John Paul II Catholic High School

JPII Guidance Office

The High School Counseling Office at John Paul II Catholic High School offers many parent/student services. We address academic, college, and personal issues and provide information related to these areas. We are here to guide and lend a helping hand when needed and we look forward to working with students and their families during the high school years.
Below is a list of some of the services that our department provides:

Course Selection and Scheduling for the Academic Year
College Admissions and Scholarship Applications
Financial Aid Information
Career Options and Planning
Time Management and Study Skills Information
Student/Teacher Relationships and Conflict Resolution
ACT and SAT Information and Assistance
PLAN and PSAT Administration
AP Testing Information and Administration
In State and Out of State College Tours
Scheduling of College Representatives on Campus
Letters of Recommendation for College Admission, Scholarships, and Special Programs
Confidential Personal Counseling
Special Programs on College and Career Planning

A few frequently asked questions:

What is a GPA?
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is the average of ALL your semester grades during high school; it is recalculated at the end of each semester with new final grades. Your GPA reflects your academic performance in your classes and is an important factor in college admissions and many scholarship award decisions.

How are classes weighted, and what exactly does that mean?
Advanced academic challenging courses designated “Honors”, “Advanced Placement (AP)” and “Dual Enrollment (DE)” courses are “weighted” when calculating a student’s GPA. At John Paul II, Honors classes are awarded an additional .50 per semester and AP and DE classes are weighted an added 1.0 value points.

How many credits do I have?
You should keep a record of all classes taken and grades and credits earned. Each semester class you pass (for example, August - December, or January - May) you earn

½ credit. You must pass with a D or above to earn credit for that class.

What is a credit?
Credits are points earned toward graduation. You need a certain number of credits in specific courses to graduate from high school.

What Classes are REQUIRED to Graduate?

To earn a high school diploma from John Paul II Catholic High School students must complete the following credit requirements: (Also posted in JPIICHS Agenda and Student Handbook).

4 credits of Religion
4 credits of English
4 credits of Math: minimum requirements: Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II
3 credits of Social Studies, including World History, American History, American Government and Economics.
2 credits of the same Foreign Language
1 credit of Physical Education/Health (HOPE)
1 credit of Arts/Technology
2 credits of Electives

For a total of: 24 credits