Joseph School opened its doors to 344 students, commencing its 58th year as a Catholic school in the Diocese of Oakland. While the facilities and staff have changed over the years, the commitment to providing a faith-filled education to the children of our parish and our surrounding area has never wavered. With Christ as our teacher and leader, we have continued to practice and teach our Catholic history and traditions through our foundation in religion, while addressing the general curriculum and the 21st-century skills necessary to prepare students to meet the challenges of high school, college, and life's expectations. Teaching the importance of character, being a good and just citizen, embracing a sense of equity, inclusiveness and belonging, and the importance of being a steward of the earth, and above all, being kind. History:
In 1961, Father Thomas Collins, Pastor of St. Joseph Church of Pinole, expressed to Bishop John Joseph Mitty of San Francisco, a desire to build, staff, and operate a Catholic Elementary school in Pinole. The Diocese of Oakland was formed in 1962, with Floyd Begin assigned as the first bishop of Oakland. With the bishop’s approval, construction began, and the facility was completed in 1962. However, due to a shortage of teachers, the school did not open until 1963. At that time, through Bishop Begin’s rapport with the Sisters of St. Francis, three sisters came to the new school and opened the first three Grades with 103 students. The Mission of the Sisters was to make God more deeply known and loved and in doing so, draw all persons to a fuller and freer life. The religious order withdrew in the late 1980s. We continue that tradition. An additional grade was added each year. The first Eighth Grade graduation ceremony was held in June of 1969.
