Our Mission:
Saint Joseph School educates the young in the spirit of the Gospel stressing Catholic values, inspiring academic excellence, global awareness, and service to those in need.

Frequently Asked Questions about K-8 programs

In kindergarten, we can have up to 20 students per class, with a teacher and an aide in the room. In grades one to eight, we can have up to 23 students with one teacher.

The average class size is 15 students per class, with a range of 11 to 23 in each class.

Our average student-teacher ratio is 11 students per staff member.

Parents may apply for financial aid by going to www.factsmgt.com and clicking on “Grant & Aid Assessment.”

Students in grades kindergarten through eight wear uniforms, which can be ordered through Lands’ End. A comprehensive selection of acceptable uniform clothing and accessories is available at www.landsend.com/school (you must select St. Joseph School, Martinsburg, to see the selections). The school also offers a uniform closet, from which quality used pants, shorts, shirts, jumpers and sweaters may be taken at no cost, though donations are accepted.

The curriculum is based on the Catholic Standards for Excellence and incorporates West Virginia college- and career-readiness standards, as well as Common Core standards.

They are not included for grades kindergarten through eight. Parents must provide snacks for their children. Hot lunches, salads and milk are available, the cost of which is billed to parents monthly, or students may bring packed lunches.

Students start arriving at 7:55 a.m. and classes begin at 8:10 a.m. Students are dismissed at 2:55 p.m.

How much does it cost? Child care is offered beginning at 7 a.m. and is available from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for grades kindergarten through eight. There is a $3 fee for child care before the school day starts. After-school care costs $1.25 for every 15 minutes.

Yes. Middle school extracurricular activities include boys and girls basketball, girls volleyball, co-ed cross-country, co-ed tennis, cheerleading and theater.

56% of the student population is Catholic.

Yes, they go to Mass once a week.

Yes, religion classes are taught daily in grades K-5 and are taught three times per week in grades 6-8.

Catholic Identity

Two clergy members stand indoors, smiling and holding framed religious portraits with sacred heart imagery. A partial statue and a large sign with handwritten letters are visible in the background.For more than 140 years, Saint Joseph School has been providing an excellent Catholic education in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Our Catholic identity truly sets us apart in the way we prepare our students to be good Christian leaders in the community throughout the rest of their lives. Through the building of a strong faith life, a firm moral character and a desire for service, our students are able to be always faithful to Christ and those around them.

Our primary goal at Saint Joseph School, above all else, is to help make saints. Thus, we strive to help each of our students encounter Jesus Christ and build a personal relationship with Him (cf. John 1:38-39). Through instruction in prayer, an intensive focus on scripture and teaching about Church doctrine, our students grow dramatically in their faith. In addition, they are given numerous opportunities to participate in the Sacraments, such as weekly school Mass and periodic penance services every year.

Furthermore, our students are taught the importance of moral character and how it must have a strong foundation (cf. Mt 7:25-25). They are encouraged to grow in virtue with each moment and each action. Each of our teachers help guide students to have a well-formed conscience and values system, beginning in preschool and continuing until they complete eighth grade. Students are taught personal discipline through their academic assignments, extracurricular activities and the normal day-to-day interactions with others so they can be who God made them to be.

Our belief in the Gospel drives us to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only” (Ja 1:22). The students live out their faith through serving others, which often leads others to do so, as well. Through a variety of service projects, activities, speakers and field trips, our students are encouraged to be young men and women for others, even when it takes them out of their comfort zone. It is this giving of oneself that allows students to live their faith and choose what is good and moral throughout their lives.

At Saint Joseph School, it is our mission to guide every student to be faithful to Jesus Christ. The school’s Catholic identity is vital to helping our teachers and students live out Christ’s commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). By firmly trusting in Christ, living out their faith authentically and teaching them to lead by example, our students, and the whole school family, are able to let their light shine (Mt. 5:16).

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston

Saint Joseph School is one of the 24 schools within the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Our Catholic schools develop the whole child to live as Christ taught us. Catholic elementary schools provide the academic foundation that is necessary to succeed in secondary and higher education. Please take the time to visit the Department of Catholic Schools website.

School History

Historic black and white photo of a two-story brick building with large windows, a central entrance with columns, and decorative architectural details above the door.

The Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg, Maryland, established Saint Joseph School on Sept. 4, 1883, in a two-story wooded building with four classrooms on East Stephen Street. The wooded school building was moved to the west side of South Queen Street in the late 1880s.

In 1905, a four-year high school was introduced into the school system, and the wooden school building was replaced in 1913 with an eight-room, two-story, brick building. The building was dedicated on Oct. 14, 1914, by the Rev. William Anthony McKeefrey. The first class to graduate from the high school was a class of eight students in 1915.
In the late 1960s, the four-classroom high school building was completed.

A gymnasium was built and dedicated in 1938, and the Saint Joseph Crusaders basketball team brought spectators from throughout the state. The basketball team continually went to the West Virginia State Competition and came back victorious in 1967.

The high school closed in 1970, with the last seniors to graduate in the class of 1970.

In 2000, Saint Joseph School moved across Stephen Street to the current school building. The old gymnasium was torn down in 2006, and our current school building houses a new gym. In 2023, the eight-room brick building on Queen Street became home to our middle school.The four-room high school building now serves as our prekindergarten building.

Continuing the Tradition

Our school is located in the center of Martinsburg, West Virginia, a micropolitan community of the Washington, D.C., metro area. Saint Joseph School, the only Catholic school in the Eastern Panhandle, serves six Catholic parishes in the 530 square miles of the Eastern Panhandle and is one of 24 in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Currently, Saint Joseph School serves more than 400 students from infants through eighth grade. We will open a high school for the 2025-26 academic year. The plan for the school is a progressive enrollment model, meaning that beginning with the 2025 academic year (fall 2025), ninth and 10th-grade levels will be offered and based on the current school campus. From there, the high school will mature with additional grade levels being added each year. The first graduating class will be the Class of 2029.

Our teachers innovatively utilize new teaching methods and research-based strategies to inspire our students to rise to any challenge. Several of our students earn scholarships to private institutions for high school and college. Some of our graduates attend Catholic high school and most attend local public high schools. Saint Joseph School provides a strong foundation of learning, ensuring our students are given the skills they will need to succeed in a competitive, global future.

A group of seven middle school students stand indoors, smiling. Most wear navy blue St. Joes Volleyball sweatshirts, while a few wear light blue polos. An American flag is visible in the background.

Administration

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Maria Byrd

Principal
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Fran Henry

Assistant Principal
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Allison Bivens

Assistant Principal
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Abby Hjort-Michel

Pre-K Director
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Patti Maerten Hicks

Director of Admissions / Human Resources
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Meg Partington

Administrative Assistant
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Nancy Goss

Administrative Assistant
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Alexandra Fieni

Administrative Assistant
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Guillermina Moore

Administrative Assistant
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Deborah Lewis

Administrative Assistant
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Kelly Passero

Administrative Assistant
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Kathleen Crook

Guidance counselor
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Jessica Hasselbach

School Nurse
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Oksana Vasyliuk

Finance Team Member
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April Shwe

Finance Team Member

Faculty

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Abby Hjort-Michel

Pre-K Director
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Nancy Goss

Administrative Assistant
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Jennifer Sowers

Toddler Teacher
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Isabella Quinn

Toddler aide
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Janelle O’Meara

Toddler Teacher
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Pierina Torniere Martinez

Toddler aide
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Giselle Munoz

Toddler aide
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Dana Curtis

Toddler aide
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Mery Pisfil Garcia

PK Specialist
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Vanessa Mercado

Little Crusaders Teacher
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Skyler Wilson

Little Crusaders Aide
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Deborah Mancilla

Little Crusaders Teacher
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Amanda Marquez-Johnson

Little Crusaders Aide
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Melissa Guenther

PK Jr. Teacher
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Inna McCarron

PK Jr. Aide
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Jeannette Sharp

PK Jr. Teacher
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Russel Beach

PK Jr. Aide
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Liz Buscema

PK4 Teacher
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Michelle Beale

PK4 Aide
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Becky Mulvihill

PK4 Teacher
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Debbie McAboy

PK4 Aide
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Dennis Dodson

Floating Aide
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Sarah Kaltenbaugh

Floating Aide
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Tim Iden

Kindergarten Teacher
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Cadence Stevenson

Kindergarten Aide
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Jillian O’Connell

Kindergarten Teacher
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Leslie Douglas

Kindergarten Aide
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Yvonne Shealy

Kindergarten Teacher
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Cathy Milbourne

Kindergarten Aide
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Carolyn Farabaugh

1st Grade Teacher
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Makayla Russell

1st Grade Aide
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Lisa Galvin

1st Grade Teacher / Choir Instructor
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Christina Hilton

1st Grade Aide
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Stephanie Dardaris

2nd Grade Teacher
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Sherry Monroe

2nd Grade Aide
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Lisa Stedman

2nd Grade Teacher
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Carrie Blessing

2nd Grade Aide
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Janice Fanjoy

3rd Grade Teacher
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Kristin Cushwa

3rd Grade Teacher
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Casandra Rannals

4th Grade Teacher
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Meridyth Fiorita

4th Grade Teacher
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Nancy Guiney

5th Grade Teacher
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Tara Leporini

5th Grade Teacher
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Beth Celeste

6th grade teacher
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Andrea Burton

6th grade teacher
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Sarah Middlemiss

Middle School English/Language Arts Teacher
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Katherine Halloran

Middle School Science Teacher
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Jessica Brunnet

Middle School Math Teacher
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Robert Sama

Middle School Math Teacher
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Kaitlyn Price

Middle School Social Studies Teacher
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Luanne Murphy

Reading specialist
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Reece Lopatka

Middle/High School Theology Teacher
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Brian Kaltenbaugh

Handbells / Piano Teacher
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Julianna Perkowski

Piano, strings teacher
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Garrett O’Connell

STEM Teacher
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Amariliz Kelley

Spanish Teacher
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Marilis Rivera Collazo

Spanish Teacher
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Jane King

Art Teacher
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Meghan Gochenour

Physical Education Teacher
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Annie Hales

Music Teacher / Band Director
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Vic Lupis

Athletic Director

Staff

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Suzi Crowder

Cafeteria Manager
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Rosa Perez

Cafeteria Staff
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Emily Dunn

Cafeteria Staff
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Mary Anne Londregan

Cafeteria Staff
A woman with medium-length dark hair smiles softly. She is wearing a blue shirt with a red and white floral pattern over a light pink top, with a neutral blue-grey background.

Marlene Vilela

Cafeteria Staff
A woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a plaid shirt, poses in front of a blue and gray studio background, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Maria Benita Carbajal

Cafeteria Staff
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A middle-aged man with short gray hair is smiling slightly. He is wearing a blue, white, and red plaid flannel shirt over a light blue t-shirt, standing in front of a wood-paneled background.

Waylon McGee

Maintenance Supervisor
A middle-aged man with thinning hair and a beard wears a beige shirt with Jamie and St. Joseph Maintenance embroidered on it. He is smiling slightly and posed in front of a blue background.

Jamie Hess

Maintenance Staff
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Rebekah Reimer

Maintenance Staff
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John Comer

Maintenance Staff
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Amanda Shearer

Maintenance Staff
A middle-aged woman with short, blonde hair is wearing a dark gray, cowl-neck sweater. She is facing the camera and has a neutral expression, with a soft blue and gray background.

Carolyn Windesheim

Extended Care Staff
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Paulette Keene

Extended Care Staff
A man with gray hair and a white mustache, wearing glasses, a patterned tie, and a brown jacket, stands in a room with long tables, chairs, and a cross on the wall in the background.

William Phrampus

Extended Care Staff
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Christina Phrampus

Extended Care Staff

Catholic School Advisory Council

Saint Joseph School is member of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Department of Catholic Schools. We are governed by our local parish priest, the Diocesan Superintendent, and ultimately the Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

In addition to our governing bodies, we have a Catholic School Advisory Council which advises our Principal and Pastor on school matters. This Advisory Council meets quarterly and consists of members from the within and outside the school and parish communities.

Members:
Betty Anne Powell
Abby Hjort-Michel
Allison Bivens
Michele Tost
Jamye Eells
Fran Henry
Rebecca Lewis
Fr. Thomas Gallagher
Courtney Doyle
Bill Charmo
Krystal Avey
Vic Lupis