VIEWBOOK YOUR GUIDE TO ADMISSIONS
2025 - 2026
St. Joseph's Catholic School
Educating Minds & Forming Souls
Welcoming families of all faiths.
CREATED FOR YOU, IN 1872.
The Sisters of Mercy founded St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 1872 as the first public school in Macon, GA. It offered a rich Catholic education to children of all faiths.
The original mission underpins our school today, which continues to welcome a diverse student body.
We are committed to continuing the St. Joseph’s Catholic School mission for generations to come.
Our 150 year-old purpose stands strong and is here for your family today.
OUR MISSION
St. Joseph’s Catholic School is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment, delivering academic excellence rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
On behalf of our faculty and staff, thank you for taking time to learn about St. Joseph’s Catholic School. After 25 years serving as principal for several schools, it is an honor to serve SJS today.
Our commitment at St. Joseph’s is that your child will receive our personal best every day. Our campus environment encourages students to grow in self-confidence right along with their academic achievement. By teaching our students to be thoughtful and faith-filled community members, they are propelled to seek excellence in their schoolwork, extracurriculars, and relationships.
Most importantly, our students grow in faith. It is an amazing, joyful experience to join our community at weekly Mass and watch as each child sincerely engages in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is this personal encounter with Christ that helps keep the faith alive in our students as they continue forward to middle school.
Please read on to learn more about our campus, our programming, and our student body. We are an intentionally small school, and we want to speak with you in person. Please reach out to schedule your tour today.
Keep the Faith!
Russell Sills Principal
905 High Street Macon, GA 31201
LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MACON
Our downtown location means both convenience for parents and experiential learning opportunities for students.
While families join us from 10 surrounding counties, we send a special welcome to families who live and work in our downtown Macon community, including parents from Atrium Health Navicent.
As a downtown school, our students and summer campers experience a variety of walkable excursions. You’ll find us out and about visiting The Grand Opera House, our neighborhood fire station, the park splash pad, local restaurants, and many other downtown spots.
At Christmastime, we’re blessed to parade together to Family Advancement Ministries delivering gifts. Our walking field trips are a favorite for all grades!
STRONG ACADEMICS
SJS maintains an 8:1 student-toteacher ratio and an average class size of 15. Our academic experience is bolstered by learning accelerators, including our Challenge Program, Student Success Center, after school tutoring, and our full-time guidance counselor. Traditional academics are applied in our enrichments of art, foreign language, music, library, PE, and technology. We follow Diocese of Savannah curriculum and are fully accredited by Cognia.
TALENTED FACULTY
We love our teachers!
More than 67% of our faculty hold advanced degrees. They bring decades of teaching experience to our classrooms each day.
“In my 34 years of teaching, nothing compares to my 17 years at SJS. Without a doubt, being able to teach my kinders about Jesus and our faith is truly what makes SJS special.”
Lucinda Simpson, Kindergarten Teacher
THE JOY OF OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM
Our Early Learning Program offers a unique alternative to ordinary daycare and preschool experiences. We use best-in-class curriculum taught in a play-centered environment that encourages exploration, learning, fun, and faith. Our classrooms are thoughtfully designed to ensure safety and promote independence as our
littlest Knights learn and grow. Our days include faith formation, learning through play, recess, meal and snack time, potty-training (2K only), and hands-on learning that reflects developmentally appropriate practices. Students love our enrichment subjects and enjoy Spanish, Art, Music, PE, and library just like their older schoolmates. Our small class sizes ensure each student receives personalized attention during the day. By the end of 4K, our students are well prepared to enter Kindergarten!
“Preschool is the foundation to create a lifelong love of learning. At SJS we create a nurturing learning environment that fosters academic and social growth while instilling core Catholic values, kindness, and respect.”
Erin Somers, Early Learning Program Lead
alwaysParentsarewelcome forlunch!
OUR TAKE ON NUTRITION
Our nutrition program is one more way we care for students in mind, body, and spirit. Our nutrition program is led by nationallyrecognized restaurateur, Chef Chelsia Ogletree, who ensures we offer diverse cultural food experiences using whole ingredients. Our daily buffet includes soup, salad, fruit, vegetables, and a hot entrée. Enjoy lunch occasionally or sign-up for an all-semester discount plan.
DIVERSE ACTIVITIES
The fun doesn’t end at 3 pm for our students! Afternoons are filled with clubs and activities, including:
Advanced Art
Basketball
Cheerleading
Chess Club
Choir
K-Kids service club
Lego / Robotics
Pickleball
Volleyball
We also host local chapters of Boy and Girl Scouts.
LIVING OUR FAITH
We live our faith in all we do at St. Joseph’s. Each day begins in community with prayer and scripture, led by our students. Religion classes explore our beliefs, the miracles of Jesus Christ, the influence of the saints, and prayer. We live liturgically, with projects and school traditions for All Saints Day, Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
We walk together to school Mass each Thursday with our Prayer Buddies (pairings of lower and upper grade students) - friendships that continue for years!
Most importantly, we provide opportunities for our students to encounter Christ in a personal way, ensuring they not only learn the faith, but they experience the faith in their hearts.
“I have always believed if one has strong faith, everything else in life falls in
its
perfect place. To
be a small part
of building our kids’ faith is the most rewarding job ever.”
- Lisa Allman, Religion Instructor
LEGACY & TRADITIONS
We’re blessed with a fabulous Home and School Association that organizes our annual community events, including:
Breakfast with Santa Fall Festival
Family Kickball Tournament
Grandparents Day
Sweetheart Dance
Teacher Appreciation Week
AFTER SCHOOL
Our Extended Day Program (EDP) provides exercise, games, socialization, and snack time with friends before and/or after the school day. The program is open to all SJS students at a drop-in daily rate*.
Morning EDP: 6:45 - 7:40 AM ($4/day)
Afternoon EDP: 3:15 - 4:00 PM ($8/day) - 6:00 PM ($12/day)
*Afternoon EDP is included in 2K tuition
READINESS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
For a century and a half, St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Mount de Sales Academy have thrived as sister schools serving Middle Georgia. We are proud that virtually 100% of our students are accepted by and choose to attend Mount de Sales Academy for middle and high school. Our classes are connected from the start, as MDS students visit to read to our young learners, host pep rallies in our gym, and volunteer at our community events. In turn, we walk to MDS for concerts and theatre productions, we cheer at football games, and we participate in the MDS annual drivethrough nativity. It’s quite common for a student’s former SJS Prayer Buddy to later be their tour guide when visiting MDS.
Together, we are blessed to offer an incredible, seamless 2K through 12th grade academic experience.
AFFORDING ST. JOSEPH’S
If you desire a Catholic education for your child, it is our goal to help make a St. Joseph’s education possible for your family. Complete our Financial Aid application online and speak with us to learn more about our tuition assistance opportunities and other discounts, including sibling and pay-in-full discounts.
$250,000 awarded in tuition assistance this year
32% of students receive tuition assistance
“It is my singular joy to welcome you to St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Our students are no less than the future of our community, and our teachers are the great heroes of today. We hope you’ll consider joining our family of faith at SJS.”
Fr. John R. Johnson, STL, VF
Enrollment Checklist
Schedule your school-day tour and campus visit
Submit your application at sjsmacon.org/apply
Apply for financial aid at online.factsmgt.com/aid
Complete a parish verification form to apply for the Catholic tuition rate
Explore uniform options at LandsEnd.com
