Megan Filiault, current Principal at Sacramento Elementary, will begin July 1

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook announced today the hiring of Megan Filiault (pronounced fill-ee-oh) to serve as the next principal at Silver Rail Elementary School.

 “Megan Filiault’s values and experiences are a wonderful match for the Silver Rail community, where she will bring a spirit of collaboration and rich experience leading inclusive, welcoming school environments,” said Superintendent Steven Cook. “We are excited to welcome Megan Filiault and have staff, families and students learn more about this engaging leader who is known for her compassion, thoughtful style and contagious laugh.”

Filiault, who is bilingual, is currently serving as Principal at Sacramento Elementary School in Parkrose School District in Portland, a position she has held for four years. Filiault says she is thrilled to join the Silver Rail community.

 “Never in my life have I experienced such a connection between a school and my core values of bringing kindness to the forefront and a focus on service to self and others. I cannot wait to join this dynamic team of educators, families and students who believe in the mission ahead of us and show so much pride in what they are doing.”

Filiault says she believes strongly in caring about students as individuals. “Every single child has personal experiences and those experiences matter. I care about their needs and their wishes and I want to focus on academic learning as well as social-emotional learning. When kids feel good, they do good. When kids have empathy for others, they pass that on to the world.”

Filiault has 20 years of teaching experience, including time in Oregon, Texas and Bolivia. She says she is looking forward to working alongside the talented Silver Rail staff, including current interim principal Stephanie Jensen, who will return to her previous position as Assistant Principal when Filiault joins the team on July 1.

In other administrative news, Kristy Knoll, currently a teacher, Dean of Students and Advanced Placement Coordinator at Summit High School, was recently selected to serve as the Assistant Principal at Cascade Middle School.