Greetings Harmony Family,

I am honored to be the principal at Harmony Elementary. I am a veteran educator who has spent my entire twenty-eight years in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Sixteen of those years were spent teaching in elementary and middle schools and the past twelve years in administration. I have spent the past three years as the proud principal here at Harmony.

I grew up and graduated from high school in New York but came south to attend college. I graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education and master’s in education leadership.

On a personal note, I have been married for twenty-five years. My wife, Malinda, is a middle school teacher, and my son Harper attends Appalachian State University. We live in Dacula, and my wife and I are extremely thankful for the great education Harper received from Gwinnett County Public Schools.

I am blessed to be a part of the Harmony family, and I look forward to meeting new families and reconnecting with many of you soon.

Jonathan Day

My name is Candace Jones and I am proud to serve as one of the Assistant Principals at Harmony Elementary. I have been a part of the Harmony community since 2008 as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, administrator and parent. I love that our community truly acts as a family and I believe in building strong relationships with our families to best support our students. Our parents, teachers, and administration work together to ensure that our students have the best education possible.

I am a product of Gwinnett County schools myself, graduating Central Gwinnett High School and moving on the University of Georgia. After graduating with my degree in education, I was excited to return to Gwinnett to begin my teaching career. I have experience teaching first and third grades, ESOL, and serving as our Math Coach prior to my role in administration. These experiences help me to support our teachers and parents each day.

At Harmony, we put children first in every decision that we make, and I am honored to be a part of such an amazing school. I look forward to working with our parents and students to make this the best year ever!

Education:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education – University of Georgia

· Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Policy – University of Georgia

· Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership – Lincoln Memorial University

I am Emily Nelson, and it is an honor to serve as an Assistant Principal at Harmony. I love my role supporting our staff, students, and parents as we work together to create a strong learning community that encourages every learner to be successful. Harmony is a wonderful place to work and learn thanks to our supportive community and caring staff.

I am in my 18th year in education. As a product of Gwinnett County Schools, it has been so wonderful to work in the district that was part of my educational journey. I began my career teaching first grade, and then served many years as a K-5 Literacy Coach, where I provided professional development to teachers. I am currently in my 9th year at Harmony as an administrator.

I encourage you to become an active participant in your child’s education by communicating regularly with your child’s teacher, taking advantages of opportunities to volunteer at school, and becoming involved with our PTA. I look forward to a great school year as we build a partnership together to support our incredible students.

Education:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education - University of Georgia

· Master’s Degree in Reading and Literacy - Walden University

· Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership - Georgia State University

· Educational Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership – Georgia State University