About Dr. Eldridge
I am proud to be the principal at Rocky Hill Middle School! Our school is one of 40 middle schools in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Being a strong instructional leader is an essential part of being an administrator. I have demonstrated a long-term commitment to teaching and learning through ongoing professional development and also recertified my National Board Teacher certification in the area of Middle Childhood Generalist. My background in special education and equity research is the foundation for school planning for diverse student learning needs.
I continue to develop strategies to assist instructional leaders, and mentor assistant principals whose mission is to improve student learning. The essential work of our instructional leadership team is focused on building a strong school improvement plan that will meet the specific student needs of the adolescent learners in our school. This year we will continue to building the capacity of our leadership team to analyze our current school improvement plan to make data-driven decisions based on student and school performance data.
Collaboration and communication are essential keys to school success! I work collaboratively with parents, staff and our students to focus on high academic achievement for all students at Rocky Hill Middle School. It is my vision and passion to continue to continue leading as an advocate for all of our students at Rocky Hill Middle School in order to take all children to the highest levels of academic achievement, by access to the most comprehensive and rigorous educational opportunities available. Go Wildcats!
Education
- Doctorate, Educational Policy and Leadership, University of Maryland
- Masters, Special Education, Johns Hopkins University
- Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, University of Maryland
- MCPS graduate!
About Mr. Ambush
I am excited to be a part of the Rocky Hill Middle School teaching and learning community. As an educator of 32 years, I always enjoy supporting the educational vision for young people in a school community. It gives me the opportunity to talk about the value of hard work and goal setting. I began my career in Montgomery County Public Schools as a choral music teacher in 1984. In 1998 I began my career as an assistant principal at Neelsville Middle School.
As a choral music teacher, I organized choral programs, directed drama productions and programs, and served as the gifted and talented coordinator. During my tenure as assistant principal, I have worked with school improvement teams, developed and coordinated master schedules, and lead school wide testing initiatives.
I grew up in Frederick County Maryland where I attended Frederick High School. I attended the University of Maryland in College Park where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in music education. As a music major, it gave me opportunities to travel around the world. One example of this is my experiences in performing for our military service men and women in places like Ankara and Istanbul Turkey as well as Rome Italy. I have served as a church organist and Minister of music for local churches. I also developed the Allen Ambush Jazz quartet. I had the opportunity to perform at the Washington, D.C. funeral service for the great boxer Joe Louis. I went on to study Educational policy and Leadership at Ohio State University and earned a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from Hood College.
About Ms. DeFiore
I am proud to serve the wonderful students, staff and community of Rocky Hill Middle School as an assistant principal. I love working with middle school students because they are at an age that is characterized by incredible growth, new interests and passions, natural curiosity, new and continuing friendships, and strong feelings about the people and world around them. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with such a passionate and committed group of teachers and staff , who also love adolescent learners, to support the development of our Rocky Hill students as they embark on or continue their middle school journey of learning and growth. As an educator, I appreciate the daily interactions with middle schools student and I enjoy their humor and confidence. I value their unique and varied perspectives and experiences, which make them special.
Prior to joining the staff at Rocky Hill MS, I taught students at both the elementary and middle school level at several schools throughout Montgomery County Public Schools and I served various leadership positions including team leader, math and English/reading content specialist, staff development teacher, and program coordinator. Most recently, I served as a central office administrator as the director of the Teacher Leadership Unit, which is responsible for the training and job-embedded coaching for all new and experienced teacher leaders and administrators in MCPS. It is my goal to bring the knowledge, skills and experiences of my previous roles to my role as assistant principal at Rocky Hill and continue to learn and grow as an educator and a leader. Continuous learning is a core value that drive me in my work.
Collaboration is critical to effective instructional leadership. I will work closely with Dr. Eldridge, the administrative team, the instructional leadership team, staff, and parents to provide each child with engaging rigorous instruction in an environment that is both supportive and welcoming. Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, learn and grow and I will collaborate with the Rocky Hill staff as we work hard each day to ensure every child has that opportunity.
I look forward to working with you to ensure your child receives the very best education at Rocky Hill MS.
Education:
- Masters, School Administration, Johns Hopkins University
- Bachelors of Science, Elementary and Middle Education, James Madison University