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Exam Season at JPSS: An Important Step Toward the Future
Exam season is underway in Uganda, marking an important milestone for our students at John Paul School. Our 165 Senior Four students are taking their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, while our 99 Senior Six students are making their final preparations for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations in November. These national exams bring together years of classroom learning, practical work, and preparation. They also help shape what comes next for each student. Several Weeks of Focus and Hard Work The UCE written examinations began on Monday, October 12, and continue through Tuesday, November 3—just over three weeks. Senior Six students will attend their UACE briefing on…
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Thank You for Making Our 12th Annual Wine Tasting Dinner a Huge Success!
We are overflowing with gratitude! Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our community, our 12th Annual Friends of John Paul School Fundraising Dinner was an unforgettable evening that raised over $52,000 to support quality education and faith formation for students in rural Uganda. With over 100 guests in attendance, the energy in the room was electric from start to finish. Whether you attended, bid on silent auction items, purchased wine raffle tickets, or donated items, you made this milestone achievement possible. Guests enjoyed a spectacular five-course dinner paired with outstanding U.S. wines with Italian roots. Beyond our silent auction and wine raffle, the night took an exciting turn with a…
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Four New Scholars Join the JPSS Graduate Scholarship Program
This July, the John Paul Secondary School Board of Governors’ Academic Committee met to select the newest class of recipients for the JPSS Graduate Scholarship Program (GSP), the program that helps our most promising, financially needy graduates continue on to university. Eleven students applied this year. Each application was reviewed against a strict set of funder guidelines: applicants had to have completed S5/S6 at JPSS, live within 100km of the school, score at least 11 points at UACE, demonstrate genuine financial need, and be admitted to an eligible university and course. Applicants and their parent or guardian also had to agree to a three-way contract with JPSS, laying out both…
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Empowering the Future: Meet Our 2026 Hungerford Scholars!
Earlier this year in February, as the new academic term kicked off, we had the privilege of selecting the latest class of Hungerford Scholarship Program recipients! Thanks to your continued generosity, these bright, determined Senior One students from resilient families across Pallisa, Mbale, and Bulambuli districts were able to begin their secondary education journey with full support. Selected at the start of the year based on academic potential and financial need, these scholars come from humble backgrounds, many belonging to large peasant farming families or single-parent households, yet all share a strong dedication to learning and building a brighter future. Meet a Few of Our Scholars: Oliabong Charles (Pallisa) –…
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A Friendship Transformed into Hope: The Story of John Mataya
Some friendships don’t just stand the test of time—they change the world. For John Mataya, our longest-giving Sustaining Angel, the story begins back in 1964 during his time in the Air Force. That was when he met Paul, a fellow service member who would quickly become one of his closest friends and his roommate for three years. A few years later in Omaha, John attended a party and met a young woman named Nancy. As John fondly recalls: “She didn’t like me very much at that time. The next week Paul came with me to another party that Nancy was going to be at and I introduced them. The rest…
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Built to Last: The JPSS Boundary Wall Takes Shape
Something remarkable is rising along the perimeter of John Paul Secondary School. The boundary wall project is now 78% complete, with the team on track to finish by the end of June 2026, a full two months ahead of the original schedule. Overseeing the entire construction effort on campus is Lillian Namugaya, FOJPS’s Owner’s Engineer and on-site construction manager from Construction for Change. Lillian coordinates directly with the construction firm, monitors weekly progress, and keeps our team in Michigan informed every step of the way. We love that we have a talented woman in this leadership role and we know it doesn’t go unnoticed by the 400+ young women at…
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Our Largest Graduating Class Ever!
72 students completed A-level examinations at John Paul Secondary School in 2025 Each year, when the Uganda National Examinations Board releases A-level results, we find ourselves reflecting on how far John Paul Secondary School has come. This year, that reflection carries special weight. In November of 2025, 72 young men and women sat their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations at JPSS — the largest A-level class in the school’s history. That number tells a meaningful story about what this school has become and what your support has helped build. What This Class Accomplished: More than half of the entire class — 52 students — earned the qualifications needed…
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JPSS Delivers Phenomenal 2025 UCE Results — A Breakthrough Year
We are so excited to share this news: the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results are out, and John Paul Secondary School has once again exceeded all expectations! For a fourth year in a row, JPSS is the #1 school in the Pallisa District! A celebration parade was organized through the town of Pallisa – see our students, teachers and parents celebrating this success below. And, these are results put JPSS on par with much larger, urban schools. In fact, JPSS is now in the top 8% of secondary schools in the nation! Uganda’s grading system now uses a letter-based system, similar to the U.S. But in the U.S.,…
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Beating the Odds: The JPSS Difference
A recent article in the Ugandan Sunday Monitor gives Uganda’s education system an “F” grade, citing the most serious failures at the pre-primary and primary school levels, where children’s learning foundations are formed. Uganda currently spends 2.7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education. By comparison, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommends that countries spend 4 – 6% of GDP on education; the U.S. spends 5.5 – 5.8% GDP. The World Bank measures a country’s education and health outcomes using the Human Capital Index (HCI). This index estimates how productive a child born today is likely to be as an adult, on a scale from 0 to 1,…
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Musibikha Winnie: A Hungerford Success Story
In her primary school leaving exams, local Musibikha Winnie earned the lowest possible passing score to continue into secondary school, placing her at the very bottom of Division 3. Recognizing her determination and potential, her primary school headteacher personally recommended her to Headteacher Bwayo Moses for the Hungerford Scholarship so she could benefit from its supportive boarding program. Living on campus gave Winnie the stability to focus fully on her education, surrounded by the comradery of fellow boarding students who encouraged and motivated one another. She gained access to structured routines, before- and after-class tutoring, and mentorship from older Hungerford scholars. Holiday programs held between school terms ensured continuous learning…
