The new principal of St. Michael School in Brattleboro looks forward to Mondays. As a Catholic educator, Victoria Farrington values being able to practice her faith in school. “For Catholics on fire with their faith, it gets you up in the morning to get to share that with students and families,” she said.

Born in New York, Farrington spent most of her childhood in Spofford, New Hampshire. She earned a bachelor’s degree, majoring in classics and politics at the University of Dallas in Texas. She began graduate school at the University of Chicago studying ancient political philosophy. “It was there where I changed what I wanted to do with my life,” she said. She remembered her high school principal and wanted to do what he did. “He was a phenomenal educator,” she said.

Farrington relocated to Florida and later began teaching 36 first graders at the inner-city St. Monica Catholic School in Opa-Locka. “I absolutely loved it,” she said. She received her Master of Education at Florida Atlantic University and has taught every grade from kindergarten to eighth grade. Her favorite is first grade, when many students learn to read.

“When teaching a child to read and the lightbulb goes on, that’s pretty exciting,” she said. “It’s amazing how the human intellect catches on fire, then children want to read everything. It’s a joyful experience as a teacher,” she added.

Farrington served in several assistant principal and principal roles in Florida Catholic schools for more than two decades before she moved back to New Hampshire in 2020 to be closer to her brother and sister who live in the area.

Now a resident of Keene, New Hanpshire, she worked in public school adult education and as principal of St. Joseph Regional School, both in Keene, before taking on a teaching role in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont at St. Michael’s in 2025. There, she has taught history, literature, math, science, and religion.

Farrington replaced long-time principal Elaine Beam. She noted how Beam developed St. Michael’s strong reputation in the community and the tri-state area. “I want to make sure I maintain that legacy and build on it,” she said.

One immediate goal is to continue to strengthen the K-12 school’s curriculum and to complete the process for St. Michael High School to become a Chesterton Schools Network school, a process begun by her predecessor. The Catholic, non-profit apostolate supports the creation and operation of “joyfully Catholic” affordable high schools across the United States and internationally. The classical curriculum combines a broad liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the cultivation of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty.

Farrington will leverage her own background in the classics and experience overseeing accreditation processes to ensure the curriculum adheres to Chesterton standards and to provide support to the faculty. “Schools are as good as the teachers in the classroom,” Farrington said. “We have awesome teachers putting their heart and soul into their work. They live their faith beautifully.”

“Ms. Farrington brings a wealth of experience to our school community, having served with distinction as both a classroom teacher and a principal,” said David Young, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Burlington. “She possesses broad knowledge of education and is deeply committed to the mission and values of Catholic education.”

While she admits she is a bit of a workaholic, Farrington enjoys visiting with friends, British detective novels, and travel. She hopes to visit as many national parks as possible during school breaks. But in the meantime, she looks forward to the start of each new school week and the chance to help students grow academically, spiritually, and personally.