School

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy will open in September 2008 offering Pre K to 8th grade at each campus.

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy will have five campus locations throughout Dorchester and Mattapan.

The plan is that 4 of the campuses will be thoroughly renovated and one of the campuses will be rebuilt. All of the campuses will become state-of-the-art facilities which will support the outstanding curriculum offered.

The facility work is in two phases:

Phase I - The Cornerstone

Planned from January 2008-June 2009, includes:

  • Columbia Campus renovations completed in September 2008
  • Neponset Campus renovations by September 2009

Phase II - The Beacon

Planned from June 2009-January 2011

  • Dorchester Central Campus rebuilt and completed by September 2010
  • Mattapan Square Campus renovations completed by September 2010
  • Lower Mills Campus renovations completed by September 2010

Campus Locations

small map

Neponset Campus
239 Neponset Avenue
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02122
617-265-0019 Ext. 7127

Lower Mills Campus
2214 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02124
617-265-0019 Ext. 7177

Dorchester Central Campus
197 Centre Street
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02124
617-265-0019 Ext. 7153

Columbia Campus
790 Columbia Road
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02125
617-265-0019 Ext. 7101

Mattapan Square Campus
120 Babson Street
Mattapan, Massachusetts 02126
617-265-0019 Ext. 7202

Board of Trustees

  • Fr. Thomas Foley, Chairman
  • Ms. Kathleen Driscoll, Secretary
  • Mr. Jim Walsh, Treasurer
  • Ms. Mary Grassa O'Neill
  • Sr. Kathleen FitzSimons
  • Mr. Matthew Malone, PhD
  • Fr. Kevin O'Leary
  • Fr. Paul Soper
  • Fr. William Joy
  • Ms. Kim Steimle

Leadership

The School Day Information

  • First Day of School Grade K2-8 September 8, 2008
  • Pre-K and K-1 September 10, 2008
  • Pre-K and K-1 Teddy Bear Picnic September 5, 2008
  • Opening Day Mass-September 16, 2008 for Grades 1-8
    • Cathedral of the Holy Cross
  • Last Day of School Grades K2-8 June 24, 2009
  • School Day Hours 7:45 am -2:30 pm

School Day Hours

School Hours for all grades are from 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Kindergarten 2 - Grade 8

The school year begins on Monday, September 8, 2008.

The school hours are 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The first day of school is a full day. Lunch will be served beginning on September 29th to students who are enrolled in the hot lunch program and have made a pre-payment. Download the Form.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten 1

Students in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten 1 begin on Wednesday, September 10, 2008.

The first day of school is a full day. Lunch will be served to students on September 29th who are enrolled in the hot lunch program and have made a pre-payment. Download the Form.

Additional Dates

Monday November 10,2008 - There will be no school this Monday. This is the Cardinal's gift holiday to all the students at the Academy.

2008-2009 School Year Calendar

The 2008-2009 School Year Calendar for Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. I encourage you to keep this handy so you will know well in advance when there are early release and no school days. Monthly calendars will be distributed to students at each campus on the last day of the month and weekly reminders will be sent home every Monday. Please notify your child's principal if you do not receive these notices.

Holy Days

Holy Days will be full days of school. Mass will be celebrated during the school day. Parents and families are welcome to attend the Mass.

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy Attendance Policy

Every time your child is absent from school, you must do three things:

1) Call the school to let us know he/she is sick.

2) Send in a note with your child when he/she returns to school.

3) Request any schoolwork your child missed during his/her absence.

Emergency Information Form (return on first day of school to principal)

The Office Health/Emergency Information Form should be completed accurately and returned on or before the first day of school, September 8, 2008 (September 10 for Pre-K and K1 students). Complete information on the card is vital if we need to contact you for a medical emergency. This form must be completed and returned by the first day of school.

Food Services

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy will offer all students the option of having a nutritious, reasonably-priced hot lunch and continental-style breakfast program daily with choice of a beverage - juice or milk - included in the price. The cost is $3.00 per day for lunch and $1.50 per day for breakfast. The lunch and Breakfast order forms must be filled out weekly and returned by Thursday of each week. Please download the generic form.

Many families may be eligible for the National Free and Reduced-Price School Meals program which provides a great cost saving advantage. We encourage every family to fill out these forms. Forms will also be available at your child’s campus or at the Regional Office.

October Breakfast Menu
October Lunch Menu

Transportation

Student transportation will be provided by the Boston city school district for those students who meet the guidelines for eligibility for the transportation requirements.

Transportation Request Form (return by August 22 to regional office)

Some students who attend Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy and who live in the City of Boston may be eligible for bus transportation from the Boston Public Schools. If you think your child is eligible, fill out the Private/Parochial Transportation Request Form 2008-2009 and return it to Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy, 100 Savin Hill Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02125 on or before Friday, August 22, 2008. The Boston Public Schools Department of Transportation then determines if your child is eligible and notifies you. You receive information directly from the Boston Public Schools. If your child is determined to be eligible, a mailer with the bus numbers and times for pick-up and drop-off will be sent to your home one week before the start of school. If you do not receive your notification before the start of school, please contact the Boston Public Schools Department of Transportation at 617-635-9520.

Extended Day Program

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy will run before and after-school programs at all campuses. All programs will start on Monday, September 15, 2008. The After-School Program will feature homework help, tutoring, academic enrichment, math challenge, science, art, music, clubs for kids, and athletics.

Please download and submit the necessary forms listed below:
Before School Application form
After School Application
Emergency Form
Extended Day Policy

  • Before School
    • Hours: 6:30-7:45 a.m.
    • Rate: $5.00/day
    • Required: Parent drop-off
  • After School
    • Hours: 2:30-6:00 p.m.
    • Rate: $15.00/day (1 child)
      $22.00/day (2 children)
      $30.00/day (3 or more children)
    • Required: Parent pick-up by 6:00pm
  • Fee: Pickups after 6 p.m. will be charged a $10.00 fee for every 10 minute increment.

For Parents

Volunteer Opportunities for Parents

There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in activities to support Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. Please talk to the principal of your child's school for a list of volunteer activities in which you are interested.

Parent ListServ

Parents who wish information e-mailed can submit your e-mail address electronically to Marcia Robinson at Marcia.Robinson@popejp2catholicacademy.org with a request that you be added to our Parent Listserv. We also encourage you to continue to check our web page for up to the minute announcements and happenings at Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy.

Fundraising

Fund raising activities may be scheduled from time to time during the school year. All funds raised will support field trips for students at Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy.

Contacts for More Information

For information please contact the campus principal or email to regional office at info@popejp2catholicacademy.org

Important Forms

Photo release form

 

Financial Assistance

There will be financial assistance to all qualified families based upon income levels. The Catholic Schools Foundation and a new Pope John Paul II Scholarship Fund will be committed to increasing the amount of financial aid for the September 2008 school year. Our hope is that with this additional aid, we can continue to make a strong Catholic education affordable for all children who want to attend Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy.

  • Financial Aid Allocations
    • Phase 1-May 15th Deadline-Notices mailed mid-June
    • Phase 2-Rolling Decisions
  • Reminder-All Families Required to Select Payment Option Prior to June 15th.

How to apply for Financial Aid

Uniform - The "Christmas Plaid"

  • New uniforms will be required for all students except in the 2008/2009 school year
  • Grades 1-8 will wear uniform
  • Pre-K-K2 will wear "uniform" gym clothes
  • Supplier
    • Collegiate House
    • On-Site Measuring for Uniforms in June