St. John Paul II Catholic School in Minneapolis faced a challenge around five years ago when an eighth-grader and his family, who had recently arrived in the U.S. from Ecuador, knocked on their door in the hopes of enrolling in the school so that the boy may finish his basic schooling there.
St. John Paul II has been a community center for immigrant families since its beginning in the nineteenth century. The difference is that they are becoming known to newly arrived families, according to Principal Tricia Menzhuber.
Welcoming Immigrant Children from Other Countries
Menzhuber and the rest of the school did what they could to get the young man ready for high school despite not having traveled with the family up to that point and despite the fact that the young man was in a difficult grade with a lot to learn even if English as a second language was not an issue.
According to The Catholic Spirit, together, they were successful, and he flourished at Columbia Heights High School. Family and friends began to encourage people to relocate to the area, and they were met with open arms at Sts. Cyril and Methodius parish and across the neighborhood.
Three students enrolled in the school that year, all the way from Ecuador, as new families began to settle there.
These days, 176 out of 177 pupils at the pre-K through eighth grade school speak English as a second language. According to Menzhuber, nearly all classrooms include new immigrants this semester, including four refugees from war-torn Ukraine.
St. John Paul II administrators spent a lot of effort last school year and over the summer working up a support structure to help recently arriving immigrants integrate into the mainstream classroom.
Newcomer Experience at St. John Paul II
This fall, St. John Paul II debuted its Newcomer Experience. It features a native-speaking math tutor, a Spanish-speaking social studies instructor, and a native-speaking English teacher, Judi Mikolai.
As per the report, the curriculum is a three-year endeavor that helps students to become fully integrated into mainstream classrooms by celebrating their individual growth and development during the course of the program.
Students from places like Ecuador have specific requirements, such as an appreciation of winter and a knowledge of the importance of a warm coat. City Connects, directed by Silvia Ochoa, provides kids with financial, social, and academic support to ensure their success in school.
About St. John Paul II Catholic School
The foundation of St. John Paul II Catholic School is that it has always been dedicated to assisting immigrants and all of the faithful, and they continue in that tradition today.
Their aim is to care for the whole child, provide an education that is challenging and inspired with faith for kindergarten through eighth grade students, and work to remove any obstacles that families may have in their pursuit of an education.
According to the school’s website, the formation of the full person is prioritized at St. John Paul II Catholic School, which places Christ at the center of its curriculum and uses the Catholic faith as its basis.
