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St. Joseph School officially began on September 17, 1923. Because of construction delays, the school building was not ready for occupation, so classes had to be held in the church. On October 28, 1923, the school building was dedicated. It had four classrooms ready to meet the needs of the 185 students. The staff at that time consisted of four teachers, all Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine. The following year the school reopened with the second floor completed and an attendance of 230 pupils.
St. Joseph's Home and School League was formed in November of the year 1928. At the December meeting “It was agreed that a series of parties would begin in January for the purpose of raising funds for some things needed in and around the school.” That marked the beginning of the Home and School Association and it continues as such to the present day.
In 1947 the middle section of the school was added (Lillis Hall). It consisted of a library, visual education room, and three classrooms. At the same time the cafeteria was enlarged. The addition of the third section (Gallagher Hall) was constructed in 1951. This added 12 more classrooms, 1 sewing room, and 2 small offices. The final addition (Jones Hall), consisting of the gym and nine more classrooms, was built in 1960.
In the last several years many improvements have been made to the interior of our school. The cafeteria (Good Shepherd Hall) has been remodeled with new lighting and a drop ceiling. The walls have been papered and painted, and new tables with benches were purchased. The boiler system was also updated. Three of the old boilers were replaced with two, more efficient ones. A new “rubber” floor was installed in the gym. The walls were carpeted and painted, and the ceiling was redone with recessed lighting being added. Our video educational room (The Theatre) has been updated with a new video system including surround sound and an automatic projection screen. New seating and new carpeting have also been installed. Nine new SmartBoards have been installed in various classrooms.
The computer lab in our school is one of the most advanced in this area. We have 30 PC computers in the lab all functioning on our main server. The system is connected to the internet through Warner Cable Roadrunner. We have computers in all of the classrooms as well. These enable the teacher and students in each individual classroom to use the computers in conjunction with the computer lab. Many of the classrooms also have SmartBoards to enhance the students' learning.
Carpeting and air conditioning are the newest additions we have made to our library. Two classrooms on the main floor have been remodeled to house our new science lab and new art room. Both of these rooms are stocked with the latest, most up-to-date materials.
This year is the eighty-seventh anniversary of St. Joseph School. At this time we have a total of 332 students on our roster and 23 lay teachers on staff. We also employ two teacher aides for our kindergarten classes and a full-time librarian. We continue to provide an excellent religious and academic education that meets the needs of all of the students.
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