JPII students recognized for leadership, creativity

John Paul II Catholic School is celebrating student achievement this fall, with high school juniors earning regional recognition for leadership and middle schoolers showing creativity in computer science.

Juniors Ayla Reynolds, Griffin Spencer and Jackson Reilley have been named to the Class of 2025 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Junior Leadership program. The yearlong initiative is open to high school juniors in Beaufort County and includes service projects, seminars and workshops with local leaders.

“The program works to effect positive change in a community by providing students opportunities to build leadership skills through service-learning projects, seminars, workshops and interaction with local leaders and decision makers,” the Chamber notes.

JPII Principal Heather Rembold praised the students for their accomplishment. “Their leadership, service, and dedication to our community represent the very best of JPII,” she said. “We know they will shine as ambassadors for our school and as future leaders in the Lowcountry.”

Meanwhile, JPII middle school students in the App Creators class recently demonstrated innovation through a hands-on lesson with Lego bricks. Students built structures, then wrote step-by-step algorithms to describe their designs. Classmates swapped instructions and attempted to recreate the models, testing the accuracy of each algorithm.

The project, part of the school’s Project Lead the Way curriculum, helped students practice logical sequencing, problem-solving and collaboration.

“These lessons may seem like play, but they’re really about preparing students for the future,” said science teacher Nicole Schatzle. “Writing and testing algorithms teaches them how to think like computer scientists, engineers, and innovators.”

The exercise underscored how creativity and teamwork can make abstract concepts more engaging — and how a few Lego bricks can help build a foundation for future innovation.

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