Hills-Beaver Creek School District will add four new teachers to its staff as the 2022-23 school year opens Sept. 6.
Melanie Kruse will teach special education in H-BC Elementary School after spending the past five years teaching at Lifescape Specialty School in Sioux Falls.
“I taught in a self-contained classroom for primarily low behavior needs for the first year and then for primarily medically complex needs for the past three years,” Kruse said.
The Toronto, South Dakota, native graduated from Deubrook Area School District in 2014 before attending Northern State University in Aberdeen. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education along with a recently completed master’s degree.
She’s married to Josh Kruse, and they recently moved to Luverne. The couple has one daughter, Elizabeth, 18 months.
“I am most looking forward to building bonds with students and community in Hills-Beaver Creek and to helping my students grow in their skills,” she said.
Allesia Kolles will teach K-12 music and choir at the H-BC elementary and secondary schools.
Kolles grew up in St. Michael, Minnesota, where she graduated from high school. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout and received a master’s degree from Hawthorn University.
She worked as a substitute teacher for the past four years.
“This will be my first year teaching,” Kolles said. “I am looking forward to working with the students in the H-BC community.”
Arielle Larson will fill dual roles at H-BC Elementary.
For part of her day Larson will be the district’s early childhood special education teacher. The rest of the day she will work as a paraprofessional.
As a child, Larson lived in Pipestone and moved to Luverne in 2000. She graduated from Ellsworth High School in 2004.
She received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Presentation College and spent 15 years with adults with disabilities. For the last two years Larson was a substitute teacher in Luverne and H-BC as well as being a paraprofessional at H-BC.
Six years ago she and her husband, Lance, an H-BC graduate, moved to rural Hills. The couple has a 2-year-old named Layton.
“I am most excited about this year to meet students and make connections in the community,” she said.
Isabel Sylvanie is H-BC’s new K-12 art instructor.
The Arlington, South Dakota, native attended University of Sioux Falls, where she received her art education degree.
After college she was a substitute teacher with Brandon and Sioux Falls school districts before accepting the full-time position at H-BC.
“Being back in a smaller district” is what Sylvanie is looking forward to most in her first teaching position.
She makes her home in Sioux Falls.