A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT

St. Joseph’s is indeed an active and vital environment. Every single moment of the day, from early morning until late at night, something is going on somewhere--either in the classrooms, the playing areas, the students’ residence at Concordia House, or in pre-vocational worksites outside the campus where students prepare themselves for employment and the world at large. The spirit here is action, learning, sharing, joy, and mutual energetic growth.

8:30 - 9:00 A.M. A new day dawns at St. Joseph's and students head to school from our Concordia House residence or from home in a bus arranged through the local school district.
9:00 - 10:30 A.M. Students attend gym class with support from the physical therapist; other students attend visual, performing arts, music, and cooking classes; while older students pursue social studies, pre-vocational work activities, and orientation and mobility classes.
11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Students enjoy lunch with, where necessary, the assistance of the occupational therapist and speech therapist; older students help prepare their own lunch and assist with table-setting and clean-up. All students are involved in activities of daily living, personal hygiene and grooming activities.
1:00 - 3:00 P.M. Students participate in classes of language skills, storytelling, math, learning to tell time, computer skills, use of the CCTV (Closed Circuit Television), and pre-Braille activities. Socialization skills in small groups, orientation and mobility classes, music classes, and science skills occupy most of the afternoon.
3:00 P.M. Day students take the bus home while residential students prepare themselves snacks, followed by periods of recreation that might include swimming in our indoor pool, bowling, shopping, playing under supervision in the local parks, or gardening at Concordia House.
5:00 P.M. Residential students enjoy dinner at Concordia House, involve themselves in daily living tasks such as washing dishes, light laundry, and tidying their bedrooms, followed by homework assignments and leisure activities in music, and arts and crafts.
9:00 - 9:30 P.M. Our residential students prepare for bed, sleeping in a room of their own, and getting the rest they need for another day of learning and action!