Students to Principal: Shave it Off!
By CHRISTY ORGETA
Updated 10:26 AM PST, Sat, Sep 26, 2009
"Are you ready to see me shave my head?" Poway School Principal Rich Newman asked to an anxious crowd of students.
Montery Ridge Elementary students got a treat Friday when Newman fulfilled his end of a challenge he made with his community. The challenge? To flourish.
"Last year I challenged our school community, our students, our teachers and our staff to grow dramatically," Newman said. "...They in turn challenged me that if I met it, would I be willing to shave my head in front of the whole school community."
Dramatic was just what Newman got, as the the students answered back with a 36 point jump in their academic performance index.
"I think they're quite excited," Newman said before losing his locks. "I don't know who's more excited- them or me right now to do it."
The barometer for Monterey Ridge's growth were the California Standards Tests, which measures students' progress towards achieving California's state-adopted academic content standards.
Students and community members gathered for an assembly in which students from each grade was chosen to come up and clip off a piece of his hair. Also there for the festivities was Poway Unified Superintendent, Donald A. Phillips who rang in the festivities by taking the first snip.
After shaving his head, Newman had no regrets.
"I'm feeling really proud of our school community, everyone worked together and to have the largest growth in the district and one of the largest in the county is something to be really proud of.
First Published: Sep 25, 2009 12:02 PM PST
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