| Extended Academic Day Program |
Since 1993 St. Joseph School’s Extended Day Program has added over 2 hours to the standard-length school day. Our school day lasts from 8:00AM until 4:30PM. The building opens for breakfast at 7:15am, and there is an optional after-school program lasting from 4:30pm until 6:00pm. The Extended Day Program is a convenient for working parents.
Extended Day students benefit from additional instruction time in their core curriculum subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, History, Science and Social Studies. They are also able to participate in enrichment programs such as music, computer, library, art and physical education. This fosters well rounded graduates prepared to meet the challenges of high school and beyond.
Every student in grades 5 through 8 participates in the St. Joseph School Band. During music lessons twice a week, over 200 students learn to play instruments such as the saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone and drums. Under the direction of Mr. Ed Ornowski from the Paul Effman Music Service, the band program has thrived for 13 years. The band is central to St. Joseph School’s identity, and it provides our students with the rare opportunity to learn through music.
Every spring the St. Joseph School Band performs two concerts. One of the concerts is held at the school and is intended primarily for friends and family of our students. The other concert is held in Manhattan and is a fundraiser for our school. The 2008 Spring Benefit Concert was held on May 28, 2008 at St. Jean Baptiste High School in Manhattan and raised over $60,000 for our Music and Extended Day Programs.
| Counseling/Full-time Psychologist/Academic Support |
St. Joseph School employs a social worker from the Archdiocese Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program (ADAPP) who works with students four days per week. A Child Psychology PhD candidate of St John’s University is also on staff four days per week. Our school psychologist meets with children individually and in small groups. She spends time conversing with them and playing games to observe how they work with their peers, follow directions, and communicate in different settings. Our students love visiting our psychologist and many have made great disciplinary and academic progress.
St. Joseph also employs a Speech Therapist and has Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETTS). These teachers provide one-on-one support to students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP).
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St. Joseph School has built a state of the art technology program. Our school and our faculty guide students using all of our available resources in an inspired way rooted in our strong Catholic values. By the time our students leave St. Joseph, they are as comfortable learning in the digital world as they are with books and paper.
Twice each week, students attend computer classes in our computer lab which has 35 computers. These classes reinforce academic skills including ELA, Math, Social Studies and Science. On any given day, students can be found visiting websites to reinforce their classroom learning. St. Joseph’s technology program builds our students’ information literacy skills which help them conduct research, perform Internet searches and practice effective note taking. Students work with their classroom and computer teachers to create multimedia presentations, newsletters, Class DVDs and CDs.
Eight classrooms at St. Joseph are equipped with SmartBoards, adding a technology component to every subject. These interactive whiteboards provide daily hands-on technology experiences.
St. Joseph also has a Tech Coach from Educate LLC who works with teachers one full day each week. This consultant supports teachers in planning technology based activities and projects. New equipment is rolled out with his support, which insures that our teachers are always improving their technology skills.
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Reading and information literacy are a top priority for students at St. Joseph School. Every class visits the library twice each week. Our librarian teaches students how to conduct research and how to select books to bring home for pleasure reading. Our library has over 5,000 nonfiction and fiction books for our students to explore.
St. Joseph’s library program is supported by donors including the Laura Bush Foundation and the Gilder Foundation.
Our library is a warm and inviting place, where a student’s love of reading and learning can grow.
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All students at St. Joseph participate in two Art classes per week and learn the creative skills of drawing, painting, and sculpting.
We also partner with the Creative Classrooms Visual Arts Program to bring a professional artist/instructor into selected classrooms to work with teachers on how to incorporate art into the curriculum. At the end of this seven-week long program, student art work is exhibited throughout the St. Joseph hallways.
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St. Joseph School students take Physical Education twice a week. Using the large basement in our church or our outdoor playground area, students play organized games such as basketball and volleyball. Our P.E. teacher also instructs upper grade children in aerobics and calisthenics.
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| Attic Salt Theatre Program |
For its third year, St. Joseph School is participating in the Attic Salt Theatre program. Our two 5th grade classes are working with a professional actress to write and perform their own plays. This ten-week long program expands students’ literacy base, improves their writing skills, teaches them group work, and increases their self-confidence and public speaking skills. At the end of the program the 5th graders will perform their plays for the other students’ viewing pleasure!
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St. Joseph School students go on several field trips throughout the year. These include trips to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, private performances at the Jazz Standard, Career Days at Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, and a visit to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center! |
