Have you ever been “in charge” of anything? I know that as adults with families, most of us are “in
charge” of taking care of our children, our spouses, and possibly even our extended families. Maybe
some of us are even “in charge” at work, if you are a manager, an owner of a company or various other
leadership titles. Well, I have some experience with this role at my own job as an English teacher at
Plant High School, running 6 class periods daily. On average, a high school teacher has 150-175 students on roster…and as for parents, well you can imagine the number of parents I “lead” through their 9th grader’s challenges. What I can say is that being in a leadership position is not easy; In fact, I would say that it is extremely challenging to manage people of ANY age. This writing is inspired by one leader who I feel deserves recognition. I know she will probably be against this very blog I write, but TOUGH!

I am writing about our very own principal, Kelly Reilly. Ms. Reilly has led Holy Trinity Lutheran School
from an almost failing school to the place we all call “home” today. HTLS is a place full of God, love,
amazing teachers, and rigorous academics. In addition, the school provides many opportunities to come
together and be a family past school hours. In case anyone was unaware, Ms. Reilly leads all these areas, and she leads with passion and a genuine want to be present in the lives of all who are lucky enough to be a part of this school community.

I have never seen an individual work as hard as she does: most of us wonder if she even sleeps at night.
Her leadership is a God-given gift. There is no other explanation. The most amazing part may be that she is friends with all of those who she leads…now that is impressive to me. To get people to be the most productive they can, to encourage, to mentor, to constructively criticize when necessary, and to be in friendships with these people! WOW! Her personality is magnetic, her energy is contagious and her determination to continue to improve HTLS, are all reasons that we need to remember Ms. Reilly this
season of giving.

I am not asking for anyone to buy something for her; I simply ask that you remember to write a kind
email, send a nice text, give her a positive comment in passing or even pray for her continued strength
and sanity as we may embark on a middle school expansion into next school year, I know she will
appreciate it. This blog is a small way for me to say “Thank you” for all you do.

Kelly Reilly … you are one of a kind and we are all blessed to have to you in our lives and as our principal. Merry Christmas to the BEST out there.

We Love you,
The Walker Family and the entire HTLS and HTLC Community
xoxo