Chesterton Academy & St. John Paul II Classical School Deliver Quality Education in Green Bay

As a special feature this week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Matczynski, a staff member at the Saint John Paul II Classical School here in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  We’re happy to share what we’ve learned with our readers.

Mrs. Matczynski, Please tell us a little about your two schools.

St. John Paul II Classical School and Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School are the 2 newest schools within the GRACE (Green Bay Area Catholic Education) system.  SJPII was founded in 2015 and Chesterton in 2020 after a desire from parents in the community led us to Bishop Ricken to support the endeavor of a Catholic classical school.  The school started in 2016 with approximately 35 students and today has about 210 students across EC – 12th grade.  We have the only Montessori-based preschool program in the city within the Catholic school system.  Our enrollment continues to steadily grow, year-after-year, as more and more families desire a school community passionate about passing on the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic Faith.

Please tell us a little about yourself, your role with the schools, and how you became interested in and involved with these schools and with classical Catholic education.

My name is Amanda Matczynski, I am first a wife, mother, and also a staff member at SJPII.  I have 3 children enrolled in the school (K, 4th, 8th).  I work as an aide in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program and have been on staff at the school for the last 6 years.  I have been a volunteer since the beginning and am one of “founding families.”  I have been part of many organizations within the school, but have led our fundraising teams for the past 6 years and either chaired or co-chaired our school “gala” for the last 4 years.  This year, I’m transiting out of that leadership role, but have been working hard with our team to grow engagement and excitement for this annual event. 

We understand that the gala is a major fundraiser for the schools. Tell us about the gala, it’s history, and the goals for it this year.

The annual “Two Wings Gala” is our school’s largest fundraiser which helps us to first and foremost reach our fundraising goal set by the GRACE school system.  Once we can meet or exceed that figure, then all the profits come back directly to the needs of the school.  The gala is a one-of-a-kind event for Green Bay which showcases the beauty of Classical Education through showcasing music, art, dance, rhetoric, and proudly sharing our Catholic faith.  It’s not a full “black-tie” event, but it’s definitely a formal event where our attendees take the opportunity to dress up and come enjoy and night out looking and feeling their best. 

This year’s event is being held on Friday, February 21st, 2025, at the Oneida Convention Center.  We have continually outgrown our space with sold-out events and therefore needed to move to a larger venue.  We are so excited to be able to expand our availability this year with a new space.  Right now – we’re sitting at almost 90% of the tickets sold – so if you are interested, don’t miss your opportunity to attend.

What can this year’s gala attendees expect or look forward to?

This year our attendees can look forward to the return of our Chesterton Academy High School students returning with a rousing musical performance of both song and dance. 

 

We area also returning with a couple favorite live auction items including a local artist completing a custom painting onsite, 5-course dinner at Lambeau Field, chef-prepared multi-course meal with a special guest of honor.  New this year – we are featuring 2 vacation packages (1) Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour Package with a 5-Night Stay at the Tmark Hotel Vaticano for Two, and ( 2) Grand Canyon Family Glamping 3-Night Stay in an Eco Luxury Sky Dome for Five.

Please tell us about the venue and how to make reservations.

This year we are at the Oneida Hotel and Convention Center, 2040 Airport Drive, in Green Bay. Hotel reservations are available at our venue, the newly remodeled Oneida Hotel, on the night of the event for a discounted rate.  Ticket sales are closing soon and we are almost at capacity but we still have about 50 seats available.  Tickets are $85.00 each but include appetizers, drinks, and a full dinner with desert.  You can visit our website HERE to purchase tickets, bid on silent auction items, or to make a donation.

Please tell us how people can participate in the Online Auction.

Our online auction is open to anyone, attending the gala or not.  All you need to do is sign up for an account through our auction website and let the online bidding begin!  Bidding will open on Wednesday, February 12th, and close the night of the gala.  If you are a a lucky winner, we will contact you after the event.  We have a variety of items – locally made, produced, and gifted to the school.  Our community is incredibly generous!

The Green Bay News Network is grateful to Amanda for taking the time to share with us about these two wonderful schools and to give us a sneak preview of this year’s Two Wings Gala!