(ROCKWALL, TX — October 29, 2018) On Oct. 12, I had the exciting opportunity to be Principal for a Day at Billie Stevenson Elementary School. And I have to say, I couldn’t have been more honored to get to shadow Principal Mike Pitcher for the day!
Mike showed me the ins and outs of what it means to be the head honcho at an elementary school. Folks, I could barely keep up with this man! From the moment I met him, I loved the energy and passion he showed throughout the day. It was very clear early on that Mike absolutely loves his job and loves the people he works with at Stevenson.
Perhaps what really stood out to me about Mike was his love for the children. Mike knew almost every kid we passed in the halls by name. That’s really saying something, because the student body at Stevenson encompasses around 650 students. Mike would always strike up a conversation with any kid he interacted with, giving them high fives and genuinely showing his compassion. I was so blown away by his positive, can-do attitude, I wished for a moment that I could be a kid again and attend school at Stevenson!
To start off the day, Mike took me on a tour of the school and told me about a really cool program known as Cub Choice. Between 7:30 a.m. and 7:50 a.m., kids can enjoy lots of fun activities set up throughout the school. They can doodle with art and drawing, put together puzzles, build with Legos, play board games, get help with homework and much more! Each activity is held in a different room inside the school. It’s a really neat program that lets kids who are dropped off early have a blast before class!
During class time, Mike and I popped into several different classrooms to observe the kiddos in their learning. We watched Mrs. Tammy Kea teach her Kindergartners how to read, which was the most adorable thing I have ever seen! These kids were so smart, Tammy almost ran out of stickers to give them for every time they got a word right!
After taking me through some of the classrooms, I then met Mike at the Rockwall ISD Aquatics Center to watch some Stevenson second graders learn swim safety. Throughout the year, second graders from Rockwall ISD elementary school campuses come to the Aquatics Center for Swim Week, where they have a splashing good time learning valuable safety techniques in the pool. I loved seeing the kids learn some very important things, like how lifejackets work and to always bring a buddy when swimming to stay safe in the pool. With Rockwall being a lakeside community, it’s awesome to see Rockwall ISD taking initiative to teach kids water safety.
After our Aquatics Center visit, Mike and I rounded out the day with a lunch at the Rockwall ISD Administration building. There we heard from other business professionals who were invited to be Principal for a Day about their experiences. The other “Principals” and I then received our certificates to cap off a fun-filled day.
ABOUT AUSTIN
I have been the editor of Blue Ribbon News since April 2016. I was born and raised in Heath, TX and I’m the author of Images of America: Heath, a chronicle of historic photographs of my town’s roots. When I’m not around town covering events, you can usually find me enjoying a good book and a hot cup of coffee.
Editor’s Note: Principal for a Day at Billie Stevenson Elementary added by Austin on
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