We continue meeting the principals and assistant principals across the McDonald County School District as part of National Principals Month. Beth Holland, Assistant Principal at White Rock Elementary is our next profile.
When you talk to White Rock Elementary Assistant Principal Beth Holland, you’ll hear the word relationship brought up a lot. That’s because she says it’s the key to helping students become learners.
“Kids learn best when they know they are loved,” Holland says. “Building relationships with students is very important to me. I also believe it’s important to build relationships with families and always show kindness and respect.”
Holland has been practicing that relationship building across the McDonald County School District for 13 years now, most of it as a teacher. Now that she’s on the administrative side, she sees an even greater opportunity to get to know her students.
“As a teacher, your relationships are usually built with the students that you teach in your classroom or grade level,” she said. “Being an assistant principal, I get to work and build personal relationships with a multitude of students across all grade levels. It’s awesome!”
Holland is in her second year as assistant principal at White Rock but says in her short time here, she’s seen some great things from the students.
“My favorite part of being an assistant principal is working with students to help them thrive and enjoy school life. Thinking back on how far some of our students have come makes me happy and I feel proud of the perseverance they’ve shown,” she said.
Besides having a great relationship with her students, Holland says watching how devoted the teachers at White Rock are to their students has been inspiring.
“I am always amazed at the dedication of our teachers. They know their students well. They know their parents, their siblings, where their students are academically and emotionally, and what they might need. They reach out to families, colleagues, the counselor, administration, and other community resources to meet their student’s needs. Our teachers go above and beyond for our students,” she said.
Holland is married with two daughters and two grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with them as well as hiking, gardening, and reading in her spare time.
She also says she enjoys spending time with students, families, and teachers at White Rock Elementary and considers it a special honor to be there.
“It’s a privilege to serve so many kids. It’s a privilege to serve the teachers and be in the classrooms and see all the great learning taking place. It’s also a privilege to work with so many families in our community.”