Felisa Simpson

Dear Blythe Elementary School families,

Blythe Elementary School opened in August 1998. It was named for Huntersville native William LeGette Blythe, an author and journalist. We are a traditional magnet school: All of our students participate in the magnet program, which is focused on International Baccalaureate (IB) philosophy. The IB mission statement says, “The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” 

At our school, we are building each year on a long tradition of excellence and academic success, setting higher goals for ourselves and our students. Recognition for our scholars is important. Each quarter we recognize our scholars’ academic achievements during our Right Moves Rallies. Additionally, our Scholar of the Month program helps promote character education through the IB Learner Profile.  

Blythe students have numerous opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities such as Battle of the Books, Cardinals of Note and chess club.  

Blythe Elementary has been consistently recognized for meeting the highest standards of excellence by the Magnet Schools of America. In 2019, we were recognized as a National Magnet School of Distinction.  The national certification process is based on the Magnet School Standards of Excellence and the five pillars of magnet school: diversity; innovative curriculum and professional development; academic excellence; high quality instructional systems; and family and community partnerships.

Finally, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself.  Prior to coming to Blythe, I was the principal at Long Creek Elementary for five years. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in economics. I continued my studies at Queens University, earning my master’s degree in teaching.  I also hold a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

I believe that every child can succeed in school and I am committed to providing the best education possible to each of our scholars.  I invite you to participate in our school community as often as you can. Please remember to register as a CMS volunteer.  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at (980) 343-5770 or felisa.simpson@cms.k12.nc.us.

I look forward to working with you to ensure that Blythe Elementary continues to offer a challenging and effective educational experience in a safe, happy atmosphere.

Thank you for choosing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Blythe Elementary.

Felisa A. Simpson, Principal