EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Finding Home atcharlotte christian

by brooke morgan, Middle School Principal

My husband and I grew up in a small town just east of Asheville, N.C. As it usually happens, we never realized just how much we appreciated our hometown until we were older. As a teenager, all I cared about was the fact that the closest mall was a dreadful hour and a half away. I took for granted the community of people who had known me since I was a baby, celebrated many milestones with me, picked me up from gymnastics when my mom needed to work late and stood by my family through every high and low that came our way. I dreamed of moving away and going to a big college (with hopefully more shopping opportunities) and found myself studying education at N.C. State University.

Soon after graduating I moved to Charlotte and began teaching middle school. During the next 10 years I fell in love with teaching “in the middle,” where I found the students to be wonderfully awkward, hilarious, frustrating, fun and inspiring all at the same time. I had the pleasure of teaching all three grade levels and found that each group had their own unique set of characteristics. The sixth graders were bursting with energy and had limited spatial recognition; the seventh graders were unpredictable and were usually stuck on the friendship rollercoaster; the eighth graders knew it all (just ask any of their parents) and were literally living for the moment. This rapid transition from a child to a young adult in just three short years captivated my heart. As much as I enjoyed my job, there was still something missing. I longed for the community feel of my small hometown and I wanted that same experience for my then 9-year-old daughter. About that time, God opened up the doors to Charlotte Christian and from the moment I was hired, I knew that I was finally home. I love that our Charlotte Christian Knights are a tight-knit community, providing that small hometown feel within the large city of Charlotte.

While I first started at CCS in the upper school, I know that God placed me there for a reason. During the past three years, I have developed a much better understanding of what our middle school students need as they transition from fifth to ninth grade. Along with a strong academic program, middle school students need adults who will carry them through the most pivotal times in their lives. After finishing up my first semester, as principal I can say with confidence that every faculty and staff member in the middle school has been called to their position for a very specific reason. As a mom of a seventh grader, Graycen, (along with Tucker, 3, and Annie, 1), and as a principal, I am grateful for their dedication and for the impact they are making on students’ lives.

There is no denying that Charlotte Christian School is special and there is no other place I would rather my family be. I am honored to call this school and our community ‘home’. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your family.

Sights & Sounds of creativity

by Leslie Niessner, Director of Fine Arts

I dabbled in all of the fine arts as a youngster - summer camp at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, dance lessons, piano lessons, church choir and art lessons. Ultimately I found my place in music and by high school, I was involved in all things music - wind ensemble, marching band, jazz band, orchestra, musicals, you name it. I spent more time in the band room than I did at home.

I was blessed with great teachers and mentors who fostered my natural affinity for music, but it was one particularly influential band director at Myers Park High School who challenged me to dream that I could be a band director myself. He poured into me, developing untapped leadership and teaching skills, and I soon came to recognize that my musical gifts could also be used as a wonderfully creative and joyful vehicle for connecting with and influencing others.

I went to Indiana University in pursuit of an undergraduate degree in music education. The Lord surrounded me with new mentors who challenged me, stretching my gifts in both music and teaching, opening doors for me to impact students through music at every turn. After graduating, I taught middle and high school band in Union County Public Schools where I spent the next 15 years developing my craft, growing into my gifts and building relationships through the shared experience of making music. Forever fascinated by music pedagogy, I also completed a Master of Music degree from Winthrop University along the way.

The Lord called me to Charlotte Christian School in the spring of 2015 when, truth be told, I wasn’t looking for a change. Accustomed to working in fast paced, large public school band programs and feeling rather attached to my band students and their families, I struggled for clarity and understanding as to why the Lord chose me. Why Charlotte Christian? Why now? It wasn’t long before I realized that the Lord was grooming me for a new season of service to his kingdom and, true to His word, God was faithful in supporting me through a season of transition. This year, after spending five wonderful years serving in the band room, I assumed the role of director of fine arts. The 20 years I spent coaching, mentoring and collaborating with musicians from the podium prepared me well for the work I am honored to do in this new role where my days are filled with the sights and sounds of creativity, a constant reminder of God’s blessings and divine design. I have spent the past semester getting to know the many new fine arts faculty members that joined our family this year and partnering with my talented and dedicated team to navigate how to best foster artistic growth in the face of COVID-19 restrictions.

In the coming years, my husband Jay and I look forward to raising our sons Charlie (age 4) and Jackson (age 2) in the Charlotte Christian family and I am eager to continue shepherding our fine arts faculty and students to realize their full potential as artists, actors and musicians with a unique and valued voice to share with the world through the arts, impacting the culture for Christ.