WEST COVINA, CA —How difficult is it to be a school principal? These community members just found out. On Oct. 11, local business leaders and city officials stepped into school leadership roles during its second annual ‘Principal for a Day’ event on Oct. 11.
Students at all 14 area campuses greeted their guest-principals with colorful signs and cheers. Once bestowed their principal duties, each gained insight into the responsibilities of managing a school site and learned about the academic and extracurricular offerings in West Covina Unified.
“I am so impressed by all of the programs they have to help build the character of students,” said Reya Steele.
She is a health and nutrition instructor who visited Vine Elementary School.
“They have a social contract that uses special hand signals to foster respect among students and staff,” Steele said. “I had never seen that before. I loved every minute of it. It’s great to see how everything works.”
At Cameron Elementary, local dentist Dr. David Alfaro led the morning announcements, visited classrooms, read an excerpt from “Dragons Love Tacos” for kindergartners, and led them in the alphabet song.
Alfaro also met with the PTA, talked to fifth-graders about his career, and supervised recess.
Walnut Grove Intermediate School Principal Rich Nambu invited fellow West Covina Rotary Club member Thomas D. Allison, an attorney, professor, and social justice advocate, to visit classrooms and learn about the school’s 1:1 device initiative, intervention programs, STEM and robotics instruction and peer mentoring programs.
“Our community plays a vital role in supporting the education process and raising children successfully,” Nambu said. “We are thrilled to be able to invite local leaders onto campus to see firsthand what our schools have to offer. Students learned that there are people in our community who are looking out for them and rooting for them to succeed.”
Guest principals included West Covina’s mayor, city manager, city council members and police chief. All activities concluded with a luncheon at the district office, where they discussed partnership opportunities and recounted the day’s events. “West Covina Unified offers a wealth of engaging, rigorous educational opportunities we’re thrilled to show the community,” WCUSD Superintendent Dr. Charles D. Hinman said.