J.G. Johnson Elementary welcomes new principal

There is new leadership at J.G. Johnson Elementary School.

Coming from Blackfoot, Idaho, Principal Mark Gabrylczyk arrives with solid credentials.

According to his bio, Gabrylczyk started his education career in 1998 at Idaho Falls High School as a special education paraprofessional.

After completing that assignment, Gabrylczyk was hired as a special education teacher at Idaho Falls High School for nine years where he worked with students who had learning disabilities in the areas of reading and math.

In 2005, Gabrylczyk started his administration career, serving as principal at the elementary and middle school level.

Roughly 10 years ago, a new career venture presented itself where Gabrylczyk was recruited by a food manufacturing company, as its National Food Service Manager, where he managed a food broker network throughout the United States.

The position required much travel both domestically and internationally to Asia and Mexico.

He returned to the field of education as the superintendent of the Snake River School District in Idaho to spend more time with his four sons.

During that time Gabrylczyk led his staff in improving academic achievement and was subsequently named Idaho Education Technology Administrator of the Year in 2014.

Upon his arrival in the Silver State, Gabrylczyk assumed the duties as director of the Office of Student and School Support with the Nevada Department of Education, where he led all federal and state initiatives in his time in Carson City.

He accepted the principal position at J.G. Johnson last August.

Gabrylczyk recently implemented the school’s Professional Learning Community Culture.

“I have been very fortunate in my career to have some significant training of the professional learning community culture process,” he said. “One of the district’s goals that we have from our superintendent, Dale Norton, is to start building a PLC culture, and that’s what we are in the process of doing. We are very excited at the progress our school is making and we feel that our teachers are really learning a lot about collaboration, looking at data, and making decisions for students.”

Additionally, Gabrylczyk implemented a new program at the school, dubbed the “Renaissance Club,” which occurs each month where the school hosts an ice cream social.

“The kids who are eligible for that club must not have any behavioral referrals on the bus or within the school,” he said. “If they don’t miss any school, they are eligible to come and enjoy an ice cream sundae. The kids are really excited about it because we give them lots of choices with the ice cream and toppings. They have to have parental permission to sign up and there are expectations they have to meet during the day.”

As a Pahrump resident, Gabrylczyk said the winters are not as brutal when compared to his native state.

“We love the weather, which is awesome when you compare it to Idaho,” he said. “I know July and August are going to be a little painful but my family and I are excited to be here.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes