Rowan-Salisbury School System Announces 2025-2026 Principal, Assistant Principal, and Beginning Teacher of the Year
The Rowan-Salisbury School System (RSS) is excited to announce the Principal of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, and Beginning Teacher of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year.
Principal of the Year – Dr. Cory Stirewalt
As the principal of Bostian Elementary School since 2019, Dr. Cory Stirewalt is recognized by his colleagues as a strong instructional leader who executes with excellence. With a career beginning in 2002—from teaching social studies at A.L. Brown High School to serving as an assistant principal at China Grove Elementary—Dr. Stirewalt has consistently prioritized student learning and teacher engagement. Under his leadership, Bostian has emphasized building leadership capacity, strong content knowledge, and authentic relationships.
“Doing our very best to ensure that our students love learning and see a purpose behind what they are doing is paramount,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to be around teachers who understand that, and who have worked ceaselessly on this process since we brought it to the forefront last school year.”
Dr. Stirewalt continues to model lifelong learning for both staff and students, finishing his Doctorate of Education earlier in the spring of 2025.
Dr. Cory Stirewalt
Assistant Principal of the Year – Eden Sloop
Salisbury High School assistant principal Eden Sloop has built her career on creating meaningful connections with students and staff. From her beginning as a music teacher in 2012 at Granite Quarry Elementary to her current leadership role, Sloop has remained committed to engagement as the cornerstone of learning.
“It is part of my core mission to help engage our students in learning,” she shared. She emphasizes building relationships by getting to know students as individuals, starting with something as simple as remembering all their names.
Last school year, Sloop led professional development on Schlechty’s engagement framework, equipping teachers with strategies to design high-quality lessons that inspire deeper learning. Sloop’s colleagues describe her as a leader whose core value is to serve, and she believes that “all the small things add up to make big impacts.”
Eden Sloop
Beginning Teacher of the Year – Kayla DeNicholas
Kayla DeNicholas, who began her education career last school year at Millbridge Elementary, has already made a lasting impression in her first year of teaching. Colleagues describe her as “someone deeply committed to student learning, invested in building a positive school culture, and simply a joy to work alongside.”
“My first year of teaching can be summed up by two words: challenging and rewarding,” DeNicholas said.
Approaching each day with reflection, DeNicholas asks herself how she can grow, while embracing mistakes as learning opportunities and modeling resilience for her students. Her greatest joy comes from watching students grow both academically and personally, while fostering a classroom culture where every voice is heard and respected.
“My classroom is not a space where students feel that they must reach perfection,” she said, “but rather it is a space that encourages students to get 1% better each day.”
Beyond the classroom, DeNicholas played a key role in Millbridge’s Ron Clark Academy House system and helped organize the “Amazing Shake,” a schoolwide simulation designed to build students’ professional and social skills.
Kayla DeNicholas
RSS Superintendent Dr. Kelly Withers led the surprise announcements at each winner’s school last week.
“Our educators are the core of Rowan-Salisbury Schools, and Dr. Stirewalt, Mrs. Sloop, and Ms. DeNicholas represent the very best of what it means to serve students with passion and purpose,” Withers said. “Their commitment to engagement, growth, and excellence ensures that our schools are places where students truly love to learn.”
All winners received a prize bag that included gift certificates from Old Town Soap Co., Sweet Treats by Nevaeh, City Tavern, and Woodleaf Lanes, as well as a bouquet of flowers from Gold Hill Flower Co.
