St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School welcomes new principal ahead of centennial celebration

Regan Haney, a longtime educator and North Riverdale resident since 2019, is St. Margaret of Cortona-St. Gabriel School’s new principal.

Haney’s debut comes during a milestone year for the school, as it is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Key parts of her vision involve celebrating a century of SMSG, while also making sure the school can thrive for years to come.

Haney has already helped establish an alumni committee, and is planning a spring gala fundraiser in hopes of raising $100,000 to invest back in the school. She also aims to make the school more eco-friendly, potentially by installing solar panels.

Born in Kentucky to a mother who was a nurse and a father  who worked in construction, Haney said she always knew she would pursue a career in education. Several of her family members were teachers, and it became an influential part of her upbringing.

“From day one, I was the kid that was playing ‘teacher’ in their room,” Haney said.

She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in education from Murray State University in Kentucky, and later a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the State University of New York Empire State University.

She also worked as a classroom teacher in Arizona and Massachusetts. Watching a student learn something new or finally grasp a concept is inspiring, Haney said, and it’s why she’s in this line of work.

Walking into SMSG, Haney said she is leaning on her recent experience as academic dean at St. Philip Neri School in Bedford Park. She described St. Philip Neri as a school that had yet to reach its full potential, until she worked to introduce multiple new academic programs. She wants to accomplish the same for SMSG.

Haney’s kids also attend SMSG. As a parent, she’s seen what previous school leaders have accomplished. SMSG has a strong academic standing, Haney said, but she wants it to be the best.

Haney plans on introducing a robotics and coding program, a new after-school program that provides homework help and athletic activities, more STEM opportunities, and ideally, bring back the science fair. She also hopes to integrate SMSG with the University of Mount Saint Vincent — also a Catholic school, and where her husband works — through partnerships.

Her leadership style is rooted in community, Haney explained. She wants SMSG to reflect the sense of neighborhood familiarity she sees in Riverdale, achieved by making sure teachers and parents feel heard, and by involving kids in service projects, she said.

For Haney, leading a school is also about being seen, and making sure the kids feel seen. Haney said she hopes to start each day at SMSG with all students gathering in the gym, so she is able to greet them before they head to their classes.

“In previous years, they just went straight up to the rooms,” Haney said. “I feel like that’s a missed opportunity for me to get eyes on every kid.”

SMSG’s priest, Father Seán Connolley, said it’s fitting to begin a significant year with someone in whom the school has great confidence. Haney, who also attends St. Margaret of Cortona Church, feels like family, Connolley said.

Despite changes over a century, whether broad demographic trends or structural adjustments to the building, Connolley said, SMSG remains a constant.

“There are certain principles that are unchanging,” Connolley said. “We don’t want a church or the educational philosophy of our school to change with the world, we want to change the world.”

SMSG is the product of a 2023 merger between two Catholic schools, according to its website. SMSG grew from a parish school called Lavelle Hall built in 1911 by the pastor at the time. Later, in 1925, pastor Monsignor Joseph Doyle asked the Sisters of Charity to staff SMSG, and it expanded from there, the website said.

As the school year nears, Haney is ready to keep SMSG moving forward.

“This is my community, this is my kids’ school, this is my community’s school, my parish,” Haney said. “I want to see this place be the best it could possibly be.”