Johnson Reaches the Top

    Students returning to East Haven Academy (EHA) are encountering familiar face in a new position as former language arts teacher Marianne Johnson has assumed the role of principal. Johnson replaces recently retired EHA principal Angela Speck.

    Johnson’s climb in the educational world has been one marked by lifelong achievement, beginning at St. Vincent de Paul School teaching 6th grade after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). After taking an eight-year break from teaching to raise her children, Johnson returned to the East Haven school system as a pre-kindergarten aide. She taught in New Haven for several years at the 6th grade level before returning to East Haven to teach at D.C Moore School.

    “Then I was on the committee that actually opened our school,” said Johnson, who has spent the last 11 years teaching integrated language arts to 7th and 8th graders, a course she describes as “integrated social studies with literature and writing skills.”

    Johnson decided to aim for the EHA principal position after taking educational leadership courses several years ago at SCSU.

    “The more I became involved with the classes, the more I realized this is exactly where I wanted to be,” said Johnson.

    According to Johnson, who also holds a master’s in teaching from Sacred Heart University, her challenges for this year are “to continue to develop integrated units that engage students.”

    “We are working on an election unit this year,” Johnson said. “The entire school will be working together in a big simulation. Grades 3 to 8 will work in two or three teams, Democratic, Republican, and Independent parties, and they will learn all about government and elections, so students are working with other students from all different levels and a teachers work with students from other grade levels.”

    Johnson said these activities help build community on all the grade levels, an important piece of EHA’s vision.

    “I think teachers collaborating and working together and also having students doing the same thing–students from all different grade levels and teachers from all different grade levels in an integrated unit in all the disciplines–is what East Haven Academy is all about,” said Johnson.

    And Johnson has integrated herself into the school in more ways than just teaching; she has also directed EHA’s musical productions for nine years.

    “We do a musical every year and we have over three-quarters of our students involved in instruments and music and that’s a really big part of who we are. When we do our musical productions, we have our own pit level–that is almost unheard of at the middle school level.”

    Johnson said her aim for this year and moving forward is to “stay true to our vision because that is what the school is built on.”

    “I realized this is exactly where I wanted to be and it couldn’t be any better to be in a school where I was one of the original members of that committee,” Johnson said. “The school is very dear to me and I am thrilled to be here.”