Pope John Paul II High School (Hendersonville, Tennessee)
Encyclopedia
Pope John Paul II High School is a coeducational Catholic
high school
in Hendersonville, Tennessee
just north of Nashville
. It is administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville
.
Edward U. Kmiec
, now the bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo
. The majority of the school's population resides in the Sumner County
area, but there is a strong regional draw, with the current student body hailing from ten separate counties, some from as far away as Clarksville
and Bowling Green
. Hans Broekman was the school's first headmaster, serving the school from its inception to 2008. Faustin N. Weber was named to succeed him in the summer of 2008.
The school enrolls approximately 600 students per year in grades 9-12.
a) its fine arts program, with four distinct tracts in choral
music
, instrumental
music, drama
tic arts, and visual arts
. Students are required to take 3 years of Fine Arts. In the last two years, 33 members of its choral program have been named on the all state choirs;
b) its Advanced Placement program, with classes in Art History
, Calculus AB and BC
, Chemistry
, Studio Art Drawing and Painting, Art 2D, and Art 3D
, English Literature and Composition
, United States Government and Politics
Comparative Government and Politics
, Environmental Science
, Macroeconomics
, Biology
, Statistics
, and Photography. From 2008-2011, JPII students have won over 300 A.P. Scholar Awards for their strong performance on three or more A.P tests.
c) its comprehensive academic program. The school requires 32 credits for graduation, with 4 years of Math, Science, English, History and Theology, and 3 years of Fine Arts and Foreign Language (in Spanish, French or Latin)" as its core program. The school has both advanced/AP tracks and college preparatory tracks and offers its students tutoring either before or after school.
Pope John Paul II's administrative team is composed of a Headmaster, Dean of Studies, Director of Finance and Operations, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, and a Director of Admissions and Development. It employs 78 faculty and staff, with a full time school nurse and two full-time college counselors. The student/teacher ratio is 13 to 1.
In its short history, JPII has won six state championships: twice in Hockey (2007, 2008), Men's Bowling (2008), twice in Lacrosse (2009, 2011) and Girls' soccer (2005).
to connect the students tangibly to the life of the school's namesake. The Vatican
gave the school JPII's ski jacket, which he often wore on clandestine trips to the Alps while on vacation. In the spring of 2010, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Pope's death, the school unveiled a permanent display of the jacket in its hallways , including a photograph of the pope wearing the jacket. Faustin Weber, headmaster, said the jacket "represents [the Pope's] active lifestyle and his love of nature." The jacket would "become a second-class relic should the pope be canonized
a saint
," per the report.
The school hosted a museum exhibit in the spring of 2010 entitled "Ink and Blood, " which traced the history of the written word through the many translations of the Bible, including ancient cuneiform tablets, Torah scrolls, fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a text from the gospel of John dating to the 3rd century, Latin manuscripts and leaflets from the Gutenberg press.
JPII was the site of the filming for Taylor Swift
's music video "You Belong With Me
". It was filmed in the football stadium and gym, using JPII football players, band members, cheerleaders and members of the senior class for the final prom scene. The "fans" in the stadium were students from the school. The high school's prom was the following night. They used the prom set exactly as it was set up for the music video.The video was voted Female Video of the Year by MTV
in 2009. Swift chose JPII for the video because it's in her hometown of Hendersonville, TN and because her brother attended JPII at the time.
Golden Tate
, class of 2007 is the young school's most notable alum. He is currently a wide receiver
for the NFL
's Seattle Seahawks
, having earned All American honors at the University of Notre Dame
, where he was also named winner of the Fred Biletnikoff Award
as the nation's top receiver in 2009.
The 2005 girl's soccer team, coached by Dean of Students Mike McLaren, finished undefeated and was named by USA Today as the #1 team in the country at season's end.
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 51,372 at the 2010 census. Hendersonville is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by...
just north of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. It is administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on July 28, 1837 by the Dominican Bishop Richard Pius Miles. The Cathedral Church of the Incarnation is the seat of the Bishops of Nashville....
.
History
Pope John Paul II High School was founded in 2002 by BishopBishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
Edward U. Kmiec
Edward U. Kmiec
Edward Urban Kmiec is the thirteenth and current Roman Catholic Bishop of Buffalo. Kmiec served as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Trenton from 1982 until his installation as Bishop of Nashville in 1992...
, now the bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
The Diocese of Buffalo is a Catholic diocese headquartered in Buffalo, New York, USA. The current Bishop is the Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec.The Diocese of Buffalo was established 23 April 1847. It consists of Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties...
. The majority of the school's population resides in the Sumner County
Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
area, but there is a strong regional draw, with the current student body hailing from ten separate counties, some from as far away as Clarksville
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
and Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. Hans Broekman was the school's first headmaster, serving the school from its inception to 2008. Faustin N. Weber was named to succeed him in the summer of 2008.
The school enrolls approximately 600 students per year in grades 9-12.
Academics
Pope John Paul II High School is a highly regarded program in the Nashville area. It is particularly known for:a) its fine arts program, with four distinct tracts in choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
music, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
tic arts, and visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
. Students are required to take 3 years of Fine Arts. In the last two years, 33 members of its choral program have been named on the all state choirs;
b) its Advanced Placement program, with classes in Art History
AP Art History
AP Art History is a course offered in high school through the Advanced Placement Program that gives college level material at the high school level. This class is operated by College Board...
, Calculus AB and BC
AP Calculus
Advanced Placement Calculus is used to indicate one of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC....
, Chemistry
AP Chemistry
Advanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
, Studio Art Drawing and Painting, Art 2D, and Art 3D
AP Studio Art
AP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:...
, English Literature and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The Course:This course is designated for motivated students with a command of standard English, an...
, United States Government and Politics
AP United States Government and Politics
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, also known as AP US Gov & Pol, AP US Gov, AP Go Po or AP Gov, is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program...
Comparative Government and Politics
AP Comparative Government and Politics
Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics is an examination given by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program...
, Environmental Science
AP Environmental Science
Advanced Placement Environmental Science is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences...
, Macroeconomics
AP Macroeconomics
Advanced Placement Macroeconomics is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program for high school students interested in college-level work in economics...
, Biology
AP Biology
In the United States, Advanced Placement Biology , is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course....
, Statistics
AP Statistics
Advanced Placement Statistics is a college-level high school statistics course offered in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program...
, and Photography. From 2008-2011, JPII students have won over 300 A.P. Scholar Awards for their strong performance on three or more A.P tests.
c) its comprehensive academic program. The school requires 32 credits for graduation, with 4 years of Math, Science, English, History and Theology, and 3 years of Fine Arts and Foreign Language (in Spanish, French or Latin)" as its core program. The school has both advanced/AP tracks and college preparatory tracks and offers its students tutoring either before or after school.
Pope John Paul II's administrative team is composed of a Headmaster, Dean of Studies, Director of Finance and Operations, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, and a Director of Admissions and Development. It employs 78 faculty and staff, with a full time school nurse and two full-time college counselors. The student/teacher ratio is 13 to 1.
The arts
The fine arts program is considered among the state's best, headlined by its choral program, run by JJ Ebelhar. The 140+ students involved in the choral program are divided into five "tiers" of choirs: Beginning Men, Beginning Women, Advanced Men, Advanced Women and Chamber. In state competitions, the choral program routinely places 15-18 kids on the all state team and the Chamber choir receives "superior" ratings. The instrumental music program features a "Jazz Ensemble" program in addition to string, guitar and percussion classes. The theater program produces two comprehensive productions in the fall and spring, with a third student-run production in the late spring. The art program features tracks in either three dimensional or two dimensional work, including photography. All students at JPII take a minimum of three years of classes in one of these four areas.Athletics
JPII competes at the Division II level (large school, private) in the Tennessee High School Athletic Association. It offers teams in football, volleyball, cross-country, competitive cheer-leading, golf, ice hockey, basketball, wrestling, basketball cheer-leading, lacrosse, baseball, softball, bowling, swimming, tennis, soccer and track.In its short history, JPII has won six state championships: twice in Hockey (2007, 2008), Men's Bowling (2008), twice in Lacrosse (2009, 2011) and Girls' soccer (2005).
Of note
When the school was built, Bishop Kmiec requested an artifact of Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to connect the students tangibly to the life of the school's namesake. The Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
gave the school JPII's ski jacket, which he often wore on clandestine trips to the Alps while on vacation. In the spring of 2010, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Pope's death, the school unveiled a permanent display of the jacket in its hallways , including a photograph of the pope wearing the jacket. Faustin Weber, headmaster, said the jacket "represents [the Pope's] active lifestyle and his love of nature." The jacket would "become a second-class relic should the pope be canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
a saint
Beatification and canonisation of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II reigned as pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City for almost 27 years. Since his death on 2 April 2005, many thousands of people have been supporting the case for beatifying and canonising the late Pope John Paul II as a saint...
," per the report.
The school hosted a museum exhibit in the spring of 2010 entitled "Ink and Blood, " which traced the history of the written word through the many translations of the Bible, including ancient cuneiform tablets, Torah scrolls, fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a text from the gospel of John dating to the 3rd century, Latin manuscripts and leaflets from the Gutenberg press.
JPII was the site of the filming for Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's music video "You Belong With Me
You Belong with Me
"You Belong with Me" is a country pop song performed by American recording artist Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. It was released on April 21, 2009, by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's second studio...
". It was filmed in the football stadium and gym, using JPII football players, band members, cheerleaders and members of the senior class for the final prom scene. The "fans" in the stadium were students from the school. The high school's prom was the following night. They used the prom set exactly as it was set up for the music video.The video was voted Female Video of the Year by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in 2009. Swift chose JPII for the video because it's in her hometown of Hendersonville, TN and because her brother attended JPII at the time.
Golden Tate
Golden Tate
Golden H. Tate III is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Notre Dame.-Early years:Tate was born in...
, class of 2007 is the young school's most notable alum. He is currently a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, having earned All American honors at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where he was also named winner of the Fred Biletnikoff Award
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
as the nation's top receiver in 2009.
The 2005 girl's soccer team, coached by Dean of Students Mike McLaren, finished undefeated and was named by USA Today as the #1 team in the country at season's end.