Who's the New Guy?

Dr. Erik Johnson

Dear Central Elementary Students, Families, and Friends,

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I am reaching out to take a moment to introduce myself as the new Principal of Central Elementary! I apologize for the delay in pushing this introduction out, but I wanted to take some time after my transfer to Central was announced to meet 1-on-1 with Central teachers and staff members to gain perspective and understanding of the culture and community of the school before embarking on making my first impression.

As you may know, I am transitioning to Central after being honored to serve as the Principal of East Albemarle Elementary. Although I have only been a part of the Stanly County Schools family for two years, I am humbled to have been selected as Central's next leader. While there are still many ins and outs for me to learn, I am quickly becoming aware of the important traditions and prestige that surround Central Elementary - including the profound imprint that my predecessor Melissa Smith has left on the Central Elementary community.

I am quickly learning that I will never be able to fully recognize or replace the impact that Mrs. Smith has had on the Central Elementary community over the past years. In two years of working collaboratively with Mrs. Smith, I can honestly say that I have never met someone with as large of a servant's heart as hers. She has left tremendous shoes for me to fill - and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to try to fill them. It is my hope that my actions as Central's next leader will highlight the parallels that exist between the two of us. While there will be numerous similarities that stand out, there will also be noticable differences between our leadership, core beliefs and values. It goes without saying that neither of our systems is better or worse - just different - with both philosophies centered and doing what's best for kids.

A Little About Me Personally

I was born and raised in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, which is a small town located near Milwaukee (Go Bucks!). I attended Ripon College for my undergrad in Elementary Education and History, and was fortunate to play both soccer and basketball during my time there. Upon graduating, I began my teaching career in Lake Geneva, WI, where I taught 5th grade for three years. At that point, I decided I had had enough of the long winters and decided to relocate somewhere a bit warmer – which brought me to the Charlotte area in 2006. Upon relocating to NC, I was a teacher, Assistant Principal and a Principal in Kannapolis City Schools before coming to Stanly County Schools. Most recently, I served the East Albemarle community as Principal for the past two school years.

I have been married to my better half, Alison, for 12 years and we live in Huntersville, NC. We have one son, Kellan, who is 7 years old and will be entering first grade this year. When we aren't working, entertaining our son with his latest activity or caring for our two dogs, we enjoy supporting our two favorite college football teams during the fall - Clemson and Wisconsin. On Sundays, there is only one team that gets cheered for and that is the Green Bay Packers! Personally, a few things I try to make time for regularly for myself are staying active by hitting the gym and playing soccer.

What You Can Expect From Me Professionally

As a leader, I firmly believe in the saying that “there are no shortcuts to excellence.” Excellence - regardless of the task or responsibility - should be the expectation and should be attainable and accessible for everyone. I believe that every student and staff member is capable of achieving a level of excellence when the necessary effort is put forth. At the school level, excellence begins with the adults (myself, staff and parents). We ALL must believe that every child is capable of excellence – be it academics or behaviors – and our actions must align to that belief. In a school community that means there needs to be opportunities to listen, learn and share with each other regardless of self-interests, position or what might have been done previously. It is my hope that by creating opportunities for collaboration and honest conversation, excellence becomes systemic and embedded into the culture of our school.

I am extremely fortunate to do what I love every single day and can think of no other career as rewarding as one committed to service for others. I fully believe that all children are capable of achieving success and it is my responsibility as a school leader to ensure that we establish and maintain an environment where students feel safe, they look forward to coming and where teaching and learning can take place at high levels. As an instructional leader, I believe students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process and are being asked to apply their learning in purposeful and meaningful ways. In order to provide the best opportunity for each child to experience success, there a few core beliefs/guiding principles that will guide our initiatives this year. As a school, we will:

Always make decisions that are in the best interests of students not adults
Focus our collective efforts on cultivating the growth of each child for long term success
Build self-efficacy in students through a supportive culture centered on high expectations and accountability (ownership)
Celebrate positive outcomes as a direct result of making appropriate choices
Recognize that every day/moment is a new opportunity to start fresh - and that some situations/moments require grace
Be timely and transparent in our communication - including owning our mistakes
Provide strategies for parents/families to support their child's education
Follow school/district procedures/protocol that are in place to ensure the safety of all children (including yours!)

While this is not a comprehensive list of everything we will do this year, I hope it provides you with some insight into the mindset of how we will approach what we do and how we will hold each other accountable for ensuring the success of all students and establishing a tradition of excellence at Central.

In closing, I want you to know that my door/phone is always open to you. While I will always try to make myself available for you upon your request, I do ask for your understanding that I may not always be available immediately. This is not personal nor is it an avoidance. As a school leader, I like to be visible throughout the building, supporting/observing teachers and actively working with small groups of students. These responsibilities are essential for ensuring that every child receives the quality instruction/support they deserve. I want you to be an advocate for your child and encourage you to reach out to the school as often as needed. Often times, children are more comfortable sharing undesired school experiences at home as opposed to at school. Please let us know if there is anything going on with your child, because if we don’t know what the problem may be, we can’t work to fix it!

Thank you for welcoming me into the Central family and for entrusting the staff and myself with your child(ren).

I look forward to meeting everyone soon!

Dr. Erik Johnson

CONTACT INFORMATION

Email: erik.johnson@stanlycountyschools.org

Phone: 704-961-3200

I am also on Central's main Class Dojo and will be set up in each class once the year starts!

FOLLOW CENTRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay up-to-date with the latest news, information and photos this year by following our social media accounts!

Facebook - @centralelementaryschoolalbemarlenc

Instagram - centralbullpups

Twitter - @BullpupPride

BACK TO SCHOOL INFO + REMINDERS

As we inch closer to the start of school, I wanted to share some important information to ensure a smooth and successful beginning of the year for all. There are a number of links included in this section that will take you to additional documents or webpages for completion of forms (if needed). As you explore this section, please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions!

Registration / Enrollment Event

Open House Information

Student Supply Lists

Transportation Information

Bus Registration Form (MANDATORY for ALL Bus Riders)

Bus Rider Information / Expectations

Child Nutrition Information

All Central students will receive FREE breakfast and lunch for the 2021-22 school year!

Student Technology Fee - $5.00

District fee required for ALL K-5 students

Payment can be made in cash, check (Central Elementary) or ONLINE

Bell Schedule