St. Joseph Elementary School

St. Joseph School is a fantastic school. My children are receiving a fantastic education. The teachers are truly dedicated and enjoy teaching. I find that the school works with parents to help each student succeed, but the school does not have the resourses to address students with special needs. It is a Catholic school first and foremost. Parnets are always welcome in the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Good academic standards. This schools pumps out good soldiers and worker bees - "out of the box" thinking is discouraged. No future Einsteins, or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs here. Very harsh on kids who have special needs/issues by unfairly excluding them from activities they should be able to participate in. No compassion at all. Yet calls itself a Catholic school. Shame on you.
--Submitted by a parent

We've been very pleased with the education our two children have received at St. Joseph's over the past seven years. The challenging curriculum is merged with a strong faith-based foundation throughout each grade. The dedicated faculty & staff provide a welcoming & encouraging environment. Our graduates are well trained, not only with strong academics, but also in public speaking, writing skills, & service to others. Extracurricular activities include sports programs, forensics, Model UN, school plays, robotics, chess club, debate team, just to name a few. The students participae in a variety of community & service based events such as feeding the needy, visiting area nursing homes & supporting our troops overseas. We've been very satisified with St. Joseph School & the educatuon our children have received.
--Submitted by a parent

Our family has has an exceptional experience at St. Joseph School, Mendham. Both of our children have been educated there from Kindergarten, and have each received a rigorous and challenging academic curriculum in an enriching, Catholic environment. Our older son now attends Delbarton and is excelling there. St Joe's students regularly WAY out-perform their peers in both suburban schools and catholic schools on standardized tests, another testament to the quality and rigor of the academic program. In 2010, Math and Language Arts median percentile scores led peer schools by on average 10 - 15%. Science scores in Grades 3 through 6 were at or above 90%. Teachers stress the fundamentals of solid learning, and it shows. The school stresses "living your faith," another reason it is such a unique and nurturing place for children to develop strong character. Gifted and Talented Programs abound, such as Jr. Model UN, World of Free Enterprise, Forensics, National Jr. Honor Society, and math, spelling and geography bees. St. Joseph students consistently are awarded top prizes in these activities each year. We feel fortunate to have found such an excellent school for our children.
--Submitted by a parent

A fabulous school! The academics are wonderful-the school expects excellence and the students rise to the challenge. There are many opportunities for extra-curricular enrichment (National Jr. Honor Society, Jr. Model UN, Forensics Team, volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, chess, Solar Sprints, Robotics, NJ Consortium of Gifted and Talented which sponsors Arts Workshops, Spelling Bees, etc., participation in Seton Hall Prep's Pirate Open academic challenge, National Geography Bee, NJ Math League, musicals, etc. My oldest son graduated from St. Joe's then went on to Mendham HS, which has a student body of about 1200. There was no problem transitioning from the small, nurturing atmosphere of St. Joe's to the larger, more independent, more varied atmosphere of the public high school. The BEST part of St. Joe's is the fact that our family's faith traditions are supported and enhanced every single day.
--Submitted by a parent

I found the atmosphere a little stuffy, and very, very homogenous. Since there are only 30 students per grade, branching out and finding different groups of people is impossible. There's simply no one else. You're either in, or you're out, and having been on both sides of the fence, it's hard. The education is top notch, don't get me wrong, but the social aspects of this school are lacking.
--Submitted by a student

I attended st joe's for nine years, i hated wearing uniforms, the early mornings, the homework, and a few teachers. Looking back there is no other school i would have rather attended. I am still close frineds with many of the people i started kindergaten with! it is a close knit school with a priority to teach responsibility, and respect, two key issues with younger children today that seem to go 'untaught' or 'unlearned' by many. I am now about to graduate college with an associates degree and plan to move on to a masters, i'm so appreciatetive for my start at st.Josephs.
--Submitted by Anonymous Class of 1998, a former student