Maria Martinez-Valiukenas said it is in her blood to be a principal, so she was happy when Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 named her to lead Churchville Middle School.

“I was placed here as an interim (principal) and by the second day I was in love with the school and the students and staff,” Martinez-Valiukenas said. “I’m elated. I think there are great, professional people here that I work with and the students are fantastic. They make me smile every day.”

Martinez-Valiukenas, 50, began at the district in the spring as the English language learners/social studies coordinator, a position she will still hold in addition to principal. She has previously served as principal in Cicero and Chicago schools.

Martinez-Valiukenas said she plans to ensure that school issues are handled as group decisions rather than “top down” management.

“When we see a need, we will meet together as a committee,” she said.

As a former ELL student, Martinez-Valiukenas said it is important to make sure that bilingual students feel comfortable at school.

“I don’t want children to dislike school,” she said.

Lisa Smith, assistant superintendent for personnel, said Martinez-Valiukenas was chosen for the position from a pool of 90 candidates for a number of reasons.

“She is an experienced administrator. ... She is bilingual and certainly that is just another asset to the district as a whole and Churchville students and families,” Smith said. “She has also done a lot of work involving outreach for ELL families to get them involved in the school.”

Martinez-Valiukenas said she thinks the district does a great job with ELL already, and she hopes to contribute to it. She also said her love for the job and all that involves keeps her motivated as an educator.

“The children, just to see their delight when they see something new in their own way, that’s what keeps me coming back every day,” Martinez-Valiukenas said.