Meet the School Leadership Team
Principal
Kaitlyn Dobyns
The Elizabethtown Area School District named Bear Creek School Kaitlyn Dobyns the school’s new principal on November 25, 2025.
Kaitlyn brings a strong record of leadership, instructional expertise, and dedication to student-centered education. She joined Elizabethtown Area Middle School as the Dean of Students in August 2022 before transitioning to Assistant Principal in January 2023. In August 2024, she became one of Bear Creek School’s two Assistant Principals.
Kaitlyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Secondary Education from Shippensburg University in 2013. She continued her professional growth by completing a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis on Peace from Elizabethtown College in 2019 and later obtained her administrative certificate from Shippensburg University in 2021.
Her passion for literacy and instructional excellence is highlighted by her involvement in the English education community. She has attended and presented at multiple conferences, including the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Before joining the Elizabethtown Area School District, Kaitlyn spent several years teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade English Language Arts at Susquehanna Township. There, she developed deep experience in Restorative Practices, project-based learning, and strengthening positive school climate initiatives. She also played a key role in reestablishing multi-tiered interventions and promoting collaborative learning across the district.
Ms. Dobyns can be contacted by phone at (717) 367-0210 or by email at kaitlyn_dobyns@etownschools.org.
Assistant Principals
Mike Pericci
Mr. Mike Pericci joined the Elizabethtown Area School District as a high school English teacher in 2001. Mr. Pericci graduated from Penn State University
with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications. He later received his Secondary Education English Teaching Certificate from Penn State. In 2016, Mr. Pericci earned his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from California University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to coming to Bear Creek School, Mr. Pericci taught English at the Elizabethtown Area High School for 15 years. He was also the girls' and boys' basketball coach at the high school. Later, Mr. Pericci moved to the Elizabethtown Area Middle School to become the Dean of Students and then the Assistant Principal for three years. After working in the middle school, Mr. Pericci transitioned to become the principal at Mill Road Elementary School. When Mill Road Elementary closed, Mr. Pericci moved into a District Office position as the Student Supports Coordinator and K-5 Associate principal, positions he held for the past two school years.
As Mr. Pericci enters his 24th year in the Elizabethtown Area School District, he is thrilled to be able to serve the students and staff at Bear Creek School! Outside of school, Mr. Pericci enjoys spending time with his wife, Denise, and his two children, Juliana and Luke, both of whom are students in the Elizabethtown Area School District. Mr. Pericci is a huge Penn State football and North Carolina basketball fan. Mr. Pericci looks forward to continuing to build positive relationships with the students, staff, and families at Bear Creek School.
Mr. Pericci can be contacted by phone at (717) 367-0210 or by email at michael_pericci@etownschools.org.