Category: General

We are proud to announce that Mrs. Patty Nennig, middle school math/religion teacher at Holy Cross Catholic School, and Mrs. Sarah Patterson, supportive consultant at Notre Dame of De Pere, received the 2021 Rt. Rev. Dane Radecki, O. Praem, GRACE Leadership & Service Educator Award. The honor is presented annually to outstanding GRACE educators who demonstrate strong leadership and commitment in education. We are blessed to have Mrs. Nennig and Mrs. Patterson among our caring, talented and dedicated team of GRACE teachers and staff members.

The GRACE school system is honored to have four educators receive Teacher of Distinction honors as part of the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s 28th annual Golden Apple Awards!

Teacher of Distinction honorees include:

• Hannah Aschenbrenner, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• Emily D’Angelo, St. Bernard Catholic School
• April Neuville, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Jodi Sullivan, Holy Cross Catholic School

These four outstanding educators are representative of the talented and dedicated teachers and staff members throughout our school system who make a positive impact in the lives of students.

The 2021 Golden Apple Awards program will recognize all award recipients on Wednesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. during a televised broadcast on CW14. The program also will be broadcast on Fox 11 on Sunday, April 25 at 5 p.m.

Overall, GRACE had 57 educators nominated for the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s 2021 Golden Apple Awards. The awards are aimed at “recognizing high standards of professionalism, leadership and innovation in teaching.”

Nominees include educators from all GRACE schools this year, including Father Allouez Catholic School, Holy Cross Catholic School, Holy Family Catholic School, Notre Dame of De Pere, Our Lady of Grace Virtual Academy, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, St. Bernard Catholic School, St. John Paul II Classical School, St. John the Baptist School and St. Thomas More Catholic School.

Here are the GRACE nominees, listed in alphabetical order according to last name:

• Michelle Anderson, Holy Cross Catholic School
• Hannah Aschenbrenner, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• Andrea Barington, Holy Family Catholic School
• Amy Benzshawel, Father Allouez Catholic School
• James Block, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Molly Bongel, St. Bernard Catholic School
• Cheryl Bowe, St. John Paul II Classical School
• Jill Buckett, St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• Sara Burns, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Jenna Connors, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Jaculin Cramer, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Emily D’Angelo, St. Bernard Catholic School
• Jessica DeGroot, Holy Cross Catholic School
• Lourain Eggart, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• Jennifer Etter, Our Lady of Grace Virtual Academy
• Lynn Francois, Holy Family Catholic School
• Kelly Gossen, St. Thomas More Catholic School
• Jean Healy, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Amber Hellmann, St. Bernard Catholic School
• Abbey Herman, St. Bernard Catholic School
• Alyssa Hess, St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• Paula Anne Hoeppner, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Sarah Johanski, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Jennifer Johns, St. John Paul II Classical School
• Sharon Johnson, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• Stephanie Johnson, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• McKenna Kaminski, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Margaret Konshak, St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• Lisa Krcma, Holy Family Catholic School
• Patrick McKeown, St. John Paul II Classical School
• Amy Muenster, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Tara Nelson, St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• Patricia Nennig, Holy Cross Catholic School
• April Neuville, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Jean O’Donnell, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
• Sarah Patterson, Norte Dame of De Pere
• Kimberly Patton-Matzke, Our Lady of Lourdes School
• Dino Piccinini, St. John Paul II Classical School
• Jessica Rinka, St. John Paul II Classical School
• Brian Ritter, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Tina Sabin, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Deanna Schauer, Holy Cross Catholic School
• Julie Schmitz, St. John the Baptist Catholic School
• Samantha Skifton, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Katrina Starsky, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Annie Stewart, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Jodi Sullivan, Holy Cross Catholic School
• Katherine Summers, Notre Dame of De Pere
• Brenda Touchinski, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Miranda VandenBoomen, St. Bernard Catholic School
• Ashley VandenBush, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Genevieve VanderZanden, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Tami Van Gruensven, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Denise Van Zeeland, Father Allouez Catholic School
• Julianne Wagner, Holy Family Catholic School
• Courtney Wedan, Holy Family Catholic School
• Kiara Wolfgram, St. John the Baptist Catholic School

The Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) school system is pleased to announce that high school grades will be added to St. John Paul II Classical School starting in fall 2021.

Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay reviewed the recommendation of the Classical High School Study Team’s 13 members and, having received the counsel and consent of the GRACE Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, has approved the addition of grades 9-12 to St. John Paul II Classical School. The high school will be called Chesterton Academy at St. John Paul II Classical School.

“I am grateful for the opportunities that lie before us and look forward to the fruit that will come with this initiative,” Bishop Ricken said in his letter of approval.

Chesterton Academy will offer a classical liberal arts education with a deep regard for the development of Catholic virtues in our students. The academy will debut with the addition of Grade 9 in fall 2021 and add one grade each year thereafter until graduating the first class of seniors in spring 2025. The academy will be located at 320 Victoria St., Green Bay, in the St. Philip the Apostle campus building, which also houses St. John Paul II Classical School.

Mr. Patrick McKeown (pictured), a current teacher, will serve as Chesterton Academy headmaster and work in partnership with Mr. Alex Wolf, headmaster at St. John Paul II Classical School, one of nine schools in the GRACE system that instills academic excellence and Catholic development in students attending preschool through eighth grade.

Mr. McKeown embraces the opportunity to enrich students in a new Catholic classical high school, saying: “At Chesterton Academy, we understand that students yearn for depth, not merely a career. With a richly cultivated soul, mind and imagination, students will joyfully go on mission to serve with purpose and zeal.”

Mr. McKeown will continue to provide instruction as an eighth-grade teacher this school year and gradually add duties as Chesterton Academy headmaster over the year in preparation for the school’s opening in fall. He will assume full-time headmaster duties on July 1, 2021. As he works to lead the school, Mr. McKeown also will maintain some teaching duties at the high school level.

Mr. Bill Micksch, chair of the GRACE Board of Trustees, welcomes the addition of Chesterton Academy.

“We are so excited to be moving forward with expanding St. John Paul II Classical School to grades 9-12,” Mr. Micksch said. “The collaboration between members from GRACE, the Diocese of Green Bay, Notre Dame Academy and many others truly lead to the proper recommendation to expand the current location to also now include high school. GRACE will be proud to serve the classical school community with the expanded offering of high school.”

St. John Paul II Classical School has experienced strong growth since opening in 2016. In the summer of 2019, GRACE launched a comprehensive study team to explore the best way to form a classical high school. After nearly 10 months of significant research, visits and discussion encompassing studies of 11 schools and models, the team determined that opening a high school at the current St. John Paul II Classical School site through the Chesterton Schools Network would be the best option.

Chesterton Academy’s unique, integrated, classical curriculum is centered on the Catholic faith. High school students participate in increased weekly sacraments, and each year faculty members take an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium. Students receive a cohesive, content-rich education that provides broad exposure to numerous disciplines, from the humanities, math and science, to the fine arts. In addition to intellectual formation, spiritual and character formation are essential elements of the Chesterton Academy experience.

The Chesterton Schools Network (www.chestertonschoolsnetwork.org) was founded in 2007 by Mr. Dale Ahlquist, president and co-founder of the American Chesterton Society, and Mr. Tom Bengtson. Their mission was to offer a classical, integrated high school education that was faithful to the Catholic Church and affordable for families. Inspired by the great English writer and defender of the faith G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), the first Chesterton Academy opened in the fall of 2008. Currently, there are 30 Chesterton Academy schools operating across the United States, Canada and Italy, with several additional schools scheduled to open in 2021.

“The new Chesterton Academy in Green Bay is part of a thrilling, cross-country, parent-led movement to revive Catholic classical education in secondary schools,” Mr. Ahlquist said. “We have been watching lives being transformed as we raise up a new generation of Catholic leaders who are being formed in truth, beauty and goodness.”

Please direct questions to sjpiioffice@gracesystem.org.