About Walter Bickett
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Meet Our School Leaders
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Alfred Leon (Principal)
About Mr. Leon
Alfred Leon was named principal of Walter Bickett Elementary School at the June 2022 Board of Education meeting.
Mr. Leon is a native of Miami, Florida and relocated to North Carolina in June 2016. In Miami, he worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher and administrator for 12 years.
As a teacher, he taught Mathematics to low-performing students in grades 6-8. He later took on leadership positions, first as Department Chairperson over Special Education and later as Dean of Discipline. He was later promoted to Assistant Principal at Miami Gardens Elementary School. He then relocated to Union County and became assistant principal at East Union Middle School.
Mr. Leon is dedicated to making sure all students are allowed to reach their fullest potential by providing high-quality education to all, no matter the background or situations they come from.
Contact Mr. Leon
- Email: alfred.leon@ucps.k12.nc.us
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Dr. Gina Chisum (Assistant Principal)
About Dr. Chisum
Dr. Gina Chisum is excited to serve as assistant principal of Walter Bickett Elementary. Dr. Chisum was previously principal of Sun Valley Middle School.
It is my passion to cultivate and facilitate a collaborative, positive learning environment of continuous learning and reflection through systems thinking processes, elevating critical thinking for all school community stakeholders, and building collegial partnerships with all community stakeholders for shared accountability for all learners.
I believe that the constant variable of humankind is that people, in general, do not care what you know until it is known that you truly care. As a result, it is my educational philosophy that we build relationships with our students so that they know that there are adults in this school community who genuinely care about each child's social, emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being. This only happens when parents and educators work in unison to communicate openly and frequently to improve learning for all children.
I started my educational journey while my children attended school at Indian Trail Elementary. I volunteered as their room mom and as a PTO parent. As a substitute and interim teacher, I began to see the impact one could have on learning based on a positive attitude and a little fortitude. As a result, I returned to school at Wingate University and obtained my Professional Educator's License to teach K-6 while serving as an Instructional Assistant at Indian Trail Elementary. Once obtaining my license, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. I have also had the privilege of working with Central Services as an Instructional Technology Facilitator. In 2017, I obtained my Education Specialist degree from Wingate University. In 2018, I continued to pursue further learning and obtained a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wingate University. These opportunities have enabled me to see how the whole puzzle fits together so that at the center of each working component are our students - no part working in isolation, but each part working in symphonic harmony so that each child is empowered to embrace lifelong learning. My background has helped me to acquire substantial knowledge that makes me intuitive, personally relational, and 21st-century-driven.
Degrees and Certifications
- Doctorate of Educational Leadership, Wingate University
- Education Specialist Degree, Wingate University
- Masters in Art of Teaching, Wingate University, 2005
- National Board Teacher Certification, 2012
- Certification for Online Teaching, 2012
- Bachelors in Science of Music, Lee University, 1990
Contact Dr. Chisum
- Email: gina.chisum@ucps.k12.nc.us
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Claudia Pernas (Assistant Principal)
About Ms. Pernas
Ms. Pernas is a native of Miami, Florida, where she graduated from St. Thomas University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and relocated to North Carolina in June 2014. In Miami, she worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher for one year.
As a teacher, she taught mathematics and Spanish to low-performing second and third grade students. She then relocated to Union County and became an ESL teacher for various schools in Union County, including East Elementary for three years. She then transitioned into a DLI coordinator position within East Elementary. During this time, Ms. Pernas graduated with her master's degree in executive leadership and administration from Gardner Webb University.
She then transitioned to a role as seventh grade mathematics teacher at the Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School. She served for three years as a teacher and then transitioned to a health sciences instructional coach position until January 2023, where she then accepted her current role as Pre-K – 1 assistant principal at Walter Bickett Elementary School.Ms. Pernas lives in Waxhaw with her mother, who she is a caregiver too.Contact Ms. Pernas
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Melanie Moore (Assistant Principal)
About Mrs. Moore
Mrs. Moore is an Ohio native who graduated from Urbana University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education. After graduation, she moved to North Carolina. Before joining Union County Public Schools, Mrs. Moore taught kindergarten through 4th grade in Robeson County, Harnett County, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and was the Head of Faculty for English teachers while living in the United Arab Emirates.
Mrs. Moore was selected as a North Carolina Principal Fellow in 2020 and graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2022 with a Master’s in School Administration.
Mrs. Moore lives in Indian Trail with her husband and three dogs. She is excited to work with the students and families of Walter Bickett Elementary School.
Contact Mrs. Moore
- Email: melanie.moore@ucps.k12.nc.us
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School Performance Director
- Dr. Candice Boatright
- 704-296-3062, ext. 4073
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Professional Advisory Council Representatives
- Principal: Alfred Leon
- Representative: Wendy Mobley