History of Saint Joseph School
In 1939, the Sisters of Charity of Halifax came from the Academy of the Assumption in Wellesley Hills to supervise the religious education program of the youth of the St. Joseph Parish. In 1954, Cardinal Cushing granted permission to begin construction of a school building and the sisters began teaching kindergarten and first grade. For almost 70 years, Saint Joe's has been a pillar of Catholic education for Needham and its surrounding communities. The school grew quickly from those early elementary school roots, adding a middle school, and later, a early childhood center. While each school operated independently and was respected in its own right, both the parish and the schools of St. Joseph recognized the potential strength of a combined school community spanning preschool to grade eight, leveraging not only the millions of dollars of investment in the campus and facilities, but also the years of experience gained at Saint Joe's over the past seven decades.
Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, in the midst of the pandemic and following a successful remote school period, Saint Joe's embarked on the bold task of integrating all three school communities -- combining the early childhood, elementary, and middle schools into one, unified school -- Saint Joseph School (preschool to grade eight). This integration was no small feat and would not have been possible without a strong leadership team and dedicated faculty.
In 2022 Saint Joseph School was pleased to announce the appointment of the first head of school, Mr. Ian Snyder. With strong support from Father Bryan K. Parrish, the pastor, Saint Joseph School is being ushered into the next chapter and new beginning. Emerging from a global pandemic, a period of transition, and an institutional merger, Saint Joseph School has a new perspective and a fresh start -- respecting the lessons of yesterday but acknowledging the power in learning from mistakes. A new opportunity awaits us tomorrow. What a powerful message to share with the children of Saint Joseph School. Through the inspiration of St. Antony of Egypt, we will embrace the new beginning that each day presents and the opportunities that we have been afforded. "Always, we begin again . . ."