Principle for a Day - Written by Haylee Davis
Yesterday I had the privilege of being Principal For A Day through the Wichita Falls ISD. I was approached a couple weeks ago about the opportunity and immediately wanted to say yes. I love working with kids, specifically young kids. You can imagine my surprise when I received my confirmation email letting me know I would be principal with Ms. Christy Nash at Wichita Falls High School. For some reason, it had never crossed my mind I had the potential of being placed in a high school.
With hesitancy, I showed up yesterday morning to WFHS. Students were rushing to claim their parking spots and hurry in the building before the first bell rang. I followed suite and scurried in through the large entryway. With nerves jittering, I walked in to the principal’s office. Everyone was so welcoming and excited to have me. I sat waiting on Ms. Nash to finish up her morning tasks, wondering what my first duty as principal would be. Ms. Nash came in with another staff member and introduced herself. She was very nice and friendly as well. As soon as we met, two students came in to interview her for a class assignment. She asked them to wait a few minutes and had me follow her into the hall. Our very first task of the day was walking a sweet girl to her classroom. Ms. Nash informed me that this student cannot walk to class at the same time as the rest of the student body so she gladly takes her after the first bell each morning. As we walked, Ms. Nash asked her how her family was and about her Halloween plans and costume. When we returned to the office I sat in as Ms. Nash answered all the interview questions from the two students, smiling and joking with them throughout the process. As they were leaving she asked one of the boys about basketball, encouraging him to play again this year. After the boys left, we went on a grand tour of the campus. Ms. Nash took me to several classrooms, introducing me to many of her staff and students. Every person we came across was happy to see Ms. Nash and she was happy to see them. She called almost every student by name and knew about their individual lives. We came across one student in the hall who was having a bad morning. Ms. Nash immediately stopped and sat down on the floor next to the student. She had a genuine care for the student wanting to make sure she was okay before we went on. The teachers had the same care for the students as Ms. Nash. All the teachers were also very passionate about their fields of study. In each of the classrooms we visited, teachers were engaging the students, creating environments to make learning fun. None of the classrooms we walked by had teachers sitting behind a desk. As the lunch hour drew near, I was sad I would not be coming back for the afternoon.
When I was assigned a high school, I was honestly a little disappointed because I did not think there would be any type of interaction between the principal and the students. I was so happy to find the exact opposite at WFHS. Ms. Nash sets a great tone for the whole campus by being engaged with both the staff and students. At United Way, much of our work is focused in education. We believe education is one of the most important aspects of a successful life. Yesterday I had the opportunity to see education at its finest. I am so grateful I was placed with Ms. Nash at Wichita Falls High School so I could witness all the amazing things they are doing. They are offering quality education, but more than that, they are creating an environment where students want to learn.
