STERLING – Three new principals and three new administrators are ready to welcome students and staff to a new year when Sterling schools begin session next week.

When Superintendent Tad Everett created an administrative position, it also created a domino effect with a shuffle of building administrators.

Matt Birdsley moved from the Challand Middle School principal’s office and started July 1 as Sterling’s director of curriculum and instruction. The Fulton native previously was principal at Washington Elementary and an assistant principal at Challand before taking over there in 2014.

The director of curriculum and instruction position had been shared by various district administrators for the past few years; he’ll manage curriculums and evaluate teachers at its six schools.

The vacancy at Challand will be filled by former Washington Principal Lindsy Stumpenhorst. The Franklin Grove native will begin her sixth year in Sterling administration, which included a stint as Challand’s assistant principal.

“I am very excited to be back at Challand where I started my administrative career as the assistant principal,” she said. “Matt Birdsley and I have been working together to make the transition as smooth as possible.

“One of the best things about coming to Challand is being able to follow the Washington students here.”

Stumpenhorst won’t be the only new administrator at Challand. Emily Stephenitch takes over as its dean of students, replacing Mark Morris, who became principal of the Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Office of Education’s Nachusa alternative campus after Janet Kacvinsky’s retirement.

Liz Engstrom takes over at Washington after spending the last decade working up the ladder from teaching. The Lombard native had been one of Sterling High School’s two assistant principals for the past couple of years, and she’s excited to have her own building this year.

“The staff is great,” she said. “It’s exciting with the changes that we’re doing with math and developing the English [curriculum]. It’s fun to see where they’ll end up as I work with the staff to build that foundation.”

The last two positions were secured after Wednesday’s school board meeting.

Amy Downs fills Engstrom’s position at the high school. The 2002 Sterling High graduate comes over from Franklin Elementary, where she had been principal for 5 years.

She and Birdsley are working on a new elementary math curriculum, which will be in place this year.

“Going from the bookends of the district – working with pre-K students to now high school students – I am really looking forward to being a part of students growth over time and how Sterling Public Schools impacts each student in a positive way,” she said.

“Educators influence students daily with their examples as well as their relationship with students, and I am excited to build these relationships at Sterling High School.”

Brooke Dir is new to the district’s administration, but is a 1999 graduate of the high school. She takes over for Downs at Franklin after serving 4 years as principal at East Coloma-Nelson Elementary in Rock Falls.

“My goals are for each child to feel safe and loved while reaching their fullest academic potential throughout the school year,” she said. “I will do my best to ensure this takes place for each and every student at Franklin.”

Andrew Blackert takes over for Dir at East Coloma-Nelson, and has added athletic director responsibilities. He had been a fourth-grade teacher at Bureau Valley North Elementary in Walnut.

“This has created a sense, for us, of some newness and we’re excited about that,” Everett said. “I’m elated that we had people that internally shifted into positions that were growth in their career. They were all voluntary transfers, and they wanted to go into those positions.”