58 • SEPTEMBER 2022
Well-Rounded, Faith-Grounded College Prep Education Terry Cassreino Elizabeth Coleman gently etched designs on clay, while Truus Alford decorated the hand-crafted, student-created ceramic crosses – one of the last art projects for the spring 2022 semester at St. Joseph Catholic School. Coleman and Alford, St. Joe students, created the crosses in honor of Ukraine, the European nation Russia invaded early this year. Money raised from the sale of the crosses went to the Catholic Diocese of Jackson’s relief efforts to help the people of Ukraine. “Art at St. Joe has been a great growing experience that has allowed me to express myself,” Coleman, who graduated in May as a member of the Class of 2022, said recently. “This project allowed our class to express our support for Ukraine.” While “Crosses for Ukraine” marked the end of the 2021-2022 school year, the school has continued to sell them. The fundraiser is just one example of projects and programs that make up St. Joe’s award-winning fine arts department and the entire school. St. Joseph Catholic School, founded in 1870 by the Sisters of Mercy, offers seventh- through 12th-grade students a rigorous college prep curriculum grounded in the teachings of the Catholic Church. The school recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. St. Joe, 308 New Mannsdale Road in Madison, just west of the Interstate 55-Mississippi 463 interchange, serves students in metropolitan Jackson and surrounding areas. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the accrediting arm of Cognia. LIFE AT ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL At St. Joe, everything revolves around faith and religion. Students in every grade take theology courses. Every class begins with prayer. Every grade level participates in one, annual, off-campus retreat. Students, faculty, and staff attend weekly Mass every Thursday. St. Joe’s college prep curriculum includes classes in English, math, science, history, fine arts, Spanish, Latin and theology. Students also can take advanced placement classes in English, Spanish, math and history as well as dual credit courses in English and math. Electives include band, choir, art, ceramics, theater, engineering, print journalism and broadcast journalism. Besides academic classes, St. Joe offers students a chance to participate in more than 20 team sports including varsity and junior varsity football; volleyball; softball; baseball; swimming; cross country; track; girls’ and boys’ basketball; and girls’ and boys’ soccer. All sports teams compete in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools. This will mark the second year that St. Joe has joined other Catholic schools in the Jackson Diocese as a member of the MAIS. “We offer our students a well-rounded education with strong academics and a chance to participate in just about any sport they can imagine,” said Dr. Dena Kinsey, principal of St. Joseph Catholic School. “Combine that with our core classes, religion classes, and Catholic background, and St. Joe graduates well-rounded students ready for the challenge of college and life as an adult. We educate the whole student, preparing them for their lifelong journey to Christ.” REACHING OUT TO OTHERS St. Joe students, faculty, and staff also participate in several community outreach projects every year, including an Angel Tree at Christmas in which students and families provide gifts for children who might not otherwise receive anything. Last year, St. Joe students, faculty, and staff collected more than 7,500 canned food items at Christmas and again during Lent to help replenish food banks at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Canton. In May, students wrapped up the year by raising more than $16,000 for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson. The money was raised by the student-run BruinTHON, St. Joe’s largest annual community outreach fundraising event. And then there was the smaller fundraiser, “Crosses for Ukraine” – one of many projects sponsored by the fine arts department. Fine arts students stage two live theatrical productions each year in the 500-seat, state-of-the-art campus auditorium. While this year’s productions have not been announced, last year students staged the mystery-comedy “Clue” in the fall and “Singin’ in the Rain” in the spring. Student musicians and singers perform a Christmas concert “Gifts of the Season” every December and the spring concert every May – both in the auditorium. The spring concert takes place with the annual art show, highlighting student work from throughout the year. It was during the 2022 art show that the fine arts department first started selling their “Crosses for Ukraine” in Joesy’s, the art store that features student work. The hand-crafted ceramic crosses are still for sale. Large ones are $10 and small ones are $5. “These crosses are just one example of the amazing work our students create in our art classes and our pottery classes,” said Vicki Runnels, an art teacher who also chairs the fine arts department. “Some of the sculptures, paintings and ceramic work will blow you away. I have been just so impressed to see how serious these students are about doing something so simple – yet deeply meaningful – to show their sympathy for and to help the people of Ukraine,” Runnels continued. “That says a lot about our school and our students.” Hometown MADISON • 59