More Than a School: 140 Years of Educating Hearts and Minds in Keene

Anyone who has entered St. Joseph Regional School in downtown Keene has seen and felt the worn stone stairs leading into the hallways that have nurtured generations of students since 1886. For students and families that return to visit or enroll their children and grandchildren, they describe the walk up the stairs as a "homecoming" of sorts with memories that they share about their time spent there. Names of teachers, lessons, songs and traditions are recalled and shared along with updates about where life has taken them. For so many families, their experience is more than just about an education; it is about childhood, family, and a firm foundation. Saint Joseph Regional School has welcomed families in the Monadnock region for 140 years with a strong tradition of academic excellence, community, and faith-based education. Grounded in the Catholic faith, SJRS serves grades pre-K through 8 and is open to families of all backgrounds. The students who attend the schools are seen, known, and loved and are challenged every day to become the best version of themselves. In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum, they are also supported to gain skills in executive functioning, organization, and citizenship so that they become respectful, competent and responsible men and women who serve God and others. Whether their future involves a college degree and profession, work in the trades, family life or religious vocation, students are formed to be able to offer themselves fully with integrity to whatever path they are called to. The staff and administration partner with parents as the primary educators of their children to help them thrive and support their growth. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities and sports including soccer, basketball, track and field, Destination Imagination, Leadership Council, French Club, chorus, band and the New Hampshire Dance Institute's yearlong and residency programs. Many of the students have been leaders in the community in their extra-curricular pursuits as well as community service, which is a key aspect of their experience while at Saint Joseph's. In 2020, the school expanded their campus to include Our Lady of Mercy Academy, a grade 9-12 school that is housed in the former Clairvaux Center, sharing a campus with SJRS and the Parish of the Holy Spirit. Students get to experience the advantages of small class sizes, close connections with their teachers, and unique opportunities for learning often in creative and seminar style formats which encourage questions and conversations about subject material. This year, the school has added an outdoor excursion program in which students encounter the beauty and peace of nature through various monthly outings such as paddling adventures, hiking, retreats, ski trips and local pilgrimages. The faculty and staff at SJRS and OLMA have a unique calling and refer to their work as a "vocation" as opposed to a profession. They offer their time, talent and treasure to the formation of the whole child- mind, body, and spirit- with an emphasis on personal encounter and recognition of each child's unique set of gifts and talents as well as their challenges. This year, the schools welcomed back an alumnus, Dr. Andrea (Annie) Lavigne Pearson, a 1989 graduate of SJRS, to take on the Interim Principal position. Dr. Pearson works closely with President, Fr Alan Tremblay, to help support and guide the mission and vision of the schools and has been focused on building an authentic culture of joy, engagement and collegiality in her first year at the schools. She is grateful for this unique opportunity that God has called her into to give back to a community that has provided such a foundation and home for so many families in the Monadnock region and looks forward to continued growth in the year ahead. Dr. Pearson would love to welcome new families who would like to find out more about the opportunities at the school and new student admissions and enrollment will open on February 1st. Tours, visits, and shadow days are available and encouraged for anyone interested in finding out more. Prospective families can find more information through the websites: www.stjosephkeene.org; www.mercyacademykeene.org. Or reach out by email: admissions@stjosephkeene.org; admissions@mercyacademykeene.org. Contact by phone: 603-352-2720. Encounter the joy of Catholic education and find your home with us!