Driving through the smaller, rural communities of Ridge Spring and Monetta brought back fond memories of his grandmother’s house in Mississippi for Sidney Johnson. It felt like home.
Aiken County Board of Education members approved Johnson’s appointment as the new principal at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School for the 2018-19 school year during the April 17 regularly scheduled meeting held at Wagener-Salley High School.
“One thing I loved about Aiken County is that it is moving in the direction of excellence and meeting the needs of all of its students and I wanted to be a part of that journey,” Johnson stated Tuesday. “What I liked about the opportunity at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School is that there is a lot of potential in that area and opportunity for academic excellence.”
Johnson currently serves as an assistant principal at Blythewood Middle School in Blythewood, South Carolina.
Johnson said Ridge Spring-Monetta High School’s thematic program and focus on a Farm-to-Table initiative and excellence in the health sciences provides plenty of opportunities for students at the middle school level as well.
“We can give them a strong academic background in math and science to support their foundation for CATE programs,” Johnson commented.
“In health science, not only do we want to help them become CNAs, nurses and doctors, but we also want them to be able to tap into the Bio-Health Science industry as well because that is a booming industry right now,” he continued.
Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from The University of South Carolina in Columbia, a Master of Education in School Administration from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and he is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Before taking a position as an assistant principal at Blythewood Middle School, Johnson served in a similar role at Ridge View High School in Columbia, South Carolina, and at Round Top Elementary School in Blythewood. His previous work experience also includes service as an assistant administrator at Blythewood High School, and as a classroom teacher at Irmo Middle School and St. Andrews Middle School in Columbia.
“I have been fortunate enough to have worked at all three levels, the elementary level the high school level and of course the middle school level, and some of my proudest moments in education have been watching those students who struggled in elementary school as they walked across the stage to receive their high school diplomas,” he stated. “What we do as educators is help them get back on track so they can realize their full potential. We want our students to realize that promise they have as individuals.”
Johnson has served as a school leader in many areas throughout his career, including supervising or supporting many instructional initiatives, project-based learning programs, school improvement efforts, and character education programs. His extensive supervisory experience extends to all facets of the educational framework, and includes school safety, counseling, discipline, student teaching, public relations, special education, staff evaluations, and facility renovations.
“I look forward to serving the school and community as we continue to grow in Aiken County toward being the premier school district in South Carolina and one of the best school districts in the entire nation,” Johnson commented.
Johnson will begin his duties as Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School principal in July.
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2018 PR RSM MIDDLE PRINCIPAL