Education Objectives

At St. Joseph Catholic School we strive to help our children grow in faith and knowledge by focusing on the following areas of growth in developmentally appropriate ways:

A. Spiritual and moral growth:

1. to develop in each child a spiritual growth based upon a deep relationship with God

2. to promote a realization and appreciation of the meaning of God’s love and how it should guide one’s daily life

3. to provide an experience of Christian community

4. to provide sacramental, Scriptural, and other prayer experiences

5. to create a community which evidences the Good News, hope, and peace

6. to provide a Christian academic setting which is child-centered and family-sensitive

B. Intellectual and academic excellence:

1. to stimulate intellectual growth and to instill in each child the attitude that learning is a life-long process

2. to foster the realization that intellectual development is an avenue to understanding of one’s self and the surrounding world

3. to provide a quality academic program which is current and which is regularly evaluated for improvement and excellence

C. Emotional growth

1. to provide an atmosphere which is supportive and nourishing

2. to impart a sense of personal competence of each child

3. to model adult behaviors which are mature, Christian, and professional

4. to promote a thorough understanding of human development and maturation in the various stages of growth

D. Creativity and cultural development:

1. to encourage each child to understand and appreciate imaginative creations of others

2. to stimulate personal creativity by exposing each child to the world of art, literature, and music

3. to stimulate each child’s imagination and resourcefulness in dealing with new experiences

E. Social understanding and responsibility:

1. to instill in each child a deep sense of social concern and an awareness that Christianity is not only knowing the faith,

    but involves living it in one’s daily life

2. 2.to develop in each child a paramount respect for the dignity of humankind and a realization of humanity’s mutual      
   

3. inter-dependence
   

3. 3.to encourage tolerance and understanding of all people and the willingness to sacrifice one’s own time and convenience
   

4. for the sake of another
   

4. to develop in each child an appreciation of our God-given environment and a responsibility to care for and nurture it

F. Self-discipline:

1. to impart to each child the ability to develop a strong sense of self-control based on self-esteem

2. to impart to each child the acceptance of legitimate authority based on respect

3. to instill in each child the importance of self-discipline in each one’s personal life and in academic pursuits

4. to stress to each child that growing up involves accepting responsibility for one’s actions

5. to model personal maturity and discipline to the students

G. Physical and mental developments:

1. to instill in the child the importance of sound physical and mental health

2. to promote the realization that there is an inter-dependence between the state of the body, mind, and soul

3. to encourage positive habits and attitudes of physical and mental health

H. Economic competence:

1. 1.to encourage each child to pursue the development of effective habits of work and to maximize the student’s
   

2. talents and interests
   

2. to promote the importance of being a contributing member of a Christian democratic society

Encompassing our philosophy and these concomitant objectives, we strongly recognize our responsibility to teach by example. As a Catholic community, we have been entrusted with the future of our Church and of our world. Accordingly, in performing our mission, we must, in both word and deed, reflect the highest standards of Catholic values. Furthermore, we are keenly aware that to totally develop our children, all segments of the school community must have a common perspective on the purpose of Catholic education. If we are to instill in our children the highest standards of Catholic values and attitudes, our total environment must be designed to this end.