The familiar face of Diane Orr is taking over the job as the new principal of the Brownsdale Elementary School. She has been a Special Educational coordinator for the Brownsdale/Hayfield School District the last five years. She is replacing Todd Kieffer as the principal. Kieffer transferred to Pine Island to be the principal of the elementary school there.

Orr explained how she was appointed principal, "I was working with the administration and we felt that I could a handle the job of Special Education Coordinator along with being principal. I have a leadership degree from Winona State. I graduated from Purdue University in Indiana. I went to Purdue and got my degree in Science and went into research, but I found I was not working with people enough and I missed that."

Orr never thought she would like to be an administrator. She got a degree in Special Education and with her job as coordinator, she found that she really enjoyed working with the staff, as this is one of her main duties.

Brownsdale Elementary has seven full-time teachers as well as part-time staff that includes instructors in speech, Title One, physical education, music, English as a second language, a librarian and a social worker. As the Special Education coordinator, Orr is in charge of 11 staff members at Brownsdale and Hayfield Schools. The staff is made up of part-time and full-time workers. They all have degrees in special education. Some of Orr’s past duties, as coordinator will be relinquished to the staff as she takes over the duties of principal.

"The Brownsdale School has an enrollment of 125 students from preschool to fifth grade. We had more Spanish-speaking children enrolled last year. Because of this, items in the school are labeled with Spanish words," Orr said.

For instance right out side of the principal's office is a clock labeled "reloj."

Orr’s hours as principal will be long. She expects she will be working as much as 60 hours a week. She keeps her energy up by taking iron and ginkgo. She is big snacker and aims every day to munch on fresh fruit but her weakness is potato chips. She isn't a coffee drinker but she sips on Lipton tea with no sugar throughout the day. She has joined a health club in Owatonna but she has not been able to find the time to get there.

"I live in Dodge Center. I do get exercise walking up and down the halls at the school during the day. I live on a farm with my husband and we have three children. I have two twin boys, Matthew and Scott that graduated last year from Triton and a daughter, Emily who is 13," Orr said.

Orr is ready for her new challenge as principal this year. She doesn't know many parents but will be greeting them with open arms. She is used to challenges in her life as her family moved to this area when her husband lost his job in Greencastle, Ind., when the IBM plant he worked at closed down.

"We also farmed there and we moved all our tractors and equipment and started all over in this area. My husband still farms and he will be retiring this year. He will have to the one to be there for our daughter," Orr said.

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com