Our Principal

Ms. Kristal Tuck

Greetings Mighty Mustang Families, 

Welcome to Long Creek Elementary Creative Arts Magnet! We are excited to celebrate 100 years of excellence as a school community this year. Long Creek has a rich history since the school first opened in 1923 and we are confident that the 2025-2026 school year will be exciting, inspiring, and productive for every student.  Following our creative arts magnet, we set the stage last year. Now we are taking the stage as Long Creek STARS. We Strive, Think, Achieve and Reflect. It is our time to SHINE! 

We are a community school and creative arts magnet. All of our students participate in the magnet theme. As a member of the A+ Schools North Carolina network, we focus on A+ Essentials such as arts integration, curriculum connections, experiential learning, and cultivating a creative and collaborative climate.

Through a focus on visual and performing arts, students develop their talents and passion for the arts. Students receive specialized instruction in dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. The arts are also integrated in classrooms as a supplement in all content areas. Our students are creative thinkers, welcome opportunities to showcase their creativity, and engage in hands-on learning from specialists. 

Long Creek is a Cambridge school and we continue to engage students in Cambridge philosophies such as the Learner Attributes. You will hear and see students embracing the Mighty Mustang Way as they are: confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. 

At our school, we are building each year on a long-standing tradition of excellence along with academic success. Through a focus on strong academics, real-life learning experiences, and social and emotional development we are preparing our students for their bright future. We exceeded growth goals last year and continue to set higher goals for ourselves and our students. Our dedicated staff is committed to continuous improvement and vow to get 1% better each day. 
 

The Long Creek community and families are an integral part of our school.  I invite you to participate in our school community and volunteers are always welcome. Please remember to register as a CMS volunteer. All volunteers must register each year and select Long Creek as the site. Please also remember to bring your ID to sign in upon entering the school as we are working diligently to keep our school safe.

Finally, I would like to share a little about me. I am a North Carolina native, born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C. I attended The University of North Carolina at Charlotte where I majored in Elementary Education with a concentration in English and Communications. I began my teaching career at Nathaniel Alexander Elementary as a first grade teacher. I found my passion in literacy and obtained my Master’s in Reading Education from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I then became a Reading Interventionist and Academic Facilitator at NAES where I spent a total of thirteen years. To begin my leadership journey, I went on to attend Winthrop University and obtained my Master’s in Educational Leadership. I served as Dean of Students and Assistant Principal for six years at Myers Park Traditional before becoming the proud principal at Long Creek Elementary in 2023. My passion for education continues to grow as I enter my twenty-second year as an educator here in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  

As a principal, I am committed to providing the best education possible to each of our students. I believe that every child can and will succeed. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at kristal.tuck@cms.k12.nc.us or 980-343-6095.  I look forward to working with you to ensure Long Creek continues to offer a challenging, effective educational experience in a safe, happy atmosphere.

Thank you for choosing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Long Creek Elementary Creative Arts. 

Kristal Tuck, Principal