St. Joseph has been awarded the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1994 and we have been given this honor agin for the 2006-2007 school year.
Quick Stats (2023-24)
- Top Ranked FL School
- Grades: Prekindergarten-8
- Enrollment: 198 students
- Yearly Tuition: $4,700
- Average class size: 21 students
- Application Deadline: None / Rolling
- Source: Verified school update
Top Rankings
St. Joseph Catholic School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Florida for:
School Overview
School Membership(s)School Assoc.
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-8
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
LD, ADHD, Aspergers, mild retardation
Year Founded
1963
School Calendar
Student Body
Total Students
198 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
14%
State avg.: 46%
Students by Grade
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
18 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
50%
Average Class Size
21 students
Number of AP Courses
1 course
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
blue shorts and white polo
blue shorts and white polo
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
Tuition Notes
$5,600 for non participating Catholic,
$6,400 for Non Cathoilc
% on Financial Aid
5%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$2,000
Admissions Director
Carol Guthrie
Admissions Associate
Lolly Westmoreland
Sports
Total Sports Offered
5 sports
Sports
Extracurriculars
Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
10 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
basketweaving, bowling, boy and girl sco, drama, Friday afternoon for middle school there is an elective program. They have cooking, painting and many more. Afterschool we have National Junior Honor society, scrapbooking, Student Council, tennis, yearbook
School Notes
- Core Subjects Pre-kindergarten, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade The core academic subjects of Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science are taught in a developmentally appropriate atmosphere where hands-on activities promote optimal learning experiences for this educationally diverse age group. Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade Lessons and activities for the core academics of Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science are age appropriate experiences that support the ongoing development of the whole child. The curriculum in these "bridging" grades prepares the child for transitioning into and being successful in the upcoming middle school environment. Sixth Grade, Seventh Grade, Eighth Grade Middle school students' core educational experiences are Religion, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Changing classes and exposure to varied teaching styles for these core subjects at this level helps develop maturity and responsibility, essential skills needed for life long learning. Special Area Subjects Art is taught to pre-kindergarten through grade five once a week. Grades six and seven participate in Art on a nine-week rotation with Physical Education, Music and Life Skills. Grade eight is also on a nine-week rotation with Art, Physical Education and Music. Eighth grade culminates the year with the students having a choice of Art, Music, Physical Education, or Honors Spanish for the fourth quarter. This year a team-taught puppetry class was offered to eighth grade for the first time. The art and music teacher instructed the class. The art curriculum is a comprehensive program that includes skills and techniques, aesthetic and critical analysis, and art history while making connections between the visual arts, other disciplines and the real world. All students at St. Joseph School: • Learn and demonstrate a basic understanding of the elements and principles of design through producing works of art, learning about famous artists and their works, and exploring various techniques, tools and art mediums. • Learn to celebrate, record, and communicate with art. • Develop skills in techniques and become knowledgeable with art vocabulary. • Learn to appreciate, analyze, interpret, and express preferences for their own artwork and the artwork of others. Music class is offered to students in grades first through fifth twice a week. Grades six and seven participate in Music on a nine-week rotation with Art, Physical Education, and Life Skills. Grade eight is also on a nine-week rotation Physical Education, Art and Music. Eighth grade culminates the year with the students having a choice of Art, Music, Physical Education, or Honors Spanish for the fourth quarter. The music program encompasses music theory, music history, music appreciation and performance in singing and playing. In addition, students in grades three through five learn to play the recorder. All music students: • Learn to identify and appreciate music in a variety of genres, including the historical and cultural significance. • Learn about composers and time periods in both classical and popular realms. • Learn about different instruments from around the world, including instruments no longer in use today. Physical Education is taught to grades one through five twice a week. Grades six and seven participate in Physical Education on a nine-week rotation with Art, Music and Life Skills. Grade eight is also on a nine-week rotation in Physical Education, Art and Music. Eighth grade culminates the year with the students having a choice of Art, Music, Physical Education, or Honors Spanish for the fourth quarter. The Physical Education program provides students with a foundation of movement experiences and developmentally appropriate activities that foster the desire to lead active and healthy life styles. Students participating in physical education: • Learn to follow directions for organization and safety. • Learn skills necessary to perform a variety of physical activities. • Participate in games that involve rules and strategies. • Learn the importance of physical activity in daily lives. • Apply movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills. • Participate in The Presidential Physical Fitness Test in grades six, seven, and eight. A Life Skills course is taught to grades five through eight. Subjects covered are study skills, self esteem, disability awareness, drug education, and health and sexuality. Grades five and eight meet once a week throughout the school year. Grades six and seven are on a nine-week rotation with Art, Music and PE. The Life Skills curriculum includes: • Grade six uses activities from the "Here's Looking at You" program and the Benziger Family Life Series. • Grade seven uses the "Here's Looking at You" program, Benziger Family Life Series, and Catholic Morality text. • Grade eight uses the "Here's Looking at You" program and Catholic Values and Sexuality program. Spanish is attended by students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade once a week. Students in grades five through eight attend twice a week. The curriculum includes speaking, reading, and writing the Spanish language as well as learning about the culture and geography of the Spanish speaking countries. A Spanish Honors class is offered for eighth graders during the fourth quarter. Many St. Joseph School students are placed in Spanish honors classes in high school. All Spanish students: • Learn Hispanic songs, folk tales, prayers and games. • Experience the culture, customs, food, traditions, and celebrations of various Hispanic countries. • Learn vocabulary and correct grammar usage, including both formal and informal greetings. Library is attended by students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade once a week. This program includes learning about authors and illustrators and their works, the Dewey Decimal System, and research skills. Students also use the Reading Counts program to evaluate reading comprehension. Library students at St. Joseph School: • Learn the different sections of the library and how to access the materials they desired. • Learn about award winning works including Caldecott and Newberry Medal Winners. • Learn how to select a book to read that is within comprehension level using the Lexile Framework for Reading. Subject Integration Evidence of subject integration can be found on different academic levels at St. Joseph School. Thematic and cross curricular units support integration among social studies, science, math, and language arts. The following are examples of subject integration on all levels: Kindergarteners fully experience Japan through a well planned thematic unit. In language arts, the students are exposed to Japanese folk tales and informational books. Students practice writing Japanese symbols. Math is incorporated through "chopstick math" and the students learn to count to ten in Japanese. Social studies includes learning that Japan is an island, locating the country on a map, Japan's flag, traditional clothing, and eating Japanese food at a local restaurant. Art experiences include origami, silk paintings, and windsocks. Japanese music is introduced and the students learn about the Setsuban festival. In addition, kindergarteners learn all about the snow monkey in science. Third graders are transported back in time to the middle ages. Students are exposed to informational text, fiction, media resources and educational magazines. Timelines are created and the students use internet resources to research the topic. Students design their own family crests and work cooperatively in groups to build castles. A field trip to Medieval Times, a dinner theatre, allows the students to experience some of the customs of this age. The writing process is used at the end of the unit to write an essay detailing what they have learned about the middle ages. Middle School students choose a decade from 1920 to 1990 and integrate art, language arts, science (inventions), political science, economics, fashion, technology and the environment. Research is done on the different decades using the internet, textbooks, library resources, and newspaper articles. This cross curricular project concludes with students giving power point presentations to the class. Writing Across the Curriculum Writing across the curriculum helps the students at St. Joseph School develop comprehensive writing skills and is implemented at various grade levels and special areas. First grade students immerse themselves into the science topic of dinosaurs and are able to share the knowledge they have learned through the writing process. Students first learn about dinosaurs from reading informational text in their readers, dinosaur science books, media presentations, bulletin board displays and informational cards. The writing process is then employed by the first graders to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained from the various resources presented to them. Content as well as writing mechanics are evaluated using a rubric. Fourth graders write across the curriculum by developing reports for science, religion, and social studies. Reports on animals, saints, states, book reports, writing prompts, and letter writing (pen pals) are used. Chapter reviews for social studies are written in essay format. As a part of the established writing program in fifth grade, students choose topics from their science or social studies class to write research papers. Teachers in the middle school plan lessons to incorporate writing in the following areas: religion, social studies, music, life skills, art, and language arts. The language arts and social studies teachers plan periods of history together with different novels. For example, To Kill a Mockingbird is read when the depression is being taught. In sixth grade, family history essays incorporating students' genealogy are written. When Europe is introduced in seventh grade, students interview a person from a European country and write up the interview. Writing is very important to foreign language acquisition. In Spanish class, the students in middle and junior high have opportunities to write essays, poetry, and letters. Eighth graders write letters to pen pals from other schools. This enables students to apply the skills they have learned to communicate in a foreign language with real life application. Music students regularly listen to different genres of music and journal about it. There is a minimum of five sentences for each musical piece and students are required to use correct musical terminology. Students also write papers to demonstrate the facts and information they have learned from a unit of study. Life Skills students participate in journal writing for the Egg Baby project. Summaries are also required at the end of the Egg Baby experience. In Art class, students write short stories or sentences to go with their artwork. Descriptive essays are also written to describe personal artwork or the artwork of others. Middle school students use writing to research artists for class presentations. Portfolio Assessment Portfolio assessment is an evaluation tool that teachers at St. Joseph School use to gain knowledge regarding student progress. It is a resource to assist with lesson planning that helps meet individual needs in the classroom. Spelling progress portfolios are used in first grade as an assessment tool for individual spelling development. Students are evaluated at the beginning of the year, at each quarter, and at the end of the year to determine spelling growth throughout the year. These spelling portfolios are passed to the second grade teachers at the end of the year for future evaluation purposes. Writing portfolios are used in third grade to show each student's various stages of writing development. Draft copies and final copies are kept in the portfolio to show student progress. Rubrics are utilized to assess the writing samples. Writing binders in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade are used to collect student work. These writing portfolios begin in sixth grade and follow students as they are promoted to the next grade. Samples include written work from religion, social studies, science, language arts, and life skills. All editing and revisions are placed in the binder with the final copy. An index of different writing genres and a copy of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences checklist is located at the beginning of each binder. The Gardner's checklist is used to help the students experience each learning style and to identify their own. Educational Approaches/Current Educational Trends Students at St. Joseph Catholic School are exposed to many innovative and effective educational approaches and current trends that further enhance the learning experience. These approaches and trends not only affect the whole group, they also help to meet the diverse individual needs of many of our exceptional students. • Word Study Spelling Program • Reading Wheel in first grade • Work Board in kindergarten and second grade • Reading Counts for grades kindergarten through eighth grade • Scholastic Reading Inventory • SRA • 6 Traits Writing • Guided Reading • Novel Studies • Touch Math • Read Naturally • Linda Mood Phonemics Sequencing • Hands-on Geography • Middle School Elective Classes • Guest Speakers • Team Teaching Technology integration
Source: Verified school update
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does St. Joseph Catholic School cost?
St. Joseph Catholic School's tuition is approximately $4,700 for private students.
What sports does St. Joseph Catholic School offer?
St. Joseph Catholic School offers 5 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Cheering, Football, Soccer and Volleyball.
What is St. Joseph Catholic School's ranking?
St. Joseph Catholic School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Florida for: Least expensive tuition and Oldest founding date.
When is the application deadline for St. Joseph Catholic School?
The application deadline for St. Joseph Catholic School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
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