ABOUT JIS
John Ireland School is a K-6 Catholic School, owned and operated by the Church of St. Peter as an important educational ministry. John Ireland School provides a full state-approved curriculum required by the Church of St. Peter and the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association. John Ireland School does not discriminate on the basis of Religion, Race, Economic Status or Ethnic Background.

John Ireland School provides a Quality, Catholic, Value-Rich, Academic education for all students in a safe, clean, and loving learning environment. A certified, dedicated, and loyal staff is committed to the development of the whole child – spiritually, academically, physically, socially, and emotionally.

John Ireland School is strongly supported by parents, alumni, grandparents, and generous benefactors. As stewards of John Ireland School, many supporters give their time, talent, and financial treasure to assure that the students of John Ireland School receive a quality education.

John Ireland School is funded by 1/3 parish investment, 1/3 tuition, and 1/3 fundraising, as well as Textbook and Health Aid provided by the State of Minnesota.

John Ireland CATHOLIC School
The following attributes of John Ireland School (JIS) make us distinctly a Catholic school.
  • Programs in our school develop the "total" person - spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and morally.
  • Effective Catholic leadership is provided by the pastor/superintendent of the Church of St. Peter and the school principal.
  • The students receive excellent religious instruction. This is done through our current curriculum and integration of faith and values throughout all curriculum areas.
  • Students have an opportunity to attend liturgies and prayer services on a weekly basis in which they assume the responsibilities of different roles.
  • The students are involved in a variety of service projects such as Adopt-A-Grandparent Program,Santa Anonymous, food drives, the missions, etc.
  • Faith development as a life long process is stressed. JIS recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children, and at JIS we share in that partnership.
  • Each student is nurtured in an atmosphere of care and respect which is evident in our practices, programs, and school policies. Each child is treated as an individual made in the image and likeness of God.
  • The JIS mission statement and its philosophy give us direction.
  • JIS preserves and transmits to its students the traditions of the Catholic faith.
  • JIS parents are deeply involved in our school.
Academics Curriculum
  • religion
  • language arts
  • math
  • science
  • social studies
  • physical education/health
  • music
  • band
  • art
  • technology
Instruction
A variety of instructional strategies are used:
whole group instruction
small group instruction
individual instruction
Teachers are sensitive to different teaching approaches including:
multi-sensory
special resources
programs for students with diverse learning needs
Teachers/Staff
  • JIS has 7 full time teachers in grades K-6
  • 3 part-time teachers for music, band, technology, and physical education
Our administration and support staff include a principal, administrative assistant and custodians. The parish staff providing administrative duties are the superintendent, business manager, liturgist, and staff coordinator. All JIS teachers and the principal are certified in his/her respective area. Teachers and administrator keep their license updated by attending workshops, taking classes, etc., to receive renewal units.
Accreditation
JIS is a member in good standing with the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA). MNSAA sets standards and criteria that participating non public schools must meet in order to be an accredited school.
Admission of Students
John Ireland School has a Non-Discrimination Policy, an Enrollment Policy and Tuition Policy. No students are denied access to an education at JIS. Registration of new students is done on a priority basis. Students who are members of the Church of St. Peter and are currently enrolled at JIS have first priority; all other Church of St. Peter members have second priority; non-parishioners currently enrolled have third priority; and all other non-parishioners have fourth priority. Registration on new students is accepted on a first come-first served basis. No out-of-parish students who are currently enrolled are asked to leave to make room for parishioner families.
Tuition Costs
JIS is able to offset some of this cost for parents through school fund raisers and parish tuition assistance. There is a minimum amount of required tuition to pay for the cost of a John Ireland student's education. Tuition varies from year to year.
Parents may choose to make tuition payments on an annual, biannual, quarterly, or monthly basis. Scholarships are available and are awarded to families on a as needed basis.
Class Size
The average student/teacher ratio is 14:1.
Extended Services from the District
Title 1 services, which offers help for selected students in reading and math, is available at John Ireland School. Students with special needs such as learning, speech or physical challenges, and emotional/social needs, are offered services through the public school district. County Services are also available for hearing/vision screening.
School Hours
The majority of JIS students are bused to school. Buses arrive between 7:45 AM and 7:55 AM. The first bell to begin the school day rings at 7:55 AM and the dismissal bell rings at 2:40 PM.
Extracurricular Activities
Students have opportunities to participate in field trips, school safety patrol, after school basketball program, band, church choir, student council, and many other activities.
Food Program
JIS serves a nutritious and appetizing lunch for its students. JIS participates in a food program which requires us to count fat, sodium, and calorie content. This ensures healthy meals for our students. JIS also has guidelines and application forms for free and reduced lunch.
School Age Care Program
The School Age Care (SAC) Program serves the needs of parents looking for a safe, supervised, recreational play environment for their children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Little Saints Preschool Program
Little Saints is located in the same facility as John Ireland School, but is independent of the school. It has a 3 day session for pre-kindergarten children and there is a 2 day session for 3 and 4 year olds.