A reporter’s first-person account of a day spent at the helm of Helmers
As a local reporter, I’m usually running around all over the Santa Clarita Valley covering general assignments, board meetings, or photographing a sports game at a local high school.
More often than not, I’m usually in the back or like a fly on the wall, observing from afar before I approach my next subject to interview.
But last week on Thursday, as I went to cover the SCV Education Foundation’s Principal for a Day event, I found myself on the other side of the story.
The event aims to connect local business leaders and community members to public school administrators at all five local school districts. But rather than just simply covering the annual tradition like every other assignment, I was put at the forefront and became Charles Helmers Elementary School’s Principal for a Day.
I tried not to let the power go to my head.
I was expected to lead, something I’m not fully familiar with. But with the help of Charles Helmers’ actual principal, Christine Ivey, I learned that a good leader must be open minded, willing to listen, and be helpful to truly form meaningful connections with not just students, but also with school administration, parents and community members.
For Ivey, this was also her first time participating in Principal for a Day, as she had only held the position for about a month when the fall semester began. Leading a school of over 500 students and its staff will allow her to have the opportunity to make an impact that extends beyond the classroom, she said.
Ivey completed her student teaching at Charles Helmers over 20 years ago, and was a teacher at James Foster Elementary School, Emblem Academy and Tesoro Del Valley Elementary School, before she was chosen to lead the pack. (Their school mascot is a Husky).
But she wasn’t afraid to admit that she’s still learning to navigate her new role.
“Something we’re really working on right now is behavior expectations and how we support students who struggle with that,” she said as we stood on the campus playground, watching younger students during recess.
Goals Ivey has set for the year include decreasing interruptions in the classroom, improving student safety, and increasing math proficiency by adding a new math curriculum.
For Ivey, being at one of the highest-performing school sites of the Saugus Union School District is something she’s not only proud of, but also credits the “teacher led” culture for the success.
“The staff has been here for years,” she said, adding that when she’s come with new ideas to enhance the school culture, all teachers get involved in the conversations, and “I think that makes us very unique here.”
Throughout the morning, Ivey and I paid a visit to a group of sixth graders during their break time. The boys engaged in an impromptu game of football, while a few girls played basketball.
We then visited TK classes, where Ivey distributed stickers to students who demonstrated positive behavior, to encourage others to follow suit.
In one classroom, which was a combination fifth and sixth grade class, one young girl came over and asked if I wanted to sign their social classroom contract, which was basically a promise to uphold certain principles that promote a positive environment.
All classrooms on campus had one, and classroom guests are always asked to sign them, Ivey said. Some of those qualities included being respectful, hardworking, understanding, no put-downs, and much more. The contract had about 40 signatures from all students and was posted in the front of the classroom for everyone to view, before I signed my name on it.
But what took me by surprise was the girl’s confidence to approach an adult and immediately ask an assertive question with kindness.
“The really important part is giving them those leadership opportunities,” Ivey said, referring to the older students at the school. Clubs such as the Associated Student Body help provide those opportunities, allowing students to develop leadership skills and learn how to engage with their peers and community.
Because Principal for a Day is intended to help bridge the gap between local school districts and the broader community, as a reporter, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask: How can the community better support the local schools?
Ivey said the SCV Education Foundation’s teacher innovation grants and its Bag of Books program are examples of the support already available to schools. But she’d also like to see a Career Day event one day.
It would give students the opportunity to learn about the possibilities they can pursue in college and beyond from the very people who live and work in their own community, she said.
Once my role as principal came to an end, I walked away from Charles Helmers realizing that leadership doesn’t have to be embraced when given a title. It can start off with a student confidently asking a question, a school principal looking for ways to create an opportunity to inspire her students, or a community member choosing to get involved.
Maybe that’s what Principal for a Day is really about. Stepping outside our usual roles to understand one another better and then finding ways to give back when we return to them.
