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H-BC welcomes new secondary principal

Lead Summary
By
Glenda McGaffee

Hills-Beaver Creek School District will welcome Molly Schilling as the new secondary school principal for the 2018-19 school year.
Superintendent Todd Holthaus previously served as high school principal but will now assume the elementary principal position in Beaver Creek.
The new hire and shift of responsibilities stems from previous H-BC elementary principal Jason Phelps resigning to become middle school principal (grades 6–8) in Luverne.
“This is a new era at the high school with new leadership under Molly Schilling,” Holthaus said.  “We drew some very good interest in the secondary principal position in that we had 21 applicants. I’m excited to work alongside Mrs. Schilling as she shares her time and talents with the H-BC secondary students and staff.”
Schilling, who is originally from Rock Valley, Iowa, lives on an acreage outside of Ellsworth with her husband, Curt.
They have three children, a son, Griffin, 8, who will be in second grade, and two daughters, Chandler, 5, beginning kindergarten, and Sawyer, who will be 2 in September.
Schilling has been principal at Little Rock, Iowa, for grades prekindergarten through eighth grade for the past eight years. She taught science for grades 7-12 in Ellsworth for four years.
Schilling graduated from Rock Valley in 2003, attended South Dakota State University, Brookings, for two years, then transferred to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and earned a double major in biology and chemistry with a secondary education endorsement in 2007.
She earned her Master of Education degree in educational leadership in 2011 from the University of Sioux Falls and graduated in 2018 from the University of Sioux Falls with an Education Specialist degree for superintendence.
“I was given a unique experience as student body president in high school to be on a committee looking at revamping education and particularly inclusion with school board members, administrators, and teachers,” Schilling said.
“I loved the opportunity to work together thinking about creating engaging and challenging opportunities for all. This experience sparked the passion for education and, more in particular, administration to play a bigger role in facilitating learning for students and staff.  I also am drawn to the relationships formed with students, staff and parents.”
Schilling said she’s looking forward to working with the students and staff in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District during the 2019-20 school year.
“A few general preliminary goals for myself starting out will be to meet everyone and begin to understand the culture and climate at H-BC,” she said. 
“I am excited about the possibilities to work as a team to tweak an already reputable school system to enable students and staff to achieve greater successes. Standardized assessments do not tell the whole story of a school system, but I would like to bring the secondary scores up with similar success as the elementary growth experienced within the last three years.” 
She said she wants to build a format for increased parent and community partnerships and communication.
“I, along with my family, feel very blessed to join the Patriot school family,” Schilling said. “We have received many warm welcomes already. Thank you!”

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