Fiat Voluntas Tua
Thy Will Be Done
Our Mission
The St. John Paul II Independent School provides a community that fosters lives oriented toward Truth. The school helps its community know their identity in Christ, courageously conform to God’s will, and show a genuine Christian love. Our curriculum immerses families in the rich tradition of a Catholic Liberal Arts education partnered with the study of the Common Arts to cultivate a sense of wonder and awe in God, the Author of beauty and His Divine Providence. Our environment provides a place for each student to see the good clearly and to be set free to explore, question, and grow. Under the patronage of St. John Paul II and a special devotion to Our Lady, our school helps its community attain a rightly ordered life to love the true, good, and beautiful and confidently “launch out into the deep. ” Luke 5:4
The Arts of Education
Liberal Arts Education
Liberal Arts can be defined in its Latin origin for liberalis meaning “free” and ars meaning “principled practice.” The basis of a Liberal Arts Education, also commonly referred to a Classical Education, is the fundamental understanding of the Human Being; body and soul. Liberal arts is the formation of the body, mind, and heart to identify what in life is true, good, and beautiful. The history of a Liberal Arts Education is derived from the Ancient Greeks. Beginning with the Trivium which include three main areas of learning; grammar, rhetoric, and logic, and later in history the Quadrivium, which includes arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy was added for a total of seven core areas. In our modern world, the Liberal Arts are all-encompassing including subjects and coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. A Liberal Arts education is not only content you learn but how you learn it. The use of a Socratic seminar fosters a community of thinking, communicating, and learning. In addition, taking away state mandated testing and state focused standards allows time for students to learn at their own pace through creativity and contemplation of what is true, good, and beautiful.
Common Arts Education
Man was created by God and in His image we are sub-creators. In our own creation, we strive to give greater glory to God. In the terminology of Liberal Arts, which is freedom, and that in a sense, the freedom to create, allows us as sub-creators to create freely. However, when we are unable to do and create for ourselves, we are no longer free. The intention of the Common Arts is to teach the mind, heart, and hands to learn the trades and skills that have been lost over time. Through the integration of the Common Arts with the Liberal and Fine Arts, we strive to form the whole person. Overall, the Common Arts fosters our own spiritual growth and teaches us about God’s generosity to man. Some examples of Common Arts studies include; agriculture, animal husbandry, bee keeping, woodworking, cooking and baking, metal works, and sewing. For more information regarding the integration of the Common Arts, please read the book, Common Arts Education written by Christopher Hall.
Fine Arts
As the third leg of a the stool, the Fine Arts allows the person to discover joy, wonder, and creativity in all that is true, beautiful, and good. With the same integrated approach as the Common Arts, the Fine Arts are meant to foster the creativity of our students, again, in the creation of something to give greater glory to God, the Creator. The Common Arts differ from those of the Fine Arts through the nature and use of the study. Common Arts are meant to be practical in nature, whereas, the Fine Arts are meant to be an expression of creativity, often times also practical, however designed to be more aesthetically pleasing. Some examples of the Fine Arts include; music, drama, poetry, and painting.