Sister Valerie Miller visited the Head Start program at St. Catherine Academy in New Haven and spent time with 11 students ages 3 to 5, sharing stories and learning activities rooted in her long career in early childhood education.
In her ealy religious life, Sister Valerie trained as a nurse and worked in health care settings. After several years, she returned to college to study early childhood education, a field shaped by her upbringing. Her mother operated an in-home daycare for decades, and from a young age, Sister Valerie helped care for children, learning routines, responsibility, and the importance of attention and consistency. Those early experiences led her to focus her professional life on young children.
The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth extend thanks to the Head Start staff for the invitation and for creating space for shared learning. The opportunity to be present, to listen, and to explain ideas with the students shows the strong partnership between educators and the wider community in support of children and families.
Over the course of more than 30 years, Sister Valerie taught preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary grades. She helped establish four early childhood programs from the ground up, many within parish settings, and also worked in infant and toddler classrooms. Her teaching emphasized hands-on learning, structure, and helping children understand their emotions and relationships with others.
At St. Catherine Academy, that experience was evident. Sister Valerie shared a storybook that centered on feelings and behavior, guiding the children through discussion with puppets, visual aids, and questions that invited participation. She spoke openly about emotions, explaining that it is okay to feel angry or sad and that children can learn what to do with those feelings. The students responded quickly, raising hands, offering answers, and staying focused on the lesson.
She closed the visit by giving each child a coloring book about the life of Mother Catherine Spalding, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The children immediately began working through the pages, pointing to images, asking questions, and engaging with the story through color and conversation.
Education has always been a central part of the ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. From the earliest days of the Congregation, Sisters have taught in schools, cared for children, and supported families through learning. At St. Catherine Academy, that tradition continued as Sister Valerie shared her skills, experience, and attention with the students, showing in clear ways how education remains part of the life and work of the Sisters today.
Look for more to come from Sister Valerie by way of her own children’s book. With her years of experience working with children and her creative gift, she has authored and illustrated a children’s book titled Specially Made by God. The book explores how people across the world are created with care, shown as pairs and communities from many places and cultures, each made by God with a special purpose. Through its child-centered language and images, it affirms that people of every nationality belong and are connected through God.