Happy Spring, St. Joseph Community!

Please enjoy the latest issue of The Carpenter’s Toolbox. All throughout the year, we hear and absorb information about St. Joseph School’s amazing Alumni, and we cannot wait to share it. We love to learn about all of these important things that our wonderful Alumni are doing as they grow into their best selves and help make this world a better place just by being in it! Please keep sending us news. Your community is so proud of you. God bless you on your journey as a much loved part of St. Joseph's "toolbox," called to spread the Good News through actions and words.

Blessings, Principal Natalie Lenz-Acuña

Alumni Spotlight:

Matthew Brown

The Brown family stopped by

the Alumni Booth at Oktoberfest

Meet Matt Brown! He is a graduate from St. Joseph School's Class of 1988, and he and his wife Amy Scott Brown (SJS '92) have First Grade and TK sons at St. Joseph, so you may have seen him at school events throughout the past couple of years. Matt works as the Senior Civil Engineer for the City of San Pablo. He is in charge of all of the Capital Improvement projects (roadway improvements, park construction, infrastructure improvements) that use public funds. As a result, he is the City of San Pablo representative in charge on several projects each year. Recently, one of his projects won awards on both the local and state level. 

The Rumrill Boulevard Complete Streets Project is a project where workers converted 1.67 miles of a dangerous and congested four lane roadway into a safer and more pleasant two lane roadway, utilizing strategies including environmental remediation, improved pedestrian crosswalks, wider sidewalks, and the addition of bicycle lanes. The Rumrill Boulevard project took ten years from initial scope to final construction, and all of that thoughtful planning has clearly made a significant impact on the San Pablo community. The Rumrill Boulevard project reduced collisions from 145 per year to 50, and nearly eliminated pedestrian fatalities when

compared to the pre-construction condition. Pretty impressive!

The project won two awards from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter, for the 2024 Small Project of the Year -Transportation Focus, and for the Project of the Year for Northern California. The APWA is a national professional organization whose goal is to support those who operate, improve and maintain public works and infrastructure through advocacy, education and member engagement. 

The Rumrill Boulevard project was also presented with an award by the League of California Cities for its Complete Streets Project of the Year (2024). The League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities. The Rumrill Boulevard project is one of the many Matt has been working on lately, and he feels that it demonstrates how St. Joseph’s graduates continue to serve the community as a lifelong commit-ment.

Matt, thank you for all you are doing to make our community safer. You are setting a great example for our soon-to-be SJS alumni.

We are so proud of you!

More Alumni News and Tidbits

Veronica Nava Pareja (SJS ‘01) is an ICU nurse here in the Bay Area. She met her husband Brian while they were both students at Salesian High School and they have been together ever since. They have four sons, including a First Grader and a TK student at SJS. This coming Fall, three will be enrolled at school- Kian, Class of 2032, Callan ‘35, and Rion ‘36! How lucky is our school?

We are proud of you!

Josh Arriola (SJS '07) is enjoying the New York lifestyle. The vibrant, busy, fast-paced metro-polis perfectly matches his extrovert-friendly personality. He is working as a full-stack software engineer at Pinterest. He likes to travel and see the world, does outdoor activities, and is a sushi destroyer! We are proud of you!

Kyle Arriola (SJS '09) was awarded the degree of PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of California Riverside, and is currently a full-time, tenure-track organic chemistry instructor at MiraCosta College. He enjoys making connections between chemistry and the natural world, often through the lens of insects, chemical ecology, and biological processes. Outside of working in the classroom and laboratory, Kyle enjoys going on nature hikes, playing volleyball, sailing, and going on food adventures.

We are proud of you!

Big congratulations to Emnet Goitom (SJS '23) and the Girls Basketball Team at Salesian College Prep High School. The team had an incredible 23-7 season, ending up as Tri-County Athletic League Champions, and they played brilliantly all year, getting all the way to the NorCal Division 2 Championship game! Wow! We are proud of you!

Mikey Garcia (SJS '14) recently stopped by school and checked in with teachers Mrs. Brunstein and Mr. Sasser. He told them he just graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Business Management and Busi-ness Administration, and looks forward to obtaining his realtor license very soon.

We are proud of you!

Congratulations to both Melea Pedrosa (SJS '14) and Shawn Verdote (SJS '16), who graduated from Dominican University in December! Melea now has her Bachelor of Science in Biological Science, and Shawn earned his BS in Nursing while also playing soccer for Dominican!

We are proud of you!

Arin and Danielle Sargent Corey (SJS ‘01), Ashley Martin Berry (SJS ‘99), and Jacquelyn Schober Rios (SJS ‘01) and family (SJS Kindergartener Lottie, husband Ray, and son Anthony) all attended the Multicultural Day put on by the PTG Dad’s Club with their families last month. We love to see Alumni who are SJS parents! We are proud of you!

Marilyn Mitra (SJS '16) finished another semester on the Dean's List and will graduate in May from California State University - East Bay, with a major in Fine Arts. Her latest painting is seen below, and another recent work won the Larry Steft Award in a judged print making exhibit. The piece is wonderful! Congratulations, Marilyn. We are proud of you!

Matthew Ventura (SJS '23) was spotted on campus in April 11 as part of Salesian College Prep High School's Faith Family Service Activity. After helping set up for a PTG event with his group and playing a little basketball, Matthew visited with teachers and staff, sharing that he is currently on Salesian's swim team and is looking forward to a spring break trip to Paris with his Honors French class. Merci pour votre service, et bon voyage, Matthew! We are proud of you!

Joszef Kraynik (SJS '18) is continuing his studies at San Francisco State University in the Fall, and planning to major in Business Marketing. He shares that his brothers are all doing well- James is at UCLA majoring in Veterinary Science, Jules is considering law school, and John is moving back to the Bay Area to work as an X-Ray Technician at Sutter Health in Burlingame. Thanks for the update, Joszef!

We are proud of all of you!

Special thanks to Sophia Gallino, Isla Petrie, Valeria Perez, and Rachel Gacusan (who is not pictured), all from the Class of 2022, who came to the SJS Open House in January. They gamely answered questions about their time in elementary school from anxious incoming parents, and well represented the SJS Alumni spirit. We are proud of you!

The "Buy a Brick" Fundraiser is available again for a limited time!

We are partnering with Polar Engraving, and are excited to offer this opportunity to the St. Joseph community again after many years.

Bricks cost $150

with the added option to purchase a 4"x4" black keepsake tile for only $20.

Just in time for a memorable graduation gift!

You can send in a check to St. Joseph School (1961 Plum Street, Pinole, CA 94564) or purchase the brick through the website. Follow the QR Code or visit for order instructions by clicking below.

On April 1st, the SJS Class of 2025 attended Eighth Grade Day at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, marking one step closer to graduation! They enjoyed meeting other 8th graders and hearing Bishop Barber's explanation of his ritual vestments before he said mass. This year, graduation will be on May 30th. Please keep this class in your prayers! We are so proud of these young almost-alumni, as they are kind, compassionate and hardworking. So far, their next step will include such high schools as Salesian College Prep High School, St. Mary's College High School, Pinole Valley High School, Hercules High School, St. Patrick St. Vincent High School, Carondelet High School, and De La Salle High School (this information may change).

In the next issue of The Carpenter's Toolbox, we hope to have more information about scholarships and awards earned by this marvelous Class of 2025. Please visit @stjosephpinolealumni on Instagram as well, as we will track SJS Class of 2021's college plans as they are released by the high schools.

At St. Joseph School, most of the classes beginning in the Fall are full! There are a few spots left in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.

To learn about waitlists available for full classrooms, reach out to Office Manager Danielle Corey (SJS '01) (dcorey@csdo.org) for more information.

For Updates, Information, News, Mentions...

Follow @stjosephpinolealumni on Instagram

and "St. Joseph Alumni and Friends" on Facebook

Campus News

Auction Update - Alumni Needed for Next Year!



The 2025 Gatsby Gala was a tremendous success, bringing together over 150 current parents, alumni, local leaders, and friends to create unforgettable memories while rallying support for our beloved St. Joseph School. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we raised over $25,000—surpassing last year’s total—and secured the essential funds needed to carry our school boldly into the future. We had 13 SJS alumni attend and/or volunteer for the auction (attendees received a special gift of chocolates and a button emblazoned with their 8th grade photo and "Class of ..." year), and we hope to double this number for next year. Attending this annual fundraiser is a super fun, and super easy, way to support our school! Please consider inviting your classmates and creating a table filled with friends from your class year!

The auction committee has been working so hard to bring the auction back after covid stopped it, and it is outdoing itself each year. Last year the theme was Las Vegas and featured showgirls on parade, this year's Roaring 20's theme included a vintage car, a marvelous jazz singer (Chloe Dichoso, SJS '13), tap dancers, and aerial acrobats... what will next year bring? Come and find out!

If you would like to purchase some St. Joseph School spirit wear,

there are still some adult and child sizes left in the Office!

This year’s item is a maroon t-shirt or sweatshirt that features a fierce tiger over the words, “St. Joseph School Tigers Live, Learn, Witness 2024-2025.” Send an email to Danielle (SJS '01) (dcorey@csdo.org) for more information.

eSports Club Update



I wanted to take a moment to share with you about St. Joseph School E-sport Invitational went. This invitational was a significant event for us, and we are thrilled to report that it was a tremendous success!

The event took place on March 22, 2025 at St. Joseph School and we had the pleasure of welcoming students, parents, and principals from different schools. Amongst those who attended were representatives from St. Patrick School - Rodeo, St. Theresa School - Oakland, and Holy Spirit School - Fremont. The atmosphere was vibrant, with a mix of exciting competition, engaging activities, and excellent sportsmanship. Most notable was that each school had a student in podium placement allowing them to take a trophy home.

Our participants showed exceptional skill and dedication, and we were proud of the enthusiasm and commitment they demonstrated throughout the event. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing that they would like to see a second iteration of this event. Our team at St. Joseph School will plan a second invitational for this year, and we will keep you posted.

-The eSports Team

Newspaper Club Update

The SJS CA Times:

The Power of Student Voices

A Note from the Editorial Team

As we close out the third issue of our student-run newspaper, we take a moment to reflect on the purpose, the progress, and the people behind these pages. At its heart, this paper exists to amplify student voices. It’s a platform for creativity, curiosity, and courageous truth-telling—a space where ideas take shape and stories spark conversation. Whether we’re diving into school events, shedding light on student achievements, or tackling real-world issues, every article represents hours of effort, collaboration, and commitment to the truth.

This final edition of Issue Three is more than just a wrap-up—it’s a celebration of the impact we’ve made together. We’ve grown as writers, sharpened our skills as journalists, and built a community that values information, honesty, and connection.

We owe immense gratitude to Mrs. Sherrice Smith, whose guidance and leadership made all of this possible. Her support has inspired every headline, every draft, and every breakthrough. Thank you for believing in us and for helping us believe in ourselves.

And to our team—our dedicated student reporters, writers, photographers, and investigators—thank you. Your passion, your persistence, and your perspectives are what give this paper its soul. This is your work, your voice, your legacy.

Thank you for reading.

— The Student Editorial Team

Please help us, and email alumni@stjosephpinole.org to share what types of events would be helpful for you in your current situation- recent alum, recent college/high school grad, etc.!

Please email any news to alumni@stjosephpinole.org.

Networking Opportunity

Do you use LinkedIn? St. Joseph School has opened a LinkedIn Alumni group for you to connect

with other St. Joseph School graduates.