
St. Paul's Episcopal Nursery School

OUR PHILOSOPHY
Welcome to St. Paul's Episcopal Nursery School, a vibrant and nurturing place for children and their families. Since its beginning, St. Paul's Episcopal Nursery School has been committed to providing a warm and enriching environment for preschoolers in Mt. Lebanon and surrounding neighborhoods. We work to build a strong relationship between the school and our parents, which allows us to put the needs of each unique child first. Our philosophy has always been based on the concept that education should guide and challenge children toward developing lives of genuine meaning, purpose and service in the world they will inherit. Our curriculum is designed to prepare children for the active work of life...all in the spirit of play.
It is the purpose of the nursery school to provide a secure and happy environment in which children will flourish. Therefore, our focus strikes a balance between each child's intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. We strive to develop self-confident, independent, caring and inquisitive young people who feel comfortable attempting new challenges that will lead to pleasure in learning and respect for others in their world.
Our program is led by an outstanding staff that encourages an exchange of ideas with each child through questions, observations and reactions. There is fluid interaction between teachers and children that gives the children the opportunity to lead and to be led throughout their school day. St. Paul's places primary importance on creating opportunities for children to satisfy their natural curiosity and to find fulfilling outlets through music, art, literature, and fine and gross motor activity through dramatic and other forms of play.
Meet Our Staff
The staff is one of the most important and valued aspects of St. Paul's. The director oversees a staff of lead teachers, assistants, music and movement teachers, and office staff.
St. Paul's teachers are required to have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development and some of them hold Master's Degrees. All lead teachers belong to the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC). The entire staff has been trained in infant/child CPR and First Aid and all have obtained their Act 33 Clearances to work with children.
One of the most significant determinants of quality in a school is the staff-to-child ratio. The lower the number of children assigned to one teacher, the higher the quality of education the children will receive. St. Paul's historically has one of the lowest staff-to-child rations in the area.

Director
Christine Mains
B.S. Business Logistics, Penn State University
M.Ed. Early Childhood Leadership and Supervision

Office Manager
Melissa Reinert
B.A. Chemistry & English, Youngstown State Univ.
M.S.Ed. Counseling: Higher Education, Youngstown State Univ

Lead Teacher
MaryGrace Bruni
B.A. History, Holy Cross College
M.S. Special Education, Duquesne University

Lead Teacher
Alyson (Aly) Kernion
B.S. in Economics, Penn State Univ.
M.Ed in Elementary Ed, University of Pittsburgh

Lead Teacher
Lauren Miller
M.L.I.S., Univ. of Pittsburgh
B.A. History, Univ. of Pittsburgh

Lead Teacher
Kyla Reighard
BS in Developmental from Bryn Mawr College
MS in Early Childhood Education from Duquesne

Lead Teacher
Erin Rutter
B.S. Communication Sciences & Disorders, Penn State University
Elementary Teaching Certificate, Robert Morris University

Lead Teacher
Kate Schubert-Mielnik
B.A. Elementary Education, Mercyhurst University
M.S. Biology, Edinboro University

Assistant Teacher
Erika Beshero
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Assistant Teacher
Lisa Cushman
B.A. Business Administration, Grove City College

Assistant Teacher
Joan Easton
B.A. Elementary Education, Point Park College

Assistant Teacher
Sasha Gajewski
Coursework in Business from Univ. of Pittsburgh
A.S in Baking and Pastry Arts from Le Cordon Bleu Pittsburgh

Assistant Teacher
Carolyn Hurd
Early Child Education, CCAC

Assistant Teacher
Pat Hurd
Early Child Education, CCAC

Assistant Teacher
Maria Kast
B.A. History, Dickinson College

Assistant Teacher
Sarah Miller
B.S. Elementary Education, Penn State University

Assistant Teacher
Anna Rutledge
B.A. English, Miami University

Assistant Teacher
Amy Yelich
M.Ed. Early Intervention, University of Pittsburgh

Science Teacher
Marianne DeVito
B.S. Child Development, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. Special Education, University of Pittsburgh

Music Teacher
Margaret Hooton
B.A. Journalism, University of Iowa
Music Education, Duquesne University

Movement Teacher
Jess Johns
RYT-200
Yoga 4 Classrooms
Yoga Playgrounds
Mindful Yoga Life Skills for Children and Teens
Certified Childlight Yoga Instructor

Music Teacher
Courtney Kaplan
B.F.A. Musical Theatre, California State University, Fullerton

Matt's Maker Space Teacher
Ginny Stempkowski
BA Journalism w/ minor in German Language,
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
K-6 Elementary Education Certification, University of Pittsburgh
Board of Trustees 2026-2027
The Reverend Noah H. Evans, Rector, St. Paul's Church
Christine Mains, Nursery School Director
Jake Luetzow - Board President
Tricia Bair - Board Vice President
Mike Hacke - Treasurer
Aly Chirumbolo - Secretary
Don Bair
Erin Rutter
Gretchen Crane
Patricia Dunkis
Brittainy Pascarella
Dana Guidice
Jeff Criswell
Mark Wisniewski
Nolly Donahoe
Mary Quinn
Elizabeth (Liz) Murray