Religious Studies 9
English 9

Global Studies I

Living Environment

Algebra I

Computer

Spanish I

Physical Education or Dance

Art

Religious Studies 10

English 10

Global Studies II

Chemistry

Geometry

Physical Education or Dance

Health

College, Career Readiness

One of the following electives:

Fine Arts

Spanish

Journalism

Religious Studies 11
English 11
U.S. History
Algebra II/Trigonometry
Physics/Physical Science
Physical Education or Dance
One of the following electives:
Business
Fine Arts
Spanish

Minimum credits needed for Registration: 18
Religious Studies 12
English 12
U.S. Government
Economics
Physical Education or Dance
Three of the following electives:
Business
Fine Arts
Mathematics
Psychology
Spanish
Yearbook Production

The Religion department seeks to instill a deep faith in God and sense of community in all students, while providing an education in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith, and an understanding of the various religious traditions of the world. The foundation of the Religious Studies program is an active, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, lived by teachers and encouraged in students, through prayer, study of His life and teachings, and its practical application in the student’s daily life. This relationship is fostered throughout the student’s four years of high school through annual class retreats. Having been introduced to the person of Jesus, students learn about the history, practices, and beliefs of the major World Religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Special attention is given to how God is discovered through the Christian Scriptures. From this point, we consider significant scriptures, people, events and theologies related to Catholic Social Teaching and broad-based structural justice work. Topics of study include poverty, suffering, community organizing, liberation theology, sexuality, medical ethics, globalization, immigration, the Catholic Worker movement and Civil Disobedience. Finally, as students prepare to leave St. Joseph High School and begin their adult lives in college and beyond, we analyze and discuss the role that faith plays in our daily lives. Key issues that will be covered include relationships, marriage, parenting, self-esteem, racism, sexism, and respect. Each student is strongly encouraged and given many opportunities to think about her core values and how she lives them daily. In an effort to connect academic work to daily life in the urban community, service work is a required element of the curriculum. All seniors are expected to volunteer their services in a non-profit or religious organization for the entire year.

Physical Education courses begin with an emphasis on cooperative games, health-related fitness and developing the skills and habits necessary for a lifetime of activity. Students will have opportunities to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness and increase their knowledge of fitness concepts. The program includes skill development and the application of rules and strategies of complex difficulty in a variety of team sports and cooperative team play. Students then have an opportunity for an in depth study in specific areas of physical education and fitness studies, participating in activities that include personal fitness and wellness, personal living skills, aerobic/cardiovascular fitness, yoga/pilates and weight training. Many students also elect to study dance, learning the basic elements and vocabulary of modern dance such as placement, movement, patterns and rhythms, engaging in stretching as well as creative exercise in improvisation and composition. We also explore other styles of dance; i.e., Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, African and Latin.

Health studies at St. Joseph High School encompass the physical, emotional and psychological health of our students, providing the basis for continued methods of developing knowledge, concepts, skills, behaviors and well being. Health courses focus on Growth and Development, Mental and Emotional Health, Community and Environmental Health, Nutrition, Family Life, Consumer Health, Personal Health, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, Safety & First Aid. Students are provided with opportunities to explore the effect of health behaviors on an individual’s quality of life. This course assists students in understanding that health is a lifetime commitment by analyzing individual factors and decisions that promote health and prevent disease. Students are also encouraged to assume individual responsibility for becoming competent health consumers. In College and Career Readiness courses students have the opportunity to strengthen their social/emotional skills to be ready for college and career. This course focuses on helping students with skills such as communication, self-confidence, positive attitude, conflict resolution as well as interview strategies and resume writing.

Using differentiated learning practices, the Math department seeks to accommodate students who enter high school with a variety of mathematics backgrounds and abilities. Students are required to take mathematics every year; following a set curriculum for Freshwomen, Sophomores, and Juniors, Seniors choose amongst electives ranging from Calculus to Financial Literacy. Advanced students are encouraged to participate in our peer tutoring program, and mathematics learning is further reinforced through Origami Club and the Society of Hispanic Engineers, as well as Computer Programming classes in the Technology Program. Finally, all Sophomores participate in a one semester Fundamentals of Engineering course, developed in conjunction with researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, which introduces them to the basics of design while reinforcing visual and manual precision in a fun, hands-on environment. This program includes skills such as measurement, architectural drawing, and building using carpentry tools in our on-site woodshop.

The English department seeks to equip students with the skills they need to analyze, investigate, and navigate their way through the real world, while fostering an active and vibrant imagination. In addition to studying an extensive selection of poetic and fictional works from the literary traditions across culture and time, reflecting the diverse makeup of our student body, students are taught to see the various ways that the texts that surround them, including pop culture videos and images, films, advertising and journalism shape society and change the course of history. Courses maintain an interdisciplinary focus on social justice, encouraging students to critique unjust power structures that perpetuate oppression, while simultaneously demonstrating the ways that language can give a powerful and liberating voice to all persons and experiences. In addition, through an ongoing study of literary theory, students leave SJHS well prepared for the advanced study of language and literature which they will encounter in college.

St. Joseph High School values the diverse language backgrounds of our students, and recognizes the numerous benefits of foreign language study and bilingualism. Students who come to SJHS as native Spanish speakers enroll in our Accelerated Spanish program, where they are fully immersed in reading, writing and speaking Spanish, growing in fluency and literacy. Non-native speakers enroll in our standard program, where they study grammar, vocabulary, conversation, reading, and composition, and learn about the cultures of the dozens of countries and regions where the language is commonly spoken. Students at all levels of Spanish language knowledge have the opportunity to share in the rich Hispanic cultural traditions of many of our students during our annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month every September.

Seeking to instill in students an appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world, and our capacity as humans to engage with it intelligently and creatively, the Science department at SJHS strives to find novel ways for students to experience science for themselves, through hands-on activities and exercises in practical application. Students are encouraged to consider advanced studies in science for the purpose of scientific research, medical practice, and the development of ecologically sustainable technologies. Students are consistently encouraged to consider the ethical implications of various forms of scientific research and technological innovation, and to ask how participation in science can contribute to the common good of humanity and the natural world. Opportunities for advanced research and exploration of career options are made possible through an elective research program as well as internships with organizations such as the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.

Focusing on preparation for college and careers, the Social Studies department fosters the following practices among students, while providing a comprehensive education in US and Global History: (a) gathering, interpreting and using evidence, (b) chronological reasoning and causation, (c) comparison and contextualization, (d) geographic reasoning, (e) understanding economics and economic systems, (f) civic participation. Through ongoing engagement with primary sources and visits to local museums and historical societies, the department seeks to help students deepen their awareness of the nuances of past events, while also recognizing consistent patterns of human behavior that continue to shape our world today. Seniors take courses in Government and Law, and Economics, in which they analyze and survey governmental systems, ideologies, philosophies, and laws, gaining a firm understanding of the US court system, including all roles in a courtroom, and learning the gradation of crimes and their legal consequences. Having been taught the fundamentals of voting, understanding their respective districts, and advocating their rights and beliefs, they turn to studying economic decision-making and learn the economic concepts needed to function effectively as participants in the U.S. economy.

The Business program introduces students to the basic concepts, practices, and opportunities needed for a career in business. Although some may have already decided to pursue a business career, others may wish to know more about how business principles apply to non-profit and other types of organizations; many may simply be interested in knowing how business principles apply in their daily lives. Staying true to its mission of producing responsible global citizens, the SJHS business program provides a moral foundation for learning and leadership in management, international business, marketing, accounting, information and communication technology and entrepreneurship. In addition, students in the Business program are provided with numerous internship and mentorship opportunities with local non-profit and for-profit businesses and organizations.

Through courses such as Technology Fundamentals, Fab Lab Connect (Fabrication Laboratory), and Unity 3D Programming, students in the Technology department study the history of technology, sustainability, and new advances in renewable energy, while mastering the basics of coding, web literacy, multimedia applications, IT essentials, circuitry and electronics, with the express intent of exposing young women to opportunities in the field of Technology. In the Fab Lab, students prototype their own personalized creations by learning how to use a multitude of Maker tools, gaining proficiency in the fundamental use of each tool as well as the design software that accompanies it. Each machine, including 3D printing, vinyl cutting, laser cutting, sprout and VR, provides a unique interactive experience and teaches students how various materials interact with the tools that are available. Students who express interest in more advanced studies in technology can learn how to create video games using the Unity 3D development tool, learning C#, a powerful modern coding language, and
developing creative skills while gaining an understanding of game design principles. They learn
how object-oriented programming works in practice as they build a virtual world and gain
the ability to transfer their knowledge to other programming languages.

The goal of the department is to offer various forms of art that stimulate and encourage the creative intelligence within each student, and enable them to see the beauty in the world. The department provides a broad range of experiences in a variety of media including, but not limited to pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, crayon, pastel, oil pastel, watercolor and acrylic paints. Offering insight into the many different disciplines of art such as drawing, painting, crafts, and fashion, the emphasis of classes is on helping students articulate a personal approach to the chosen medium in order to arrange visual elements into expressive personal statements. Music and Performing Arts are designed to foster the interpretive and technical education of the students in performance settings, inspiring and encouraging the musical performance potential of each student through required and elective courses. The department meets the four standards for arts education for the State of New York: (a) creating, performing, and participation in the arts, (b) knowing and using arts materials and resources, (c) responding to and analyzing works of art, and (d) understanding the cultural dimensions and contributions of the arts.