Colleen Cogghe, Principal

Welcome to St. Joseph Catholic School. We at St. Joseph Catholic School promise to do our best to ensure that every student receives an education that is based on the best teaching practices and that every student receives that education within a positive, safe, and nurturing environment. The education of a child should lead him or her to greater learning, a love of learning and should provide the child with the tools and skills to be a productive and positive member of society. These should be the goals of any universal education system. Within a Catholic school setting, however, much more must be taught. As well as educating and transforming the child, we also have the opportunity to educate children spiritually, morally and ethically with the Christian concepts of social justice and peace to go out into the world and make a difference. At St. Joseph School, we strive to provide space and time for creating a Catholic Christian culture that instills in our children the true meaning of Gospel values. Not only must these be taught, but opportunities must be abundant throughout each school year where the values can be modeled and practiced. By creating a strong Catholic Christian culture at St. Joseph Catholic School, we also create a caring and empathetic community where students, teachers, staff, parents and the parish participate and celebrate.

The following expectations for a graduate from an Ontario Catholic School listed by the Institute for Catholic Education in 1998 provide a framework for the educational goals of our students at St. Joseph Catholic School. The graduate is expected to be:

• A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.
• An effective communicator, who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively, responds critically in light of gospel values.
• A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.
• A self-directed, responsible, life-long learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential.
• A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good.
• A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community.
• A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice, and the sacredness of human life.

On behalf of the staff at St. Joseph Catholic School, my prayers and best wishes are extended to all of our students and their families as we embark on a new school year.