SJS Newsletter

St. Joseph Families,
It has been a busy week up here on the Hill as we celebrated at our Fall Festival and jumped right into our Red Ribbon Week festivities! There is so much work that happens behind the scenes to make an event like this possible. From gathering sponsors and spreading the word, to marketing, planning, organizing, securing permits, coordinating food, setting up, and cleaning up afterward, there are countless hours and so many helping hands that go into making it all happen. So much of this work happens quietly and long before the day of the event ever arrives.

We truly cannot thank everyone enough. Whether you gave your time, donated items, secured a sponsor, volunteered a shift, helped behind the scenes, or simply came out to support us, you played a part in making this a wonderful day for our students, our families, our community, and our school. It takes a village, and we are so blessed by the village that surrounds St. Joseph.

Our Fall Festival is about so much more than one day of fun. It really shows the love, generosity, and sense of community that make St. Joseph so special. We are so thankful for each person who helped make it possible!

Sincerely in Christ,
Mrs. Courtney Magee

Our Chess Club had an exciting weekend as several members participated in a chess tournament at the Florence Lauderdale Public Library. This is the first year for our Chess Club, and our students are really enjoying the game! They are enjoying learning the strategy, challenge, and putting their skills into practice. We are proud of our students for representing St. Joseph Regional Catholic School. We look forward to watching our Chess Club continue to grow!

We are looking forward to honoring the brave men and women who have served our country during our Veterans Day Program on Tuesday, November 10th. Before the program, we will feature a slideshow honoring our veterans, showcasing photos and names shared by our school families.

If your family has submitted a veteran's name previously, we still have that information on file. However, we’d love to include more of the heroes connected to our school community!

Please submit any new names and photos of veterans you would like recognized by using this link by Friday, October 30th.

Thank you for helping us honor all those who have served!

Thanksgiving Lunch Information

One of our favorite traditions at St. Joseph is our annual Thanksgiving Lunch! We love welcoming our families and friends into the school on this day to share a meal and celebrate the season together.

This year's lunch will be held on Friday, November 20th. Families will attend during their child's lunch time based on the student's last name. To help us prepare and make sure we have an accurate food count, we ask that every family complete the RSVP even if you are unable to attend. Please be sure to include your child's lunch in your response as well. We look forward to celebating with you!

Please RSVP by November 6th by clicking here!

Uniform Guidelines

Questions about our uniforms and what your child should wear? We are working on a document to clear up any questions that you may have. This document is a work in progress. We will continue to add more pictures along with the guidelines for prek and junior high. Look for the updates each week!

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Uniform Guidelines.pdf

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Early dismissal days are a little sweeter when our faculty and staff get to enjoy a special lunch! We are looking for parent volunteers to help provide lunch for our amazing teachers and staff throughout the school year. Choose a month that works best for you, coordinate with the other volunteers signed up that month, and work together to provide lunch for approximately 20 people. Lunch can be catered or homemade; the possibilities are endless!

Interested in helping? Sign up here: Faculty & Staff Early Dismissal Lunch Sign-Up

Thank you for helping us show our teachers and staff just how much they are appreciated!

Thank You, PTO

A huge thank you to our wonderful 1st grade parents for providing lunch for our teachers on October 2nd! It was very much appreciated, and everything was absolutely delicious. Thank you for taking care of us!

Teachers wish list

PreK- Ms. Brandi Judd & Ms. Stefani Guthrie

Kindergarten- Mrs. Kathy Smith

1st Grade- Mrs. Leigh Ann Franck
2nd Grade- Mrs. Jenifer Bissell

3rd Grade- Ms. April King

4th Grade- Ms. Amber Canerday

5th Grade- Mrs. Mary Eaton

Junior High Science/Math- Mrs. Melissa Miles

Aquaponics

Junior High ELA- Mrs. Tina Gorbatoff

Junior High SS/Math- Mr. Patrick O'Kelley

Cafeteria- Mrs. Jackie Mauter and Mrs. Ashley Morgan

Library- Mrs. Jennifer Hunzicker

PE- Mrs. Amy Tays

Computer- Mr. Adam Barnes
EDP- Mr. Adam Barnes

Art- Mrs. Paige Stephens

Several of our teachers have created classroom wish lists for families or friends who would like to help support their classrooms throughout the year. While all essential classroom supplies are provided through the school supply fee, these wish lists include extra items that help make learning even more engaging and comfortable for our students.

Participation is completely optional, and we are always grateful for the generosity of our school community. Thank you for helping our teachers create wonderful learning environments for our students!

Virtus Training for all Volunteers

If you have already completed VIRTUS training:

Simply log in to your account at virtusonline.org to check your certification status. After logging in, look for a notification box indicating whether your training is up to date or if you are non-compliant, which means your training needs to be renewed. Please also check if a background check is required, as this may still need to be completed.

How to register for VIRTUS Training if you have never taken the training:

Go to virtusonline.org
Click on “First-Time Registrant”
Select the Diocese of Birmingham and begin registration
When asked if you’ve previously registered, click “No”
Create a username and password, then enter your personal information
For the location, select St. Joseph Regional School (Florence)
Select “Volunteer” as your role and position
Accept the terms, sign your name and date
When asked if you’ve attended a Virtus session, click “No”
Select “Protecting God’s Children for Adults”
Enter your legal name to submit a background check
Once the check is submitted, you’ll be directed to the course

2026-2027 School Calendar

St. Joseph School's Brick Path

There are only a few spots left on the St. Joseph School brick pathway! For $100, you can personalize a brick to honor a student, a family, or a special memory, and be part of our school’s legacy. Don’t wait; contact us today to reserve your spot before they’re gone!