Building Faith, Character and Excellence
Welcome from the Principal
For my first note in Soundings, I am excited to share that we are off to a great start to the school year at Saint Joseph High School. Our caring faculty and staff are dedicated to building a positive, joyful, welcoming, and supportive school climate, and we kicked this off by recording over 88,000 fist bumps in two days with our #Firstdayfistbumps campaign. Our students loved it! To top that, students displayed amazing school spirit and pride at our morning Pep Rally live on WNDU this past Wednesday. Thank you, parents, for helping get them all to school at such an early hour. We plan to build on this enthusiasm and positive spirit as we work to transform our students in heart and mind throughout the school year.  Our core value for 2018-19 is “Discover Our Gifts,” which will guide students, faculty, and staff to grow as individuals and as a community.

I would like to thank all of you who have welcomed me and made my first month at Saint Joe memorable and enjoyable. It has been great to see so many parents at Back-to-School Night and at various sporting events. I already feel at home here at Saint Joe, and I look forward to many more opportunities to connect with parents and other members of the Saint Joe Family. 

God bless and Go Indians!

John Kennedy, Principal
Biomedical Sciences Launches Yearlong Investigation
Faculty member Tracy Gergely and her Principles of Biomedical Science students are at it again! If you have visited the lower level stairwells, you may have been caught off guard by the fake crime scene. Part of the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum, students examine evidence, look for clues, and conduct experiments as part of their mission to discern the demise of an imaginary teen. PLTW was designed to revolutionize learning by incorporating practical applications of science into the curriculum. This year-long study is hands-on learning at its finest! Learn more about the Project Lead the Way program.
Support our School!
There are many ways to support Saint Joseph High School. One of them is by contributing to the diocesan SGO, or scholarship granting organization. The program provides tuition scholarships for students who may not be able to afford a Catholic education otherwise. Individuals and businesses who donate to the SGO of Northeast Indiana, Inc (SGONEI) reduce their state income tax liability and may also qualify for a federal income tax deduction. The program is a win-win for the school, scholarship recipients, and donors alike. Please consider supporting the diocesan SGO today.
Invitation and Updates from Pastoral Ministry
Welcome to the new school year; it is always such an exciting time! We are especially excited about opportunities for spiritual growth this year. One of these is Eucharistic Adoration. We will re-establish the practice of First Friday Eucharistic Adoration at Saint Joe. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the chapel from 8:15 a.m. -3:15 p.m. each First Friday school is in session. We invite our parents and families to visit the Chapel of Saint Joseph on September 7 to spend time in prayer before the most Holy Eucharist any time during the school day. Just check in with the Main Office when you arrive.

Please stay tuned for future offerings of daily Mass, Rosary and Adoration during flex periods. Parents are welcome to attend all-school liturgies each month. The next all-school liturgy will be a 10:00 a.m. mass on Friday, September 14 in the main gym . Parents and families are also welcome to attend daily mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. in the chapel. We look forward to seeing you!

If you have any questions, please email Tami Goy or Christine Diss or call 574-233-6137 and ask for the Pastoral Ministry office.
Faculty Professional Development and Late Start Days
Saint Joseph High School is committed to ongoing professional development, and builds faculty meetings into the calendar in order to accomplish this. The year began with Faculty/Staff Orientation on August 13, which culminated in faculty members forming the word "EXCELLENCE" on the football field (see picture above). This week faculty participate in the Diocesan Curriculum Day as well as Catholic School Mission Day.

Throughout the year, faculty will gather for internal professional development. On these meeting days, called Late Starts, students arrive at 9:00 a.m. Please add the following Late Start days to your calendar:

  • September 12 and 26

  • October 16 and 30

  • November 6

  • December 5
Reminder from Student Affairs
Please remember that students are not permitted to remain unsupervised after school. Supervision ends at 4:30 p.m. If your student is not waiting for an athletic practice, he or she will be between the main double doors awaiting your arrival. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Tull, Director of Student Affairs .
Class of 2022 By the Numbers:
207 Students

87% Catholic

76% from SJHS Partner Schools

48% are legacies - They have siblings enrolled or sibs or parents as alumni

4 Countries Represented: Mexico, China, Vietnam, Korea