Schools
Prospect Mill Principal Rewards Students with Dance Party in Drag
Principal Chris Cook said he was making a statement about goal-setting.
For the past few years, Chris Cook slept on the roof of Prospect Mill Elementary School, where he's the principal, after students asked him to do it.
Cook made a deal with students that if they met a fundraising goal set by the PTA, then he would do something in return. This year's request was a little different.
"Our goal was a lofty $12,500," Prospect Mill PTA President Danielle Spigler said of this fall's fundraising campaign.
Through an online survey, kids said if they met their goal, they wanted their principal to "dress like a girl and do a dance party in the cafeteria" during lunch, Cook said.
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"Despite lower enrollment this year, coupled with a government shutdown affecting a large portion of our school community, we were elated to not only meet that goal, but exceed it!" Spigler said.
Students raised more than $13,500, which goes toward cultural arts assemblies, enrichment programs, staff appreciation events and field trips, among other initiatives, according to Spigler.
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After lunch, the students who raised $70 or more were allowed to "pie" teachers in the face. "They're having a ball," Spigler said during the event, which took place in mid November.
The student who raised the most money was awarded a Kindle Fire and gift card, sponsored by EcoCool HVAC, Transamerica Insurance and The Greene Turtle of Bel Air, Spigler said. Individual classes and students were also given recognition and honorable mentions for their efforts.
"If you set a goal and stick to it," said Cook, "anything can happen."
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