Administration & Staff
Who We AreAll staff hired at JPGMA go through a rigorous vetting process. We strive to hire the best teachers in each area to work with the children at the Academy. Teaching is a vocation. The ability to work with multi age groups is both a great gift and responsibility. Each staff member is required to have a background check and is approved by the Head of School, Advisory Board, and Board of Directors.
Sarah Mihalcin is a Catholic wife and mother to 5 beautiful children, 4 of whom attend JPGMA. She has a BA in Letters, Arts, Sciences from Penn State University and an MS in Ed from Duquesne University with a Specialist Certificate in ESL instruction. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Sarah moved to Virginia to teach science at Manassas Park Elementary in 2007. She developed an appreciation for innovative classroom instruction by partnering with GMU to conduct research on methods to improve reading instruction in the science content area for English language learners. Her fascination with the science of teaching and learning has led her to choose Montessori education for her own children. She believes that the Montessori Method is the practical application of what we know to be the very best practices in education. Sarah is in the final stage of completing her NAMC certification for lower elementary instruction. She is returning to teach science for the first, second, and third year elementary students at JPGMA and is looking forward to another fun year of experiments. Her hope is to inspire her students to discover God’s truth and beauty in the world around them.