1st-Grader Takes On Principal Duty

It took a while before first-grader Geoffrey Carr warmed up to his job of being principal for a day--actually, until lunchtime--at Lang Ranch Elementary School.

But he finally did, and even came up with a few ideas of his own, including devoting the day to recess.

Geoffrey’s chance at power came about thanks to his mom, who paid $65 at the school’s silent auction last month for the opportunity.

“We just thought he’d get a kick out of it,” said Selene Carr, 37. The PTA raised about $4,700 to go toward new computers.

On Monday, Geoffrey showed up at school, not knowing what to expect. Principal Bradley Baker gave his young pupil a primer on the simpler aspects of being a principal--like checking in on classrooms, visiting students and handing out awards.

“He’s just an awfully cute kid,” Baker said. “He was nervous at first. It was a big day for him.”

The administrative duo stopped by a few lower-grade classrooms, where Geoffrey sneaked in a few hellos to friends. They worked on a school letter going home to parents.

And Geoffrey watched over the principal’s treasure chest of toys, handing out a few to kids who got perfect scores on three spelling tests.

By the time he was handing out the toys, from dinosaur eggs to bracelets to pencils, Geoffrey had eased up. He even shared a joke with Baker, he said.

“We were pretending it was raining real cats and dogs,” Geoffrey laughed. “When Mr. Baker stepped in a puddle, he said poodle.”

Baker said he had fun sharing his duties for the day with Geoffrey, who said he gained a big respect for Baker and all he does, from making rules to enforcing them.

As Geoffrey handed out prizes from the principal’s treasure chest, the power truly went to his head--but for only a second.

“I wanted to get my whole class to come and get something from the treasure box,” he said.