ASHTABULA — The end of year is near, evidenced through the fact that most of the major school-year events have taken place. Other days that seemed far off like field day are less than a few weeks away. The New York trip, the school play, prom and the prayer breakfast are all over, not to mention the fact that baseball, softball, tennis and track seasons are almost done.
Ss. John and Paul High School was invited to attend the 19th annual prayer breakfast on May 8. It was a special service because the keynote speaker, Steve Koproski, is a 1989 graduate of St. John High School. Lynda Campaign and Jennifer Allan were asked to show their support for Mr. Koproski by bringing the Ss. John and Paul National Honor Society.
“It was my first experience; it was wonderful!” said Mrs. Campaign. “I truly enjoyed it because I had that man in my class. I was impressed because it’s the 19th time they’ve done it, and it’s all of the different religions in the county.”
Before the keynote speech, board members offered their prayer petitions and made a point to pray over the students in attendance.
“It was a very thought provoking experience, I liked how they prayed for everyone and didn’t leave anyone out. They made us high school students feel special and stand out,” said junior Kristina Krummins.
Mr. Koproski’s speech was about radical love and he used clever references to highlight this, like an excerpt from “Les Misérables” and the “Prodigal Son” parable. He was even able to reference “Toy Story.”
“Only after failing to fly does Buzz Lightyear accept that he’s a toy,” Koproski said. Woody consoled Buzz by reminding him of the love the boy had for his toys, which he compared to God’s love. “In the end, God doesn’t care about all the things you’ve done for him, or all the things you’ve done against him. He just cares that you came back.”
On April 24 high school students went on a trip to New York City and returned April 26. Students were able to take in amazing sights in just three days. They included the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, “The Sphere” 9/11 tribute at Battery Park, St. Paul’s Chapel, “Mamma Mia!” at the Wintergarden Theater, Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the site of John Lennon’s assassination and Central Park. They were even able to dine at Planet Hollywood, Mars 2112 and the Hard Rock Café. The trip was arranged by Robert Potts and Marilou McClimans and Joe Pruger chaperoned.
Mr. Potts said his favorite part of the trip was “…seeing your faces and smiles when we walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral, onto Liberty Island, at St. Paul’s Chapel, the 9/11 site, and at ‘Mamma Mia!’ That made the trip worthwhile to me.”
It was also a great experience for students. Sophomore Jenna Wayman said she loved “being with my friends while we went to Times Square. I also liked that at Ellis Island I got to look up my grandfather when he came over from Germany in 1907, that brought back a lot of memories of him because he passed away when I was 5.”
On May 8, 9 and 10 Ss. John and Paul Drama Club put on the production of “Cinderella’s Glass Slipper,” which fit in effortlessly with the school’s reputation of putting on fantastic productions. Children in grades one through 12 participated in various aspects of the play whether it was onstage or backstage. Months of practice and preparation went into this production, and it showed through the students who chose to participate by showing their talents onstage in a fun-filled musical. During these three performances, spectators entered a magical world of enchantment, where absolutely anything is possible. While in this fantasy world, the people in the audience were able to see two hideous stepsisters, a truly wicked stepmother, a charming prince, a helpful fairy godmother, a cat and mouse who can talk and a kind girl who becomes a generous and beautiful princess. The performances were amazing and anticipation for what next year’s play will be is already growing.
Even though the end of the year is hastily approaching, the students at Ss. John and Paul show no sign of slowing down. Whether it is plays or trips to New York City, the students are staying involved in various activities.
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Discussion
Ss. John and Paul students have much to see in New York
SS. John and Paul High School with LIZ SHOUVLIN & MIKE SIMRAK
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