Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Partners, 

It has been a lifelong goal of mine to prepare myself with the skills and experiences needed to invest in the lives of students and adults. CMS is a district that supports my belief that everyone is constantly learning and cultivating into better educators. My passion for leading is fueled by the progress of others, especially our children. My five years as a Magnet School administrator has provided me with the insight to support our school's vision, mission, and improvement goals. Coaching teachers on differentiation and data analysis in order to plan instruction has been a focus in my current position. The ability to motivate students and staff members is one of my strongest skills which I believe promotes higher student achievement.

Instructionally, I have a background in K-12 education, working in the classroom, media center, and as a K-8 middle and elementary school administrator. I am a National Board Certified teacher who facilitates small candidate groups at NCCAT. My training in Reading Recovery and Direct Instruction, as well as interventionist and MTSS facilitator experiences, affords me the skills necessary to implement effective interventions and progress monitoring. My experience with Information Studies extends my depth of knowledge of the 21st century learner and the lifelong impact of technology. Planning with grade levels K-5 as a media specialist gave me hands on experience with the alignment of standards and implementation of CCSS. 

I have worked in a Title I school for six years and understand the federal mandates and key focus on parent involvement and student achievement. In addition to academics, I believe it is very important to meet the needs of the whole child. I have four years of experience working at a CMS school with a Basic School focus, which involved planning service learning opportunities for students. I attended a Leader in Me conference and participated in a parent book study to facilitate engagement around this initiative. I have been fortunate to open four new schools in various capacities: as a fourth grade teacher, a media specialist and a principal intern. This served to develop my level of working with constituent groups beyond the norm. I believe it was imperative that the community was heard and consensus was reached, from naming the school(s) to the creation of mission and vision statement(s).

I value people and believe more can be accomplished from a win-win approach. I am committed to building relationships with parents, forming joint partnerships in an effort to enrich their children’s lives with opportunities beyond the classroom setting.

Best Regards, 
Toyia Matthews

Treasurer I

Data Manager

Hello Merancas Family! My name is Savon Crews and I am delighted to serve as your new school counselor. This will be my 17th year in the counseling profession and my 7th year within the Early College Network.  I received my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Human Development and Family Studies and my graduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University. I enjoy traveling, spending time with family and friends, and exercising.  I look forward to collaborating with parents, teachers, administrators, and community partners to prepare our students for success! 

I am from the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.  I moved to Charlotte to attend UNC Charlotte where I received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (K-6), and a concentration in English.  I have my National Board Certification in Middle School Social Studies.  I am a mom to two awesome boys and enjoy the crazy adventures they bring.  I am an educator because it is a wonderful experience that challenges me with a new lesson each day. No day is the same as the one before, but each day will always start refreshed and full of new learning opportunities.

I have been a proud Pack member since 2019, serving as the Instructional Accountability Facilitator. At Merancas, I can support you with Technology, State testing, ACT & College Board testing accommodations, CPCC CTE course support, Career exploration, MYEP, and National Honor Society. My door is always open and I look forward to a great school year.

I'm Shellie Bryant. I started teaching in 2000-2001 as a Spanish teacher here in CMS at what was J.T. Williams IB Middle School. Then after some time at Olympic HS and Renaissance at Olympic, I moved home to my hometown of Knoxville, TN and taught for 4 years there. I came back to CMS (Renaissance at Olympic again)- this time as an ENGLISH teacher. I've been teaching English since then in CMS and UCPS. I am so excited to be back in a small school setting and to be at the BEST small school, Merancas. 

 

I am a mom, my kids are 6^th and 10^th graders. We spend a lot of time at Volleyball and Dance. I quilt, knit, and read in my spare time. My favorites are mysteries, sci-fi/fantasy, and non-fiction. I love a good podcast too. 

 

Here at Merancas I teach 11^th grade Honors English, AP Lang, and Yearbook! Be on the look out for picture requests and see yourself in the yearbook! 

Born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. I earned a B.A in English from Winthrop College and went on to serve my country as a United States Marine. There I earned a M.A. in Human Relations and became a decorated veteran.  While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I answered to call to become a missionary and a teacher. In 2011, I earned an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership at Liberty University.   Loving service to my God, my country and my community has been the capstone of my life.  I hope to continue to use the gifts effectively to help strengthen student academic and character development.