RHMS ADMINISTRATION
About Mr. Johnson
My name is Darryl V. Johnson. I am excited and proud to serve as principal of Rocky Hill Middle School. I was born in Newark, New Jersey. My love for learning and education were nurtured by my mom, a retired educator, my brother and five sisters. I have one amazing son and a beautiful daughter-in law. I also have twenty nieces and nephews and a mini bulldog, named Bella, whom I love very much! My core values are based on faith, family, and the responsibility of leaving a thing better than when you found it. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, sports (Go NY Giants!), health & fitness, traveling, history and helping others. I am also a self-proclaimed “foodie”! I love to experience different cultures and people through food.
I earned B.S. degree with ancillary credits in history cum laude, and M.S degree with ancillary credits in special education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. I received my administrator certification from McDaniel College, and I am currently pursuing an advanced certification from Teachers College-Columbia University. I started my career as a teacher in Newark Public Schools. This is my twenty-second year in Montgomery County Public Schools, the best school system in the country! I began my MCPS career in 2000 as a school counselor. I have enjoyed successful years of service at Kingsview Middle School, Redland Middle Schools, and John F. Kennedy High School. I proudly served as assistant school administrator and assistant principal at Robert Frost MS where I spent the last fourteen years. Most recently, I served as principal intern at Gaithersburg Middle School.
My vision for Rocky Hill Middle School is we will be the best middle school in MCPS, Maryland, the United States and Globally. We center and ground our work in diversity and equity. We intentionally create psychologically and emotionally safe spaces for adults and children. We want ALL students to be positioned to thrive in their future, so we are committed to giving them what they need to be successful. Our diversity is our strength which is why we are always GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER.
One of my favorite quotes is by Abraham Lincoln and it sums up my passion to continue to transform the lives of students and the communities I serve. “I do the best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
About Mr. Horsley
It is an honor and privilege to serve the community of Rocky Hill Middle as an Assistant Principal. As an educator with over 20 years of experience, I realize the great responsibility that I have to inspire, empower, and influence the adolescent learner, as well as have a positive impact with families, staff, and community members.
At Rocky Hill, every student counts and every moment matters. I enjoy witnessing the transformative moments of middle schoolers as they experience tremendous growth and development in their level of curiosity, adversity, advocacy and peer relationships. I am fortunate to be in a position to support students as they navigate their learning paths to explore real-world problems and engage in meaningful experiences.
Throughout my educational career, I have been committed to helping students to maximize their fullest potential on the elementary, middle, high and post-secondary level. My humble beginnings started at the elementary level where I taught and led 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade; later on, I transitioned to the secondary level serving as a Reading Specialist/Literacy Coach, a Content Specialist, a Ninth Grade Academy Coordinator and an AVID Program Coordinator. Outside of the traditional school setting, I spent time as an Instructional Specialist, Curriculum Writer and a Trainer/Instructor for Continuing Professional Development courses.
No matter the role I have served in education, I always return to my core values which includes the idea that education is a social right-- not a privilege. Education is the great equalizer and an instrument to change the world. It is with the aforementioned that I go forward to make a positive impact towards equity and excellence for all our students at Rocky Hill to ensure that they will make their own positive and lasting impact in the world.
Education:
- Graduate Certificate, Educational Leadership, McDaniel College
- Masters, Reading Education (K-12), Bowie State University
- Masters, Curriculum and Instruction, John Hopkins University
- Bachelors of Science, Elementary Education, Norfolk State University
About Mr. Miller
Hello Wildcats! My name is Danny Miller and I am thrilled to join the Rocky Hill team this year as your Assistant Principal. As an MCPS graduate, I am humbled to have the opportunity to work with our next generation of leaders and inspire them to find joy in learning. I believe all students have the ability to become anything they want to be, and it is our job to empower them with the knowledge to achieve their dreams. The only way to ensure we provide students with the tools they need to find success is to first get to know who they are and understand what motivates them. We do that through relationships! I love what I do because I have the opportunity to work with children every single day, and in doing so, learn as much from them as they do from me.
As a career changer, I am thankful everyday to wake up and get the opportunity to work in a school. I have served previously as a High School Math Teacher, Student Mentor, Staff Development Teacher, and coached both football and baseball at various high schools in the county. My time spent working with students both inside and outside of the classroom has shown me the importance of providing well-rounded educational experiences. Students have INCREDIBLE talents and abilities, and finding those talents outside the classroom can encourage growth inside the classroom as well. I loved my time spent working with students directly as a teacher and coach, and my passion for teaching and learning is something that drives my work still today.
My wife and I have three amazing daughters and one tiny dog named Turtle. When I am not at work, I love to do anything outside that involves competition and usually a ball of some sort. I have always loved sports and had the opportunity to play collegiate baseball during my time at Elon University and Mars Hill College. The lessons I learned through athletics about hard work, perseverance, and teamwork are some of the critical components that ground my work as an educator.
This is going to be an amazing school year, and I know the staff, students, parents, and community will make it that way by Growing Stronger Together!
Education:
- Graduate Certificate, Educational Leadership, Hood College
- Masters, Secondary Mathematics Education, Johns Hopkins University
- Bachelors, Finance and Economics, Mars Hill College
- MCPS Graduate!
About Ms. Yanes
My name is Magdalena Yanes. It is with great pride that I join the community of Rocky Hill Middle School as an Assistant Principal. I have served as an educator in Montgomery County Public Schools for 23 years. Of those 23 years, 19 have been in middle school. I have previously served as an Assistant Principal, Assistant School Administrator, Resource Teacher, Community Liaison, Alternative Education Coordinator, and Classroom Teacher. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from PennState University, and my Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Hood College.
I am most proud to say that I am a graduated parent of three RHMS students; Mario, Kervin, and Lizbeth. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to see my own children go through Rocky Hill, and the perspective that comes with that experience. Being able to now serve the community as an Assistant Principal brings great joy and excitement. It is with a great sense of responsibility that I commit myself to supporting your needs and those of your student/s. My core values are centered around service, relationships, and integrity. My core values are the fundamental beliefs that guide my actions and decisions.
My commitment to students' success is grounded in the belief that all students can achieve at great levels with adequate support. I aim to ensure that students are given opportunities to succeed in spite of challenges. Empowering our students to be lifelong learners while embracing and valuing each other's diverse mindsets and experiences is in the forefront of my work. My vision as an Assistant Principal is to foster an equitable learning environment for each student and to provide students with rigorous instruction, ensuring that adolescent learners are able to reach their full potential. Through my work I will strive to inspire, guide, collaborate, and support others to best serve our school community.
At Rocky Hill, we are committed to the adolescent learner. Supporting students' emotional development, as well as their academic performance is of utmost importance. We are committed to making your student’s learning experience memorable.