‘Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School capping off unprecedented year’

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic School near Dumfries is preparing for graduation this Friday.

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington of writes:

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School is capping off an unprecedented year with an in-person graduation ceremony for the Class of 2021. Each graduate is permitted to bring four guests to the celebratory occasion. The ceremony, to be held on the school’s football field, will take place Friday, May 28, at 10:30 a.m. Saint John Paul the Great and all high schools in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington safely re-opened at the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year for hybrid (in-person and virtual) learning, as all 41 brick-and-mortar schools reopened for fully in-person or hybrid instruction.

“In a year of challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are so blessed to be holding an in-person graduation ceremony after a year of in-person education! I am so happy to celebrate our Class of 2021 and their impressive achievements on all levels,” said Head of School Sr. Mary Veronica Keller, O.P. “These students truly accepted the reality of what we were facing and embraced the difficulties presented by the pandemic with maturity, resilience, and faith. This year, we experienced the joy of being together as a community, despite the challenges before us. Our students truly followed the words of our patron, Saint John Paul II: ‘Never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.’”

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School Class of 2021 Graduation Ceremony

Date and Time:
Friday, May 28, 10:30 a.m.

Address:
17700 Dominican Drive, Potomac Shores, VA 22026

Location:
Football Field

In addition to offering hybrid instruction for the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year to date, Saint John Paul the Great began phasing students back to full-time in-person instruction this spring. On March 29, all seniors were permitted to return to full-time in-person learning, and, beginning May 3, this was opened to all students, grades 9–11 included. This fall, the four diocesan high schools plan to resume full-time in-person instruction for all grade levels with ongoing COVID-19 mitigation safety protocols in place.

Saint John Paul the Great’s Class of 2021 graduates include 92 AP Scholars and three National Scholars, with four students commended for National Merit and three for National Hispanic Recognition. There are also six 2021 graduates who earned appointments to military academies.

“The in-person graduations for the Class of 2021 in our diocesan high schools are a particular highlight in a year of remarkable accomplishments. It was an incredible challenge for all of our school communities to adjust to COVID-19 protocols,” said Dr. Joseph Vorbach, Superintendent for Schools, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “In-person graduations are a mark of the resilience of the graduates and of hope for a continued gradual return to the norms and traditions of school life going forward. We salute the Class of 2021!”