provide a place and program for youth, young adults and families to withdraw from a hectic and busy culture and come to know and experience a true friend-ship with Jesus.
Discount Info:
There are three discounts available to camp families:
Early Bird Discount: Register BEFORE January 31 to receive $50 off each child’s registration.
Referral Discount: To celebrate our second year, any returning campers will be eligible for a $50 reduction of camp fees for each new camper whom you refer to come to camp (maximum of two referrals per family).
Multiple Child Discount: Available for immediate families with multiple children a discount of $50 can be given off the full price of a second camper; additional children determined on case by case basis.