IMPACT CHARACTER
When you walk through the halls of Pope John Paul II High School, you are greeted by so many unique individuals. We have artists, athletes, singers, dancers, and scholars. There are both quiet and outgoing students. We have a unique blend of wonderfully spiritual and service oriented students. Some stand out all the time, others quietly go about their scheduled classes and activities and are present in the most unassuming way.
Abigail Golemboski '19 represents a “slice” of the Pope John Paul student body that makes up the wonderfully orchestrated masterpiece of our community. Abigail is a member of the Golf Team, the WWII Club, Speech and Debate Club, Ministry Team, Community Service Corps, National Honor Society, and a Panther Pal with the International Club. Outside of school, she is an active participant in her church and volunteers at Frederick Nursing Home.
Anyone who has ever witnessed Abigail in action has seen a young woman who always has a smile on her face and willingness to roll up her blazer sleeves. Abigail goes that extra mile to brighten your day. She does not ask for a pat on the back or any acknowledgement or praise for helping out. She just does whatever is necessary to make PJP shine! Thank you, Abigail, for your positive IMPACT on PJP!
ABIGAIL GOLEMBOSKI '19 MAKES AN IMPACT AT PJP
Ryan Lynn '17 knows what having an IMPACT means. Ryan has been a four year member of PJP’s Community Service Corps, and this year as the Chair of the Environment Committee, he saw a need and took the initiative to address it. The CSC is in charge of many different charitable drives, such as the Thanksgiving Drive and THON, but they also have a daily presence within the halls and classrooms at PJP, helping to run our recycling efforts. Every classroom has a paper recycling bin and a small laundry type basket for plastic recycling. As Ryan followed his roster, he began to feel that the laundry baskets for plastic recycling were too small and inadequate, as sometime liquids from the bottles would leak out.
As this school year began, Ryan decided to do something about it. He reached out to Upper Providence (UP) Township to look for a solution, and he received a prompt response from the manager, who included a picture of UP’s green recycling bins that are provided to homeowners. Ryan asked if the township was willing to donate 45 of the bins to be used in PJP classrooms and offices at PJP, and UP readily agreed to provide them.
Once they arrived, Ryan saw that the green color of the bins needed to be decorated to give them more of a PJP “look”. He contacted fellow CSC members who have an artistic flair and asked them to make stencils of the Golden Panther head. After three days of painting, the bins were ready for delivery, and every Blue and Gold classroom at PJP became a little “greener”.
In addition to being a CSC officer, Ryan is an honors student, a four year member of Student Council, a member of the Harry Potter Club, and the starting 2nd baseman on PJP's baseball team. Ryan hopes to attend Villanova University to study biochemistry next fall and, truly, Villanova will be lucky to have such an impactful student.
"LYNN'S BINS" MAKE PJP A LITTLE GREENER
“Character: Who you are when nobody is
looking.
God still sees.”
7th Annual First Grade Christmas Party
PJP hosted the First Grade Christmas Party for area elementary schools on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas! It was a fantastic day for the 350 six and seven year olds and the PJP high school student volunteers. The following schools were in attendance: Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Limerick), Holy Cross Regional School (Collegeville), Holy Rosary Regional School (Plymouth Meeting), Mater Dei Catholic School (Lansdale), Mother Teresa Regional School (King of Prussia), St. Aloysius Parish School (Pottstown), St. Elizabeth Parish School (Chester Springs), St. Francis School (Norristown), St. Mary Catholic School (Schwenksville), and Visitation BVM School (Trooper).
According to Ms. Callen, the day is not just a celebration, but also a welcoming event for the first-grade Catholic school children. “It’s wonderful to meet the wide-eyed first-graders, who are excited to visit our high school for the first time. We value this early connection with them, as they are the future of Pope John Paul II High School, and we look forward to their continued attendance at PJP events throughout their grade school years. Additionally, we are proud of how the PJP
students represent themselves and our school. They impress the first grade teachers and the young visitors with their maturity, enthusiasm, and kindness. The children go home and share their positive experiences with their families, and it is a special tradition for many families in our community."
James Murphy,’17, placed among the top 100 candidates in the country for the Coolidge Scholarship. More than 12,500 students from across the United States apply for this scholarship and James finished among the top 4% of this highly competitive group. The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation created a plaque to be display here at school in recognition of James and his place in the top 100 candidates of Coolidge Scholars.
In addition, James was just awarded a Certificate of Merit from PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) for his high SAT score, scoring among the top 5,000 SAT scores in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Congratulations, James!