St. Joseph School was established in 1892 by the
first pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Father Chalupka. The religious
order of Felician Sisters whose main mission was education, were
invited from Poland to staff the school. This was their first
missionary outpost in New England and they continue their mission
at St. Joseph School to this day. In the first year, ninety
children attended the school, and five hundred were enrolled by
1906, indicative of the rapid growth of the parish during one
decade. In 1924, fire destroyed the school building leaving 1100
children without classrooms. Under the leadership of Pastor Rev.
Anthony Cyran (1910-1933), a new twenty-room school was built and
it opened in 1925. The enrollment at St. Joseph School rose
steadily, reaching its peak in 1928 with 1105 students and a
staff of eighteen teachers. In 1992, St. Joseph School celebrated
its 100th Anniversary. The enrollment at the centennial was 197
children and today, the school boasts a student body of more than
300 students in Grades Pre-K thru 8.
In 1993, with the appointment of Rev. Msgr. Anthony Czarnecki
as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in 1993, the school experienced a
transformation on both the physical and educational level. The
building was in dire need of major repairs. Renovations began
with a new roof, installation of new stairs leading to the main
entrance of the school, and outdoor lighting. The renovation of
the facade of the school brought back its stately appearance.
Likewise, the interior of the school was in need of upgrading.
New offices for the administration were built, a modern phone and
sound system was introduced, a new fire alarm was installed to
ensure the safety of the students, and the cafeteria was given a
facelift. All the classrooms and corridors were included in this
renovation with new paint, carpeting, restoration of the woodwork,
and upgrading the electrical system. Although the school building
is spacious and presents a pleasant environment for the children,
physical improvements both inside and outside of the building are
an on-going process.
To keep the school at the highest level of intellectual
achievements, the educational transformation included a
reorganization of the curriculum, and updating educational tools
and equipment. A new science lab was created and furnished with
microscopes and micro-projectors, specimen slides, videocassettes
and other tools to support laboratory experiments and physical
science programs. The library was totally renovated and equipped
with new books and charts to accommodate all grade levels.
Library computers with CD-ROMs and other accessories were
purchased to facilitate the availability of encyclopedic
reference data. In 1997, the computers were connected to the
Internet and this access to the information superhighway
allowed the students to communicate with various schools around
the world. This information access allowed our students to verify
their achievements with leading schools. In an effort to remain
on the cutting edge, in 1998 a new IBM-compatible computer lab
was created with 15 sophisticated computers and the necessary
software.
Success in education requires a partnership between the
administration, faculty and parents. A new Home and School
Association (HSA), founded in 1994, has the responsibility to
organize various educational, social and cultural activities for
the benefit of the students. The first Student Council was formed
in 1995 as a way to introduce the students to a democratic
experience, which they will encounter in their pursuits of higher
education and subsequent entry into public life.
St. Joseph School, like many other Catholic schools,
is an educational and faith community that fosters academic and
religious achievements and inspires the value development process
of its students. To achieve these goals every effort is made to
create an environment that is characterized by high academic
standards, discipline and order, a strong sense of community, a
highly committed and collegial faculty and parental involvement
and participation. The success of these efforts is evident in
increased enrollment and higher scores on the National
Achievement Tests. Since holistic education involves development
of the mind and formation of the heart, the extracurricular
activities reinforce the Catholic values and formational process
of the students.
The latest and most sophisticated equipment provides the
students with important tools not only for learning the
fundamentals but also as means to be involved in complicated
scientific experiments. In order to properly address our highly
competitive society and the increasingly growing demands for
excellence on the threshold of the new millennium, we
successfully channel our efforts to enable the children at St.
Joseph School to attain the highest standard of knowledge.
Therefore, we challenge the ability of the students for continual
growth by offering a variety of opportunities to expand their
educational horizons. To achieve these goals the students were
provided with en expanded curriculum including, but not limited
to, the following: Computer Lab, Musical Program, Languages,
Science Lab, Math, Odyssey of the Mind, Performing Arts, and
Sports. An invitation is extended to all the parents of school-age
children to visit St. Joseph School.
