It is a priority at St. John Paul II Catholic High School to provide students with the encouragement and means to develop their creativity. Students are given many ways to express themselves through visual and performing arts both in and out of the classroom.
The faculty and the students take great pride in and enjoy what they do. Upon graduation, the lessons that each student learns, the fun they have and the bonds they make augment each student’s life forever and develop lasting memories. Our arts programs have had two Best and Brightest winners in the Art and Music categories in recent years as well as many students going on to pursue art and music degrees in college with scholarships.
Fine Arts
“Where words fail, art often speaks, elevating the human spirit and nurturing the soul.”
Within the school curriculum, students may choose between Drawing & Painting, 3-D Art, AP-Art Portfolio, and Graphic Design/Journalism. The creativity of our students is displayed twice a year at the Winter and Spring Fine Arts Showcases.
Some select students also participate in art shows and competitions in the Tallahassee Region including the Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibition at the City Hall Art Gallery, the Mahaska Whitley Student Exhibition at LeMoyne Art Center, and The Holocaust Student Art Contest. Students do not have to be taking an art class in order to participate. St. John Paul II Catholic students have been recognized with honors in many of these competitions.
Performing Arts
“Building Character Beyond Ourselves.”
Guitar, Chorus, Instrumental Ensemble, AP Music Theory, and Musical Theatre are courses in performing arts that are offered during school hours. Students can progress from not knowing an instrument by taking Instrumental Ensemble I or Guitar I to becoming a great musician by taking Instrumental Ensemble IV Honors or Guitar IV Honors. Instrumental Ensemble is often filled with both String Orchestra Students and Band Students. Students in Guitar learn all styles of guitar playing from chords to fingerpicking styles, rock guitar, and bass guitar. Students can also earn college credit through taking Advanced Placement Music Theory during their senior year.
When the bell rings, students are invited to participate in Chorus Club, Mass Choir (Vocalists and Instrumentalists), Drama Club, International Thespian Society Troupe #8174, and our Drumline.
The Spring Musical or Drama Performance is almost an All-School event. Students can participate as actors, set crew, backstage crew, costume helpers, make-up helpers and much more. While many more students add to the musical through the creation of props and sets in 3D Art, over 25% of the student body participates during the musical either on stage or backstage. Some of our past performances have included: “Once on this Island”, “Sister Act”, “Shrek! the Musical”, “Once Upon a Mattress”, “Annie”, “Bye, Bye Birdie”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “God Spell”, “Cinderella”, “Wizard of Oz”, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, “Sound of Music”, and “A Christmas Carol”. All students at JPII are encouraged to audition for our spring musical or performance regardless if they have taken a theatre course or have any theatre experience.
