Principal's Message

I’m thrilled to be joining the Panther family and the Van Allen Team! My roots are deep in Germanville, Iowa, on our family farm where I attended Fairfield CSD. I graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish, including an endorsement in Reading from Central College in Pella, Iowa. In the Spring of 2017, I graduated with a Master’s in Educational Leadership PreK-12 from the University of Iowa.   My journey in education spans six years as a teacher at Prairie City Elementary, followed by four years as a Literacy Consultant with the GPAEA. Over the past four years, I have served as the Harmony Center Principal and Director of Instructional Services for PreK-6 in Van Buren County CSD.

My husband is a Mt. Pleasant native, and together, we have two daughters: Collins, who is 4 years old, and Harper, who is 5 months old. We are excited for them to become little Panthers as well!

In our downtime, we enjoy bonfires, game nights, ranger rides, and relaxing by rivers, lakes, or oceans. I’m also passionate about learning new things, whether it's through educational pursuits or active hobbies like pickleball. I look forward to working alongside all of you and serving our students!

Melanie Collora, Principal

Van Allen Elementary