Dear Ottawa Families,

I am extremely honored to serve as the principal of Ottawa Elementary.  It is truly an honor and a longtime dream of mine to serve in this role at a school with such rich traditions, a strong sense of community, supportive and dedicated staff, and great students.

I want to take this opportunity to share with you a little about me.   I became passionate about school leadership and was excited and grateful to have the opportunity to join the Chippewa Valley Community in 2012.  I have had the opportunity to work with many communities across our district in a teacher and administrative role at Miami, Huron, Fox, Cheyenne and Shawnee Elementaries.   When I’m not at school, I enjoy spending time with my family, outdoor adventures, attending sporting events and staying current with the best practices in education. 

I want to take a moment to share my vision for our school, which resonates deeply with who I am as an educator and as a person.  First and foremost, we will work together to create a community that radiates with positivity, kindness, and inclusivity. Every student should feel a profound sense of belonging, safety, and support at Ottawa from the first moment they walk into our building. And they should be able to draw upon that feeling when they leave our halls each and every day. 

As we all know, it is crucial that we strengthen our school-wide systems and processes. Clear and open communication, collaboration, and shared decision-making will be at the heart of our work.  We are lucky to have educators at Ottawa who are deeply committed to learning and growing in their professional practices.  I am dedicated to providing our staff with the support, resources, and professional development opportunities needed to grow and strengthen their practices.  Together we can cultivate a school built on equity, critical thinking, justice, and innovation.

Finally, I am a firm believer in the power of student voice. Our students are the heart and soul of our school, and their dreams, stories, cultures, and ideas should be valued, nurtured, and given a platform to shine. I am committed to finding ways for our young leaders to become active participants in their learning and to find opportunities for student leadership within our school and beyond.

By fostering strong relationships with our families and community members we will meet our shared vision for Ottawa Elementary. I will continue to be the servant leader that you all have become accustomed to and will always lead with the students’ interests at the forefront.

We have great work to do!

All the best,

Michael R. Johnson

Principal, Ottawa Elementary