A principal for a day left a lasting impression during her brief stint at St. Michaels University junior school in Oak Bay.
Grade 5 student Anna Fowler was named principal for a day, opening her special day by leading staff and students through an assembly.
“It’s really fun. I really like talking in front of the school cause I like getting up on stage sometimes,” said Fowler, who celebrated her 11th birthday the day before her stint in the principal’s office.
“There was a little surprise in the assembly, we had a teachers’ test. It was really hard.”
She said the teachers were asked questions like which movie made the most money in 2014: Epic, The Lego Movie or Hunger Games? The answer is Epic, and Fowler says most of the teachers did pretty good, with the intermediate teachers even earning chocolates. She said the primary teachers may still have a bit of work to do, but she didn’t assign them any extra homework or make them write out the answer on the blackboard.
“Fortunately, I’m not that mean.”
Nancy Richards, St. Michaels’ principal on the 364 other days of the year, was more than a little impressed with her protege.
“She’s gone far and above all of the expectations I had for principal for the day,” said Richards, adding Anna organized all of the day’s activities, even bringing in coffee and muffins for the teachers.
“Her confidence level is incredible. To get up in front of the whole school, 200 children and their parents, and take them through a half-hour assembly is incredible.”
Fowler said the highlight of her day was the assembly, along with the joint lunch with primary students where she and her assistants were able to hand out candy canes that included messages on the virtue of the month: purposefulness, something Anna is in no shortage of.
And Fowler’s contributions didn’t stop at just the school. She arranged to have her fellow students allowed to wear casual clothes instead of their school uniform for the day in exchange for the donation of a loonie or toonie to B.C. Children’s Hospital. Richards estimates the event will raise about $500 for the hospital.
Fowler’s sister Mary was her inspiration for the campaign.
“My sister has a heart disease and last year she went to the B.C. Children’s Hospital to try and get it fixed but it didn’t work,” she said. “I wanted to raise money for the B.C. Children’s Hospital so those people who went through what my sister did can get the help that they need.”
Fowler said her special day has made her think about being a principal when she grows up. For her part, Richards is confident Fowler will find success no matter what career path she chooses.
“I’m just so very proud of her,” she said.