Schools in diocese welcome new leadership

Seven schools of the diocese welcome new principals this fall: Claudia Christie, St. Mary of Mount Virgin School, New Brunswick; St. Joseph Sister Mary Guyer, St. Ambrose School, Old Bridge (on whom no information was made availbale at press time); Christian Charity Sister Mary Ann Jacobs, Our Lady of Fatima School, Piscataway; Linda Keady, St. Elizabeth School, Bernardsville; Douglas MacMillan, Our Lady of Mount Virgin School, Middlesex; Barbara Stevens, St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral School, Metuchen; and St. Joseph Sister Eileen Wust, St. Matthias School, Somerset.

Claudia Christie, principal of St. Mary of Mount Virgin School, New Brunswick, is a resident of East Brunswick. She and her husband of 25 years, Rich, are parishioners of Corpus Christi Parish, South River, and are the parents of three children, Dana, Shannon and Sean.

Christie received a bachelor’s degree in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1979. She earned graduate credits in administration from Rutgers University, Newark, and is currently enrolled in the Seton Hall University Catholic Schools Leadership Program for a master’s degree in administration and supervision. She was an elementary school teacher in Keansburg public schools for several years before teaching first grade in St. Mary of Mount Virgin School this past school year.

Reflecting on her teaching experience, Christie said the year she spent teaching in the school that she will now oversee was "the best time " of her life.

"[The students] taught me more than I could have taught them. They taught me values, such as forgiveness and loving, and they’re just that way by nature. They’re reflections of God’s nature, and I think we lose that as we become adults," Christie remarked. "That’s the beauty of being with children. They bring us back to divine nature. Every day is joyful here. It has just been an amazing journey for me spiritually and personally."

Christie said aside from being a mom, being able to serve as principal of the New Brunswick school is "the greatest gift God has given to me."

Gearing up for the school year, Christie spent summer months working on forming a partnership with the George Street Playhouse. In turn for borrowing the school’s gym space for rehearsal, the Playhouse will offer scholarships in music, dance and theater to students. Christie is excited about the arrangement.

She has many plans for her tenure as principal, but there’s one goal that she hopes is achieved in all students. "I would like us to instill in each child that they have dignity and gifts from God that they can share with each other as students and take out into the world," she said.

Christian Charity Sister Mary Ann Jacobs, who served in the diocese as associate superintendent of schools for the past seven years, will continue her service to the diocese as principal of Our Lady of Fatima School, Piscataway.

Sister Mary Ann received her associate’s degree from Assumption College for Sisters, Mendham, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Felician College, Lodi.

She continued her education in Manhattan College, Riverdale, N.Y., where she received a master’s degree in education in 1991, and a professional diploma in administrative technology in 1998.

Since 1993, Sister Mary Ann has served as an adjunct professor in Manhattan College, teaching subjects such as evaluation of school effectiveness, curriculum development and instructional delivery, school law for administrators and computer application for school administrators. She is currently a doctoral candidate in St. Mary University, Winnona, Minn.

From 1976-1989, Sister Mary Ann served as a teacher in several Catholic schools in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, and was principal in Kingston Catholic School, Kingston, N.Y. from 1989 until joining the diocese in 1996.

Linda Keady, principal in St. Elizabeth School, Bernardsville, served as the school’s assistant principal from 2000-2003.

Keady earned a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1969 and a master’s degree from Manhattan College, N.Y. in 2002.

She taught kindergarten in Roosevelt School, Union City, from 1969-1977 and St. Mary School, Hackettstown, from 1991-2000. Also at St. Mary School, she served as a home school association board member from 1984-1991 and as director of the drama club from 1987-2000. She took part in the Middle States Evaluation Self-Study Team from 1991-1993.

Keady also earned an Excellence in Education citation from the diocese in 1997 and membership in the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in 2001.

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