St. Joseph School, the Catholic school serving pre-K through eighth grade in the Village of Bronxville, turns 75 in 2026.

Principal Karen Valenti, who first came to St. Joseph as a parent before becoming assistant principal and then principal, said the milestone reflects a community built on personal connection.

In a sponsored profile published by New York Family on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Valenti described a school where students begin and end each day with prayer, celebrate Mass regularly and interact with priests who know them by name.

"I believe ours says, 'You belong here,'" Valenti told the magazine, describing the school's personality.

Founded in 1951, St. Joseph is one of several school options in Bronxville, alongside the public Bronxville School and the Lutheran-affiliated Chapel School.

Valenti spent most of her career in Catholic secondary education before discovering what she called the significance of shaping children during their earliest school years.

The school pairs academics with programs that reach beyond a typical classroom.

An American Sign Language curriculum runs from pre-K through fifth grade, with students visiting St. Joseph's School for the Deaf as part of the coursework.

A Book Buddies program matches middle schoolers with younger children for reading and STEM activities. Valenti said her own son still talks about his kindergarten Book Buddy.

St. Joseph also offers STEM education, art, music, physical education, world languages, leadership programs and service learning.

One detail stands out. When longtime staff member Colette Ball died after more than 20 years at St. Joseph, students helped create a memorial garden in her honor.

Members of the Class of 2026 contributed toward a statue of Mary of Refuge overlooking the garden.

Valenti said many alumni return to visit former teachers, attend school events or enroll their own children.

The school's website now features a dedicated "Road to 75!" page as the anniversary year gets underway.