St. Joseph School Cuyahoga Falls Ohio

St. Joseph School officially began on September 17, 1923. Because of construction delays, the school building was not ready for occupation, so classes had to be held in the church. On October 28, 1923, the school building was dedicated. It had four classrooms ready to meet the needs of the 185 students. The staff at that time consisted of four teachers, all Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine. The following year the school reopened with the second floor completed and an attendance of 230 pupils.

St. Joseph's Home and School League was formed in November of the year 1928. At the December meeting “It was agreed that a series of parties would begin in January for the purpose of raising funds for some things needed in and around the school.” That marked the beginning of the Home and School Association and it continues as such to the present day.

In 1947 the middle section of the school was added (Lillis Hall). It consisted of a library, visual education room, and three classrooms. At the same time the cafeteria was enlarged. The addition of the third section (Gallagher Hall) was constructed in 1951. This added 12 more classrooms, 1 sewing room, and 2 small offices. The final addition (Jones Hall), consisting of the gym and nine more classrooms, was built in 1960.

In the last several years many improvements have been made to the interior of our school. The cafeteria (Good Shepherd Hall) has been remodeled with new lighting and a drop ceiling. The walls have been papered and painted, and new tables with benches were purchased. The boiler system was also updated. Three of the old boilers were replaced with two, more efficient ones. A new “rubber” floor was installed in the gym. The walls were carpeted and painted, and the ceiling was redone with recessed lighting being added. Our video educational room (The St, James Theatre) has been updated with a new video system including surround sound and an automatic projection screen. New seating and new carpeting have also been installed. Lastly, we have gone high tech with St. Joseph Network (SJN). Our 8th graders are doing morning video announcements. They are keeping us informed on the daily Gospel readings, school news, weather, sports, lunch menu, and much, much more.

The Computer Lab in our school is one of the most advanced in this area. We have just completed a major renovation project that has added 30 HP computers in the lab all functioning on a new terminal server, new HP color laser jet printer, and new fiber optic cabling. These features enable the teacher and students in each individual classroom to use the computers in conjunction with the computer lab. Most of the classrooms also have Smart Boards to enhance the students' learning.

Our Science Lab and Art Rooms are also areas of which we can be proud, they rival any in the area. Both of these rooms are stocked with the latest and most up-to-date materials.

We also employ teacher aid for our kindergarten classes, a full-time librarian, a school psychologist, a speech therapist, and 2 tutors. We continue to provide an excellent religious and academic education that meets the needs of all of the students.