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Let’s Go! 2024 Uganda National Debate Competition
John Paul Secondary Students are invited to attend the 3rd Edition Uganda National Secondary Schools’ Debate, Poetry & Public Speech Championship 2024! We’re so excited for the JPSS Debate Team! They were named a semi-finalist at the District-level Competition which qualified them to attend the National Debate Competitions at Holy Cross Secondary School in Jinja. This is a very prestigious event and quite an honor for our students to be invited. Many of the other schools that were invited have a considerably larger enrollment and are in metropolitan cities throughout Uganda making the competition challenging. The National Competition began on August 25, 2024. JPSS was represented by 3 debaters, 1…
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Student Entrepreneurship – Soap Making!
Soap making is part of the new Uganda curriculum, meant to teach students life skills that can be employed throughout their lives (much like the U.S. home economics and shop classes). The lead teacher for this is Madam Akurut Caroline. The soap making is done 3 times each term. The students manufacture 15 Jerry cans of soap which will provide enough soap to clean the school for approximately a month. The cost of the supplies to make the soap is approximately 160,000 UGX or about $43. If the school were to purchase the soap, the cost of the same 15 Jerry cans would be about 650,000 or $174, so this…
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Update on Campus Development
Half way through the year and the campus is buzzing with activity!! Crews of workers are bringing our very ambitious construction plans to fruition right on time. And time is a key element. It is synchronized to make sure all 5 major projects are completed in order and by year end. Most important and number 1 priority is to build an 8 class room primary school on newly acquired property across the road from the JPSS campus. Adodoi Primary School is a government school that was on the JPSS property and is now being relocated across the street. The goal is to have the 1000+ primary school students begin the…
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New Professionals from Former Students
It is a pleasure to share this exciting news; two former JPSS students have returned as professionals to work at the school as teacher and nurse. Meet Sharon Khabuya and Kevine Mukite. Sharon Khabuya has returned as an Agriculture teacher. She grew up in Bulambuli with four siblings. Her favorite subject at JPSS was Agriculture and her fondest memory was attending a field trip to Aguile Market. Kevine Mukite was raised in Manafwa District with three siblings. She has returned to care for the students as a nurse. Her favorite subject was English and she cherishes the memories of fun and friendship with her fellow students and teachers. Both women…
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My Grandparents Built a School in Africa
My grandparents are Paul and Nancy Berrigan and in 2007 they built a Catholic secondary school in the small rural village of Chelekura, Uganda, East Africa. The school was named John Paul Secondary School. A little-known fact is that the school was named in memory of my great-grandfathers, John and Paul. When the school first opened it consisted of a total of nine classrooms. And, there were only 14 students and 10 teachers. Please click on the video below to see the full story: Fast forward to 2024, the school now has close to 700 students and 40 teachers. In addition to the classrooms, now there is the Daryl D.…
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John Paul Secondary School Board of Governors
We are very excited to announce the induction of the new Board of Governors for John Paul Secondary School! We welcome these twelve talented individuals who will actively help guide JPSS to enable its vision: to produce citizens to be the light of the world. Mr. Okuma John Francis, the Chairperson of the Board, holds a Masters Degree in Education Policy Planning and Management, and spent his career teaching and then as Headteacher, finally serving as the Director of Education for the Pallisa district. In fact, many of the individuals on the board have prior teaching experience, as well as school administration experience. Others bring a mix of financial and…
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Volunteers Needed
Volunteer Positions/Skills Needed These represent our ongoing needs for help and include the type of assistance needed and expected time commitment. Website and Social Media management – making changes and updates to existing WordPress website, creating new Posts and basic website maintenance. Website performance optimization greatly needed. Manage social media accounts, prepare posts based on communication calendar, review post performance. Experience with WordPress a plus (but not required), comfort in online systems, social media posting. Time Commitment: website updates quarterly and prior to/after events (3-4 times a year), social media updates 2×3 times a month, more frequent during fundraisers. Graphic Design/Video Production – working in conjunction with Website and Social…
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2024 FOJPS Virtual 5K Results
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in or donated to our fourth annual virtual 5K – benefiting the students and teachers at John Paul Secondary School in Uganda! Please watch the Kick-off video above which includes footage from the race in Chelekura. It was a wonderful day and the students and teachers were all so happy to be part of a fundraiser helping their school. In fact, the teachers came together to take up a collection in order to help raise money for the 5K event. They see the impact the overcrowded classrooms has on their students, and they want to help. The 5K week was a…
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Another School Year Begins…
On February 5, 2024, John Paul Secondary School opened its doors to our students who were eagerly waiting to get back to their studies and to see their friends again after their 2-month end-of-year break. They were warmly greeted by Fr John Chrysostom, Director, Moses Bwayo, Headteacher, and all the teachers. When our students return to school after a long break, it’s much like moving back into a college dorm. They must bring all their clothing and personal items in one trunk plus they bring their own mattresses, linens, and mosquito netting. They are accompanied by their parents or guardians who bring them to school by bus or car and…
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2024 Construction and Groundbreaking
Year 2023 saw the culmination of two essential and large projects, the Multipurpose building supported with a, large modern kitchen, and our big water project. Giddy from the success of these two projects we have even more ambitious plans for 2024 which are well underway. With the school now approaching 700 students with a staff of 50 we need more of everything – beds, classrooms, books, land and the list goes on. Our plan addresses each of these issues. The first priority is increasing the size of the campus, and we have come up with a creative means to acquire a large parcel. Currently there is a primary school with…
