You would be very welcome to visit the school and talk with myself. To make an appointment please contact:
Annie Nelson, St Joseph’s Principal on 03 418 2548 or email
principal@stjosbalclutha.school.nz
We are a small Catholic school sharing the grounds of the Blessed Mary MacKillop Church on the corner of Stewart Street and James Street.
We have 3 classrooms educating boys and
girls from the age of 5 to 13.The classes are multilevel,
and children may move between classrooms for some of their lessons.
As a
Catholic school we actively promote the values of respect, understanding and co-operation. Teachers and older children model these values and our reward systems support our
children in making the right choices. Once a week whole school prayer focuses on these and related values to explicitly remind children of the path Jesus walked.
We follow the
New Zealand curriculum but as an integrated school we also teach Religious Education throughout. Our approach builds year on year as the children grow through the school and we are
very well supported by the Dunedin Diocese. We are also in a cluster with the other schools in Balclutha sharing professional development for the teachers and sporting/social
events for the children.
We value our close relationship with our parish priest, Fr Michael Hishon and liaise with the parish to ensure our families are included in the
Sacramental programmes. The school and parish are very welcoming encouraging all-round success.
Opportunities at St Joseph’s
Being a small school has many advantages but
there are perceived disadvantages such as extra curricula activities. St Joseph’s is no different to all the other local schools who strive to work closely together.
To this end we
attend the local sporting competitions such as cross country, athletics, golf, netball, T-ball and touch rounds. We also join with the other smaller schools to put teams together
for sports such as netball and cricket to ensure all our kids get a fair shot at what they would like to try.
Our year 7 and 8 students participate in the Careers talks and in
Technology lessons. We visit the High School and also belong to the exceptionally professional cluster that exists in the area. We access the same high standard of professional
development that the South Otago schools are involved in.
We encourage all children to join the local library which we visit at least fortnightly, but we are so close we often pop
around more often.
Groups around the school
Our school has a very successful Young Vinnies group. The children in the Senior class run their own meetings and decide on how they
can support their local community. The group have visited Holmdene to deliver their handmade rugs and are currently working on assisting the local foodbank.
Some families pay for
their children to take music lessons which are held here at school by a visiting teacher. We have a choir that is supported by one of the teachers.
For the parents we have a very
active Parent Teacher Association which incorporates the fundraising within it. The excellent work of the PTA enables us to enjoy trips for little or no cost.
What is special
about St Joseph’s?
We are a small school with a string community feel. Our children are not only known by all the adults in school, but the younger children are immediately
accepted by the older children. There are monitors that support the teachers and help the younger children. The size of the school allows for regular and informal consultation
whilst the formal consultation is offered at least once a year. The transitioning of children into school is done through morning visits and an opportunity for the parents to sit
down with the teacher to discuss the early childhood portfolio and any questions that might be rolling around before the big day!
