St. Joseph Public School was ranked by Niche as the #1 BEST school district in Berrien County! Go Bears!
From Brand New Club to National Stage: Hadley Freer Secures 2nd Place at FCCLA Nationals!
What a week it was in Washington, D.C.! We are thrilled to announce that one of our very own students, Hadley Freer, took home second place at the national Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competition held last week.
Hadley shined on the national stage, competing against the bright minds from across the country in the highly competitive Interpersonal Communications category.
Accompanied by her dedicated advisor, Mrs. Kristina Hernandez, Hadley traveled to the nation's capital to showcase her skills, and her hard work clearly paid off.
What makes this achievement even more incredible is the backstory. FCCLA is a brand-new club at our school, founded just this year by Mrs. Hernandez.
The chapter was launched as an extension of Mrs. Hernandez’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, specifically integrated into. Early Childhood Education and the Teacher Cadet Program.
To start a program from scratch and guide a student all the way to a second-place national finish in the very first year is nothing short of extraordinary. It speaks volumes about Hadley’s talent and Mrs. Hernandez’s exceptional leadership and mentorship.
Please join us in congratulating Hadley and Mrs. Hernandez on this massive achievement. You have represented our school, our CTE programs, and our community with pride and excellence on the national stage.
Powering the Future: Elementary and High School Students Team Up for Renewable Energy Project
Thanks to a generous grant from the Bosch Community Fund, local fifth-grade students recently partnered with Saint Joseph High School (SJHS) AP Environmental Science students for an exciting, hands-on learning experience.
The collaboration extended a recent language arts module focused on Community Energy Solutions, bringing classroom concepts to life through real-world engineering and technology.
With funding provided by the grant, students worked side-by-side to build and program renewable energy models. The initiative brought a variety of high-tech resources directly into the hands of students, including:
Wind Turbine & Solar Panel Kits: Hands-on models to explore clean energy generation.
Micro:Bits: Pocket-sized computers used by the students to program and control their green energy projects.
A Community Effort
This project highlights the incredible impact of mentorship, showing how older students can inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers. The teamwork displayed by both the fifth graders and the AP Environmental Science students showcased immense creativity, problem-solving, and collaborative spirit.
#BoschCommunityFund #SJBearPride
Our very own Upton Middle student Sidhanth Vetrivel has successfully made it through the first two rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee (happening right now) in Washington D.C.! Go to: https://spellingbee.com/ to watch the Spelling Bee live or see results! Go Sidhanth!! Go Bears!
Ronan Humes, a St. Joseph High School Senior, has earned a National Gold Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!
Out of nearly 110,000 teens who submitted more than 310,000 original works, Ronan’s piece was recognized for its originality, technical skill, and strong artistic voice—placing him among a distinguished group of young creatives.
Please join us in celebrating Ronan’s outstanding achievement!
Award-winning work:
Title: Robots vs Humans
Category: Graphic Design
Quick Update: our school phone systems are now fully operational again. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
We are currently experiencing issues with our phone lines across the district. If you need to contact your student's school, please send an email to the front office staff:
Brown Elementary: msmith@sjschools.org
Clarke Elementary: mdurczak@sjschools.org
Lincoln Elementary: mkauffman@sjschools.org
Upton Middle School: lkoetsier@sjschools.org
St. Joseph High School: aessig@sjschools.org
A partnership program sponsored by Berrien RESA, the Krasl Art Center and the Box Factory for the Arts will host its annual Elementary Art Exhibit this month. Forty students were chosen from each elementary school to have their art displayed!
This art show will be on display March 12th until Sunday, April 5, 2026 and our community is invited to attend the opening reception on March 26th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Box Factory. The Box Factory is located at 1101 Broad Street in St. Joseph!
We are very proud of our artists and their success in art!