St Joseph's School, Oamaru facts for kids

St Joseph's School is a primary school located in Oamaru, a large town in North Otago, New Zealand. It was started in 1882 by a group of Catholic nuns called the Dominican Sisters. The school is connected to St Patrick's Basilica, Oamaru.

St Joseph's School is now located on the campus of St Kevin's College. It still keeps its own identity, but both schools share a common board.

School History

Early Days and Changes

In 1884, St Joseph's School began teaching students in the presbytery, which is a house for priests. Up to five classes were held there. Dominican nuns taught at the school. Priests often visited to check on exams and enjoy musical events.

In 1928, the Christian Brothers took over St Patrick's primary school for boys in Oamaru. Two Christian Brothers traveled daily from St Kevin's College, which had opened in 1927.

St Patrick's school for boys closed in 1973 as part of a big change. Younger boys then went to St Joseph's. Older boys moved to St Kevin's College. For a while, St John's School operated for Year 7 and 8 boys. It was next to St Kevin's College.

Becoming a Full Primary School

In 1983, there was another big change. St Joseph's became a full primary school for both boys and girls up to Year 8. St John's School closed. St Kevin's College became a coeducational secondary school, teaching boys and girls from Year 9 onwards.

The old red-brick building, once used for St Patrick's, is now where the younger students of St Joseph's learn. Older students are taught in newer buildings, closer to St Patrick's Basilica.

Continuing Traditions

The school still has strong ties to the Dominican Sisters. For example, a "Dominican choir" was started in 2008. St Joseph's School also works closely with St Kevin's College. Most students, about 99%, go on to St Kevin's after leaving St Joseph's.

School Life and Activities

Student Leadership and Awards

St Joseph's School is proud of its student leadership. Students from Year 3 to Year 8 are part of the school council. This helps them learn to be leaders.

Miss Melanie Sloan, a teacher, received a special award in 2010. It was called the Spirit of Attitude award. She was honored for her positive attitude and for facing challenges with great spirit. She received the top award in Auckland.

Learning About Little Blue Penguins

Students at St Joseph's School took part in an exciting research project. They studied the little blue penguins that live in Oamaru. This project helped them improve their skills in English, Social Studies, and Science. It also helped them meet their learning goals for Level 4.

This project was part of Living Heritage, a program by the 2020 Communications Trust. Its main goal was to help students learn about digital literacy. This meant they learned how to use computers and the internet. The students created a website all about the penguins. This project was similar to a bird monitoring program they did earlier. That program was part of the Ministry of Education's LEARNZ program.

New School Location

St Joseph's School is now located on the St Kevin's College site. This move created a brand new school for St Joseph's. It also brought all Catholic education in Oamaru to one central place. The move also helped to use "The Stables," an old heritage building at St Kevin's.