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| Christian (left) and Bray (right) Polk sit at Principal Kari Homb’s desk while serving as Principals for a Day at St. Joseph School in Fort Atkinson on February 5. (Contributed photo) |
FORT ATKINSON — For the second year in a row, St. Joseph School in Fort Atkinson Principal Kari Homb gave up her seat for a day and let the students take over.
Second-graders Bray and Christian Polk were Principals for a Day on February 5 — the final day of Catholic Schools Week.
The boys won the chance to be principal when their parents — Peg and George Polk — won a raffle at the school’s annual Home and School Heart Gala Fundraiser earlier this year.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to end our Catholic Schools Week,” said Homb.
Taking over
Principal Bray took the morning shift while his twin brother Christian took the afternoon duties.
Bray called the experience “awesome.”
When he elaborated on some of his duties for the day, he said, “I made copies for our secretary [and] I had to staple papers together.”
He also visited his second grade classroom where he was greeted by a “Hello, Mr. Principal.” Which Bray said made him feel “pretty happy.”
He later visited the eighth graders who were practicing for the volleyball game against the staff.
Their requests for naptime went unanswered by the temporary man in charge.
Bray would later help keep score in the volleyball game, which was won by the staff.
Christian said he enjoyed being on recess duty in the afternoon.
When he visited the eighth graders later in the day, one of them called everyone to attention saying, “Hey, everybody be quiet. Principal Polk is in the house.”
Christian said it was a “good” day.
He also got to be in charge of an afternoon assembly with the Madison Mallards baseball team where the students were encouraged to read and earn a free ticket to a game this summer.
Keeping everyone happy
Bray and Christian kept the staff smiling by bringing in homemade brownies and having pizza at lunch.
“They truly know how to keep their staff happy,” said Homb.
They both even sat and talked with the teachers during lunch.
“Sitting around with all the teachers eating pizza would normally intimidate or make a regular second grader a little uncomfortable,” said Homb, “but our two friends here are quite charismatic and carried on quite an adult conversation with all the teachers the whole time. They were not at a loss for words.”
“It was a wonderful way to end the week and I think the boys were very helpful to me and very helpful to the staff,” Homb added.
She also said the boys were perfectly fine with letting her have her job back at the end of the day.
“They do not want to be principal, so for the time being, my job is safe,” Homb said.