A new chapter began last Friday for West Marin and Inverness Schools, when Beth Nolan, an educator from the East Coast who recently moved to Mill Valley, stepped in as a full-time interim principal for the duration of the year. Ms. Nolan, who most recently worked as an assistant principal for a 550-student elementary school in Chelsea, Mass., moved to California last summer with her dog, Violet, to be closer to her extended family and start a new life in the Bay Area, a long-held dream. Her resume boasts a master’s degree in special needs and elementary education from Boston College and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Boston University, a decade as a lead classroom teacher for first through third graders and a stint as reviewer of books for young readers for a peer-reviewed publication. “I’m really excited for this opportunity, to get to know the community, the students and the families,” Ms. Nolan said. She met her students last week, introducing herself; on the playground she recalled looking up and remarking to them, “Oh, there are cows!” The district always intended for the position to be a one-school-year stint while it looked for a permanent placement, but its first appointment, Chris Eckert, previously the sixth-grade teacher at West Marin, took an unexpected leave last semester. A long-time Marin County principal, Rey Mayoral, came out of retirement in December to fill in, but resigned a week later when a scandal from his past that involved alleged sexual harassment and assault came to light in this newspaper. Superintendent Bob Raines said he posted the principal job this week and the district hopes to make a permanent hire by April. Referred by a graduate of the district, Ms. Nolan “felt like a great match,” Mr. Raines said. “She has a lot of energy, and she is very thoughtful in her responses to the kids, very relatable. She brings a new perspective from outside of Shoreline and Marin County, and is someone we can learn from.”