At St. Joseph Catholic School, it is our mission to be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. We recognize our call to love and serve from our Master teacher Jesus Christ, and we are committed to creating a Catholic learning community under the protection of Mother Mary.
The Catholic Graduate Expectations are our foundation as we strive for academic excellence and the acknowledgement of those who achieve it. We recognize God as the source of all life and actively work to focus on social issues within our local and global communities.
We celebrate the diversity within our community with a collaborative approach to learning, in cooperation with parents, the Catholic faith community, and other organizations that recognize the value of our mission. Within the context of Catholic teaching and Sacramental living, our school community strives to demonstrate respect and reverence for all life, thus nurturing a safe, Christian environment for the entire school community.
| School Year Calendar |
| Our board's School Year calendar is now available. We encourage parents and guardians to stay informed of upcoming school event, we ask that you please subscribe to our school calendar web page to receive the latest updates and emails on activities happening at school. |
| Child Care Services |
| We are pleased to partner with PRYDE Child Care Centre to provide full child care services and before and after school care at St. Joseph Catholic School. Call our child care partner at 905-852-9887 learn more about our services. |
| School Hours |
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Our school hours are as follows: 9:15 a.m. - School Begins |
| School's Colours |
| Our school colours are royal blue and white. |
| Patron Saint |
| Our patron saint is Joseph, the husband of Mary the Mother of God. St. Joseph was declared Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius lX in 1870; a model for fathers of families by Pope Leo Xlll, who confirmed that his pre-eminent sanctity places him next to the Blessed Virgin among the saints. St. Joseph is venerated as the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the legal father of Jesus, and the head of the Holy Family. He was Mary's support and protector, a witness to her virginity, a consoler in her challenging vocation. God comforted Joseph in a prophetic dream. He revealed to home in some measure the mystery of the Incarnation, the adorable Name of Jesus and His mission on earth. He removed every doubt from Joseph's mind and encouraged him to take Mary as his wife. He freed him from the worry and rewarded him with honours. Joseph's holiness is measured by his close relationship to Mary, and to Jesus, his Divine Foster-Child. His union with Mary is the closest that can exist, a union of heart, a union of purest and holiest love. As foster father of Jesus, Joseph stands in close relation to the Son of God. We should love and honour him whom Jesus and His Mother love so tenderly. Through his intercession we can obtain the grace to love Jesus and Mary with some of that tenderness and devotedness with which he loves them. |
| School Prayer |
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Our school prayer is: O Blessed Saint Joseph, |
| Philosophy |
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As Catholic educators, we live according to our Father's code and to lead our students, by example, to live the basic truths of the gospel message. This is an awesome, yet inspiring challenge which we share with the parents of our young men and women. Children learn what they live. Each day we have the opportunity to teach our students:
However, a person cannot give what he or she does not have. Unless we are living the Gospel message, we cannot lead our students to do so. There are many hallmarks of a Catholic educator, including:
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| History |
| In 1957, Father Van Zelst, the pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Uxbridge, met with the Cardinal and the men from the parish to discuss the need for a separate school for Uxbridge. Local parents had approached the Archdiocese of Toronto as well, and as a result, a recently vacated convent was chosen as the site for the new school. Property was purchased from the family of Joseph Gould, a member of a founding family in Uxbridge. The school opened on the original property on Toronto St. in September 1958 and the official opening took place on May 3, 1959. In that first year, the school had only 68 students. The staff included two teachers and the principal, Mr. Campbell. In the coming years, the school grew in enrolment but by 1967, declining enrolment at St. Joseph School became a serious concern. Father Adrian Lee, who was now the pastor at Sacred Heart Church, took the initiative to help solve the problem. Meetings were held with Board officials, parents, teachers and the principal. Parents raised issues that were causing Catholic students to switch their attendance to local public schools. Better facilities at the public schools, French language instruction at the public schools and inadequate busing of rural Catholic students contributed to the declining enrolment at St. Joseph. Promises were made to address these issues and discussions about the potential closure of the school ended. By January 1969, enrolment had increased to 167 students, with six staff members. By this time, the original building received the addition of a new classroom and a gymnasium. Class sizes continued to grow, and portables covered the soccer field. In 1987, the principal, Mr. Corrigan, approached the school board to build a bigger and better school in Uxbridge. Three years later a beautiful new school was opened. In March 1990, staff and students moved to the new school at its present site at 25 Quaker Village Dr. The staff and students were excited to have 12 new classrooms, a gym, a library, a fully equipped music room, and beautiful planters in each hallway. Miss Irene had an office that she could actually call an office. Many dignitaries, including former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Lincoln Alexander, attended the school blessing in October of that year. He was a very kind and caring gentleman. We are honoured to have his picture hanging in our hallway. We thank him for taking the time to share his life and stories with us. The staff and students at St. Joseph School will always remember him. The ceremony was conducted by the Most Reverend Robert B. Clune. At the entranceway to the new school, a beautiful church bell was placed for permanent display. This bell has special meaning to the Catholic school community because it was the original bell from the old Sacred Heart of Jesus Church building. Members of the maintenance department from the Catholic School Board moved the bell to its current spot. Today, it continues to be a meeting place for family members just outside the school office. As the community grew, an addition was built to accommodate a full-time daycare. Portables were added at the back of the school because of increased enrolment and later, two separate, non-permanent structures were added to the main school building. These two structures added six classrooms and reduced the need for portables. At its peak, the school had a population of 524 students. In the summer of 2009, the two non-permanent structures were dismantled and six portable classrooms were temporarily positioned at the back of the school to replace them. Construction on a new permanent addition began in the spring of 2010. Students, staff and construction workers cohabited the site quite happily until the new addition was completed in December 2010. Students returned after the Christmas break in January 2011 to use the six new classrooms in the main building and were happy to leave the portables. Staff members and students continue to enjoy the beautiful new classrooms. Throughout its history, the school has enjoyed a close relationship with Sacred Heart Church. Since St. Joseph School is the only Catholic school in the Uxbridge area, it benefits from the extra attention it receives from parish staff. Over the years, the pastors have provided excellent spiritual guidance and support for staff and students alike. Currently, the school is blessed to have the support and assistance of Father Joseph Rodrigues. You can visit the Sacred Heart Parish website at https://sacredheartux.archtoronto.org/ Today, we are a very busy school. The school has a rich history of extra-curricular activities and an active Catholic School Council involvement. Many full-scale dramatic productions have been presented, with the most recent being Twinderella, in the spring of 2011. Students at the school participate in a wide variety of activities, such as sports, drama, dance and writing. School spirit is strong and positive. |
| Principals (Past and present) |
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The following individuals have been principals at St. Joseph Catholic School:
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Student Agenda |
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Read the student agenda for information on school procedures, dress codes, and more. |
| Links |
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Below are links to resources to help you achieve success while at St. Joseph Catholic School. |
| Contact Us |
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We welcome your questions, comments and concerns. Principal: Rita Whale 25 Quaker Village Drive Twitter @StJosephUx |
