NEW SALEM, North Dakota (STPNS) -- When school opens for the 2007-2008 school year here August 22 not only will there be some new students, but also some new faces in the principal?s offices at both the elementary and high school.

Welcome Brandt Dick, who has been hired to fill the position of principal at New Salem High School, and Deborah Vining, the new principal at Prairie View Elementary here.

Brandt Dick, Bismarck, has accepted the positions of high school principal at NSHS as well as athletic director. He is not altogether new to New Salem, as wife Janelle (Kilen) is a 1991 NSHS graduate. The couple have two daughters, Brenna, age 4, and Britta, 18 months. Janelle is employed with Bartlett and West, an engineering firm, in Bismarck.



Dick, originally from Munich, ND, attended Northwestern University in St. Paul where he received his bachelor?s degree in math education and Bible. He completed his master?s degree through Minot State University, and received his secondary principal credential from the University of Mary in Bismarck. He was employed with Shiloh Christian School in Bismarck for 11 years, serving as athletic director there for three years and administrator two years. He then took a break from education and took a position as office manager with Juel Distribution, a food service distributor of Bismarck. Last year he taught 7th through 12th grade math at Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock school where he also coached junior high boys? basketball and helped with the school?s track program.

Dick said when he graduated from high school and was making college plans, a career in education was not his initial choice.

?I was originally going to college to be an accountant, but I decided I really didn?t like my accounting classes, but I loved my calculus class and I was in sports, so I decided becoming a math teacher and coach was the best way to combine the two.?

Later on education administration became appealing and he pursued his secondary principal credential.

Dick also began the cross country program when he was with Shiloh Christian School, and coached the sport there for nine years. He will be coaching cross country here this year and told the Journal it?s great to get back to the sport.

Along with squeezing in time with his family, he also enjoys sports and he and his wife are active in their church and church activities.

He said he has been able to get acquainted with some of the teachers and staff at the schools and is looking forward to the start of the school year.

?The New Salem community is very supportive of the school and school activities and I?m happy to be a part of it.?

Deborah Vining comes to New Salem from Mott and has been employed with the Mott-Regent School District for the past 20 years.

A native of Casselton, she completed her undergraduate work at Valley City State, obtaining her masters degree at North Dakota State University and her specialists degree from NDSU-Tri College.

Prior to accepting the principal position with Mott-Regent, she taught school in Fingal, Pettibone, Argyle, MN, and also taught in the health, phy. ed. and recreation areas at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD. In Mott she taught Title I half-time, as well as handling the elementary principal duties.

?All of my teaching and administrative work experiences have been enjoyable,? Vining relayed.

She said she chose first, the field of education because she is a people person and enjoys working with kids. She also loves a challenge, and the administrative side of her career presented that.

?Working in administration I could see challenges and it opened up even more opportunities,  opportunities to work with more people, students, parents, school staff, even grandparents. It opened up a wider range of opportunities in education.?

Vining, who just recently moved here, said she enjoys riding bike, walking and just being outdoors, and also some latch hook during the winter months.

She said she is eagerly anticipating the new school year and her new job.

?It?s quiet here now, but I?m ready for the school year to start, to get to know more people and see the students.?