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Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!
Reminder to families: if you have moved to a new mailing address or changed your email/phone number, please contact jhernandez@saintjoehigh.com to let the school know.
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Welcome from Principal Kennedy
Welcome to the 2026–27 school year! I want to extend my sincere appreciation to each of you for choosing Catholic education and Saint Joseph High School for your family. I look forward to having our halls filled once again with the voices, laughter, and smiles of our students.
Our featured core value this year is Reach Higher. With that in mind, we are finding inspiration in the following words from Venerable Fulton Sheen: "Heaven is a city on a hill; hence we cannot coast into it; we have to climb." These words remind us that living according to God's will and ultimately attaining heaven require effort and commitment. We look forward to partnering with our families to help our students embrace that commitment in their faith journey as well as in their academic and extracurricular pursuits. Through these experiences, we strive to help them transform in heart and mind to serve God, the Church, and the world.
I am happy to announce that Mr. Tommy Kostielney has been named Assistant Principal for Student Formation. Mr. K brings a deep devotion to the Church, expertise in the classroom, a joyful spirit, and is a wonderful addition to our administrative team.
The cell phone policy and procedures implemented last January remain in place and are now supported by state law. All students are required to leave all electronic devices—including cell phones, smart watches, smart glasses, and similar devices—in their lockers, with the exception of their school-issued laptop. This policy will be strictly enforced. In addition, with the changes made to student laptops this summer, we are better able to monitor laptop use so that these devices enhance learning while limiting distractions. This is consistent with our technology philosophy as outlined on our website.
I look forward to welcoming our new students at New Student-Parent Welcome on Wednesday, August 5, and to seeing all students when school begins on Wednesday, August 12. I also look forward to seeing parents at Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, August 26, at 7:00 p.m. Please see the information in this newsletter about these events, as well as other important updates. As we begin this year together, may we all strive to reach higher in faith, character, and excellence.
| God Bless and Go Huskies! | | |
First Days of School / Student Orientation - August 12 and 13
School starts on Wednesday, August 12 with White Day classes in the morning and orientation for 9th and 10th graders in the afternoon. On Thursday, August 13 we have Blue Day classes in the morning and Orientation for 11th and 12th graders in the afternoon. All students are required to be in the classroom before 8:15 a.m. on both days, but dismissal times vary. Please refer to your summer mailing or see this schedule for more detailed information. You can find the 9th grade supply list here.
Wednesday, August 12
8:15 - 11:50 a.m. White Day Schedule
11:50 a.m. 11th and 12th Dismissal
11:55 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. 9th and 10th grade Orientation
Thursday, August 13
8:15 - 11:35 a.m. Blue Day Schedule
11:35 a.m. 9th and 10th Dismissal
11:40 - 2:15 p.m. 11th and 12th grade Orientation
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Dress Code for Student Orientation
Students abide by the school dress code for student orientation. However, on the day that students have pictures (Wednesday for 9th/10th and Thursday for 11/12th), students may wear a non-uniform, school-appropriate top with uniform pants.
Ordering Uniforms
Orders from Sports Image Apparel are to be shipped directly from home. Please contact Sports Image Apparel directly at 574-258-0571 if there are any problems with your order.
| | School Picture Days: Wednesday-Thursday, August 12-13 | | Derby Photography will take school pictures on Wednesday, August 12 (9th/10th) and Thursday, August 13 (11th/12th). Please visit this link to complete the order form. | | Message From Pastoral Ministry | | |
Students have the opportunity to be trained as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, an altar server, or an usher for our all-school Masses. Students can sign up for more than one ministry. Training will be done during orientation on Wednesday, August 12 and Thursday, August 13. We ask students to sign up for the training even if they were trained last year or at your parish.
| | Drop Off, Pick Up and Student Parking | |
Arrival & Dismissal
Parent Drop-off/Pick-up (7:15 - 8:15 a.m. and 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.)
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Primary parent drop-off and pick-up for school occurs on Notre Dame Avenue in the southbound lane along the curb. Please pull sufficiently forward to allow other vehicles to pull up behind you. Students should always exit the vehicle on the curbside.
- Additional drop-off and pick-up for school is permitted as follows:
- Either side of Madison St. east of ND Ave. Students should cross the street at the corner.
- Northbound on St. Louis St. in front of Leighton Stadium. Please be cautious, as this is a primary route for student drivers.
- Secondary drop-off/pick-up occurs in the parking lot located on the southeast corner of Notre Dame Ave and Cedar Street (across the street from the school) in the non-numbered spots. This can be useful after school if you need to wait for your child for an extended time. Please make sure that your student crosses the street at the corner.
- Off-limits for drop-off and pick-up during peak hours:
- Faculty/Staff parking lot
- Student parking lot
- Northbound on Notre Dame Avenue
- Cedar Street
Late Arrival: After 8:15 a.m. (9:45 a.m. on late start days), parents are to drop students off on St. Louis St. near the event entrance. Students must sign in at the Office of Student Life.
| | | FACTS Payment Plan Due August 3 | | All families should have set up a payment plan in FACTS. If you have not yet set-up a payment plan, please do so by Monday, August 3. Students without a payment plan set-up in FACTS will not be permitted to: 1.) Access their schedule; 2.) Obtain a parking pass; 3.) Participate in extra-curricular practices, games, or other activities. Click here to access FACTS. Please contact Business Manager, Robbie Berger at rberger@saintjoehigh.com or Director of Finance and Business Operations, Pat Stockrahm at pstockrahm@saintjoehigh.com or 574-233-6137 with any questions. | | MacBook Summer Pickup Reminder | | |
MacBooks for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors are now available for pickup at the iHelp Desk. Returning students who have not yet picked up their laptop for summer work, should pick it up on August 6 or August 11 between 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the iHelp desk. We ask that all students pick up their laptop by this time so that they have them for the first day of school on August 12.
Incoming freshmen (Class of 2030) and transfer students will receive their MacBooks during the New Student Parent Welcome on Tuesday, August 5.
| | Dress Code: Skorts/Shorts and Piercings | | |
We believe that all students should dress in a modest and professional manner while at school. The following will be points of emphasis in 2026-27:
- Skorts must be the khaki uniform skort purchased through the SJHS online uniform store and must be worn at full length. Skorts may not be altered and may not be rolled or shortened in any way (the shorts underneath are not to be cut out). Skorts must extend to no more than 3” above the knee. We are adding options for skorts on the uniform website.
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Shorts are permitted until October 31 and again starting on April 1. Shorts must be khaki dress shorts. Black is no longer an option for shorts. Shorts must extend to no more than 3” above the knee. Athletic shorts are not permitted.
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Ear Piercings and one single small stud nose piercing are permitted. Lip piercings, nose rings, or other visible piercings are not permitted. All jewelry and piercings must be limited, modest, and school appropriate and not extreme or distracting.
| | Open (or Add to) Your Meal Magic Account: We use the Meal Magic System for lunch purchases. Families can create an online account at the button below, the link is also on our website in the Parents portal. Families will be able to check their cafeteria balance and add funds to their student’s account. Please read the instructions or watch the video on how to set-up an account. Note: when searching for the school, enter “St. Joseph High School.” (It is not listed as “Saint” here). In Meal Magic, parents can set communications preferences for notices sent from Meal Magic. | | |
As students discover their gifts, service is the opportunity to apply these gifts in ways that benefit others, particularly the poor, marginalized, vulnerable, and those with special needs. As we strive to have students personally engage in the real-life application of Catholic Social Teaching and the Spiritual or Corporal Works of Mercy, we have made some changes to the service requirements. Organizations and activities have been segmented into Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III service. All students will be required to do at least ⅕ (20%) of their hours engaging in “Tier I” service that directly and personally serves the marginalized, poor, vulnerable, and/or those with special needs. Please see the Service page on our website in the Student or Parent portal for a list of organizations by tier and additional information about our service requirements and process. We hope to develop a culture of service that extends beyond a student's four years at Saint Joseph High School to spend a life serving with joy.
There are some additional changes for 9th and 10th graders. Since it is no longer needed for all students to complete Service Based Learning (SBL) as a diploma requirement, rather than have sophomores complete all written reflections, reflections will be spread out over a student’s four years at Saint Joe. Students who do need SBL as a diploma requirement will be informed of some additional requirements as seniors. Again, this only applies to current 9th and 10th graders. See our website for more detail.
| | Cell Phones/Smart Watches/Personal Electronic Devices | | |
In order to maximize student engagement in learning, promote student well-being, and prioritize community building, all personal electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, etc.) other than a student’s school-issued laptop are not to be in a student’s possession, taken to class, or used within the building between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
Cell phones and smart watches are to be left in lockers from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Earbuds, headphones, air-pods, etc. may be carried, but are not to be worn or used between 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. without explicit permission from a teacher or staff member. These devices cannot be worn in the hallway and common areas.
Students who must carry their phone or smart watch for medical purposes (e.g. diabetes) receive authorization from the school nurse.
If a student is in violation of this policy, the student’s cell phone or device, whether it is being used or not, will be confiscated and turned over to administration. Consequences for violating this policy are progressive and include detention, suspension, and possible expulsion. Failure to turn over a device when asked is considered insubordination and will result in additional consequences.
| | Dog House Code of Conduct | | |
Chosen by a vote of the student body, in 2026-27 we unveil The Dog House as the name for the Saint Joe student section. In The Dog House, students will support our teams and players with pride, positivity, enthusiasm, class, and sportsmanship. We want you loud and proud, students!
Student expectations for The Dog House are listed below. All students are asked to sign this code of conduct. This must be signed in order to attend home athletic events.
| | Diocesan Policy on Child Pornography | | Counseling Newsletter - Class of 2027 | | Click here to view the Class of 2027 Counseling Newsletter recently sent out to seniors. It is full of information related to college search and application process. | | Interested in Joining the Parent Group? | | Our parent group supports teachers and staff by providing lunches and treats on special occasions and organizing the famous cookie trays for Christmas. If you would like to be involved in the Parent Group, please submit your name here. | | Message from Athletics Director, Stephen Anthony | | |
Welcome Saint Joe Huskies!
It is my honor to welcome our returning students and families as well as our new families to the Huskies community for the new academic year. The 2025-2026 school year was an exciting year for the Huskies with numerous accomplishments and highlights. Football had a terrific regular season finishing with a record of 8 -1 and a post-season run winning Sectionals and Regionals for the first time in 10 years. Boys Basketball won Saint Joe’s first 4A Sectional title in school history. Boys & Girls Golf advanced to the State Tournament for the second consecutive year. Boys Tennis advanced to the State Semi-Final match and Boys Lacrosse advanced to the Final Four as well. Boys Cross Country won the largest athletics event in Indiana High School sports placing first at the 100+ school New Prairie Invitational. And finally Flag Football was added as an emerging sport placing third in the NIC conference.
I am proud to announce that Saint Joe finished with a sportsmanship score of 113 on a scale of 100, and I credit our coaches and student-athletes for displaying sportsmanship and poise throughout the year.
The summer activity at Saint Joe has certainly kept the momentum for Saint Joe Athletics moving forward with significant upgrades. I am proud to announce that our Director of Sports Performance, Coach Scott Pherson, was promoted to full-time status which will provide him with more visibility and accessibility for our student-athletes. Coach Pherson’s impact in his first year was tremendous and I am excited about his continued leadership and guidance for the performance of our student-athletes. In addition, the Saint Joe weight room will be upgraded with new equipment this Fall allowing Coach Pherson to maximize his talents and to improve services to our student-athletes.
The new year will certainly be an exciting year as our teams continue to compete for championship, serve the mission of Saint Joseph, and to Reach Higher as student-athletes. Looking forward to the new year and supporting our student-athletes as we all Back the Pack!
Go Huskies!
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Stephen Anthony
Athletics Director
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