Welcome to the Bridgewater Emery Elementary School website! My name is Kim Aman, and I am honored to serve as the principal at B-E Elementary. This year marks my 25th year in education and my 21st year in the Bridgewater Emery School System. My journey as an educator began after graduating from Black Hills State University in Spearfish with three Bachelor of Science degrees in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Composite Social Science. I consider myself a life-long learner and completed a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. I am originally from Minnesota, but I did spend parts of my childhood in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Alabama, eventually graduating high school in Rapid City, South Dakota. Attending a variety of schools when growing up has helped shape my educational views as well as contributed to my ability to think outside the box when problem-solving. I began teaching in the Chokio-Alberta School District in Chokio, Minnesota as a Special Education teacher, where I was named Teacher of the Year in 1999 and 2001 for helping struggling students learn to read. After my family and I moved to South Dakota, I was fortunate to begin working at the Bridgewater School District as a Special Education teacher. I have served the Bridgewater-Emery School community over the past 21 years as a teacher, a K-5 principal in Bridgewater and Emery when the communities had separate school districts, and as a K-5 principal after the two schools consolidated, working in both towns. I currently work at the Bridgewater site after a successful restructuring of our K-5 and 6-12 school buildings. 

 

I have one daughter, London, and she will be working on a Ph.D. in neuroscience in Munich, Germany, over the next five years. My husband, John, works for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  In my spare time, I love running in the early mornings, photography, reading, going to movies, and generally, just spending quality time with my family. I have enjoyed extensive travel throughout Europe with my family on numerous occasions and have found value in helping my daughter develop a global view of the world around her. Our family loves experiencing different cultures, and we had the time of our lives hosting a foreign exchange student from Holland during the 2015-2016 school year. Professionally, I am involved with organizations such as the South Dakota Association of Elementary School Principals and periodically attend National Elementary School Principals Association conferences when available to do so.

 

As a parent myself, I understand many of your cares, concerns, and even proud moments! I enjoy working with our students, parents, and staff at Bridgewater-Emery Elementary School. Please feel free to contact me at kim.aman@k12.sd.us or 605-729-2541 if I can be of any assistance. 

 

Once again, thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education! I know that together, we can make this year the most successful and exciting year ever as we lead our students to think beyond boundaries and perform above the standards.