On Monday, Oct. 29, Wayne City schools celebrated Principal’s Day, a time to recognize and appreciate administrators and show that they are valued members of the school community.

The celebration honored high school principal Stephen Ellis and grade school principal Tony Richardson. Teachers, staff and students held a surprise pep assembly for both principals that included games, competitions and performances by the school band, which played the “Notre Dame Victory March.”

During one activity, the principals were blindfolded and asked to shoot three free throws. Then, they spun around six times with baseball bats before racing to the half-court line and back.

“Mr. Richardson cheated,” Ellis said jokingly. “I don’t think he spun around six times. He was at the half line by the time I got done spinning.”

Afterward, both principals answered questions from Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

“They were harder than I thought they would be,” Ellis said.

The assembly ended with cheers for both principals and a fun run-through.

When asked what it means to be a principal at Wayne City, Ellis said, “I would say trying to put not just the students but also our staff first — what they need and want — and making sure we can be as helpful as possible. For students, I try to make sure I am there if they need something, or need help, or if something is going on that I am someone they can trust and talk to. A lot of it is being present at activities and events, letting them know that you care about them and want them to succeed.”