St. Joseph teachers, students, and families are exceptional in their commitment to Catholic School Education. The curriculum challenges students to achieve at high levels and the student to teacher ratio provides plenty of teacher/student interaction. The school community is small and operates much like a family. Using Montessori and multi-age education strategies, students receive a great deal of attention from their teachers and learn very quickly to work together as a team.  

Catholic School Education is an investment that parents make in their child's future. There are sacrifices involved but the academic foundation, the moral ethical and character formation that sets us apart can make all the difference in the life of a child. From my own days in Catholic Schools I can tell you that my parents' values and faith were reinforced for me all day - every day. That has not changed - we are Catholic every day!

Please consider the "Catholic School Difference" for your child. You will look back someday and say, "It's one of the best things I ever did for my child".

Marilyn Batson
Principal, St. Joseph Catholic School

Principal
Mrs. Marilyn Batson.  She is in her seventh year as principal at St. Joseph Catholic School. She taught with Springfield Catholic Schools for eleven years before entering the field of administration. She holds Certification in Elementary Education, a Master's Degree, and Certification in Catholic School Leadership. Mrs. Batson is a graduate of St. Agnes Regional High School and also an 8th grade graduate of St. Joseph School (she won't tell us what year but Sister Mary Camillus was principal at the time). Mrs. Batson's personal philosophy of education is summed up in one of our school mottos: "Every child is a gift from God and has been given a gift to share".

Administrative Asst.
Mrs. Trish Wand.  Mrs. Wand is our school secretary. She knows every student and family. She is available every day to assist students and families with questions and procedures. She also loves our library, helps with Book Fairs, and has a girl scout troop!

Preschool-
Mrs. Jan McEvoy - Mrs. McEvoy is a certified Montessori Preschool Instructor in her nineteenth year of teaching at St. Joseph Catholic School.  She teaches children three through five years of age using the Montessori philosophy and materials.  Nurturing the spirit of each child and cultivating a desire to learn are valued goals in our preschool community.

Kindergarten and 1st grade
Mrs. Bonnie Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Elementary Education. She has 14 years of teaching experience in public and parochial schools. Mrs. Johnson has taught Kg., 1^st, 5^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade classes.  Mrs. Johnson strives to build a positive self-concept and instill a "love of learning" in each child. Her classes are filled with creativity, independent learning centers, small group activities, music, creative play, reading labs, math stations and lots of hands-on learning experiences.

Mrs. Johnson's students are encouraged to always do their best and live each day in a kind, loving, caring way to follow Jesus' examples. Mrs. Johnson loves teaching in parochial schools because she can educate the "whole" child, including their academic, social, and spiritual sides.  Mrs. Johnson and her husband, Dean, have four of their own children. She loves to sing, play her flute, read, camp, swim, vacation and spend time with her family.  

Second Grade & Third Grade
Mrs. Shannon Perryman My classroom is special to St. Joseph's because: The various field trips, writing activities, group learning, and learning about our Catholic faith and prayers. This is a year for us to take the skills we have learned and use them to build success and the next levels. And, during second grade, we will make our First Reconciliation and First Communion. It is a very special year for us. Students' favorite activities: Writing, reading, drawing pictures, craft/art activities and field trips.

4th and 5th grade
Mrs. Jump. I have a degree in Elementary Education with a B.S. in Biology, Chemistry and Agribusiness. I have 20 years teaching experience in Catholic Schools. I enjoy teaching at St. Joseph's because that is my vocation. My Catholic faith is who I am and I share it with my students. I teach my students to appreciate God's creation, respect it and themselves. I teach science to the 4^th-8^th grades students. My students learn by doing hands on science experiments. 6^th-8^th grades have the option to participate in the OSEF regional science fair at MSU. I also teach religion, history, and writing. My students enjoy participating in regional Language Arts Fair, education fair, art, and essay writing contests. They look forward in taking field trips to the Hammons Performing Arts, water treatment plant, local caves, and a wildlife conservation area to study pond habitat and fish. My goal is for my students to love God and to love science!

6^th and 7^th grade
Mrs. Claran Aug - This is my 16^th year of teaching at St. Joseph School. I am the math coordinator. I teach math to the 4^th-8^th grade students. I use a variety of manipulatives to help students understand math concepts. Students use geometry to create art projects that are entered into the annual math-art contest. I sponsor a math club after school and take students to area math contests. In addition to teaching math, I teach religion and American history. My students are often involved in group activities, projects, and unit work. They write weekly and submit their writing to the annual Language Arts Fair. The 6^th and 7^th graders work hard and begin to realize that they must become more responsible for their academic success.

Eighth Grade
Ms. Tammy Ames. My classroom is special to St. Joseph's because: In eighth grade we are good role models for younger students. We head up student council, work on service projects, help out in the community through clean up and donations to organizations. We visit our state capital, Jefferson City as a field trip. Students' favorite activities: Students like to write creative stories and poems. They also enjoy reading new books and learning about different authors.