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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. 

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Director

Christine Mains

B.S. Business Logistics, Penn State University

M.Ed. Early Childhood Leadership and Supervision

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Office Manager

Melissa Reinert

B.A. Chemistry & English, Youngstown State Univ.

M.S.Ed. Counseling: Higher Education, Youngstown State Univ

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Lead Teacher

MaryGrace Bruni

B.A. History, Holy Cross College

M.S. Special Education, Duquesne University

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Lead Teacher

Alyson (Aly) Kernion

B.S. in Economics, Penn State Univ.
M.Ed in Elementary Ed, University of Pittsburgh

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Lead Teacher

Lauren Miller

M.L.I.S., Univ. of Pittsburgh
B.A. History, Univ. of Pittsburgh

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Lead Teacher

Kyla Reighard

BS in Developmental from Bryn Mawr College
MS in Early Childhood Education from Duquesne

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Lead Teacher

Erin Rutter

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

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Lead Teacher

Kate Schubert-Mielnik

B.A. Elementary Education, Mercyhurst University
M.S. Biology, Edinboro University

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Assistant Teacher

Erika Beshero

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Assistant Teacher

Lisa Cushman

B.A. Business Administration, Grove City College

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Assistant Teacher

Joan Easton

B.A. Elementary Education, Point Park College

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Assistant Teacher

Sasha Gajewski

Coursework in Business from Univ. of Pittsburgh

A.S in Baking and Pastry Arts from Le Cordon Bleu Pittsburgh

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Assistant Teacher

Carolyn Hurd

Early Child Education, CCAC

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Assistant Teacher

Pat Hurd

Early Child Education, CCAC

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Assistant Teacher

Maria Kast

B.A. History, Dickinson College

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Assistant Teacher

Sarah Miller

B.S. Elementary Education, Penn State University

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Assistant Teacher

Anna Rutledge

B.A. English, Miami University

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Assistant Teacher

Amy Yelich

M.Ed. Early Intervention, University of Pittsburgh

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Science Teacher

Marianne DeVito

B.S. Child Development, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. Special Education, University of Pittsburgh

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Music Teacher

Margaret Hooton

B.A. Journalism, University of Iowa
Music Education, Duquesne University

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Movement Teacher

Jess Johns

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

Courtney.HEIC

Music Teacher

Courtney Kaplan

B.F.A. Musical Theatre, California State University, Fullerton

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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

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