Feeling Special – as Principal for A Day

By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

I knew that I was in for a special day when I pulled up to Lincoln Elementary on Thursday and saw my name on the school marquee: Welcome, Robin Goldsworthy – Principal for A Day.

The Glendale Educational Foundation has partnered with schools within the Glendale Unified School District to host Principal for a Day every year (except when prevented during the COVID epidemic). Representatives from throughout our community “take the reins” as principal of an elementary, middle or senior high school and discover how difficult it can be to oversee the machinations of school.

I had the privilege of working side-by-side with Lincoln’s principal Barbara Fariss. I joined Mrs. Fariss at the school gate at 7:45 a.m., welcoming the students as they entered the campus. Mrs. Fariss welcomed just about every student by their first name (“Good morning, Mary!” “Hurry up, Bobby, or you’re going to miss the bell!”). With a student body of several hundred kids, this was pretty impressive. Over the course of the morning, I read a fantastic book, “The Magical Yet,” to two classes. It was so inspiring that I shared its message – that we’re all works in progress and may not know how great we can be – yet – at my Kiwanis meeting the next day.

I met some of the wonderful teachers who work daily with an assortment of kids. Teachers Mrs. Burkhart, Mr. James, Mrs. Maynard and Mrs. Mazur, librarian Mrs. Van Amburg, and yard duty leader Mrs. Gaither (among others) all welcomed me into their space, giving me the chance to quietly watch or interact with the students.

The afternoon culminated with a luncheon hosted by GEF at the GUSD headquarters in Glendale. There I was able to see many of my “co-principals” for a day.

Joanna Linkchorst, president of Friends of Rockhaven, was one of the lucky ones selected for Principal for a Day. She was over at Fremont Elementary where she worked alongside school principal Vickie Atikian. Joanna also read to some of the classrooms and heard two instrumental concerts.

“Then I learned a parent had a question about the toilet seat covers in the restrooms and the principal herself was going to check,” recalled Joanna.

“Not the glamorous job you imagined of someone with so much education and experience.”

But as Mrs. Fariss said, it’s truly about the well-being of the children – and this was evident at each campus that hosted a principal for a day.

“The future is bright in Glendale!” said Joanna. “But the present is pretty darn awesome, too.”