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 ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    Construction Update – 2024/2025 Master Plan

    October 8, 2025 /

    We want to thank all of our generous donors for making these construction projects a reality.  The new primary school is ready and waiting for the young students to utilize the classrooms at the beginning of next school year.  The new boys and girls’ A-level dorms have dramatically reduced the overcrowding in our O-level dorms.  And the soccer field grass is coming in nicely.  The team buildings including dressing rooms, washrooms and toilets along with the restroom building installed for spectators are ready and waiting for the first game once the grass has fully come in and cured. Dorms Primary School Soccer Field and Team Buildings This multi-building project was…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Campus-wide Water Distribution Project Complete!

    November 3, 2023

    Technology: A Path for All

    March 24, 2022

    Multi-Purpose Building & Kitchen Update

    August 7, 2022
  • Campus Development,  In The News,  JPSS Visit

    Ten Years Later . . .

    June 18, 2025 /

    This June marks 10 years since my family first visited JPSS. Looking back now, it’s amazing how far we have come, and the changes we’ve seen in our recent visits to Uganda in 2023 and 2024. The whole Comerford family went on this adventure – Liz and I along with our two teenage boys – Sam (then 14) and Nate (then 13). After two long flights and 20 hours of travel, we were picked up at the Entebbe airport by Denis, the Berrigan’s friend and long-time driver for every trip to Uganda over the years. After a day of recovery at a lovely hotel on the shores of nearby Lake…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Update on Campus Development

    July 3, 2024

    Campus Update

    August 5, 2020

    Quality, Functional, AND Cost-Effective Facilities

    October 31, 2021
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    Update on Campus Development

    November 19, 2024 /

    With the end of the year fast approaching we are still on track to successfully complete our very aggressive development plans. Our #1 priority for 2024 was to build an 8-classroom primary school on newly acquired property across the road from the JPSS campus. That has been completed and the 1000 + Adodoi School primary students will begin the 2025 school year in these new facilities. As soon as the primary school year ends, in early December 2024, we will rehab the existing primary school classrooms on our campus and convert them for our JPSS students. Our second priority was to provide additional housing for our ever-increasing student body, now…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    A Beacon of Hope

    October 31, 2021

    Update on Campus Development

    July 3, 2024

    The Commissioning and Blessing of the New Multipurpose Building

    August 24, 2023
  • Campus Development,  In The News,  Uncategorized

    Update on Campus Development

    July 3, 2024 /

    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…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    From Barren Field to Thriving Campus

    October 18, 2021

    Update on Campus Development

    November 19, 2024

    Campus Update

    August 5, 2020
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    2024 Construction and Groundbreaking

    March 23, 2024 /

    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…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Update on Multi-Purpose Building and Kitchen

    November 4, 2022

    Inflation Hits Uganda

    August 7, 2022

    Quality, Functional, AND Cost-Effective Facilities

    October 31, 2021
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    Campus-wide Water Distribution Project Complete!

    November 3, 2023 /

    We are very excited to announce that the JPSS water project is now complete! Access to clean water has been an ongoing journey since the beginning of John Paul Secondary School in 2007. Initially our students and teachers would walk long distances to reach the community well in order to fill their Jerry cans of water needed for drinking and bathing. After several attempts, we were successful in digging a functioning well on campus in 2015 which made the journey to retrieve much shorter for students and the local community alike. The hand pump served the campus well for a long time, but as the school community continued to grow,…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    The Commissioning and Blessing of the New Multipurpose Building

    August 24, 2023

    Update on Multi-Purpose Building and Kitchen

    November 4, 2022

    Inflation Hits Uganda

    August 7, 2022
  • 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

    Technology: A Path for All

    March 24, 2022

    Update on Campus Development

    July 3, 2024

    Inflation Hits Uganda

    August 7, 2022
  • 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

    Ten Years Later . . .

    June 18, 2025

    Successful Giving Tuesday/Holiday Campaign Sets 2021 Expansion

    February 1, 2021

    A Beacon of Hope

    October 31, 2021
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    The Need for Clean and Abundant Water

    April 5, 2023 /

    Thirsty?  Walk 20 feet to the fridge and get a glass of clean, cold, filtered water from the dispenser.  Ready for bed?  Wash your face and brush your teeth with warm and cool water from the faucet in your bathroom.  We forget what a blessing clean, running water is, available wherever and whenever we want.  In rural Uganda, running water is not the norm.  Little children learn early to help the household by carrying water back home from a local well, if they are lucky enough to have access to clean water. A full Jerry can (like below) can weigh up to 40 lbs. When the first well was completed…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Quality, Functional, AND Cost-Effective Facilities

    October 31, 2021

    Ten Years Later . . .

    June 18, 2025

    Campus-wide Water Distribution Project Complete!

    November 3, 2023
  • Campus Development,  In The News

    Update on Multi-Purpose Building and Kitchen

    November 4, 2022 /

    Our incredible contractor Vincent has made tremendous progress since we first broke ground on the Multi-Purpose Building in June. Employing lots of extra workers from the local community, he now fully expects to have it completed by this year’s end. And, this much-anticipated Dining Hall will be fully operational by the start of the 2023 school year. In addition, while just as important but not getting as much attention as the MPB, a new modern Kitchen will also be completed and fully operational by the start of the 2023 school year. The modern stoves are purchased and ready to be installed when the Kitchen is done. The final phase of…

    Read More
    Johnpau3

    You May Also Like

    Quality, Functional, AND Cost-Effective Facilities

    October 31, 2021

    Technology: A Path for All

    March 24, 2022

    Multi-Purpose Building & Kitchen Update

    August 7, 2022
123

Contact Us

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

info@johnpaulschool.com

Upcoming Events

Students return to school for Term I – starting February 2, 2026

Copyright 2026 Friends of John Paul School - All Rights Reserved