Rhiannon Polite

Dear Lebanon Road Elementary families,

Lebanon Road opened in 1989 as a neighborhood school in Mint Hill. Today, Lebanon Road serves approximately 750 students in pre-kindergarten through grade five.  Lebanon Road’s vision is Success for All; our mission statement is Learn Respect Excel. Leo the Leopard is our mascot. 

Our leopard family is an amazing group. Nearly half of our teachers have more than 10 years of teaching experience, and our students speak more than 20 different languages. We honor this diversity through an annual cultural fair, which is one of our most popular family events. Lebanon Road students have opportunities to engage in rich academic programming. Among the options are Math Olympiad, Camp Invention, Heart Tutoring support, and outdoor learning through a partnership with Out Teach.  Lebanon Road also provides numerous after-school enrichment opportunities such as Geek Squad, tennis club, basketball, pep squad, and Lebanon Young Women’s Club..

In the 2017-2018 school year, LRE won the Roberts Award through New Leaders, giving us $25,000. This prestigious national award supported our implementation of personalized learning and flexible learning environments. Those environments are also stable: Lebanon Road’s teacher turnover rate is consistently below that of the district and the state. This fall, we were selected to receive a Big Dig and an Out Teach outdoor learning lab to support curriculum-aligned outdoor learning on our campus. This was made possible by contributions from the Charlotte Hornets and Novant Health.  

I am proud to be the principal of Lebanon Road Elementary. Our school community is often described as a family, and I believe community and connections are requirements for students’ success. Nothing makes me happier than building relationships that allow people, both students and teachers, to thrive. 

On a personal note, I am a wife and a mother. My husband is a small business owner, and we have a brave, beautiful toddler who keeps us very busy. We are proud Michigan sports fans! Like many in Charlotte, I am a transplant to this state. I grew up in Michigan, and I attended the University of Michigan where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. From there, I moved to Charlotte and I continued my studies at UNC-Charlotte to obtain my teaching license. I began teaching in CMS at West Mecklenburg High School, and I remained there for three years. I left to pursue my Masters degree, and I earned my Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2009. Following this, I returned to the classroom and taught in Washington DC at both traditional public schools and as founding faculty of a charter high school. I returned to Charlotte because I missed the nice weather and southern hospitality. I was accepted to New Leaders, a national leadership training program. I started my school leadership journey at Statesville Road Elementary school, and I have served as an assistant principal at every level pre-K through high school. 

As my time at the school continues, I look forward to getting to know you and your families as well. Thank you for choosing CMS and Lebanon Road Elementary for your student!

Rhiannon Polite, principal