Braintree, MA (January 29, 2014) – The Board of Trustees for Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy has announced that in order to meet the growing demand for pre-kindergarten enrollment and to enhance the learning experience for middle school age students changes to the Mattapan and Lower Mills campuses will take place beginning in September 2014.
The Academy is committing more classroom space to increase enrollment for the pre-kindergarten school students at the Mattapan campus. In order to achieve this goal, 7th and 8th graders at the Mattapan campus will attend classes at the Lower Mills campus which is being newly renovated this summer.
In a letter to parents notifying them of the changes, Sister Ellen Powers, CSJ, Regional Director of Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy, said, “In order to provide the best education for all students there are several changes we need to make for the 7th and 8th graders. Starting in September, our 7th and 8th graders at the Mattapan campus will attend classes at the Lower Mills campus.” She added, “Students will have access to a new science lab, a media/resource center, new lockers, new classroom furniture, and the gymnasium. Students will interact with more middle school students since classes will be larger and this will provide a very good experience for high school preparation.”
Understanding that change requires adjustment, a primary objective of these decisions is to ensure a smooth transition for students, families and staff. One area the school has focused on is transportation. To ensure that that this change is as easy as possible, especially for families with students attending the Mattapan campus, transportation will be provided to and from Lower Mills after the drop-off at Mattapan every morning and for the afternoon pick up.
A meeting for parents of 6th and 7th grade students has been scheduled forFebruary 6th at 6:00pm at the Mattapan Campus. This will provide an opportunity to more fully discuss these changes and to answer questions from parents.
Sr. Ellen said, “this provides a great opportunity to enhance the educational experience for our middle school students as well as to build on already excellent pre-k opportunities. Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy serves as a wonderful educational anchor for parents looking to see their children experience the best possible Catholic school education.”