Friday, November 17, 2023
AIKEN COUNTY-Numerous community leaders, company presidents, non-profit directors, local pastors, and elected officials experienced first-hand a day in the life of a school administrator on Friday, November 17, during Aiken County Public Schools’ Principal For A Day event.
“The District first held its annual Principal For A Day event in the 2018-19 school year,” Director of Communications and Community Partnerships Merry Glenne Piccolino shared. “We’ve been excited to reintroduce this popular community engagement experience that the pandemic had put on hold and are grateful to all of the businesses and organizations who allowed their leaders time to take part in this event and serve our schools.”
From morning bus duty until the dismissal bell rang in the afternoon, 44 honorary principals served and led each of the district’s schools and programs. A “Principals Meeting” reception was held after school at the District Office, where principals and their school’s Principal For A Day gathered to share about their experiences, which many honorary principals called “eye-opening.”
On his drive to work with the Department of Energy as Deputy Manager of the Savannah River Operations Office, Edwin Deshong had passed by New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School countless times. Until this experience, he’d never been inside.
“I was truly honored and humbled to serve as the Principal for A Day at New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet,” he shared. “The leadership team, the faculty members, and the students were truly amazing. New Ellenton Middle exhibits a strong culture of creativity, academic excellence, and diligence. The students are being provided with the environment, classroom technology, and life skills required to excel in their career goals.”
Midland Valley Chamber President Jennifer Marfitt served as Principal For A Day of Aiken County’s Adult Education Center. While familiar with K-12 education from her parents’ careers and her many years working as a substitute teacher, Marfitt said seeing what the school system does to support adult learners was “the most eye-opening experience.”
“There is so much love and caring and support,” Marfitt commented of her day spent with Adult Education Principal Garen Cofer where she encountered senior citizens learning how to read, young adults working on their high school diploma, and everything in between. “One thing that struck me that I didn’t know of beforehand was that there is special education through adult education. There is that additional help there,” she explained. “It’s free and there is really no reason why anyone can’t go back to school that needs to.”
Dr. Tim McClendon, Minister at St. John’s Methodist Church, served as Principal For A Day at Aiken Elementary School. McClendon, with a family full of educators, has heard the table talk during the holidays and listened to all the ins and outs of what happens at the district office and in the classroom. “I thought I had somewhat of a good understanding having listened to all that,” he said. “Mrs. Brooks (Aiken Elementary’s Principal) showed me what it’s all about. All their staff, all their care and compassion in dealing with hard situations in a calm and collective and consistent way. It was great. I thought I was prepared for the busy day, but my feet feel it; they really do!”
In addition to Dr. McClendon, many other honorary Principals For A Day also commented on their tired feet after walking a day in a principal’s shoes.
Johnnie McCray, the HR Manager of Hubbell, served as Principal For A Day at Aiken Intermediate School (AIS). Mr. McCray says he has a newfound respect for his wife Denise, AIS Principal, and others in educational leadership. “For a husband to see what his wife really does, her connection with the students, the culture she’s developed there, it’s astounding… Eight-thousand-three-hundred and thirty-two steps,” he laughed. “You know, I spend most of my day on (Microsoft) Teams.”
Paul Knox’s Principal For A Day Stephen Newman joked that the experience made him sure that he isn’t changing careers. The Warren Baptist North Augusta Pastor commented that he had not worn the most appropriate shoes for the day after just hitting eight thousand steps entering the afternoon Principals Meeting.
“It was really cool to see the love,” Newman further commented on his day with Paul Knox Principal Casey Rogers. “I was honored to see what you do with kids every single day.”
Many honorary school leaders were moved by the passion for children they witnessed principals exhibit in following their calling.
“As police officers, we have a calling,” Jackson Police Chief Kevin Liles who served as Principal For A Day at Redcliffe Elementary shared. “I realized today that you guys have a calling just as important.”
In following Redcliffe’s Principal Mrs. Kimmerie Allen, Chief Liles witnessed her hugging and talking with her students and found what she said to them very familiar. “What was interesting is that the same thing you tell them, is the same thing I tell them as a police officer. “Think about what you are doing. You have a future. Think about your future. Make good decisions.’”
Ridge Spring Mayor Gwen Etheredge gained a better understanding of the current dynamics of students and faculty through her day spent leading Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle-High School (RSMMHS) as Principal for A Day.
At RSMMHS, “I saw a team of teachers and staff doing their best to engage students at all levels to get them to focus on their paths,” Etheredge said. In most of the classes, she observed high engagement, interest and smiles from students. In returning to her work as mayor, Etheredge says she is eager to identify and promote opportunities for the community to work together to assist schools, especially in supporting students who are not actively engaged. “We as a community have opportunities to assist our schools with giving our kids opportunities that we did not have,” she said.
With her husband on the school board and a son who teaches in the upstate, Diana Silas says she gets a lot of “secondhand information” about the educational system. Silas is the Executive Director of the Gregg-Graniteville Foundation and had an enlightening experience serving as Principal For A Day at Graniteville Elementary with Principal Michelle Padgett who she’s known for years personally but never in a professional capacity.
“She rocked it today,” she shared about Padgett following their day together which she described as far from easy. “There were things that went on that were probably normal for her, but it really gave me some insight into the educational process.”
“It’s a great way to let other professionals know what educators go through every day,” Silas shared of the event. “It was a really good experience. I would do it again and recommend to others that they accept the challenge if called upon to serve as a Principal For A Day.”
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING THE DAY LEADING OUR SCHOOLS!
Aiken ES | Rev. Dr. Tim McClendon, St. John’s United Methodist Church
Chukker Creek ES: Pastor Stephen Cannon, Millbrook Baptist Church
East Aiken School of the Arts | Dr. Angie Zaremba, Aiken Podiatry Center
J.D. Lever ES | Erin Weeks Frederick, Aiken Standard Education Reporter
Millbrook ES | Emmalee Sams, Aiken Downtown Development Director
North Aiken ES | Perjetta Hightower, Aiken County Council
Oakwood Windsor ES | Lowell Koppert, Veterans Affairs Council Chairman
Aiken Intermediate | Johnnie McCray, Hubbell Power Systems Human Resources
Kennedy MS | Adam Knight, Chick-fil-A of Aiken Marketing
Schofield MS | Geneva Wright, United Way of Aiken County
Aiken HS | Madison McCraine, Chartwells
Aiken Scholars Academy | Susan See, Nothing Bundt Cakes Owner
South Aiken HS | Jennifer Hart, ACPSD Chief Officer of HR & Administration
XSEL | Molly Jones, SRP Business Services Manager
Center for Innovative Learning | Lt. Jeremy Hembree, Aiken Department of Public Safety
Byrd ES | Jeff Lowe, Breezy Hill Water & Sewer Co.
Clearwater ES | April Weathers, Doctors Hospital RN, IBCLC
Gloverville ES | Grace Helms, SRP AVP of Community Development
Graniteville ES | Diana Silas, Gregg-Graniteville Foundation, Inc. Director
Jefferson ES | Jim Rooney, Jim Rooney State Farm Insurance
Warrenville ES | Pastor Eder Herrera, Unity Outreach Church
LBC Middle | Chief Jeff Key, Burnettown Police Department
Leavelle McCampbell MS | Dena Riley, First Baptist Church of North Augusta Care Minister
Midland Valley HS | Pastor Stephen Phillips, Christian Heritage Church
Career & Technology Center | Chad Crumbaker, Aiken Tech VP of Academic & Student Affairs
Adult Education Center | Jennifer Marfitt, Midland Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Chair
Greendale ES | Interim Chief Josh Solomon, New Ellenton Police Department
Redcliffe ES | Chief Kevin Liles, Jackson Police Department
Jackson MS | Pastor Dakota Windsor, First Baptist Church Jackson
New Ellenton MS | Edwin Deshong, Dept of Energy SRS Deputy Manager
Silver Bluff HS | Rysheeka Bush, Helping Hands, Inc.
Belvedere ES | Rett Harbeson, Johnson, Laschober & Associates Landscape Architect
Hammond Hill ES | Patrick Zier, North Augusta City Attorney
Mossy Creek ES | Lisa Christie, Pelican’s SnoBalls & Summer House Realty
North Augusta ES | Catie McCauley, The Family YMCA Chief Operations Officer
Highland Springs ES | Kim Vickers, WJBF News Channel 6 Journalist
North Augusta MS | Pat Carpenter, North Augusta City Council
Paul Knox MS | Pastor Stephen Newman, Warren Baptist Church-Belvedere
North Augusta HS | David Buck, North Augusta City Council
Busbee ES | Carolyn Rushton, Aiken County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism
RSM ES | Chief Gerry Grenier, Town of Ridge Spring Police Department
A.L. Corbett MS | Pastor Matthew Miller, First Baptist Church Wagener
RSM MS/HS | Mayor Qwendolyn Etheredge, Mayor of Ridge Spring
Wagener-Salley HS | Mayor LaDonna Hall, Mayor of Salley