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Principal for the Day!
Raytheon Executives Gained Great
Appreciation for the Principalship...
On Monday, April 16, 2007, two Raytheon
executives from the Space and Airborne Systems served as Principals for
the Day. Melvin Jackson, Jr. (Director of Diversity - Human Resources)
and Darryl Wooldridge (Director of Operations - Operations) spent half a
day with the students and staff at 186th Street School. The high
powered, impressive, intelligent corporate leaders interacted and shared
in some very special moments in the lives of the children and staff. The
interaction was up close and personal with many of America's future
leaders. The corporate leaders also experienced some of the
unpredictable situations that occur in the daily operations of an
elementary school principal. Upon arrival to the assignment, Mr. Jackson
informed Mrs. Reed, the regular school principal, that the corporate
setting and the school setting were quite different from his reality.
Mr. Jackson explained that the executives were use to a schedule that
stated where one goes from point A to point B; the spontaneity of the
day had him a little concerned. Everyone laughed and proceeded to start
the day of reading, writing, arithmetic, and surprises. Mrs. Reed
informed both executives that the principalship was "like a box of
chocolates...you never know what you are going to get!" The day opened
with the morning assembly and having Mr. Jackson and Mr. Wooldridge
greet the student body and present the "Hoot of Honor" awards. Prizes
were given to students who made wise decisions during the past week
through a behavior modification program. After being introduced to the
pride and joy of the school, the team of leaders visited classrooms to
see the children soaring to academic excellence during the magical
moments of teaching and learning. They saw kindergarten children were
making paper mache piggy banks for their money unit and Mr. Wooldridge
gave each student a dollar for their first deposit. They saw second
grade students doing an archaeology dig, story dioramas in the fourth
grade classrooms, and schoolwide science projects. By 9:00 a.m., Mr.
Jackson and Mr. Wooldridge asked, "when do we get a coffee break?" We
chuckled and kept moving. The gentlemen explained that by 9:00 a.m.,
they would have had a few cups of coffee and they would not have done so
much walking. That brought another good laugh. As we visited each
classroom, both gentlemen had an opportunity to meet, greet, and
encourage the children to keep putting forth their best efforts. We had
a great day of fun showcasing the fabulous programs at 186th Street
School. One special moment of the day occurred when we concluded the
Kindergarten assembly. Mrs. Reed reminded the students to make sure they
completed their classwork and homework, and then Mr. Wooldridge shouted,
"You are all wonderful children!" He shared that something just came
over him and he had to shout out the comment. We all felt inspired. Mr.
Jackson and Mr. Woolridge were both honored to spend the day with the
Wise Owls. We were honored to have them visit our school too. We hope
that our day together will foster a long lasting partnership with our
executive friends and the Raytheon Corporation. The corporate leaders
left the school enlightened, encouraged, and exhausted!
The children were also very excited also to meet Alain Ekmalian, the
Raytheon photographer. They were not shy for the camera.
Melvin Jackson, Jr. is a former USC and NFL football player (Green Bay
Packers). His daughter, Quiana Caldwell, is one of our outstanding
teachers at 186th Street.
We will long remember the day our corporate friends took the time to
stop by our school and say I care about you and your future.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Marcia Reed, Principal
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