St. Joseph Catholic School

The mission of St. Joseph School is to serve God by providing a challenging academic education integrated with Catholic values and morals. We develop the whole child spiritually, intellectually, physically and socially.

Curiosity. It's something that our students learn to unleash as they explore the world around them. It's also something that we encourage in our faculty, who are always striving to learn and improve. Teaching is not simply a job to our faculty - it is their calling. They go above and beyond every single day for their students. Small class sizes allow teachers to give students individualized attention.

Our teachers model kindness and compassion with Jesus as our example. Faith formation is woven throughout every part of the school day. By praying before meals and leading by example, we nurture students' spirituality. Students attend Mass monthly and on holy days. We inspire future leaders through service and lifelong learning. Our students enthusiastically participate in many service projects.

We strive to be a faith community whose gratitude for God’s countless blessings is expressed in our prayerful relationships with Jesus Christ, compassionate service to those in need, and joyful welcoming of all people at the celebration of Eucharist and in other areas of parish life.

In 1956, Pastor John Malley and his growing congregation of St. Joseph's Church recognized the need for improved education, embarking upon a capital campaign to construct a school building to include four classrooms, a teacher's lounge, and a small kitchen. The entire effort was completed in 1960 at a cost of $127 thousand.

As the parish entered the Sixties, another capital campaign was launched to fund the construction of a convent and a school addition of a two-story, ten classroom wing. It began with $165 thousand pledged and $165 thousand mortgaged.

Since that time, the school has changed in additional ways. The school experienced change with the addition of a large gymnasium. More recently in 2008, the Mary Beth Carey Memorial Garden was established in the courtyard that is shared by the parish and school. During the 2010-2011 school year the school library was renovated and renamed the Mary Malone library in honor of our librarian. The most recent addition has been the construction of the the Father James Schwartz Learning Center which houses meeting rooms with media center capabilities and the school's new music room.

The school initially began as a parish-operated school under the administration of the pastor and principal, working together to offer the best possible education for families in the area. In the mid-eighties, the Diocese of Rochester centralized its school system, with administration of all of the area schools from its main offices.

In July of 2010, St. Joseph School returned to its original parish-operated school status. We believe that the opportunity redefined as well as strengthened the relationship that exists between St. Joseph School and Church. The interweaving of our Catholic faith and core values into our instructional practices strengthens the quality of our academic excellence. SJS has become grounded with a reputation of high academic standards and expectations, resulting in the formation of students prepared for grades beyond the elementary level.