CULLMAN, Ala. – Faculty, staff and families of East Elementary School on Thursday, June 8, 2023, were invited to a meet-and-greet event at the Cullman City Board of Education to get to know new principal Melanie Harris.
Harris said she’s excited to start her new position and is enjoying meeting new people.
“I love getting to meet people,” she said, “and I love this social side.”
The new principal said she can’t wait to show her students how passionate she is about their education and growth.
“I tell my students all the time that they have a job at school, and that is to learn, and it’s my job as principal to make their school a safe place and a fun place so that their teachers can teach them,” Harris said.
Open lines of communication are also important to her, and she wants parents to know she is always available to talk.
“I’m big on communication, and I really don’t think there’s enough communication,” she said. “Communication is crucial. It might be a little different for the parents, different for the teachers, but I want them to know that I’m here to hear their side.”
Harris served as an assistant principal in Florence for the past three years. Before that, she spent four years as an instructional partner at Harlan Elementary School and six years as a teacher at Florence Middle School. She was most recently named Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
Harris takes over for outgoing principal David Wiggins, who retired at the end of the 2022-2023 school year after a 17-year tenure.
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