MONTICELLO — St. John Community School Pre-K is kicking off the school year with a familiar face at the helm. Monticello alum Christine Miraglia is stepping in as the new principal, bringing with her 13 years of experience in education and a passion for helping students and their families navigate the start of their educational journeys.

Miraglia’s journey has come full circle; she grew up in Bethel, attended Monticello Central School District (MCSD), and credits the district for opening doors that led to her success. 

“Monticello’s always been providing opportunities for me…I hope to provide the same opportunities to these kids,” she said. Those opportunities helped propel her through college, earning a dual bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University, a master’s in Social Justice Education from SUNY New Paltz, and a second master’s in Educational Leadership from Long Island University.

Her résumé is packed with hands-on experience. She was an assistant principal at Liberty Central School District since 2022, worked as a broadcast media production teacher, served as an arts and humanities education manager, and held an administrative internship. She’s also received a slew of accolades, including being honored by the Sullivan County Democrat as a Business and Professional Woman in 2016 and earning a certificate of merit in leadership from the New York State Assembly.

At St. John Community School, Miraglia is already laying out her goals, which include building on the work of former principal Jennifer Gorr and making communication the top priority. 

“I’ve always been big on communication—whether it’s visual, auditory, or written,” she explained. 

For Miraglia, it’s about streamlining processes so that staff, parents, and students are all on the same page. “I’m not the decision-maker; I need the team. They have the skills and the resources—I’m here to empower them.”

The school, which is made up of both the 4410 special education program and the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program, serves about 191 students from across the county. Miraglia is especially mindful of the challenges these young learners face as many of them are what she calls “pandemic babies.” 

“These are kids who were born in COVID,” she said. “We’re seeing how protective parents are, and the socialization piece is huge.”

Miraglia plans to focus heavily on that social-emotional component, and it’s woven into the school’s creative curriculum, which includes structured social time, dramatic play, and other activities designed to help kids build the skills they’ll need for kindergarten. 

“Every moment is a teachable moment,” she said. Whether it’s sitting down for lunch or playing with classmates, Miraglia knows these small moments add up in preparing children to navigate the world.

She’s also pushing to deepen family involvement, something that has been front and center since the start of the year. St. John Community School held a welcome party early on, which Miraglia said had “a really great turnout.” The school uses ParentSquare to keep families informed, an app that translates messages into each family’s home language, helping bridge any communication gaps. 

“I can write in English, and it’ll translate into Spanish—then they reply in Spanish, and I get it back in English,” Miraglia said. “It’s been amazing keeping everyone in the loop.”

While this year is just getting started, Miraglia has a clear vision for what’s to come. 

“Our mission is to build curious kids and give them a stimulating environment where they’re excited to learn,” she said. “Curiosity comes from fun, and at this age, it’s all about answering ‘why, why, why.’ We’ll take all the questions.”

Miraglia has a number of family engagement events on the calendar, including a Trunk or Treat night and a literacy workshop for parents to help them support phonetic awareness at home. 

“It’s not just about sitting down with a piece of paper—there are so many fun ways to teach kids to read and write,” she explained.

For Miraglia, coming back to Monticello is personal. She lives just minutes from St. John, and her four-year-old son is a student in the program. She’s ready to make a difference, both for her family and the broader community. 

“Monticello gave me so many opportunities, and now I get to give back,” she said.

As the school year unfolds, she’s excited to continue having fun with her staff, students, and families. 

“I’m looking forward to working together to create an environment where every child feels supported, every family feels heard, and every question is welcome.”

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