Principal's Welcome

Dear Carmel Creek Families,

Welcome to the new school year, Cougars!  I am thrilled to be your Principal and feel very fortunate to be working alongside such a superstar team of students, teachers and staff.

As Carmel Creek & Solana Pacific’s Assistant Principal in '21-22 and '22-23 school years, I have enjoyed getting to know the amazing families in our SBSD community.  I have been Principal at Carmel Creek since 2023. Prior to working at SBSD, I spent nine years at Rancho Santa Fe School District as a science & robotics teacher and Assistant Principal.  My early teaching career began in 2006 in my hometown of Worthington, Ohio, where I came from a family of educators.  I earned my Bachelors and Masters degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. 

From personal experience, I know that being a parent is the toughest job in the world.  My wife and I have three children; sons in 6th grade and 3rd grade and a daughter who is 5 years old.  As both a parent and an educator, I truly value the partnership between these roles to develop a whole student.  I look forward to seeing you on campus and working together to foster a welcoming, diverse & strong community for our students.

It is truly an honor to serve as principal of Carmel Creek. This school has a rich history since it was established in 1994. The staff and students have earned the prestigious California Distinguished School Award in 2000, 2023, 2025. I was fortunate to have been honored with the Elementary Principal of the Year Award this past spring for San Diego and Imperial Counties. These recognitions are a representation of our P.A.W.S. Pledge that we all live out each and every day. Our Cougars are elevated in their learning and supported socially and emotionally by highly qualified educators who learn each year what it takes to lead this new generation of students.  

With gratitude,

Mr. John Galipault 

Principal | Carmel Creek School