We are a full primary state integrated school (from New Entrants to Year 8) with a special Catholic character. The Gospel values are the basis of how we behave and treat each other. Our school’s vision is to “create confident learners who, like Jesus make a positive difference”. We can only do this if we all work together to provide the best learning opportunities for our children and so we welcome and encourage all our families to be actively engaged in their children’s learning.
We have a great history in Queenstown - the Dominican sisters arrived to teach at our school on its current site in 1883. The Dominican pillars of prayer, learning, community and service are evident in our school and our learning.
Our maximum roll is 175 students. We usually hover around 140 or so students, shared between our 6 or 7 classrooms. This, along with our Catholic character and our commitment to building community, earns us the reputation as "The small school with a big heart."
Friday 18 October - Week 1 Term 4 2024
Friday 27 September - Week 10 Term 3 2024
Friday 20 September - Week 9 Term 3 2024
Friday 13 September - Week 8 Term 3 2024
Friday 6 September - Week 7 Term 3 2024
Friday 30 August - Week 6 Term 3 2024
Friday 23 August - Week 5 Term 3 2024
Friday 16 August - Week 4 Term 3 2024
Friday 9 August - Week 3 Term 3 2024
Friday 2 August - Week 2 Term 3 2024
Our Strategic Plan 2024-2025 was developed in consultation with our school's community and is a living document that provides the direction for the governance and management of our school. Each year we set annual targets for students' achievement. These are based, in part, on our students' results from the previous year. Please click here to view our 2024 Annual Implementation Plan.
The following diagram is our current Strategic Plan overview (plan on a page). If you would like a copy of our current strategic plan or annual plan, please email our Principal (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Not sure about our Catholic connections needed to enrol at our school - contact our Principal, Alan Grant (03) 442 8224 or click here for further information.
If you are not a Catholic or even if you want to know more about the Catholic faith, the Catholic Enquiry Centre offers you 10 free booklets, "What Catholics Believe". They give a simple outline of the Catholic Church's key beliefs and teachings. Please contact them This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Freephone 0800 FATHER or visit their websites at either www.catholicdiscovery.nz or www.catholicenquiry.org.nz
The following are resources to support your understanding of what it means to be a school with a Special Catholic character and how you might support your children in their Catholic faith.
What Makes a School Catholic
Our Family Whanau Programme
We have a great history in Queenstown - the Dominican sisters arrived to teach at our school on its current site in 1883. The Dominican pillars of prayer, learning, community and service are evident in our school and our learning. The Dominican charism or mission is based on truth, learning, discovery, thinking, excellence, prayer, community and service or mission. That means that at St Joseph's School we will:
Always be honest
Always be learning
Always do our best
Listen to God's call
Do our bit
Our School Blessing embodies our school’s vision, our value and our Dominican charism.
Our awesome God and teacher
We praise and thank you for all you have given us.
Bless us as we learn and play,
Watch over our families and our community.
May our school be a place of honesty, respect and learning,
where everyone does their best and does their bit.
May God be always with us.
Our school belongs to a network of learning organisations including all the primary schools and our 1 High School. The goal of the Kahui Ako is to identify, share and embed effective teaching and learning practices from across all our schools, thus making learning opportunities improved for all children in the Wakatipu.
The Kāhui Ako o Wakatipu has a strong network of passionate leaders and learners. We will maintain the identity of our school, while collaborating and sharing expertise, so any child’s learning pathway is supported and their transition through the education system is optimal.
Every 3 years, all our policies, procedures and practices in relation to our Special Catholic Character are externally evaluated by a team from the Catholic Education Office. Click here to see our latest Catholic Special Character Evaluation for Development report.
As with all other schools in New Zealand we are also externally reviewed by the Education Review Office. Click below to see our latest reports. Please note that ERO is introducing a new partnership model and reporting under the new model looks different to what it has previously.
Click a button below to view a recent Annual Report.
Being community is central to life at St Joseph's School. The following information covers some of the key events where we celebrate community in a special way.
At the beginning of the year we have a school picnic. We gather together to share kai and spend time socialising and playing games.
In the middle of the year we have a Mid-Winter Christmas celebration which is a combined school and parish event. This is a shared meal where the children and adults, if they want, dress up in Christmas colours. The parish give out prizes for the costumes. Our choir performs Christmas songs at this event.
Our end of year celebrations include a Graduation and Prize Giving followed by a whānau BBQ here at school. This celebration focuses on our graduating students but is a chance for our whole school to gather with joyful gratitude as we approach the end of the school year, and gives another opportunity to share kai together as one faith community.
Each year we have our major fundraiser, our Book Fair. All of our children help in a wide variety of ways, including our Year 7 and 8 students preparing and holding 'stalls' on Book Fair day. The Book Fair includes of course a book sale with a huge range of books but includes too lots of food stalls and fun activities for children and adults alike. It's a wonderful community event and the highlight of our busy PTA calendar. The Book Fair normally takes place on a Sunday in early May.
The start of each term includes a "Welcome to School Mass" where we welcome new children and families to our school in a special way. Our new students wear a beautiful kākahu (cloak), a symbol of their special place in our school and a sign of welcome, and are blessed as they beign their school journey at St Joseph's School.
All of these are great opportunities for you and your family to meet new families and to build friendships and support networks, so make sure you come along and join us.
Details about these events are published in our newsletter closer to the events! Check out the photos on our Facebook from previous events.
Please click the button below to see our current teaching vacancies.
LEARN MOREWe are sorry that your time at our school is over. Please take the time to give us your feedback on your time spent with us by downloading the School Exit Survey in Resources and emailing it to the addresses given. Through completing this, we can understand what we are doing well and any areas we can improve on to meet our families' needs. We wish you all the best for the future.
