New Corpus Christi School Principal is Ready for New Year

There is a new face at the helm of Corpus Christi School. 

The school welcomes its new principal John Taormina who replaces Michele Murillo who retired at the end of this past school year. 

Taormina, a career Catholic school educator, is looking forward to the first day of school. The new principal told Patch he can't wait for the hallways to buzz with excitement. 

"What I always like about the first day of school is the brand new start, the clean slate, clean uniforms, the smiles on the children's faces, and the buzz in the building," says Taormina. 

Taormina has been in Catholic school education for the past 18 years. "I believe in the Catholic schools," says Taormina. "To me this isn't a job, it's a ministry for me, it's a way of life." 

He began teaching at St. Michael's School in Lyndhurst and later served as principal for two year. He moved on to Marist High School in Bayonne where he served as director of admissions and advancement for 10 years. 

He found he missed being in the elementary school environment and began his search for a leadership role and he found Corpus Christi. 

Taormina says it's a great environment and he has already received such tremendous support from everyone at Corpus Christi including the faculty, staff, parish center, maintenance and of course the parents and students he's already met. 

As his first year as principal gets underway, Taormina plans to sit back, observe and begin to build on the strengths the school already has. 

"Ms. Murillo poured her heart and soul into this school and I'm happy for that as she built it to a point of strength and now I can add to that strength," he says. 

One of the things he will focus on is technology and finding how to build on integrating more technology into the curriculum. 

Taormina is originally from Clifton and resides in Denville with his wife and their son. A major Yankee fan and overall baseball fan, Taormina says he enjoys spending time with his family in his downtime.