Friends of John Paul School
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • Our School
  • History
  • News
  • Get Involved
  • DONATE NOW‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • Our School
  • History
  • News
  • Get Involved
  • DONATE NOW‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
  • How To Help,  In The News,  JPSS Visit,  Students

    Distribution Day!

    August 25, 2023 /

    You, our amazing donors, responded to our call to be able to bring supplies and gear for each of our students, teachers and staff (over 700 people!).  Charity wish list orders of sports bras, socks, and drawstring bags poured into Paul and Nancy’s house, and gently used ties were donated by, in some cases, the hundreds!  All were carefully packed into 16 large duffle bags that were divided up between the board members traveling to Uganda.  Once at the school, we had the whole of Berrigan Hall and all the tables to lay out the items so the students could proceed in and select one of each. Our visiting team…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    FOJPS—Sustaining Angels

    June 23, 2025

    Virtual 5K Year 2 – Let’s Go!

    March 22, 2022

    Thrivent’s Impact for JPSS

    March 20, 2024
  • Campus Development,  In The News,  JPSS Visit

    The Commissioning and Blessing of the New Multipurpose Building

    August 24, 2023 /

    From the moment we approached the JPSS campus, and our eyes caught a glimpse of the new Multipurpose Building towering over the tree tops, our eyes teared up and our hearts were overwhelmed with joy. Where were we??  Surely, this can’t be rural Chelekura?? And, although we had been receiving photos of the various stages of the building process for over a year, we were not prepared for the enormity and grandeur this building brought to the JPSS campus and the community of Chelekura! It was an unbelievably gorgeous sight to behold!! The Blessing and official Commissioning of the new Multipurpose Building and New Kitchen took place on Saturday, July…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    The Need for Clean and Abundant Water

    April 5, 2023

    Technology: A Path for All

    March 24, 2022

    2024 Construction and Groundbreaking

    March 23, 2024
  • In The News,  JPSS Visit

    Our Trip to JPSS – by Bob and Debbie Clark

    August 24, 2023 /

    Though we are relative “newcomers” to the John Paul Secondary School board, we are so very thankful that we have become involved. Sharing our time, along with “some” talent and treasures for the benefit of JPSS, has been rewarding above and beyond ever imagined. Our feeling that we have been blessed by being involved were confirmed with our recent visit to the school located in a very remote area in Eastern Uganda We traveled with the Berrigan family along with the Comerfords … fellow board members and great travel companions. To reach Chelekura, Uganda (where the school is located), we traveled unpaved, often very rutted roads, but thankfully our experienced…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Our Largest Graduating Class Ever!

    March 30, 2026

    A Promise to be Kept

    October 25, 2021

    Technology: A Path for All

    March 24, 2022
  • In The News,  JPSS Visit

    My Trip to JPSS – by Shannon Carrier

    August 24, 2023 /

    My name is Shannon, and I’m Paul and Nancy’s oldest daughter. Obviously I’ve heard about the school since they first rolled the architectural plans out on our dining room table to show us what they envisioned. I was lucky enough to travel this summer with my parents to Uganda, and after a few days of driving through many cities and towns we passed many different schools and hundreds of children, of all ages, walking every morning and afternoon back and forth to school. As we drove to JPSS, we headed down some very bumpy “roads”, watched families work in the rice fields, waved to children that came out of their…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Francis Akol . . . Teacher. Mentor. Technology Guru.

    February 1, 2021

    Join us at the 9th Annual FOJPS Wine Tasting

    August 8, 2023

    2024 FOJPS Virtual 5K Results

    June 5, 2024
  • In The News,  JPSS Visit

    My Trip to JPSS – by Emma Carrier

    August 24, 2023 /

    My first impression of the school was taken aback. I obviously had seen pictures of the school and the campus, but seeing it in real life and seeing it all being run as a full community, was amazing.  The students were so welcoming and curious, as was I, but I was able to go and talk and get to know a lot of them to see how they lived their daily lives. I was surprised that there is so much space for the kids to be entertained, more than any other school that we passed, but even then, there is still so much more that could be added to improve…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    A Promise to be Kept

    October 25, 2021

    A Wonderful Evening, A Wonderful Cause

    November 8, 2021

    Help Us Bring ESSENTIALS to Our Students in Uganda

    October 16, 2022
  • Events and Fundraising,  How To Help,  In The News

    Join us at the 9th Annual FOJPS Wine Tasting

    August 8, 2023 /

    Once again, we will be holding our annual Charity Wine Tasting at the chic Silver Spoon Ristorante in Rochester, Michigan. For your enjoyment, five premier wines will be paired with a like number of gourmet tastings. Register for individual tickets or purchase a table and invite your friends. We have a limited number of tickets that we expect to sell out quickly. Please join us on Thursday, October 5th!

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    A Wonderful Evening, A Wonderful Cause

    November 8, 2021

    Annual Wine Tasting Fast Approaching

    August 5, 2020

    2025 FOJPS Virtual 5K Results

    June 9, 2025
  • Events and Fundraising,  How To Help,  In The News

    2023 FOJPS 5K Results and Winners

    June 13, 2023 /

    Thank you so much to everyone who participated in or donated to our third annual virtual 5K – benefiting the students and teachers at John Paul Secondary School in Uganda! The 5K week was a huge success: we had 265 participants from all around the world and we received tons of great photos of people walking, running, rolling for the kids. With the $50 per participant pledge, that works out to $13,250 in pledged amount. Combined with tickets and donations, YOU raised over $43,850 for JPSS! We are thrilled with the results! Congratulations to all of you, and especially our photo winners below!

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    A Fun Evening and Successful Fundraiser!

    November 2, 2023

    5K 2022 Video Summary and Wrap-up

    August 1, 2022

    What hasn’t been cancelled by Covid-19? #GivingTuesday!

    October 27, 2020
  • How To Help,  In The News

    Walmart Round Up

    May 18, 2023 /

    Anyone who uses Walmart.com or the Walmart app can donate to Friends of John Paul School —just visit Walmart.com/SparkGood, sign up to participate, and designate Friends of John Paul School as your charity of choice on your account (use zip code 48308 in the search to find us). Walmart will round up your purchase total to the nearest dollar at checkout and donate your change FOJPS. As simple as that. What a great way to help the kids at JPSS!

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    2025 FOJPS Virtual 5K Results

    June 9, 2025

    2023 FOJPS 5K Results and Winners

    June 13, 2023

    The Hungerford Scholarship:  Changing the Future for Rural Uganda

    March 25, 2025
  • In The News,  Students

    Student Spotlight – Government Scholarships

    May 18, 2023 /

    Our students just completed Term 1 on April 29, 2023.  They continue to excel in their academics and we look forward to another successful year for all of them. Last year, all 108 S4 JPSS students passed their UCE exams. These impressive results made John Paul Secondary School the #1 ranked school, of 28 secondary schools, in the Pallisa District. In addition, 24 of our S6 students sat for their UACE exams. The results of this exam determine a student’s ability to move on to University. Twenty-three of our students scored well enough to qualify and four of these S6 students are now eligible to receive government scholarships to University.…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    A Wonderful Evening, A Wonderful Cause

    November 8, 2021

    Covid-19 Update . . . never a greater need for your support

    September 29, 2020

    Meet Our Team – Bwayo Moses

    June 20, 2025
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    Water, Water, Everywhere

    May 18, 2023 /

    Water, water, everywhere, but not enough to drink. That is the position we found ourselves in recently. When the school first opened its doors in 2007 there was no water on the campus. As is the case in most of Uganda, those living in Chelekura had to spend an inordinate amount of time standing in line at a community well, waiting their turn to fill Jerry cans. Students at JPSS were no different than the local citizenry; they took their turn also at the community well. Then in 2015, we commissioned drilling for a well and were successful in bringing good clean water, with a purifier on the hand pump,…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    From Barren Field to Thriving Campus

    October 18, 2021

    The Commissioning and Blessing of the New Multipurpose Building

    August 24, 2023

    Ten Years Later . . .

    June 18, 2025
34567

Contact Us

Friends of John Paul School
P.O. Box 80815
Rochester, MI 48308-0815

info@johnpaulschool.com

Upcoming Events

End of Term I, May 1st

Beginning of Term II, May 25th

Join us for our 6th Annual Virtual 5K, June 13 – June 21st.

Copyright 2026 Friends of John Paul School - All Rights Reserved