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February 8, 2024By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
Being a principal is fun, a big responsibility and involves helping people, working with teachers and the priest, paying bills and being a role model, students said in their “applications” for the job.
Essays with such perceptions were among entries in the “Principal for the Day” contest that St. Bernard Elementary School in Fitchburg held for Catholic Schools Week.
Deborah W. Wright, St. Bernard’s principal, said this contest, open to all students, drew many “wonderful, interesting and exhausting descriptions,” from grades 2-5, of how she spends her day. She said students’ ideas were reminders of how central the role of the school leader is in the life of Bernardians.
Second-grader Victoria C. won the contest with this essay.
“I believe it takes hard work to be the principal. You greet everybody at the door and say announcements, too. You have to talk to people when they did something to someone else. You give tours for people and set up events like parent-teacher conferences. You check the classrooms to see what the teachers are doing or teaching the kids. You sign papers, pay bills for the school and approve the lunch menu. You hire teachers, work with Father Dolan for Mass. You buy supplies for school.” (Father Joseph M. Dolan is pastor of the school’s parish, St. Bernard Parish at St. Camillus de Lellis Church in Fitchburg.)
Victoria got out of some classes Feb. 1 to work alongside the real principal.
Ms. Wright described their day as follows: “Our Principal for the Day joined me for morning drop off, greeting all Bernardians; made classroom visits from pre-K to grade 8; met all her office and support staff; took a tour of the principal’s office to see ‘behind the scenes’; learned how [the school] can send out blast emails, texts and voice mails to everyone; made afternoon announcements and led the school in afternoon prayer; called walkers and bus riders to the lobby to begin dismissal; and worked the afternoon pickup with our vice principal, Marsha McCue. It was a busy day!”
Excerpts from other essays, written about, or to, Ms. Wright, include the following.
“What does the principal do? She helps people solve problems. ... She helps new kids meet their new classmates.” (Hunter S., grade 5)
“She has to be available all day to students and to teachers…she has to be a role model not only in school but in the community. Ms. Wright chooses to pray for her students because she cares about her students. Thank you for all you do!” (Jack M., grade 4)
“I feel like you are in my Circle of Grace and I want to be just like you when I grow up because you are so brave and kind.” (Olivia D., grade 2)
“I think she tells teachers what to do, and how to teach it. ... I think that she goes home very late. She probably has a lot of homework.” (Jacob A., grade 4)
“I want to become the principal for the day because I think it would be fun. Being a principal is a hard responsibility. That is why I would like to see what it is like to be in charge.” (Dominic C., grade 2)
“‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.’ Done for the day…” (Madison H., grade 3)
“It was a lot of fun,” Ms. Wright said of the contest and of having the Principal for the Day come with her. “We plan to do it again next year and we expect an even bigger candidate pool.”
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