Trending
McALISTERVILLE -- Juniata Christian School will see a familiar face this school year.
Mary Jo Brubaker will serve as the interim principal for the 2025-26 academic year.
"I am excited about this year, because I sense a unity that runs from our board, to our administrator, to our parents, to our teachers, to our students," said Brubaker. "This community desires to educate with excellence and a sincere desire to follow Christ and His teachings."
Mary Jo Brubaker lives in Liverpool with her husband, Neil, and brings 17 years of experience in education. She spent the first 13 years teaching first grade before taking a brief "recess" from the classroom. She later joined Juniata Christian School as an administrator, and ultimately took on a role as both the principal and administrator.
After stepping away from the administrator position in 2023, she says she worked for a great company and got married, changing her last name from Barner to Brubaker. But her heart for the school never stopped beating.
Her return to Juniata Christian School was prompted by conversations with the school's new administrator, Howard Houtz, who eventually asked her to consider coming back as interim principal.
"I was not expecting that at all," she recalled. "But after much prayer, godly counsel, and asking the Lord for some specific indications of what I should do, His answer was yes -- I want you to return to JCS."
Now stepping back into the principal role, Brubaker says it feels as though she never left, saying she is "thankful for the godly people who have invested their lives in the Christian education of our JCS students."
In this role, she will oversee the school's educational program, providing leadership in areas such as curriculum evaluation, faculty support and development, chapel programming, discipline, and the continuation of the school's
Middle States accreditation.
Brubaker said her plans for the upcoming year include reinforcing programs within the school that contribute to the desired outcomes for their students, such as increased service opportunities in the community, reviving their praise team for their chapel programs, and assisting students who desire to further their education through dual credit courses, attend college or a vo-tech school, or enter our work study program. As well as teaching students a biblical worldview, guiding students toward lifelong learning, serving their communities and churches, and having a strong work ethic will help to strengthen our families and our nation.
"I think that it is important for our students to know and understand that they are living in such an exciting and unique period of time," said Brubaker. "Technology has increased so rapidly, and with it the ability to share the good news of the gospel, and make an impact on a global scale."
Brubaker admitted that technology can be "scary stuff," but shared hope that parents, teachers, and students at JCS will "catch a vision to harness this power for God's work," and become the "world changers" that they are capable of becoming.
Other plans for the coming year are improvements in communication. Brubaker shared there are plans to develop a communication committee among staff and faculty, to ensure that their messaging to students, parents, and patrons is cohesive and clear.